WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Touring Car driver’s championship points leader Johan Schwartz continued his hot streak by scoring the TC pole for Saturday’s 40-minute race at Watkins Glen Int’l.
Presented by CrowdStrike, the TC America weekend will showcase two 40-minute TC contests at the renowned 11-turn, 3.4-mile road course.
The 15-minute qualifying session was held under sunny 60-degree Fahrenheit conditions. Early on Rearden Racing’s Paul Terry took his No. 33 Nissan 370z to the top of the charts with a 2:03.319, followed by Joseph Federl (2:03.644) and Jeff Ricca (2:03.675).
A lap later, Schwartz, driving the Rooster Hall Racing No. 80 BMW M240iR Cup assumed the top slot posting a 2:02.490, while Auto Technic Racing’s Tom Capizzi slotted in behind Schwartz with a 2:03.022.
With under five minutes remaining in the session, Federl popped back up to second with a 2:02.862, while Schwartz solidified his top position with a 2:02.482. A lap later Federl improved to a 2:02.686.
At the checkered the times held – Schwartz secured his fourth pole of the 2019 season. Federl will start alongside Schwartz while Terry will start third (2:02.871). Chandler Hull (2:02.919), Schwartz’ teammate Steve Streimer (2:02.938) and Capizzi (2:03.022) round out the top three rows.
In TCR, a red flag with roughly eight minutes to go prematurely ended the session, but not before Michael McCann Jr. put down a lap of 1:57.134 in his No. 3 McCann Racing Audi RS3 LMS.
“It was a long night for the team last night getting the car sorted out, so a big shout out to the guys. Pole feels great,” said McCann.
Mason Filippi and his No. 12 Copeland Motorsports Hyundai Veloster N will start from the second position with James Walker and the No. 34 Risi Competizione Alfa Romeo third.
TCR championship leader Michael Hurczyn will start his No. 71 FCP Euro VW Golf GTI fourth with teammate Nate Vincent starting fifth in the No. 72 FCP Euro entry. Bryan Putt and the No. 15 eEuroparts.com Rowe Racing Audi RS3 LMS took the TCR Cup class pole.
Tyler Maxson wheeled his No. 74 Copeland Motorsports Mazda MX5 Cup to the TCA-class pole with a 2:09.986 fastest lap.
“It was a pretty good qualifying session. We only had one lap, but the guys made some adjustments and the car was perfect,” said Maxson.
Nick Wittmer will start from second in his No. 91 TechSport Racing Subaru BRZ tS with Mark Pombo and the No. 59 MINI Cooper JCW third. Taylor Hagler in the No. 77 X-Factory Racing Honda Civic Si and Nate Norenberg in the No. 60 MINI Cooper JCW round out the top five.