PORTLAND, Ore. – Christian Szymczak and Drew Staveley secured the overall poles for Saturday’s and Sunday’s GT4 America SprintX races, respectively at Portland Int’l Raceway.
The 30-minute qualifying session featured numerous fast laps and a record-setting GT4 qualifying lap by Staveley.
Spilt into two 15-minute segments the qualifying session was held under ideal sunny, 68-degree Fahrenheit conditions.
In the first 15-minute qualifying segment to set the grid for Saturday’s race, SprintX Pro/Am competitor Matt Travis in the NOLASPORT No. 47 Porsche 718 Cayman CS MR posted an early fast time of 118.016 to top the charts.
Soon after West Pro/Am driver Szymczak posted a 1:18.020 to slot into second on the charts.
At the mid-point of the session, Pro/Am SprintX West driver Jon Miller went to the top with a 1:17.897, while Szymczak bettered his time to a 1:17.914 to slot into second. West Am class, Rearden Racing’s Vesko Kozarov slotted into third on the charts with a 1:17.935. SprintX Am class driver Kris Wilson then posted a 1:17.921 to bump Kozarov down to fourth.
Times kept falling as the session went on. With under five minutes remaining, Szymczak jumped to the top with a 1:17.189, followed by Travis who slotted back into second overall with a 1:17.803. Miller bettered his time slightly to a 1:17.781 to move back into third on the charts.
The final flying laps of the session saw Kozarov run a 1:17.567 to slot into second overall on the grid and first in the West Am division, while Ryan Dexter in the Dexter Racing #63 Ginetta G55 moved up into third overall on the grid and tops in the Pro/Am division with a 1:17.745.
Szymczak’s time held for the overall and West Pro/Am pole. Miller’s time held for fourth overall and second in the West Pro/Am class, while Travis qualified fifth overall and second in the Pro/Am class. Wilson qualified sixth overall and first for the Am class. The top seven cars in the first segment qualified less than a second apart.
Drivers from the first segment then swapped out for their teammates and the second 15-minute qualifying session to set the grid for Sunday’s race.
West Pro/Am competitor Jason Wolfe piloting the ST Racing No. 38 BMW M4 GT4 posted the early quick time of the session with a 1:17.076, followed by Travis’ teammate Jason Hart with a 1:17.104.
Szymczak’s teammate Kenny Murillo then slotted into third overall with a 1:17.345. Wolfe soon after improved him time to a 1:17.052. West Am competitor Staveley driving the No. 24 Ian Lacy Racing Ford Mustang GT4 then slotted into third with a 1:17.176.
The top three times held until with under three minutes to go Staveley rocketed to the top of the charts with a record-setting Portland Int’l Raceway GT4 lap of 1:16.982. At the checkered, Staveley had secured the overall and West Am pole for Sunday’s race, while Wolfe qualified second overall and tops in the West Pro/Am division. Hart will start third overall on Sunday and first in the Pro/Am class.
SprintX Am class driver championship points co-leader Matthew Keegan qualified 9th overall and tops in class with a 1:17.656. Keegan will share driving duties with Preston Calvert in the No. 51 Team Panoz Racing Panoz Avezzano GT.