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SRO America / Mid-Ohio Qualifying report
Cindric continues to impress in World Challenge
Steven Cole Smith
Teen tops GTA qualifying, with Dalziel on GT pole.
In the past month teenager Austin Cindric has raced in the ARCA, Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and Red Bull GRC Lites series, and today adds the Pirelli World Challenge to a busy schedule.
Cindric won the GTA pole in Saturday morning's Pirelli World Challenge Round 14 qualifying session at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, part of the StopTech Mid-Ohio Grand Prix presented by MOMO.
Ryan Dalziel took the GT pole, and Colin Thompson will start first on the grid for Round 12 of the GT Cup presented by MOMO championship.
The 45-minute session was split into two 20 minute run groups with GTA and GT Cup taking the track first.
Cindric drove the the No. 25 Blancpain Racing Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 REX to the fastest time in GTA with a 1:21.463. Dalziel, in the No. 31 EFFORT Racing/World PMO Nissan GT-R-GT3, posted a 1:19.838 to secure the pole, with Olivier Beretta in the No. 61 R. Ferrari of Ontario/Toronto/Alberta Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 458 GT3 Italia in second with a 1:20.086.
"It was a good run but it was unfortunate that we had speedy dry in turn 11," said Cindric. "I think we could have been closer to where the GT cars were in qualifying. The Reiter boys have been great and I am getting up to speed right now. This car is completely different from what I have been driving this year with the Mustang and the Rallycross car. I just have to adapt and learn. I am down to race anything and the sports cars are something I really want to pursue in the future.
"My mom and dad (Megan and Tim) are very supportive and help me a lot. The hard thing for me right now is that I don't know what to expect at the start of the race. I haven't done a standing start this year. I'm not familiar with the light sequence. So I was talking with Dorsey (Schroeder, race director) about all of that. There are many new things for me for today's race."
Not an easy year
"It hasn't been an easy year for us in qualifying," said Dalziel. "This is only our second time on the front row. Last year, we had a great car (with two race wins at Mid-Ohio). This is a track that suits the Porsche. I have always seemed to gel with this place. We have been on the pace this weekend, but we were a little surprised with the pole. As a team, we are really happy. Michael (Lewis) did a great job for fourth. I come in here with some big shoes to fill after our performance last year. It is a perfect time of the year for us to go for race wins. We have had so many podiums and not one race win for my car this year. We going to try and turn it around and get another race win."
The race will be streamed live at 4:25 p.m. Eastern at world-challengetv.com or torque.tv.
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