Louis Deletraz put the Cadillac No. 40 of Wayne Taylor Racing on pole position for the fourth round of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a lap of 1:13.221 at an average speed of 110 mph on the 3.6-kilometer WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Jack Aitken also secured the front row with the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen, stopping the clocks at 1:13.501.

Wayne Taylor Racing had not taken a pole since Watkins Glen 2024, their final season as a partner with Acura. The manufacturer switch in 2025 was complicated and they ended the year without wins or front-row starts. Deletraz's lap on Saturday is the first concrete evidence that the program is beginning to perform at the expected level.

Photo By IMSA

Nick Yelloly placed the Acura No. 93 of Meyer Shank Racing third with a 1:13.696. The team comes off a win at Long Beach two weeks ago thanks to an extended strategy and a well-timed caution. Dries Vanthoor put the BMW No. 24 of WRT fourth, 0.514 seconds off the pace, followed by the other Meyer Shank Acura, the No. 60 of Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun. Aston Martin placed the Valkyrie No. 23 of Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis sixth, seven tenths back. Seven cars were covered by less than nine tenths, with four manufacturers among the top six.

The Porsches arrived as championship leaders with Nasr and Andlauer but qualified further back. The No. 6 of Estre and Vanthoor will start eighth and the No. 7 of the points leaders ninth. Both carry the retro livery inspired by the 935 that Penske debuted for the model's 50th anniversary.

Hawksworth ties record at Laguna Seca

Jack Hawksworth claimed GTD PRO pole for the StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a time of 1:21.228 in the Lexus RC F GT3 #14 of Vasser Sullivan Racing. It is his 16th pole in the WeatherTech Championship, tying the all-time record held by Ben Keating since IMSA unified its top class in 2014.

The pole came on the same day that the passing of Alex Zanardi was confirmed Saturday morning in Monterey. Zanardi was a teammate of Jimmy Vasser, co-owner of Vasser Sullivan Racing, on the Chip Ganassi CART/IndyCar team in the late 1990s. They won races together and Zanardi claimed two consecutive championships (1997-1998) with that team. Jack Hawksworth stated: "He's an absolute legend. Jimmy was his teammate and very good friend. It's very special to start from pole. I know Jimmy is emotional, as expected."

Photo By IMSA

Vasser Sullivan breaks bad streak at Laguna Seca

The team of Vasser and James Sullivan has historically struggled at the California circuit with the Lexus RC F GT3, a chassis that debuted in 2017 and is the oldest in the GTD PRO class. Hawksworth acknowledged the difficulty: "We've had problems here. Starting this weekend being competitive, the team has been positive. We got the tires to work at the exact right moment."

It is Hawksworth's second consecutive pole in 2026. He qualified first at Sebring in March and now repeats at Laguna Seca. Ben Barnicoat, who shares the #14 with the Brit, is seeking his first win of the year. Vasser Sullivan won at Long Beach two weeks ago with Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen in the Lexus #12, snapping a 22-race winless streak dating back to April 2024.

Photo By IMSA

Neil Verhagen was second in qualifying in the BMW M4 GT3 EVO #1 of Paul Miller Racing, 0.257 seconds behind Hawksworth (1:21.485). Verhagen and Connor De Phillippi lead the GTD PRO drivers' championship. Seven manufacturers occupied the top seven positions: Lexus, BMW, Ford, Porsche, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, and McLaren.

Patrese earns second IMSA pole

Lorenzo Patrese took GTD pole by posting 1:21.441 in the Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO #34 of Conquest Racing. It is his first sprint race in the WeatherTech Championship and the second pole of his IMSA career (his first came at Petit Le Mans 2025). For Conquest Racing, it is the first pole since 2012, when Martin Plowman qualified first in the P2 class of the American Le Mans Series at VIR.

Photo By IMSA

Patrese also referenced Zanardi. His father Riccardo Patrese, a six-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner, raced against Zanardi in the top category in the 1990s. "My father was very close to Alex. It's not the easiest day. I'm happy to start on pole on a day like this. It's very nice what IMSA is doing to remember him in motorsport."

Danny Formal was just 0.022 seconds off pole in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 #45 of Wayne Taylor Racing (1:21.463). Eduardo Barrichello, the GTD championship leader, qualified third in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo #27 of Heart of Racing Team (1:21.707).

DXDT Racing out due to transporter fire

The GTD class lost one car this weekend; the Corvette Z06 GT3.R #36 of DXDT Racing is not competing at Laguna Seca due to a fire in the team's transporter. Robert Wickens, who won pole at Long Beach two weeks ago, was unable to try for another pole in California.

The Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 #12 (winner at Long Beach) qualified fifth in GTD with Aaron Telitz. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 #57 of Winward Racing, winner of the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona, was fourth.

StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship 2026

								Gap
1	1	GTP	#40	Jordan Taylor Louis Deletraz	Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing	Cadillac	Cadillac V-Series.R	-
2	2	GTP	#31	Jack Aitken Earl Bamber	Cadillac Whelen	Cadillac	Cadillac V-Series.R	+0.280
3	3	GTP	#93	Renger van der Zande Nick Yelloly	Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian	Acura	Acura ARX-06	+0.475
4	4	GTP	#24	Sheldon van der Linde Dries Vanthoor	BMW M Team WRT	BMW	BMW M Hybrid V8	+0.514
5	5	GTP	#60	Tom Blomqvist Colin Braun	Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian	Acura	Acura ARX-06	+0.639
6	6	GTP	#23	Ross Gunn Roman De Angelis	ASTON MARTIN THOR Team	Aston Martin	Aston Martin Valkyrie	+0.718
7	7	GTP	#10	Ricky Taylor Filipe Albuquerque	Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing	Cadillac	Cadillac V-Series.R	+0.855
8	8	GTP	#6	Laurens Vanthoor Kevin Estre	Porsche Penske Motorsport	Porsche	Porsche 963	+1.069
9	9	GTP	#7	Felipe Nasr Julien Andlauer	Porsche Penske Motorsport	Porsche	Porsche 963	+1.117
10	10	GTP	#25	Philipp Eng Marco Wittmann	BMW M Team WRT	BMW	BMW M Hybrid V8	+1.145
11	11	GTP	#5	Tijmen van der Helm Laurin Heinrich	JDC-Miller MotorSports	Porsche	Porsche 963	+1.178
12	1	GTDPRO	#14	Jack Hawksworth Ben Barnicoat	Vasser Sullivan Racing	Lexus	Lexus RC F GT3	+8.007
13	1	GTD	#34	Albert Costa Lorenzo Patrese	Conquest Racing	Ferrari	Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO	+8.220
14	2	GTD	#45	Danny Formal Trent Hindman	Wayne Taylor Racing	Lamborghini	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	+8.242
15	2	GTDPRO	#1	Neil Verhagen Connor De Phillippi	Paul Miller Racing	BMW	BMW M4 GT3 EVO	+8.264
16	3	GTDPRO	#65	Christopher Mies Frederic Vervisch	Ford Racing	Ford	Ford Mustang GT3	+8.351
17	4	GTDPRO	#77	Nick Tandy Harry King	AO Racing	Porsche	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	+8.374
18	5	GTDPRO	#3	Antonio Garcia Alexander Sims	Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports	Chevrolet	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	+8.440
19	6	GTDPRO	#9	Andrea Caldarelli Sandy Mitchell	Pfaff Motorsports	Lamborghini	Lamborghini Temerario GT3	+8.447
20	3	GTD	#27	Dudu Barrichello Tom Gamble	Heart of Racing Team	Aston Martin	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	+8.486
21	7	GTDPRO	#59	Max Esterson Nikita Johnson	RLL Team McLaren	McLaren	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	+8.655
22	8	GTDPRO	#4	Tommy Milner Nicky Catsburg	Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports	Chevrolet	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	+8.706
23	4	GTD	#57	Russell Ward Philip Ellis	WINWARD RACING	Mercedes-AMG	Mercedes-AMG GT3	+8.792
24	9	GTDPRO	#64	Ben Barker Dennis Olsen	Ford Racing	Ford	Ford Mustang GT3	+8.893
25	5	GTD	#12	Aaron Telitz Benjamin Pedersen	Vasser Sullivan Racing	Lexus	Lexus RC F GT3	+8.966
26	6	GTD	#19	Rory van der Steur Scott Andrews	van der Steur Racing	Aston Martin	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	+9.161
27	7	GTD	#96	Patrick Gallagher Robby Foley	Turner Motorsport	BMW	BMW M4 GT3 EVO	+9.170
28	8	GTD	#120	Adam Adelson Callum Ilott	Wright Motorsports	Porsche	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	+9.231
29	9	GTD	#70	Brendan Iribe Frederik Schandorff	Inception Racing	Ferrari	Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO	+9.254
30	10	GTD	#66	Jake Walker Corey Lewis	Gradient Racing	Ford	Ford Mustang GT3	+9.752
31	11	GTD	#16	Sheena Monk Felipe Fraga	Myers Riley Motorsports	Ford	Ford Mustang GT3	+10.311
32	12	GTD	#13	Orey Fidani Matthew Bell	13 Autosport	Chevrolet	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	+11.393
33	13	GTD	#81	Henrik Hedman Giacomo Altoè	DragonSpeed	Chevrolet	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	+13.836