Jack Aitken breaks track record and secures pole position at Petit Le Mans 2024

Cadillac Racing will seek to continue its dominance in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale at the 2024 Motul Petit Le Mans. The team has maintained an outstanding streak since 2017, achieving favorable positions in each edition, and this time is no exception, with Jack Aitken leading the charge after a stellar qualifying session at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Record-breaking pace for Aitken

Aitken, driving the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R, completed a lap in 1 minute, 9.639 seconds at an average speed of 131.305 mph, setting a new track record for the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. The British driver particularly excelled in the first sector of the 12-turn circuit, maximizing the car's performance during his eighth lap.

“Normally, our fastest laps come at the end of sessions, and today was no exception,” Aitken said after securing his first pole at the Motul Petit Le Mans. Cadillac has already secured six poles in the nine races of the season, with Aitken leading on this occasion, while his teammate Pipo Derani took the first three of the year.

A tough battle in qualifying

The qualifying session was highly competitive, with Matt Campbell of Porsche Penske Motorsport finishing just 0.070 seconds behind Aitken. Campbell is competing alongside Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron, who lead the championship and are in a strong position to secure it with a ninth-place finish or better in Saturday's race. BMW M Team RLL, with Connor De Phillippi behind the wheel of the BMW M Hybrid V8, will start from third place.

Among other competitors, Chip Ganassi Racing, in its final race with Cadillac, qualified fourth, while the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura car will start from fifth position.

The fight in LMP2

In the LMP2 category, Ben Keating, driving the United Autosports USA ORECA 07, secured his second pole of the season. Keating, who had already taken pole at Daytona earlier this year, beat his rival Steven Thomas by 0.234 seconds. This achievement puts the team in a prime position to aim for their second win of the year, with Keating, Ben Hanley, and Nico Pino ready for the race.

The championship battle in this category is also intense, with Nick Boulle, the championship leader, starting from fourth position. His main rivals, the team of Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga, and Josh Burdon, will start from sixth place, looking to close the points gap.

Race broadcast and details

The Motul Petit Le Mans will be broadcast live on Saturday, with coverage on NBC starting at noon and continuing on USA Network at 6 p.m. for the final part of the race. Additionally, fans can follow all the action live via Peacock in the U.S. and on IMSA's YouTube channel for the rest of the world.