Seb Priaulx took the first pole position of the inaugural Porsche Carrera Cup North America season, beating Leh Keen by just 0.041 seconds in an incredibly close qualifying session.
The Kelly-Moss Road and Race driver has outpaced his rivals in the two official test sessions last week and the two practice sessions so far this weekend.
At the start of the 30 minute session at Sebring International Raceway it was Leh Keen in the #12 311RS Motorsport car that set the first benchmark time of 2:03.742. Riley Dickinson briefly took the Team Hardpoint EB car to the top of the times before Leh Keen stole pole position back again.
Kay van Berlo headed to the top of the timesheets with a time of 2:03.254 before Priaulx set the fastest time of the session on his third lap, a time of 2:03.109.
The time set by the Guernsey driver would remain untouched despite the best efforts of his rivals; Leh Keen was the driver that managed to get closest, but ultimately ended up 0.041 seconds down on the top time, which would be good enough to take him to a front-row start.
Early session leaders van Berlo and Dickinson had to settle for the second row of the grid as the top four drivers were covered by just 0.143 seconds within each other around the bumpy Sebring circuit.
Leading the way in the Pro-Am category was Efrin Castro in the Team Hardpoint EBM car, setting a time of 2:04.636, good enough for thirteenth place overall, out qualifying two Pro drivers. Early Pro-Am pace setter Alan Metni finished the session second in class, with Rene Robichauld rounding out the top three positions.
Kurt Hunt topped the times in the Pro-Am 991 class for the previous generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, a time of 2:05.974 was good enough for seventeenth place, and impressive feat that put him ahead of seven Pro-Am drivers in the new 992-based cars. Goldcrest Motorsports duo of Matt Halcome and Jeffrey Majkrzak took second and third place in class.
The first race of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will take place later today at 17:30 EST (21:30 GMT) and can be watched live at porschecarreracup.us.
Race 1 Qualifying times
| Pos. | Class | # | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Pro | 15 | Seb Priaulx(J) | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:03.109 | |
| 2 | Pro | 12 | Leh Keen | 311RS Motorsport | 2:03.150 | +0.041 |
| 3 | Pro | 3 | Kay van Berlo(J) | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:03.241 | +0.132 |
| 4 | Pro | 53 | Riley Dickinson(J) | Team Hardpoint EBM | 2:03.252 | +0.143 |
| 5 | Pro | 7 | Maxwell Root(J) | Moorespeed-Wright Motorsports | 2:03.471 | +0.362 |
| 6 | Pro | 38 | Dylan Murry(J) | BGB Motorsports | 2:03.546 | +0.437 |
| 7 | Pro | 9 | Parker Thompson(J) | JDX Racing | 2:03.919 | +0.810 |
| 8 | Pro | 11 | Ryan Gates | 311RS Motorsport | 2:03.981 | +0.872 |
| 9 | Pro | 58 | TJ Fischer | Topp Racing | 2:04.204 | +1.095 |
| 10 | Pro | 27 | Sebastian Carazo(J) | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:04.285 | +1.176 |
| 11 | Pro | 2 | Sean McAlister(J) | JDX Racing | 2:04.320 | +1.211 |
| 12 | Pro | 14 | Erik Johansson | MRS GT Racing | 2:04.419 | +1.310 |
| 13 | Pro-Am | 65 | Efrin Castro | Team Hardpoint EBM | 2:04.636 | +1.527 |
| 14 | Pro | 16 | Jeff Kingsley | MRS GT Racing | 2:05.080 | +1.971 |
| 15 | Pro | 88 | Hutton McKenna | Wright Motorsports | 2:05.088 | +1.979 |
| 16 | Pro-Am | 99 | Alan Metni | iFly/Kelly-Moss | 2:05.103 | +1.994 |
| 17 | PA991 | 24 | Kurt Hunt | ACI Motorsports | 2:05.974 | +2.865 |
| 18 | Pro-Am | 84 | Rene Robichaud | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:06.021 | +2.912 |
| 19 | PA991 | 55 | Matt Halcome | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:06.076 | +2.967 |
| 20 | Pro-Am | 69 | Thomas Collingwood | BGB Motorsports | 2:06.213 | +3.104 |
| 21 | Pro-Am | 10 | Vernon McClure | TPC Racing | 2:06.265 | +3.156 |
| 22 | Pro-Am | 17 | Curt Swearingin | ACI Motorsports | 2:06.312 | +3.203 |
| 23 | Pro-Am | 54 | Tim Pappas | JDX Racing | 2:06.410 | +3.301 |
| 24 | Pro-Am | 57 | John Goetz | Wright Motorsports | 2:06.779 | +3.670 |
| 25 | PA991 | 29 | Jeffrey Majkrzak | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:07.259 | +4.150 |
| 26 | PA991 | 56 | Frank Raso | Topp Racing | 2:07.509 | +4.400 |
| 27 | PA991 | 72 | Phillip Martien | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:07.560 | +4.451 |
| 28 | Pro-Am | 42 | Bill Smith | Topp Racing | 2:07.642 | +4.533 |
| 29 | PA991 | 21 | Grady Willingham | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:07.961 | +4.852 |
| 30 | PA991 | 97 | Craig Conway | Irish Mike’s Racing | 2:09.200 | +6.091 |
| 31 | PA991 | 92 | Joseph Lombardo | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:09.610 | +6.501 |
| 32 | PA991 | 8 | Joe Still | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:09.613 | +6.504 |
| 33 | PA991 | 59 | Tom Balames | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:10.524 | +7.415 |
| 34 | PA991 | 64 | Ted Giovanis | ACI Motorsports | No Time | — |
Race 2 Qualifying times
Times based on second-fastest time of each driver in qualifying.
| Pos. | Class | # | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Pro | 15 | Seb Priaulx(J) | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:03.245 | – |
| 2 | Pro | 3 | Kay van Berlo(J) | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:03.254 | +0.009 |
| 3 | Pro | 12 | Leh Keen | 311RS Motorsport | 2:03.367 | +0.122 |
| 4 | Pro | 53 | Riley Dickinson(J) | Team Hardpoint EBM | 2:03.497 | +0.252 |
| 5 | Pro | 7 | Maxwell Root(J) | Moorespeed-Wright Motorsports | 2:03.998 | +0.753 |
| 6 | Pro | 38 | Dylan Murry(J) | BGB Motorsports | 2:04.073 | +0.828 |
| 7 | Pro | 58 | TJ Fischer | Topp Racing | 2:04.227 | +0.982 |
| 8 | Pro | 9 | Parker Thompson(J) | JDX Racing | 2:04.228 | +0.983 |
| 9 | Pro | 27 | Sebastian Carazo(J) | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:04.385 | +1.14 |
| 10 | Pro | 14 | Erik Johansson | MRS GT Racing | 2:04.677 | +1.432 |
| 11 | Pro | 2 | Sean McAlister(J) | JDX Racing | 2:04.872 | +1.627 |
| 12 | Pro-Am | 65 | Efrin Castro | Team Hardpoint EBM | 2:05.149 | +1.904 |
| 13 | Pro | 11 | Ryan Gates | 311RS Motorsport | 2:05.250 | +2.005 |
| 14 | Pro | 16 | Jeff Kingsley | MRS GT Racing | 2:05.316 | +2.071 |
| 15 | Pro-Am | 99 | Alan Metni | iFly/Kelly-Moss | 2:05.364 | +2.119 |
| 16 | Pro | 88 | Hutton McKenna | Wright Motorsports | 2:06.004 | +2.759 |
| 17 | PA991 | 24 | Kurt Hunt | ACI Motorsports | 2:06.129 | +2.884 |
| 18 | PA991 | 55 | Matt Halcome | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:06.144 | +2.899 |
| 19 | Pro-Am | 69 | Thomas Collingwood | BGB Motorsports | 2:06.246 | +3.001 |
| 20 | Pro-Am | 84 | Rene Robichaud | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:06.306 | +3.061 |
| 21 | Pro-Am | 17 | Curt Swearingin | ACI Motorsports | 2:06.438 | +3.193 |
| 22 | Pro-Am | 54 | Tim Pappas | JDX Racing | 2:06.499 | +3.254 |
| 23 | Pro-Am | 57 | John Goetz | Wright Motorsports | 2:06.913 | +3.668 |
| 24 | Pro-Am | 10 | Vernon McClure | TPC Racing | 2:07.032 | +3.787 |
| 25 | PA991 | 29 | Jeffrey Majkrzak | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:07.335 | +4.09 |
| 26 | PA991 | 72 | Phillip Martien | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:07.600 | +4.355 |
| 27 | PA991 | 56 | Frank Raso | Topp Racing | 2:07.707 | +4.462 |
| 28 | Pro-Am | 42 | Bill Smith | Topp Racing | 2:07.945 | +4.7 |
| 29 | PA991 | 21 | Grady Willingham | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:08.035 | +4.79 |
| 30 | PA991 | 97 | Craig Conway | Irish Mike’s Racing | 2:09.743 | +6.498 |
| 31 | PA991 | 92 | Joseph Lombardo | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:09.836 | +6.591 |
| 32 | PA991 | 8 | Joe Still | Goldcrest Motorsports | 2:09.945 | +6.7 |
| 33 | PA991 | 59 | Tom Balames | Kelly-Moss Road and Race | 2:10.717 | +7.472 |
| 34 | PA991 | 64 | Ted Giovanis | ACI Motorsports | No Time | — |
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