Porsche 963 Secures Third Row Start for Indianapolis Race Amidst Challenging Conditions

Porsche's 963 LMDh cars will start from the third row of the grid for the upcoming IMSA race at Indianapolis. Despite qualifying challenges, the team remains optimistic, particularly with forecasts of rain that could play to their strengths. The GTD Pro and GTD classes also saw Porsche 911 GT3 R entries secure competitive starting positions.

Key Takeaways

• Porsche 963 entries qualified fifth and tenth for the GTP class.

• Rain is forecast for race day, which the team believes could be advantageous.

• Porsche 911 GT3 R cars will start sixth in GTD Pro and thirteenth in GTD.

GTP Class Qualifying Performance

The Porsche 963 entries will line up on the third row for the "Battle on the Bricks" at Indianapolis. The #6 car, driven by Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet, secured fifth place on the grid, while the #7 car, with Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy, qualified tenth. Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, acknowledged that while the results weren't exactly what they hoped for, the close competition meant only a tenth of a second separated several positions. He expressed confidence in the team's race pace and long-run performance, noting that the expected weather changes could be a factor.

Team and Driver Reactions

Matt Campbell described his fifth-place qualifying effort as "a great result" and a positive sign for the long race ahead, especially with potential rain. Felipe Nasr, despite a mistake on his final lap, believes there was more potential and is focused on the six-hour race, confident in the car's capabilities and the opportunities that will arise.

Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh, stated that while fifth and tenth weren't ideal, the circumstances limited further gains. He highlighted Campbell's strong performance and expressed optimism about the team's ability to perform in challenging conditions, particularly if rain materializes.

GTD Pro and GTD Class Entries

In the GTD Pro class, Laurin Heinrich qualified AO Racing's Porsche 911 GT3 R, nicknamed "Rexy," in sixth place. He shares the car with Klaus Bachler. Heinrich called the sixth-place start a solid result, though he hoped for a bit more, expressing confidence in improving over the race distance.

Wright Motorsports' Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD category will start thirteenth. Adam Adelson noted that the track's unique surface and setup challenges impacted their qualifying, but he remains proud of the team's progress and is optimistic about the race, recalling a past victory from a further back starting position.

Race Details and Broadcast Information

The Indianapolis race is scheduled to begin on Sunday, September 21, at 11:40 AM local time (5:10 PM CEST). For viewers outside the USA and Canada, the tenth round of the IMSA series will be streamed live and free of charge on imsa.tv. Live timing is also available at scoring.imsa.com.