- Tom Blomqvist claims pole in the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06
- Ricky Taylor completes sweep with front-row start for #10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura
- Third pole of 2023 for the electrified Acura ARX-06 prototype
For the second year in a row, Acura drivers and teams dominated qualifying at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, as Meyer Shank Racing's Tom Blomqvist led an Acura 1-2 front row sweep in preparation for Sunday's sixth round in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Blomqvist's pole qualifying time of 1:05.653 in the #60 MSR Acura edged Ricky Taylor's #10 ARX-06 from Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport by just 81-thousandths of a second
around the challenging 2.459-mile CTMP road course as the pair of Acura heads the prototype field for the third time in 2023.
Previous poles this year came at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona [Meyer Shank Racing] and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach [WTRAndretti].
In the production-based GTD category, the #66 Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 from Gradient Racing will roll off 13th in the hands of Sheena Monk and Katherine Legge.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Acura Qualifying Results
- 1st overall - Tom Blomqvist, #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06
- 2nd overall - Ricky Taylor, #10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06
- 13th GTD - Sheena Monk, #66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22
Fast Facts
- Acura Motorsports has recorded six previous victories at CTMP, all in the prototype categories of the former American Le Mans Series championship.
- Acura is a three-time series champion in the premier prototype division since joining the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2018, claiming the Manufacturer, Driver and Team Daytona Prototype International (DPi) titles in 2019-20 and again in 2022 with the Acura ARX-05.
- For 2023, the new, electrified Acura ARX-06 GTP effort continues to be spearheaded by a pair of IMSA championship-winning teams: Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport.
Quotes
Tom Blomqvist (#60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06) Pole qualifier: "Really happy to get the pole today. The car's been quick, so that was the aim. We knew it was possible. Colin [Braun, co-driver] has been doing a fantastic job. But to be honest, I was struggling a little bit with the car. We just made some little tweaks and then with [new] tires and low fuel [for qualifying], I always have faith in what I can do in those situations, and thankfully it worked out. Just really happy for everybody at MSR. Everybody has been on it this weekend. Tomorrow is the important one though—we just have to convert it and hopefully it all works out."
Ricky Taylor (#10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06) Qualified second: "It was nice to get an all-Acura front row. Our ARX-06 is very strong this weekend. I think we had a car for the pole, but I don't know if I put it all together. It's okay, we have a long race tomorrow and I have a lot of confidence in the pace of the car. There are a lot of cars on track, and the closing speed [to cars in the other classes] is substantial. I think the race tomorrow is going to come down to who can best get through traffic cleanly and quickly."
Sheena Monk (#66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22) Qualified 13th in GTD: "The nature of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is a bit difficult. It requires a bit of bravery so getting everything out from the Acura has been a bit of a challenge. Looking at the season as a whole, I would say that I am making improvements but I want so much more. The pace in practice this morning feels like it didn't translate into qualifying later in the day. So, I'm a bit frustrated with that, but it's a learning experience at the moment and I'm just trying my best to always push my limit a little bit further and just try to get myself as close to Kat [co-driver Katherine Legge] as possible. This morning I felt like I was making some headway—but then the track conditions changed a little bit, it got a little warmer, and the behavior of the car changed slightly and I just wasn't able to adapt and put the power down in a way that felt as comfortable as this morning."
Where to Watch Sunday's Race
Live, flag-to-flag coverage from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will be available on NBC starting at 12 p.m. EDT Sunday.
Fans can listen to audio commentary via IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and Sirius XM Radio; and follow the race live via in-car cameras, IMSA Radio and timing & scoring available worldwide on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile device App.
Acura Motorsports social media content and video links can be found on:
- Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd)
- TikTok (www.tiktok.com/hondaracing_hpd)
- Twitter (www.twitter.com/HondaRacing_Hpd)
- Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD)
- YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV)
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