3/13/2025
Team TGM Driver Out Front Of Field for 250th GS Race Since 2001
Qualifying Results
By Holly Cain
SEBRING, Fla. – Florida’s own Paul Holton put the No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo on pole position for Friday’s Round 2 of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season, and the 250th Grand Sport (GS) class race since 2001, the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 (2:15 p.m. ET, Peacock, YouTube). He’ll share his car with Matt Plumb.
Holton’s lap of 2 minutes, 10.771 seconds (102.958 mph) in the Aston Martin was a mere 0.073-second faster than Californian Sean McAlister in the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO around the historic 3.74-mile Sebring track – McAlister’s final lap qualifying push to try and claim pole position in the closing seconds of the session fell just short, impeded by another car on track.
Five different manufacturers – Aston Martin, BMW, Porsche, Toyota and Ford – claimed the top five qualifying positions. With Mercedes-AMG in ninth, six automotive brands are all separated by less than one second in the 25-car GS class.
“First couple laps nobody wanted to go [out] first,” Holton said smiling, adding, “This track is a quite long technical track and we wanted to get the draft. We’re struggling a little bit between the corners here this weekend. But our car really likes the hot conditions and when it warms up like this the car comes to life, the motor comes to life and it’s a good car to drive here in Sebring, Florida.
“It’s a two-hour race and also we only used one lap [of tires]. We want to keep them as fresh as possible as we can. What matters is the end of the race tomorrow, not qualifying.”
The No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS co-driven by Jan Heylen and Luca Mars paced practice overall and was third in qualifying.
Bryson Morris won pole position in the 15-car Touring Car (TCR) class, turning a fast lap of 2 minutes, 12.181 seconds (101.860 mph) in the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N – also turning only a single full-on lap during the 15-minute qualifier. It’s his second Motul Pole Award in as many races this season, and he’ll share the car with Mark Wilkins.
Morris’ time just bettered Bryan Herta Autosport teammate – and fellow Tennessee-native – Mason Filippi, who will start second in the team’s No. 98 Hyundai.
“I made a little mistake there or it would have been quicker,” Morris said, adding, “Really unexpected honestly, but second pole in a row so we know we can get pole and we have a good car.”
The No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 co-driven by LP Montour and Karl Wittmer led practice in the TCR Class went on to qualify third in class.
