Jack Aitken powered the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac to pole position for the 2026 IMSA Sebring 12 Hours, beating the No. 60 MSR Acura of Tom Blomqvist.
This triumph marked the third pole for the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R at Sebring in the last four years under Action Express Racing’s stewardship, underscoring their growing dominance on the demanding Sebring International Raceway circuit, known for its unforgiving bumps, high-speed straights, and tight corners that test both man and machine to their limits.
Aitken’s lap time of 1m46.153s came agonizingly close to the GTP course record set by Pipo Derani in 2023, falling short by just 0.3 seconds.
In the headline-grabbing GTP class, the session ignited early with Aitken setting the benchmark at 1:47.917 in the No. 31 Cadillac, immediately signaling Action Express Racing’s intent after their strong Daytona showing.
Philipp Eng in the No. 25 BMW M Team WRT responded swiftly but trailed by half a second, only for Louis Deletraz in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac to surge ahead moments later, showcasing Cadillac V-Series.R’s superior traction through Sebring’s Esses.
As the clock ticked into the final five minutes, Filipe Albuquerque powered the No. 10 WTR Cadillac to snatch provisional pole with a 1:46.298, just hundredths ahead of Aitken, while Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 fired back with a 1:46.262 to briefly lead.
Disaster struck for Eng, who spun off-track in the No. 25 BMW, damaging the car and ending his session prematurely which shuffled the order and gave Jack Aitken a clear run for his knockout lap of 1:46.153—beating Blomqvist by 0.109 seconds and Albuquerque by 0.145s in third.
Kevin Estre’s No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 slotted into fourth at 1:46.395, demonstrating factory Porsche’s consistency despite practice pace, while Deletraz held fifth.
Full 2026 IMSA Sebring Qualifying Results and starting lineup
2026 IMSA Sebring 12 Hours schedule: Times, TV, streaming
Bryan Herta Autosport takes LMP2 pole
Shifting to LMP2, the Oreca 07 Gibson prototypes provided a nail-biter where margins were razor-thin, underscoring the class’s parity and the importance of clean air laps on Sebring’s abrasive surface.
George Kurtz led early running in the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR entry, but it was Misha Goikhberg in the rebranded No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports who claimed his first career IMSA pole with a stellar 1:51.182 after a fierce top-three tussle.
Daniel Goldburg’s No. 22 United Autosports oreca shadowed closely in second, just 0.073s adrift, with defending class winner Jeremy Clarke vaulting the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition to third.
PJ Hyett’s No. 99 AO Racing “Spike” ORECA initially shattered the 1:51 barrier with a 1:50.941 to take provisional pole, but was forced to forfeit the top spot following Thursday’s opening practice incident that triggered a red flag.
Hyett ultimately settled for fourth, while Kurtz rounded out the top five. The only incident during the session involved Naveen Rao spinning the No. 18 Era Motorsport, without major disruption.
Jack Hawksworth, Eduardo Barrichello claim GTD class poles for Lexus and Aston Martin
GTD Pro’s GT3 elite showdown delivered a course-record masterclass from Jack Hawksworth in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3, who etched his name in history with a 1:58.480 on the eve of his 100th IMSA start for Lexus, eclipsing his own 2024 mark and Daniel Serra’s 2018 GTD record.
The session kicked off tamely with Andrea Caldarelli logging a 2:05 in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3, but was quickly overshadowed by Dan Barker’s No. 64 Ford Mustang.
Daniel Sierra’s No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari later held the top spot briefly with a 1:59.4, before Luca Stolz powered his No. 48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to the first lap in the sub 1:58s.
Stolz’s benchmark appeared to be unbeatable as the session narrowed down to the last six minutes, but Hawksworth delivered a blistering final flyer to claim Sebring 12H pole position, beating Stolz by 0.289s.
The GTD class capped the evening with young gun Eduardo Barrichello—son of F1 legend Rubens—logging a 1:58.856 to secure his maiden IMSA pole in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, their second straight pole after Daytona.
Philip Ellis had snagged provisional pole in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG, only for Barrichello to rip it away by 0.124s. Robby Foley took third in the split-liveried No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW.
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