Lawson Aschenbach wasted little time in showing the potential of Blackdog Speed Shop’s new Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R on Thursday. The four-time Pirelli World Challenge champion sped to pole position in the debut of the Camaro GT4.R and will start Friday’s opening race of the season from inside the front row.
Aschenbach posted a lap of 1:18.885 (82.17 mph) in the No. 10 Blackdog Speed Shop Camaro for his 13th career pole position in World Challenge competition. It moves him into a tie for ninth all-time in the series.
“Obviously, I’m very excited about pole position and debuting the brand new Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R,” Aschenbach said. “There’s a lot of pressure on us, and we really want to showcase what it is capable of. I’m really happy and proud for all the partners – Chevrolet, Pratt & Miller and Blackdog Speed Shop. We rolled off the truck fast other than a few things we were trying to work on to make us better for the race.”
Aschenbach claimed fastest qualifier honors by 0.238 seconds as the top five cars in class were within 0.950 seconds. He only turned four laps, which means his Pirelli tires will be fresh for Friday’s 12:15 p.m. ET race start.
A victory would be Aschenbach’s fifth at the 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront road course after winning in 2014 in a Blackdog Speed Shop Camaro.
“To be able to get the pole on the first weekend is a step in the right direction,” he said. “Race wins mean more than anything else, and we’ll be gunning for that and getting the Camaro GT4.R on the top step of the podium. So far, I’m really pleased with how it’s gone with all the work, dedication and focus on this program are all paying off. I’m really proud of the effort and can’t thank everyone enough for all the hard work. I’m ready to go racing tomorrow!”
Tony Gaples qualified the No. 11 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R with a lap of 1:21.328 (79.67 mph) – good enough for 15th on Friday’s grid. Gaples’ Camaro missed the day’s only official practice session, but Gaples is a notoriously quick starter as evidenced by claiming the Best Standing Start award last year at St. Petersburg.
“It was good to come out and get some laps in the new Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R,” Gaples said. “We missed the first practice and fell behind a little so that hampered us some in qualifying. I’m not thrilled with my starting spot but I think we’ll be good for the race. Congratulations to Lawson on a great lap for pole! We’ll take a look at his setup and data to get our car closer to the front for tomorrow. So far it’s been a blast driving this new Camaro GT4.R!”
