Harper, Patrese Score GT Class Poles for Motul Petit Le Mans

The Nos. 48 and 47 cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship are separated by one number and one class. But both were number one on Friday afternoon in qualifying for Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans to cap off the 2025 WeatherTech Championship season.

Dan Harper (No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO) and Lorenzo Patrese (No. 47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3) won the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class poles, respectively. Harper took a chance that paid off in the 15-minute GTD PRO session.

Harper posted a fast lap of 1 minute, 18.523 seconds (116.449 mph) in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO to claim the top starting position in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class in the car he shares with Max Hesse and Connor De Phillippi.

“We sort of took a bit of a gamble and went for it,” Harper said after his best lap was just 0.167 seconds faster than Aaron Telitz’s fastest lap in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 he’ll co-drive with Ben Barnicoat and Kyle Kirkwood.

Nicky Catsburg secured the third spot on the GTD PRO grid in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R he shares with Tommy Milner and Nico Varrone.

The team’s No. 3 Corvette, which leads the GTD PRO points with co-drivers Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and Daniel Juncadella, will start eighth in class. Championship rivals DragonSpeed qualified fourth in the No. 81 Ferrari 296 GT3, with Albert Costa slotting in there after losing his fastest lap – what would have been a pole time – due to causing a red flag in practice.

Harper indicated the team’s focus on saving tires through practice sessions leading up to qualifying could help when the race enters its final hours Saturday. 

“We focused more on saving tires through all the practices for the race,” Harper said. “It’s hard to know what the others do, but at least from what we could see that we may have managed to save a set compared to most other cars, which could help come the race.”

GTD: New Patrese, New Polesitter Aboard Cetilar Ferrari

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta suits 20-year-old Italian driver Lorenzo Patrese just fine, the son of former Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Riccardo Patrese. 

Competing at Motul Petit Le Mans for the first time, Patrese helped Ferrari sweep three of the top four starting positions in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class Friday for Saturday’s 10-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale.

Patrese led the way in the No. 47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 he’ll co-drive Saturday with Roberto Lacorte and Miguel Molina with a lap of 1 minute, 18.316 seconds (116.757 mph), was just 0.289 seconds ahead of the No. 021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 driven by Riccardo Agostini, who will start second in class with co-drivers AJ Muss and Robert Megennis.

Patrese's first experience at Petit left him in awe.

“It’s definitely amazing,” he said. “I think I still need to get some more of it in me. It was quite a surprise, for sure. The car was feeling good. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

He credited his Cetilar crew with providing a car that’s been fast on Road Atlanta’s 12-turn 2.54-mile circuit since the team arrived.

“The car was amazing,” Patrese said. “We tested here two weeks ago, and the car already felt good. This weekend is going so well, so far so good. Let’s just hope we can keep the momentum going.”

Valentin Hasse-Clot was third in the No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, the only non-Ferrari qualifier among the top four GTD starters. Lilou Wadoux was fourth in the No. 21 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3.

Class points leaders Russell Ward and Philip Ellis will start fifth in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the car they share with Indy Dontje. Having qualified ahead of their GTD championship rivals, Winward is poised to secure its second straight title by taking the green flag Saturday.

Results are HERE