An inspired Renger van der Zande stormed to the LMPC-class pole position – the first-ever for the DragonSpeed team – in a rainy qualifying session for this weekend’s eighth round of the American Le Mans Series at the Circuit of the Americas. A fastest lap of 2m17.865s in the number 81 Oreca FLM09-Chevrolet gave the young Dutch star a 1.06s margin over a stellar LMPC field including two Le Mans champions, an IndyCar winner, and a pair of Team USA Scholarship alumni.
Tuesday testing at the home of the US Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas saw the DragonSpeed crew and van der Zande methodically tuning the chassis to the 3.427-mile track, as teammate and car owner Mirco Schultis suffered on the sidelines with a flu bug. Ending the day firmly on the pace, the team was somewhat puzzled by its final set-up until discovering that the undertray was falling apart. The ensuing repairs unfortunately reset the handling, Thursday testing winding up with van der Zande third on the time sheets and a recovered Schultis enjoying his first taste of the dramatic circuit.
Friday dawned wet and stayed that way. Both DragonSpeed pilots found the car supremely suited to the conditions, as Renger topped both practice sessions and Mirco handily led the ‘gentleman’ drivers. In qualifying, Van der Zande was clearly revelling in the car’s grip and driveability on the slick track, his stunning pole time unthreatened despite a drying surface at the end.
“An amazing day,” said Renger. “I did a total of four timed laps in the two wet practice sessions, and the car was so good we didn’t need any more to be ready for qualifying. We fitted new tires and one flying lap was all it took. Big thanks to Mirco and the guys, we are all really pumped up for the race.”
DragonSpeed team principal Elton Julian said, “I’m thrilled for the whole team to have our first pole. The car was just right for the conditions, but all credit to Renger for not leaving anything on the table. With Mirco being quick in the wet, like he was when I raced against him in Europe, I’m cautiously optimistic for the race. There is some rain in tomorrow’s forecast, but probably not as much as today, so it should be a close contest. We’re taking a few minutes now, though, to enjoy this milestone for the team.”