With a wet 2.3-Mile, 17-Turn Barber Motorsports Park Road Course, the first drivers on track for the Pro Mazda qualifying session were outfitted with treaded wet weather Cooper Tires. However, in an what looked like an interesting strategy call at the time, the three Team Pelfrey drivers sat on pit road with slick tires until the last half of the 20 minute session, when they rolled out on track with the Cooper Tire slicks!
It looked like an absolutely crazy call by Team Pelfrey principal Nigel Tuckey, but within four laps it was the triple threat trio from Team Pelfrey that jumped to the top of the time sheet.
It appeared that the session would end with Telitz, Tan and O’Ward staring the race in the first three spots, but Garett Grist decided to join the party in the last minute-and-a-half.
Grist was able to grab the top spot on his second last lap of the session, but Telitz went just a little bit quicker the next time by. The two drivers traded the top spot one more time, but it was rookie Telitz who will start on pole for the second straight race who just topped Canadian Grist by a scant 0.0136 seconds.
Delayed for 27 minutes by heavy rain and a thunderstorm, Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire qualifying began at 2:52pm on a very wet track.
Halfway through the session the top five were: Garett Grist, Will Owen, Nico Jamin, Jake Eidson and Jorge Cevallos.
With eight minutes left in the session the remainder of the drivers began to come to the pits to put on a mix of sticker and scuffed Cooper Tire slicks.
Pro Mazda qualifying results:
RANK DRIVER QUICK LAP
1 Aaron Telitz 1:22.466
2 Garett Grist 1:22.480
3 Weiron Tan 1:23.061
4 Pato O’Ward 1:23.136
5 Will Owen 1:23.357
6 Jake Eidson 1:23.500
7 Nico Jamin 1:23.684
8 Nicolas Dapero 1:24.468
9 Jake Parsons 1:25.032
10 Jorge Cevallos 1:25.910
The first Pro Mazda race of the weekend will take place on Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm (CT).
You can find our Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire preview and Thursday recap here —> http://www.tsoladder.com/2016/04/22/barber-motorsports-park-pro-mazda-presented-by-cooper-tire-preview-and-todays-results/
You can find the Practice 2 recap here —> http://www.tsoladder.com/2016/04/22/barber-motorsports-park-pro-mazda-practice-session-2-update-9-am/
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