JMF Mercedes takes top time in Indianapolis 8 Hour pre-qualifying

As has been the case for every test and practice session for the Indianapolis 8 Hour so far save the first on Wednesday, it was Mercedes-AMG teams posting the quickest times in the pre-qualifying session, this time sweeping the top four positions.

This time it was GT World Challenge America team JMF Motorsports taking the top spot, courtesy of Mikael Grenier as he and Michai Stephens try to wrest the GTWCA Pro category title from points leaders Kenton Koch and Connor De Phillippi for Random Vandals and BMW. Grenier's 1m23.265s lap of the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO led the Pro category and overall.

Will Power was quicker in the second and third sectors than Grenier, but couldn't quite seize the top time, falling 0.126s short in the No. 75 75 Express Mercedes AMG. Power is joining Kenny Habul and Chaz Mostert as Habul attempts to claim another Intercontinental GT Challenge title, this time the Independent Cup. Power was followed by Maxime Martin in the No. 80 Mercedes-AMG Team Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG.

Colin Braun in the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes AMG led the Pro-Am field with the fourth-quickest time overall, a 1m23.610s lap. Robby Foley completed the top five in the first non-Mercedes, the No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3. Foley and Justing Rothberg, joined by Patrick Gallagher this weekend, are trying to seal their second-consecutive Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge America.

Patric Niederhauser was third in Pro-Am for the Wright Motorsports team in the No. 10 Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The surprise of the session was Eric Powell in the No. 6 Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang GT3, one of two Am entries in the race, setting the sixth-quickest time overall. Powell's 1m23.635s lap was only 0.37s off Grenier's best.

Qualifying is up next, beginning at 3:35pm ET. Each of the three drivers in each car will have 15 minutes to set a time. The average times of all three drivers will determine which teams advance to the Pole Shootout, scheduled for 5:45pm

RESULTS

Watch the full Indianapolis 8 Hour live on RACER +, starting Saturday at 12:20pm ET.