BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (July 12, 2026) – Neil Verhagen will lead the GTD PRO field to green on Sunday after claiming the Motul Pole Award at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
His lap of 1:14.382 secured pole position for the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, earning the team the best starting spot for the Chevrolet Grand Prix while also adding valuable championship points ahead of race day.
The result was the culmination of a weekend in which Paul Miller Racing continued to build momentum throughout the sessions. After opening practice third fastest, the No. 1 BMW finished seventh in the second session before the team’s work paid off in qualifying.
The 15-minute shootout quickly turned into one of the closest GTD PRO qualifying sessions of the season. For much of the session, nine of the ten entries were separated by less than four tenths of a second, with the order changing almost every lap.
Rather than setting the benchmark early, Verhagen delivered his fastest lap when the session reached its decisive moments. His 1:14.382, set on his ninth of 11 laps, moved the No. 1 BMW to the top of the timing charts and stayed there until the checkered flag.
The lap came within 0.009 seconds of the GTD PRO track record and secured pole by 0.185 seconds over the No. 59 McLaren, while the No. 3 Corvette completed the top three just 0.002 seconds further back.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park has become a successful qualifying venue for Verhagen. After claiming his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole at the circuit one year ago, he once again topped the GTD PRO field, giving Paul Miller Racing the opportunity to start Sunday’s 2-hour, 40-minute sprint race from the front.
In addition to securing the Motul Pole Award, Saturday’s result also strengthened Paul Miller Racing’s championship campaign with valuable points before the green flag even drops.
With the team leading the GTD PRO standings entering the weekend, every opportunity to extend that advantage carries added significance as the season reaches its halfway point.
“Second time in Canada and second pole here,” said Verhagen. “I clearly love this track, and Paul Miller Racing gave me the perfect race car to deliver another pole position. I’m super happy with the lap—it was absolutely full send. Now I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.”
The Chevrolet Grand Prix takes the green flag on Sunday, July 12, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Live flag-to-flag coverage will be available on Peacock in the United States, while international viewers can watch on IMSA.tv and the IMSA Official YouTube channel.
