ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 1, 2026) – With a wet track for final practice and limited dry-weather preparation heading into qualifying, Paul Miller Racing adapted quickly at Road America, securing a front-row starting position for Sunday’s Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix.
Neil Verhagen placed the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO second in GTD PRO qualifying with a lap of 2:04.182, missing the Motul Pole Award by just 0.140 seconds.
The qualifying session saw challenging track conditions as drivers searched for grip on a drying circuit, with Verhagen setting his fastest time on his fifth lap of six total qualifying laps.
The session followed a wet second practice earlier Saturday, leaving teams without a final dry-weather opportunity to refine their setups before the battle for pole.
Despite the limited preparation, Paul Miller Racing quickly found the balance needed as the track conditions evolved.
“Obviously, having FP2 this morning and then going into a dry qualifying meant our last dry laps were yesterday,” said Verhagen. “Normally we try to do our qualifying preparation in FP2 to get as close to qualifying as possible, but today that wasn’t the case, so there was a little bit of the unknown.
“Paul Miller Racing gave me an amazing race car to qualify. We ended up P2, just a little bit short of pole position, but it’s still a great place to start. I’m happy with the laps and really looking forward to the six-hour race. We had great success here last year, so hopefully we can do it again.”
The No. 77 Porsche claimed the Motul Pole Award, while the No. 3 Corvette completed the top three, finishing just 0.082 seconds behind Verhagen in the No. 1 BMW.
The front-row starting position gives the No. 1 BMW a strong launch point for Sunday’s six-hour contest as Paul Miller Racing looks to build on its championship momentum.
After a competitive qualifying session, the team now turns its attention to race day at one of the longest and fastest circuits on the IMSA calendar.
Road America marks the fourth Michelin Endurance Cup event of the season, giving the team another opportunity to maximize points in the championship fight during the six-hour endurance event.
The Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix begins Sunday at 10:40 a.m. ET. Live coverage will be available on Peacock in the United States, while international viewers can watch on IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.
