It may not be a Porsche team starting at the front after the number 14 Lexus RC F GT3 of Vasser Sullivan succeed the GT Daytona (GTD) pole for Sunday’s Acura Sports Car Challenge Presented by the TLX Type S race, but Patrick Long was able to stretch the season points lead for the number 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R under the new GTD qualifying format introduced this season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, two 15-minute sessions are held. The first session, limited to a Bronze- or Silver-rated driver, determines the race starting position for each car.

No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R - Patrick Long (USA) and Ryan Hardwick (USA)

It was during the first qualifying season when Telitz put in a last-minute flyer in the number14 Lexus to take the Motul Pole Award with a lap of 1 minute, 20.529 seconds (100.942 mph) around Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

For the second GTD qualifying session, teams must change drivers. Like Telitz, Wright Motorsports may not have landed on pole position for Sundays race but Long saved his best for last, rolling off a 1:20.083 (101.504 mph) lap in the number 16 Porsche to collect the maximum 35 points available toward the season-long WeatherTech Championship as well as the IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup that kicks off this weekend. Long was eager to show what the Ohio-based Wright Motorsports Porsche could do in the points-paying session after co-driver Ryan Hardwick qualified a disappointing 11th in the grid-deciding portion. Long’s fast lap was 0.126 seconds better than Zach Veach in the number12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus.

No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R - Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Zach Robichon (Canada)

With the 35 points earned, Long expanded his provisional season points lead to 50 over the nearest full-season GTD competitors, Zacharie Robichon and Laurens Vanthoor of the number 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche who after a solid qualifying performance placed the Porsche in P6 for the start of the race while collecting P3 in the point.

Team owner and driver Rob Ferriol placed the third customer Porsche of Team Hardpoint in P12

No. 88 Team Hardpoint EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R - Rob Ferriol (USA) and Katherine Legge (UK)

The competitiveness of the GTD class was on display in both sessions. The fastest nine cars in each were separated by less than a second on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course. Long, though, feels confident the No. 16 Porsche can be a threat, even starting near the back.

“Ryan was pretty unhappy with his performance and with the car and with the circuit, he sort of gave me a pat on the back and his few tips and wished me the best. We were able to time it perfectly, roll the dice a little bit and come out of the pits later than everybody by a couple of laps. So that’s a testament to the team and their strategy. Based on last year, coming up one or two points short of the championship, we know that every single point is going to count. It’s going to be a very dicey race with multiple classes, It’s very dirty off-line so it’s hard to make passes. There’s going to be a lack of patience between different classes. Other than that, there’s going to be a pretty tight strategy on fuel in the GTD class. Plenty to play for, lots of racing, strategy, at least two pit stops. We’re feeling OK. Starting position isn’t a big deal.” said Long.

Sunday’s race is the first sprint event on the 2021 schedule, with a race length of two hours, 40 minutes. Live coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and IMSA Radio.