Jonny Cocker took Drayson Racing to the pole at Road America. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

Jonny Cocker and Drayson Racing had never scored an American Le Mans Series pole before last race at Mid-Ohio. Cocker asked for a tear-off off the front windshield before Mid-Ohio qualifying, and the team said they would oblige if he won the pole.

He did just that. And two weeks later, Cocker is the first repeat pole winner in the LMP class in ALMS this season.

Cocker set the fastest lap in the No. 8 British Racing Green Lola Judd Coupe on Michelin tires at a time of 1:49.554 around the 4.048-mile road course at Road America. The Englishman’s pole time was not as fast as the overall pole last season (1:48.216) but eclipsed the P2 pole time of Marino Franchitti set last season (1:51.010).

“I quite like it,” Cocker said. “The car was just fantastic, and you need one that gives you the confidence for the high speed corners here. The track here has such a huge amount of character and is quite a European-style circuit. This is one of my favorites in the world.”

Team owner and Cocker’s co-driver Paul Drayson said, “I absolutely love it here in a prototype. It’s quite a thrill, especially through Turn 1.”

The Dyson Lola Mazda was next ahead of the rebuilt Muscle Milk Team CytoSport Porsche RS Spyder, Autocon Lola and Highcroft HPD ARX 01-c.

In LMPC, Luis Diaz secured his first pole of the season and fifth in his ALMS career. Diaz admitted great feelings to be back in prototypes with the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports team in the class and to be back at this track, where has had numerous victories in different series.

“It was tough mentally to have to ask for a job last year after winning a championship, but I’m so thankful to still be in the best series in the world,” Diaz said. “I thought it would be a bigger chassis gap from the car last year to the LMPC car, but it hasn’t been.”