It is time for GT4 SprintX at Circuit of the Americas. Anytime we come to COTA, track limits can be a big deal. Turns nine and 19, are the two turns on the track here where drivers can abuse track imits. We have a big field here. 38 cars, all of them GT4 spec, while we have three different driver classifications for Pro Am, Silver, and Am. On the pole, we have the #47 Pro Am graded pairing of Matt Travis and Jason Hart, in their Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport for Nolasport. On the outside of the front row, the Murillo Racing Mercedes AMG GT4 #72, of Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak.
Third place is a major surprise. It is an Am driver pairing entry. Michael McAleenan sharing with Dan Rogers in the #5 Motorsport USA McLaren 570S GT4 will roll off in third spot. An extraordinary qualifying effort for that duo. Matt Travis was very, very close to his teammate. Eight manufacturers are represented among the 38 GT4 cars in the field. Nolasport had run very well at Circuit of the America and traditionally, this race over the last few years, has been the season opener. In 2021 it is round two.
One formation lap for this race. Michael McAleenan is one to watch. At their home track, Classic BMW has a one-off entry for Toby Grahovec and Stevan McAleer, the Englishman. That is the Silver graded Classic BMW BMW M4 GT4, car #11. One to watch indeed. Watch for 18-year-old John Geesbreght. He had never raced on a track in the wet until yesterday, and in mixed conditions this morning qualified superbly for TGR Smooge Racing. This is the #68 Toyota GR Supra GT4 in the hands of John “Smooge” Geesbreght and Kevin Conway.
Geesbreght did very well in the conditions that were in qualifying. Some cloud cover has rolled in. Will we get rain? The field forms up, two by two. Matt Travis on pole, Kenny Murillo to his outside. Michael McAleenan third. Stevan McAleer fourth. McLaren vs. BMW. The green flag is out. One hour on the clock, and the field fans out three and four wide already! Matt Travis leads and Kenny Murillo is trying to make a move as everyone else is the cork in the bottle here at the start of the race.
A tight squeeze as the field goes side by side through turn two. Matt Travis had a brief advantage but Kenny Murillo makes his move and is in the lead. McAleer wants to move around Matt Travis. He needs to generate tire pressure and tire temperature but is playing defense. McAleer moves past Travis and Travis knows the Grahovec/McAleer team is a tough one. A puddle forms on the outside of the track after the rain in the earlier races we saw. John Geesbreght is moving into position as well, look. Smooge Racing has the benefits of the experience of Tony Ave who has been a veteran racing driver and race car builder over the years.
All the BMW’s are clumped together in one huge wad it seems. McAleer in the McLaren is in the hunt and so is the #94, the third of the BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4’s being shared by Chandler Hull and Jon Miller. Miller at the wheel of it now. The Pirelli P Zero tires are beginning to find their sweet spot. Murillo leads McAleer around this 20 turn, 3.426 mile circuit here at Circuit of the Americas. Matt Travis is down to third and John Geesbreght moves to fourth. Side by side through the esses. McAleer chasing Murillo. McAleer can go anyplace he’d like and oh my! A huge crash!
That is the Notlad Racing by RS1 Aston Martin Vantage GT4
hard into the wall! This will without
doubt be a Full Course Yellow. Car #00
is completely destroyed in the front half.
A short race for Patrick Gallagher and Matt Dalton. That car took a major lick. Kenny Murillo has a reprieve from his scrap
with Stevan McAleer. The speeds are so
high here even with the myriad of runoff room.
Matt Dalton will be rescued.
Great start though from Stevan McAleer.
An experienced pilot in these BMW M4’s for Classic BMW alongside Toby
Grahovec. Matt Travis, too, is very
savvy, savvy enough to know the two teams ahead of him are in a different zip
code. Matt Dalton is out of the
destroyed Aston Martin. Now, we have something
going on with the Murillo Racing Mercedes.
There is a ten-minute window for the stop for the driver
change later in the race. What could be
wrong with the Mercedes? Matt Dalton is
not happy, slamming the roof of the car.
Is he unhappy with himself for making a mistake? Is he frustrated by another driver causing
the accident? We don’t know. Racing is a highly emotional sport. We watch the crash in replay, and it’s a
major accident! The car goes
airborne! It rolls. He spun and the car dug into the
guardrail. The car flipped and landed
back on it’s wheels.
Did something break on the car? What could have pitched it into the barrier
that way? Kenny Murillo, driving for his
father, is out of the race as the crew is looking at the car and maybe the half
shaft underneath the car. Kenny
Murillo’s father, Ken Murillo, is the team owner and he raced in Super Vee back
in the 1980s. Ken Murillo looked to be
on the way to IndyCar racing but did not get there. Patrick Gallagher, Matt Dalton’s co-driver,
hopes Matt is OK. They will have to see
what they can do to the car. It sounded
like a major lick and it was although Gallagher has not seen the replay yet.
In replay, Dalton was not using the whole of the road. Maybe he lost grip. It is hard to say. Matt Dalton is out of the car and OK. So, with pit strategy, the lesser rated
drivers start race one whereas it is the reverse tomorrow. Many of the lesser rated drivers get their
time in now. When you have a team like
Jason Hart and Matt Travis, those two chaps are equally matched in their
driving skill levels. This throws a
spanner in the strategy, but the Pro/Am driver teams will pit early in the
window. John Geesbreght third. Jon Miller fourth. Michael McAleenan is running well. We should watch drivers like Vesko Kozarov,
Paul Terry, and Sean Gibbons as well.
Gibbons has a new co-driver in Sam Owens. They are in the second Nolasport Porsche Cayman, car #7, a third car for the team under the banner of Nolasport with OGH. The same car being run by the other two teammates, a Porsche Cayman, (a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport) to give the official car name. Two BMW’s in the top four, and four in the top seven, bodes well for that brand. A lackluster performance for BMW at Sonoma last time out isn’t relevant to today’s race. Two sets of tires and no tire changes during the race. Two sets for today and two for tomorrow.
The track is in good shape. The rain has affected everything we’ve done up ‘til now. Oh boy. There was a spin at the start that went unnoticed, not only by yours truly but by lead SRO America play-by-play commentator, Ryan Myrehn. One of the Forbush Toyota Supra’s did get on the whirligig. Six wide for a lot of cars at the start. That was wild. We will have to hear more about the Murillo Racing Mercedes. Practice, qualifying, and racing, the weather has changed through all these sessions with so many variables that have thrown car setup into a tailspin.
Teams will be prepared. But, guessing will be the deal with car setups as we look at the #15 BSport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. Bryan Putt is at the wheel right now, sharing with Kenton Koch. They have moved from 25th to 12th. Koch says they got lucky on the start timing. He flew past half the field. Passing has been the key and they want to take away the thunder from Nolasport. Koch was a class champion at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and he was driving prototypes, but is now in GT cars. We worried he would slip through the racing net, but he is a driver, a driver coach, and a team player for sure. Bryan Putt is in his second year, racing in GT4. They are in the mix to be sure. B Sport had seven podiums in 2020. Engineer Eric Peterson is doing very well keeping the car together. The Aston Martin is a solid race car as well which was the championship winning GT4 car in SRO America in 2020 with Michael Dinan and Robby Foley.
Portions of this track were repaved before last year while others were not repaved. The track becomes very polished. There were two races at COTA in 2020 and the weather was completely different between the two race weekends. The track was built in 2012 and during the last few years there has been grinding because of heaving and bumps. Online Is treacherous unless you are in the space of newer pavement. You find that the different pavement grades change the handling of the cars. Again, Matt Dalton is fine. With the Murillo Racing Mercedes, Kenny Murillo is out of the car. There were alarms for no oil pressure in the gearbox.
No oil in the gearbox, and the car had to be retired. Will they make it for tomorrow’s race? It is very possible. That is a strange malady. How will Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak do in tomorrow’s race? We will wait and see. A strange gearbox malady. Kenny Murillo is the data analyst when he is not driving the car. The barrier repair continues, and we are getting close, in five minutes, to the pit stop window. Should the Full Course Yellow be displayed, the mandatory pit window will be moved back in a ten-minute slot. If the safety car overlaps the pit window, at the green flag, a lap will be run, and the pit window will open the lap after we go back to green.
Stevan McAleer leads the motor race. This is a one-off race for McAleer and company. They may not return for the rest of the year. Jeroen Bleekemolen is preparing to climb aboard the #54 Black Swan Racing Porsche Cayman in the Pro Am class that he is sharing with Tim Pappas. Second drivers are suited and booted and getting ready to go. Red flag displayed which will stop the clock. No surprise that the barrier must be repaired. Maybe we will be able to go back to green after this red flag period is over.
Michael McAleenan is part of an Am/Am entry. McAleenan is a lawyer in his day job and an athlete. He played baseball in Big 12 at Arizona State and Washington State and is also an avid golfer. He picked up racing after playing golf. Wow. Golf and baseball of course. The field is making its way down the pit lane and we will take a break during the barrier repairs. Once we get the word of the resumption of the motor race, we will let you know. Stay with us.
Alright. After the delay, we go back to safety car conditions with 36 minutes still to go. This is the third race of the season, and the first of two, of course, for the weekend itself. Despite heavy impact, Matt Dalton was OK, but the Armco barrier was majorly damaged. We are close to the beginning of the pit window as the clock for the race needs adjustment. Ah yes. 35 minutes to go. One lap of green before the pit window opens. Stevan McAleer will lead the motor race over Matt Travis, John Geesbreght, Jon Miller, Michael McAleenan, James Clay, Tom Capizzi, Sean Gibbons, Paul Terry, and Tim Barber, your top ten.
The Murillo Racing Mercedes pitted and had gearbox problems of course and it was game over for that team. They should come back for the race tomorrow. Toby Grahovec may stay out for a while but you need to be in the lane before the ten minute window closes. Safety car lights are off atop the Lamborghini Urus. Stevan McAleer is in control of the field. As a driver, you get anxious and wonder “do I have tire pressure still?” The rain in the forecast has held off and we are back to green!
McAleer leads the motor race while Travis in the Porsche Cayman is in hot pursuit. Look for the BMW behind the Toyota Supra with Geesbreght at the wheel. Jon Miller is steaming right along behind the Toyota driver. The cars bound over the cubrs. Here is a good battle as we wait for the pit lane to open. James Clay takes fifth overall from the #5 McLaren of Michael McAleenan sharing with Dan Rogers. Geesbreght is making his move trying to move around Travis. Will Travis give him the rough end of the pineapple? Will he slam the door on him?
Discretion is the better part of valor here. The tires are coming back to pressure and temperature. McAleer, Miller, and Clay, the BMW drivers, stay on track while to the pit lane come both Travis and Geesbreght. Toyota Supra, and Porsche Cayman, in the lane. No tire changes. Driver changes only on these pit stops with half an hour to go. Manage the clock. Don’t leave too much time on the table. You have a delta of 82 seconds to work with and you can use a one second joker per the SRO rules, but that one second joker can only be used in one of the two races, not both.
With the lower graded drivers starting, the pit stop is more important. One unique idea is that there are no tire changes, but because of the laps under yellow, there could be exceptions. Go flat out for the last half of the motor race really. Those drivers who opted to stay on track can uncork some quick lap times. So we will watch for that. McAleer, Miller, Clay, Barber, the Silver rated drivers, have all stayed on track. Yes indeed. The pit window is open as we continue to watch the McAleer, Miller, Clay, battle of the BMW’s.
Miller is now racing at Bimmerworld and in the past ran for ST Racing in this same model of BMW, the M4 GT4. Miller and Chandler Hull, both have raced together in Europe. Now, more pit stops. We see one of the Audi R8 GT4’s in the lane. #888, that is the Rearden Racing entry in the hands of Vesko Kozarov and Jeff Westphal. Get one more lap when the track is clean. Pitting as well is the #2 GMG Aston Martin Vantage GT4 currently in the hands of Jason Bell, sharing with Andrew Davis. Andrew Davis is next into the car.
This will be a great scrap between Westphal and Davis. Westphal is in multiple championships in North America and globally. The top four or five are still on track and leaving the pits, three wide! A couple of Audi’s get snookered by the Steven Cameron Racing BMW. That’s the purple and orange #119 BMW M4 GT4 shared by Greg Liefooghe and Sean Quinlan. Liefooghe in the car now, after taking over from Sean Quinlan. Steven Cameron also raced before moving to team ownership. Still an opportunity for drivers to clock fast laps and then hit the lane.
With the clean track, make hay while the sun shines. Don’t cut it too close with three minutes
before the window closes. A couple
drivers and teams in the lane. Paul
Sparta, Michael McAleenan, and Bryson Lew.
We see the KTM X Bow of Mads Siljehaug, the Norwegian who is a KTM
factory driver, competing with a few other cars, mostly Audi’s I believe. Mads Siljehaug and Nikolai Elghaynian are a
good pair. A couple BMW’s in the lane,
the leaders. So, McAleer and Clay I
believe are in. So is #94.
Chandler Hull takes over from Jon Miller. The best-case scenario is to get all the work done within the window and have time to spare to wait before you are released. Do not run afoul of the minimum pit stop delta. Toby Grahovec has made his stop as well. Jason Hart is coming, charging up the hil. He has more tire temp and so he must attack, now. Don’t get too feisty. Hart draws alongside and takes the spot away from Chandler Hull. One tire on the curb and one only. Hull wants the spot back and Hart moves to the lead.
This team wants more in the success column. They will be on pole for race two tomorrow. We see a pass for second. Ryan Eversley is now at the wheel of BMW #28 replacing Joe Rubbo. Now, there are two ST Racing BMW’s and I am confusing them. Eversley/Rubbo in #28 while in #38 it is Bryson Lew and Tomas Mejia. Chandler Hull makes his move on Toby Grahovec. Grahovec fighting back. Eversley and company went down a lap or two and so that team is on the way back. They are scrapping, the Vincent van Gogh liveried car. Rubbo and Eversley have worked together in Ferrari Challenge in the past.
Kevin Conway is at the wheel of the Smooge Racing Toyota and Kenton Koch goes right by him. 17 minutes to go. Forbusch Racing Team, has Thomas Knapp spearheading the team, and rear grip is what the Supra GT4 needs. Jeroen Bleekemolen, too, sharing the Porsche Cayman with Tim Pappas at Black Swan Racing Bleekemolen is something special, and he has a boatload of experience and can just be a plug and play kind of driver.
Nick Galante is forced wide, and Galante defends against Bleekemolen. Great variety of marques racing here, together on track. You have Porsche vs. BMW vs. Toyota vs. Aston Martin vs. Porsche. Chandler Hull, Nick Galante, these two are battling and Galante is paired with James Clay. We have a myriad of good drivers in Pirelli GT4 America. Ryan Eversley is fighting to move back into contention. That’s the Vincent van Gogh liveried automobile. Now, Chandler Hull and Toby Grahovec also press each other. So, these battles we are seeing, are definitely worth watching.
Again, the Smooge Racing Team Toyota, has Tony Ave as a team boss. Kenton Koch in the Aston Martin goes by. He is accomplishing his goal of passing cars. Tom Long, is one of the driver coaches at Smooge Racing and again, the rear grip is the focus for developing the Toyota as we watch Jeroen Bleekemolen going for it. He’s plug and play, definitely. Koch is doing his best to get around Nick Galante and Bleekemolen is going to get a bite of the cherry here. Not quite. Galante is countering in the battle. Whoa! Galante off the road and back on.
15 minutes to go. Kevin Conway is moving in on Nick Galante. Toyota has a fairly inexpensive road car with the Supra and like the more expensive cars such as the BMW and the Porsche, it is actually a great race car, or becoming that way. Ryan Eversley is not on the lead lap. Chandler Hull is next up, followed by Toby Grahovec. He has always had the speed and is making fewer mistakes now. Jeroen Bleekemolen is up to fourth place, moving by Kenton Koch in the overall. Wow.
Keep fighting. Never give up. Jeroen Bleekemolen is flying right now. He’s an incredible driver. Bleekemolen is a master at making up huge chunks of time as he runs sideways. Too much from the rear tire. Do not stress the tire and force the issue. Ring ring. Warning, you are off course. Grahovec is passed by Koch. Bleekemolen wants to move and does, making the pass on Chandler Hull. Koch and Grahovec have their own battle with just over ten minutes to go. Aaron Povoledo is another driver to watch out for.
Povoledo, the Canadian, driving the #89 Mercedes AMG GT4 for RENNTech Motorsports sharing with Ross Chouest. Now, incidentally, the team has a second car in the race, the #39 Mercedes shared by Chris Cagnazzi and Guy Cosmo. Kevin Conway runs eighth in the Toyota Supra. Turn 15 is a prime spot to overtake on the circuit. Watch that turn as we get to the end of the race. Aaron Povoledo raced with K-PAX in touring cars in 2011. He is in that RENNTech Mercedes of course having moved up 13 places and he has a good qualifying spot for tomorrow’s race as well. Povoledo ran for K-PAX in touring cars a number of years ago, in World Challenge.
The Geesbreght/Conway Toyota had a great qualifying run. They are in line for repeating a class win from Sonoma. Meantime, Toby Grahovec is struggling with grip. Another move is from the AutoTechnic Racing #52 BMW M4 GT4. That’s John Capestro-Dubets, sharing with Tom Capizzi. Capestro-Dubets makes his move. Toby Grahovec has his hands full with Capestro-Dubets in an identical car. The triple apex corner that goes downhill is fun and is like the Indianapolis corner at Le Mans.
Capestro-Dubets wants it and Grahovec is fighting hard as well. Kenton Koch runs wide through the chicane. Now, does the Aston Martin have a cut down tire? Is something amiss in the handling on that car? Stacking the field, the other drivers need to be careful if Koch has a problem. Bill Auberlen has moved up from deep in the pack, sharing with James Walker in another BMW M4 GT4. Povoledo moves by Chandler Hull in a three-wide move. Kenton Koch is losing places hand over fist.
He has lost the front end on that car, stacking the field up behind him like cookies on a platter. Bill Auberlen will start from deep in the field tomorrow after trying to qualify on used, scrubbed tires. That attempt was futile, and so he will start down the order for tomorrow’s contest. Povoledo moves ‘round Chandler Hull. Something is surely amiss with the Aston as the front-end washes out. Up front, 19 laps on the board for Jason Hart. This scrap is still going on between Chandler Hull and John Capestro-Dubets. Good run today for JCD.
Kevin Conway is being monstered by Andrew Davis sharing with Jason Bell. Jason Bell is a fan of the Aston Martin and Andrew Davis moves past Kevin Conway. But Davis loses ground, somehow or other. Andrew Davis would like to clear the Supra, because he is chasing Bill Auberlen in the BMW who in turn has moved by Chandler Hull. Auberlen is pushing. The red mist is down because of his qualifying effort not being satisfying. He was invisible at Sonoma back in March which is not something that happens with a veteran like Bill Auberlen, teamed with James Walker.
Jeroen Bleekemolen continues chasing Jason Hart. Pro Am has the top five spots. Chandler Hull is the top Silver rated driver, losing an overall place to Bill Auberlen. Jeff Westphal is the next closest Silver rated driver, running ninth. Andrew Davis wants to make this pass. The Toyota may have the acceleration advantage. The Vantage might have less oomph, less punch, than the Supra, and the gearing of those cars are totally different. It’s early doors for the Toyota, but they are running well and they have a driver development program for the SRO ranks.
Now, Andrew Davis does move past Kevin Conway. White flag. Last lap in a nearly flawless drive for Jason Hart. Final lap of the motor race. Could Hart, after the checkers, hit the track exit and head from Austin all the way to Dallas? You never know. Matt Travis’ wife is expecting a baby any possible moment. This late in the day, and we have not seen much precipitation even though the weather forecast called for 3-5 inches of rain. Someone wipes out a Crowdstrike sign. Auberlen is scrapping over fourth with Capestro-Dubets.
Aaron Povoledo has quietly moved to third in class, and they will start well tomorrow. Andrew Davis moves to sixth overall. Poles for both COTA races for Nolasport and Jason Hart closes the deal! He wins race one here at COTA for Pirelli GT4 America!
Overall/Pro Am: #47 Hart/Travis Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
Silver:
#94 Hull/Miller Bimmerworld
Racing BMW M4 GT4
Am: #68 Conway/Geesbreght TGR Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4
Another win for Smooge Racing in only their second race as a team. More success for Nolasport, and their Porsche Cayman as well, at their home track, for Matt Travis and Jason Hart, a couple of Texans. They are so good here at COTA, for some reason. They have the answers when SRO GT4 America comes here to COTA. Give a call, too, to The Racer’s Group as well and their Porsche Cayman GT4, the #66 car of Spencer Pumpelly and Derek DeBoer. Seventh place in Pro Am. Great effort.
Greg Liefooghe earns fastest lap of the motor race. 2:17.317 is the CrowdStrike fastest lap of the race. Jason Hart says, his nerves about the race and the baby, he has been nauseous and has not eaten in a while. His mom is there, and his two kids are looking after their mom. Another Pirelli GT4 America race here at Circuit of the Americas, tomorrow, on Sunday. Join us for that one. We will see you tomorrow. So long for now, everybody. Take care.
No comments:
Post a Comment