Another week, another race for Michelin Pilot Challenge at Watkins Glen International Raceway, live. It’s zooming your way, on Endurance, The Sports Car Racing Blog, next! The Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York will get a wakeup call as we light the fuse for racing on America’s Birthday weekend! We could see rain today, a 50/50 chance of rain. So, it is going t be a lottery, perhaps. This is the only time we will see back-to-back races this year. Last weekend’s enduro was incredible and we are slated to have another sizzler today. Last weekend, Volt Racing was close and could not quite get there. Today, Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman are up there. So is the #13 AWA McLaren of Kuno Wittmer and Orey Fidani. Hyundai have pole in TCR today.
The winning Honda from last weekend, Ryan Eversley and Scott
Smithson, they have the outright speed, but will they do well on stint
performance compared to the Hyundai’s? We
are located four hours northwest of New York City. 3.4 miles, 11 turns. A 30 second pit delta. Turn one is fast, downhill, and then climb up
the esses before the Inner Loop. The
final legitimate overtaking place is the heel of The Boot. We have a car stopped on the road. The start is delayed. We have trouble for Rory van der Steur and
Dennis Dupont, the #19 Van der Steur Racing Hyundai Veloster has a broken axle
right before the green flag! Deary me!
There was damage to the guardrail. He’s spun after warming tires, and the front
driveshaft might be broken as well.
Jeepers creepers! The clock has
started and we are under yellow behind the Cadillac safety car. Game over for the Hyundai #19. Not good news as we have begun and are three
minutes into the motor race already. The
track workers are spreading the speedy dry into the downhill as the #19 car is
forlornly towed back to the garage. So,
scratch one entry from the race.
Two safety cars here.
One for the GT4 (Grand Sport) field, and the other, for TCR. Safety car early doors here at Watkins
Glen. Patience my friends,
patience. We’ll get this race going
again. Watch out for the speedy dry
where that incident occurred. Don’t get
the cement dust on your tires. The jet
dryer is now blowing the cement dust across the track to clear it off the
racing surface. The driver’s weave their
cars back and forth to clean and heat the tires, getting the clag, the dirt,
dust, rolled up bits of rubber, off of them.
We still have yet to see the green flag. BMW vs. Porsche as we are ready! Green flag!
Go! Dillon Machavern vs. Ryan
Hardwick, side by side, and here comes Matt Plumb as well. Impressed with Ryan Hardwick and here comes
Harry Gottsacker in the Hyundai in TCR as Brian Henderson takes evasive action
allowing Parker Chase to pass. Two
Hyundai Elantra’s lead TCR on cold Michelin tires! Bryce Ward moves past Sheena Monk. Watch the oil dry in the braking zone. We see if the olio is absorbed. Alfredo Najri moves past Alan
Byrnjolfsson. Toyota Supra vs. Aston
Martin Vantage.
Vinny Barletta is monstering Russell Ward for position. BMW M4 GT4 vs. Mercedes AMG GT44 and here
comes the #3 McLaren as Sheena Monk has the door slammed in her face. Orey Fidani is pressing hard. The Mercedes punches a huge hole in the air
and the McLaren is far more aerodynamic.
Jeff Mosing is catching up with the McLaren of Sheena Monk down into The
Boot. We see Fidani really deep on the
brakes trying to catch Bryce Ward. The
McLaren’s have been hit with weight penalties.
Stay clean. Get into a rhythm and
keep your pace up.
Hyundai 1-2 in TCR with the Elantra’s. Harry Gottsacker followed by Parker
Chase. 40 kilograms of weight is a lot
for a TCR car, 88 pounds. Gavin Ernstone
is up into the top six in TCR with the Road Shagger Audi. That 88 pounds, is like having a kid riding
in the car. Every TCR car is front wheel
drive. This track has a boatload of
grip. Poor old Ernstone is having
flashbacks to last weekend, getting knocked out of the race by the TGM Camaro
#64 last weekend and they are right ahead of that car now. Jon Morley, his co-driver, and Ernstone, said
that they were allowed to test the car before this weekend’s race.
Poor old Frank DePew is in the pit lane after he and Robin
Liddell had a massive shunt here last weekend.
Ryan Hardwick continues to be harried by Hugh Plumb while leader Dillon
Machavern ekes out a gap. His gap is now
one second over the pursuers. Alfredo
Najri in the Toyota Supra is in contention as well and so are Russell Ward in
the Mercedes and Trent Hindman in the Aston Martin. Sports car racing is great because of all the
different engine notes you hear. Each
car looks different and sounds different.
TCR time again, look, and this is a fair fight as Chris
Miller and Brian Henderson are chasing the two Hyundai’s still, and Henderson
appears to have moved by Parker Chase, who was being chased. No pun intended there. Whoops!
A spin there for Mike McCann in the #8 McCann Racing Audi R8 GT4. He made a move on Bryce Ward and got
rotated. This is squeaky, and he gets
spun out. So, a spot of bother on ye
olde whirligig there, look. Camaro #71
still in the lane. Trouble as this car
was damaged big style last weekend. The
car was repaired. They were going to
rent a box truck and get their spare car.
The steering feels heavy according to Frank DePew. Don’t destroy the car. Take it easy.
They could not go get the car.
“Irish Mike”, Mike Flynn, is the body specialist for fixing damaged race
cars, and he worked on this car. He’s
been in the business for a good while.
Dillon Machavern being chased by Ryan Hardwick and Hugh Plumb has
passed. Poor old Hardwick has Alfredo
Najri right on his six. Hardwick has
decided to take a break from the WeatherTech Championship and focus on Michelin
Pilot Challenge. Dark clouds loom to the
west and northwest. Could we see rain
before this race is over? Could we see
rain in the WeatherTech race later today?
Here comes Russell Ward in the #4 Winward Racing Mercedes
AMG GT4. They won the 24 Hours of
Daytona, did Winward, and are allied with AMG Mercedes in Germany, to race
sports cars in Europe. Bryce Ward will
need to serve a drive through penalty.
In replay, side by side stuff, taking the middle of the road and Bryce
Ward gave him less room than he needed to.
Oh, I see. You are going to spin
me out, eh, bucky. Whoa! That was a squeeze play there as Najri gets
the door slammed on him by Hardwick!
Russell Ward is in striking distance on poor old Najri in the Toyota who
is going to be eaten up if he’s not careful.
Alan Brynjolfsson is in recovery mode as well in the #7 Volt
Racing Aston Martin, too, look. Hardwick
is told to increase rear brake bias a couple clicks. He probably is understeering. Rear brake is like pulling the handbrake on,
the emergency brake. We can see that
we’ll likely have a one stop race for both GS and TCR teams. Six brands in the top six. BMW, Chevrolet, Porsche, Toyota, Mercedes
AMG, and Aston Martin. Pit stop time now
for the Hyundai Elantra. This is
Gottsacker in the #33. Tires, fuel, and
he is down and away. Maybe there will be
a driver change later to take the car to the end.
We are still looking at this four-way battle for
position. Hardwick, Najri, Ward,
Brynjolfsson. This is just what we spoke
of earlier, as these four blokes are really applying the blowtorch to each
other.
TCR time again, and this is Brian Henderson in Honda #84
motoring ahead of the Hyundai’s in TCR.
He is the new leader in class.
They were fourth last weekend in the four-hour endurance event you saw
and read about from last weekend. The
Hyundai team is concerned about fuel pressure.
The car was popping and banging as if it was starved of fuel. The Hyndai Elantra is fast, but they’ve had a
litany of reliability woes even though they won at Mid-Ohio. Ryan Norman is at Mid-Ohio, making his
IndyCar debut. Gabby Chaves is the
co-driver today. Ryan Eversley is racing
NASCAR at Road America. If he is on the
podium, he will have to go to Road America for NASCAR Cup on Sunday, racing
with Rick Ware Racing.
Eversley was a TCR champion in SRO. Scott Smithson is at the wheel of this car
now. The rain we have had this weekend
has seen few drivers getting seat time to turn laps. Learn as you race. Game over for the #71 Rebel Rock Chevrolet
Camaro GT4. They had a massive accident
last weekend and the car has had enough.
Dillon Machavern is still leading, but we look at Hugh Plumb, too for
TGM Racing in the Camaro. Team
strategist Joe Varde might have a rabbit in his hat to help the team
compete. Varde is a former driver in
IMSA, a longtime competitor. Turner
Motorsports also has a great strategist in former driver for the team Don
Salama.
Ryan Eversley has his luggage ready to go to road America so
he can head to Road America for NASCAR action this weekend. Meanwhile, another chapter to the three
musketeers battling here for position.
It’s Ward, Najri, and Brynjolfsson.
These boys have been scrapping since the green flag flew almost 50
minutes ago. We are not too far from
halfway through this motor race.
Remember now, we also have coverage of the WeatherTech Championship
coming up. So, grab a cold drink, and a
sandwich, and stay with us. Wall to wall
sports car racing action here on the blog for your Friday of this Independence
Day weekend.
Monsieur Henderson continues leading over Parker Chase in
TCR and these two chaps have checked out on the rest of the field. Gabby Chaves will be taking over the #98
Hyundai for the finish. The extra weight
of the Honda, is beginning to perhaps have it’s effect on the blue and yellow
car. Lap time, and tire durability are a
big deal. A lighter car has more speed
and less wear on the tires. Long green
flag runs are a major deal. Do you run a
pace? Do you reduce tire degradation? Do you just go Harry Flatters? Watch camber settings and starting
pressures. Also, the drivers are having
to adjust as they go.
Dillon Machavern is being monstered by Hugh Plumb. Plumb in the Camaro is coming. We have another manufacturer in the fight as
the McLaren is coming. We have a melting
pot of brands and car models here in Michelin Pilot Challenge. The Aston Martin also had 30 kilograms added
t the car. Amazing how the tech staff at
IMSA can equalize cars, but the teams won’t like it because they know their
competitors have an advantage or a disadvantage. There are many data points for the IMSA
technical team to analyze.
James Pesek has been racing in IMSA since 2018. He and his family have built a track in his home state of Missouri. Ozark Speedway. OK. GS cars are in the fight with TCR cars. Watch out about getting into the marbles. Hnderson is beginning to move and Parker Chase knows he has to make up time. Brent Mosing slides wide in the laces of The Boot in the #65 Murillo Racing Mercedes AMG GT4. Aston Martin #7 IN THE LANE FOR SERVICE. Trent Hindman climbs into the car. Hindman and Brynjolfsson also raced Prototype Challeng earlier this morning. They will need a splash and a dash before the race ends.
Time to lay the cards on the table as we have just a few
minutes before this race is half over.
More pit action as two Hyundai Veloster’s are in the lane. #77 for Bryan Herta Autosport and #54 for
Michael Johnson Racing, as we now see the McLaren, car #13 in the lane as well
for fuel and tires. That is Orey Fidani,
currently running tenth. The leaders
make their move around another TCR Hyundai.
Alfa Romeo #5 in the lane in TCR.
This is Roy Block and Tim Lewis Jr., pitting for tires, fuel, and a
driver change.
Will Turner’s team has had good results here at Watkins
Glen. Dillon Machavern is the 2017 GS
champ and he has won the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen as well in the WeatherTech
Championship. Dillon Machavern has been
an endurance driver for the WeatherTech Championship side of that team as Gavin
Ernstone is in the lane for the #61 Road Shagger Racing Audi, handing the car
to Jon Morley. Less than an hour to go
now. Henderson, Chase, and Gonzalez, the
top three in TCR.
Tyler Maxson won a championship in SRO. So, the team knows what they are doing as
they move to IMSA. Parker Chase is in
the Elantra while Gonzalez is driving the Veloster. These two cars are very different with
different engines. Chase slides through
The Carousel. Pit stop time for Camaro
#46. The Plumb brothers relinquish third
or fourth or so. Check that. Second.
Hugh Plumb out, Matt Plumb in.
They will need to fuel save in the last 56 minutes. Trouble in the lane for the #98 Hyundai! One of the GS Toyota Supra’s was trying to
exit and they nearly crashed!
Gabby Chaves is waiting to get into the car. Hyundai will lose time! Oh dear!
Parker Chase will be steaming mad!
Pierre Kleinubing, a multiple production sports car racing champion is
in the Toyota Supra. GS leaders in the
lane, bang on the money in the pit window.
Jan Heylen steps into the #16 Wright Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4,
looking for their first 2021 win. Ryan
Hardwick, Max Root, those drivers have done well with the team this year
pairing with Jan Heylen.
Now, Machavern and company might have a fuel advantage as
they lead the motor race. Pit stop time
for Brian Henderson and now, Dillon Machavern pits from the lead. Driver change as Bill Auberlen takes
over. Auberlen won the 6 Hours of
Watkins Glen last weekend in GT Daytona and he will be in the GTD car in the
WeatherTech race coming up after this one.
Trent Hindman and Aston Martin might not be in the window to make a
stop, although he will need a splash and dash.
We are beginning to see dark clouds. What will that hold if this race gets wet and
then, if we have rain in the WeatherTech race, too? Spencer Pigot appears to be closing in on the
battle between Hardwick and Plumb.
Cayman vs. Camaro vs. McLaren.
Bill Auberlen leads the motor race with 48 minutes on the clock. Eye on fuel gauges and eyes on the sky. Stay on the road, honestly. We may need the treaded Michelin Pilot tires. Treaded boots could be necessary here
soon. Hindman has quicker lap times than
Auberlen at the moment. Auberlen is
still getting heat into his tires while Hindman is well into his stint.
It takes fuel to run at a fast pace. Weather could be moving in soon. 45 minutes on the board. Rain is all over in this area of upstate New York. Not much rain will turn this track into a skating rink. Oh dear. Auberlen gets snookered by a TCR car, the #51 Hyundai Veloster. Auberlen leads over Hindman, Heylen, Plumb, and Pigot. Auberlen continues to work has way through traffic going around the FCP Euro Mercedes and one of the other Audi’s. Cannot tell who is driving the silver Audi and for what team. Meanwhile, TCR has Honda at the sharp end, car #84, Robert Noaker now at the wheel of it.
Tyler Maxson is now in the #27 Hyundai followed by Jon
Morley and Ryan Eversley. The youth
movement at the front while experienced drivers are chasing with 40 minutes to
go. Pierre Kleinubing has now taken over
the Toyota Supra, braking late into the turn.
Pierre Kleinubing won multiple SRO titles in the past in front wheel
drive touring cars. Yours truly saw him
race on television back in the day. He
has won loads of championships.
Spencer Pigot is wrestling the McLaren around with squealing
tires, keeping Indy Dontje at bay in the Winward Racing Mercedes AMG. Pigot wants by the Copeland Motorsports TCR
Hyundai. Their front wheel drive pulls
the car out of the corner. Pigot wants
by Matt Plumb as Robert Noaker leads TCR in the #84 Honda. Brian Henderson says that the added weight on
the Honda makes the car handle differently but they are still staying in
it. Noaker lets Jon Miller in the #88
VCMG Honda go by. Good battle as Michael
Lewis is harrying Mason Filippi. Lewis
in for Taylor Hagler, his co-driver.
Hagler got beached in the gravel last weekend and made her recovery.
They started at the rear after a fuel pump issue in
qualifying where they could not get the handle on the car. Be consistent. That’s the important part of all this. Lewis passes Mason Filippi and maybe
Filippi’s car is not running at full steam.
Hindman is trying to make inroads on Auberlen, but he is 2.2 seconds
in-arrears at this moment. No
change. You’ve missed nothing. Auberlen leads as Hindman is monstering the
BMW legend. Auberlen saving fuel while
Hindman has likely been told, “you’ve got to push but save fuel, mate.” No rain yet.
But it could hit at any moment now.
Will Mother Nature help things out? Auberlen wants to keep the lead, but the
Aston Martin, the Volt Lighting car is closing, but they cannot quite do it on
fuel. Kuno Wittmer leads the
championship coming in but he has dropped like a stone today. Poor old Whitmer has lost points hand over
fist. Pigot and Monk could inherit
second in the championship as the AWA McLaren has a misfire and they are in
damage control. The season will be right
at halfway before we go to Lime Rock Park, the Connecticut bull ring road
course in a couple weeks. We have Road
America, Laguna Seca, Virginia International Raceway, and Road Atlanta left.
The BMW leans through the corners while the Aston Martin
carves the turn and stays planted. So
odd to put 30 kilograms on the car and the thing still has pace. Be smooth with driving. Gradual loads, less scrub on the tires. Bill Auberlen is about to put Kuno Wittmer a
lap down. Bish bash bosh. There it is.
Wittmer will have to push. The
Aston Martin nipped the BMW at the end of last weekend’s race. But that was a different team. In the rain, the platform needs to be softer
with more roll in it, to maximize mechanical grip.
Hindman is still probing Auberlen. These two blokes are going to fight tooth and
nail to the very end. Hindman right on
top of Bill Auberlen now as another lap clicks off. This is a straight two car fight for the
win. Misting with rain with 20 minutes
on the board. Are Auberlen’s tires
knackered? He slide out of the apex of
the toe of The Boot. Has he used up his
tires? Fuel could be a bear before the
race ends. Rain tires might be a gamble
here. There are raindrops on the camera
lens.
Hindman tries but Auberlen slams the door in his face. You feel your rival right on the rear fender
if you are the leader. Marshals have
said that I am going to ask you if you knew your competitor was there, yes, hae
was there, is the right answer, and no is even worse. Hindman in the lane for fuel, for a splash
and dash. Auberlen continues to
lead. The battle is on here between the
Camaro and the Mercedes. One of the
Plumb brothers scrapping with I believe it is Russell Ward in the Mercedes.
Uh oh. We have a car
off the road and in the kitty litter.
This is the #88 VCMG Honda Civic TCR, being shared today by Jon Miller
and Lance Bergstein. There was a spin
for the #88 through turn ten. Jon Miller
in the car, not a driver who makes mistakes.
Unusual for a Front Wheel Drive car to lose the rear end. Miller is on a global path in different
sports car championships. This yellow
makes the GS cars safer on fuel, but now, the yellow will bunch the field up
behind Bill Auberlen and also Trent Hindman.
Matt Plumb and Jan Heylen are both coming in a hurry.
This race is going to be spicy and here comes the rain. Ten minutes to go. Fuel saving under yellow and go maximum
attack to the end. There was likely
another car involved in the fracas that Jon Miller had. Get temperature into the tires and clean them
off. Which chassis will come alive the
quickest in the cool and damp here at Watkins Glen? We will have five and a half minutes to go,
three or so racing laps to the end.
Green flag! What does Jan Heylen
have left in the locker? Heyelen loose
and Auberlen outside track limits.
No one is leaving anything on the table. Heylen makes the pass! Or does he?
No dice. Auberlen leads. Here comes Heylen. This is just like last weekend with
McAleer. Heylen forced the issue. Auberlen says “I won’t be fooled again.” Respect and professional race craft. Good stuff. Matt Plumb has Indy Dontje crawling all over
him. Robby Foley and Trent Hindman are
in there too. Jon Morley has moved by
Robert Noaker. Morley is going to go for
it and here come Heylen again on Auberlen!
Stay to driver’s right.
A lap and a half to go.
Heylen has to slow Auberlen in the middle of the Inner Looop. Now, Morley has been dropped by the Atlanta
Speedwerks Honda’s. Noaker in the lead
and here comes Eversley. What will Jan
Heylen do. Final chess move. Final lap.
Auberlen pulling away from the Porsche.
Great battle between Plumb and Dontje for the podium final step. GS traffic stacks Morley and Noaker uses the
traffic to his advantage. Heylen right
on Auberlen’s tail. Heylen runs wide and
loses ground to Auberlen. Rain begins to
fall. Wipers on.
Hot and heavy in GS.
Auberlen wiggles and so does Heylen.
Damp conditions in the heel of The Boot.
The track is getting slick.
Auberlen ahead by two car lengths.
One corner to go. Here comes
Heylen. No dice. Auberlen wins it for Turner Motorsports! Photo finish at the line for third. Plumb beats Dontje. Noaker and Eversley finish 1-2 for Atlanta
Speedwerks Honda in TCR!
Overall/GS: #95 Auberlen/Machavern Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT4
TCR: #84 Noaker/Henderson Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic FK7 TCR
The next event on the Michelin Pilot Challenge calendar is in a shade over two weeks, as a support event for the all GT race at the fabled Lime Rock Park circuit in Lakeville, Connecticut. Join us there for all the action.
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