Saturday, June 24, 2023

Winner & Highlights of the Michelin Pilot Challenge Sahlen's 120 at The Glen

Welcome, everyone, to a wet and soggy Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York and Watkins Glen International Raceway.  Today, on this rainy Saturday we bring you the beginning of the second half of the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season.  It was a bizarre WeatherTech Championship qualifying session in the second half with the LMP2 and LMP3 prototypes skating around in the wet after the GTD Pro and GTD cars went out on a dry track.  So wet in fact that the stewards made a wise decision and did not even send any of the GTP cars out on track to qualify.  That would have been a living nightmare.  Better safe than sorry.  

As for the GT4 and TCR cars in the production-based classes of Michelin Pilot Challenge, we have a TCR car on the pole position with the #37 L.A. Honda World Racing Honda Civic FL5 TCR at the top of the shop with Mat Pombo and Ryan Eversley sharing the car in today's race.  It is TCR cars across the front row with the Honda flanked by the #17 Unitronic/JDC Miller Motorsports Audi RS3 LMS TCR of Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor, and the fastest Grand Sport (GT4) spec entry in third spot, the #72 Murillo Racing Mercedes AMG GT4 in the hands of Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak within a sea of TCR cars.  

The grid is a real blended candy dish with lots of flavors and if it is indeed raining still at The Glen, we should see an exciting event.  However, we may be experiencing a wee delay if the weather is in an iffy spot.  Now we are set to go.  Since 1948, the sounds of racing engines have echoed trhough Watkins Glen.  35 cars, 70 drivers, and two hours of motor racing.  We join NBC Sports' Brian Till and Calvin Fish.  Still some showers in the area but we have a wet racetrack declared.  Grand Sport and TCR are back together.  In the Grand Sport championship, we have seen four winners in four races.  PF Racing, Turner Motorsports, Murillo Racing, and Winward Racing have all won in GS.

Stevan McAleer and Eric Filgueiras have been vaulted upwards in the points, 100 points behind Murillo Racing.  Don't discount Daniel Morad and Bryce Ward.  Recall in Detroit, Robert Megennis went over the top of Rory van der Steur!  We join Hannah Newhouse and Matt Yocum in the pit lane.  Robert Megennis has been placed on probation by the IMSA stewards.  van der Steur Racing had a ton of damage to their Aston Martin.  They found a new chassis that came from the United Kingdom.  Rory van der Steur and Austin McCusker are ready to go.  In TCR, parity and consistency have been the name of the game.  

Mat Pombo, Ryan Eversley, and Honda, have five straight poles in the TCR class.  Their two concerns for today are the Miller/Taylor Audi and the unpredictability of the rain this afternoon.  Watkins Glen International is 275 miles northwest of New York City.  It is very smooth with massive grip in the dry.  Big commitment to maximize lap time.  Turn one is the first overtaking zone.  Roll speed there, thread the needle in the Inner Loop at turn five.  Turn eight at the heel of The Boot also affords overtaking opportunities.  35 cars, 70 drivers of course.  

Road Shagger Racing are back with a brand-new Audi RS3 LMS TCR.  Jon Morley and Gavin Ernstone are the drivers of course.  Team TGM and the Aston Martin's have two different setups.  The #64 has a wet setup and the #46 has a dry setup.  Ted Giovanis and Owen Trinkler in #64 and #46 shared by Hugh and Matt Plumb.  McCumbee McAleer Racing and the #13 Ford Mustang GT4 might have their good fortune coming back with Jenson Altzmann and Chad McCumbee.  The race will start this time by but under yellow to find out what the track conditions are with wet weather Michelin Pilot tires on the cars.

Again, we have a jumbled grid as we talked about at the top of the race report.  Your setups are dependent on the weather, but roll the dice if you have to.  TGM won a title with a Mercedes AMG GT4 in 2018 but have swapped between Chevrolet Camaro's, Porsche Cayman's and Aston Martin's in recent years.  Safety car lights off and we are set to go green.  The race clock has started and we will have a signle file restart procedure with a class split between GS and TCR.

Green flag!  Away we go!  Kenny Murillo leads and here comes the McLaren.  Hard to find grip even though you can find the standing water.  The new FL5 Honda Civic has had great speed as the TCR field gets underway and Harry Gottsacker in the Hyundai Elantra is making his move early doors.  Into the laces of The Boot for the first time.  Murillo is the rabiit, the guinea pig.  The track has dried out since we had a lightning hold earlier on.  Adam Adelson has started the #47 Nolasport Porsche Cayman he shares with Elliott Skeer.  The minimum drive time is 40 minutes.  

Feel out the track and see where the water is.  Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss in the #56 Murillo Racing Mercedes going for it as we are looking at TCR with Nick Looijmans chasing after Victor Gonzalez right now as we speak.  The speed delta is just a second between the fastest GS and fastest TCR car.  The #19 Aston Martin of Rory van der Steur is monstering the identical Aston Martin of Hugh Plumb.  Maybe van der Steur has more grip, more bite, from a softer setup.  Hats off to van der Steur Racing and rebuilding their car as well as the team growing in leaps and bounds moving from TCR to GS.  Rory's father was an American Le Mans Series driver in the 2000s.

Jenson Altzman in the #13 Ford Mustang along with everyone else is reading the race track.  Preserve the tires and play the long game even if there is no more rain.  Keep the tread blocks as cool as possible.  van der Steur tries the outside.  Watch the water over those painted curbs.  That is slick as anything.  Watch the track limits beyond the curbing in turns one, eight, and ten.  Jesse Lazare is motoring in the #69 McLaren Artura GT4.  Lazare sharing with Alex Filsinger.  Jeff Mosing monstering Robert Megennis to the inside at the toe of The Boot.  

Megennis handling on a knife's edge and now, van der Steur tries a move in the heel of The Boot.  Not quite working out just yet.  Mosing gives a spot to Bryce Ward.  No more rain on track.  Things are now beginning to dry out unlike the deluge we saw in a chunk of the qualifying session for the WeatherTech Championship this morning that cancelled GTP qulifying.  Oh dear.  The #71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R has spun.  That is the car of Frank DePew and Robin Liddell and he is back underway with no damage.

Meanwhile, the battle of the Aston Martin's resumes in earnest, look.  In TCR we see Mat Pombo leading Harry Gottsacker by 1.1 seconds.  Honda vs. Hyundai.  The rest of the order is Bryan Ortiz, Mason Filippi, Chris Miller, Taylor Hagler, Nick Looijmans, Gavin Ernstone, Victor Gonzalez, and Roy Block.  The battle at the top of the shop remains hot and heavy between the two Aston Martin's and the Mercedes as well as the Mustang.  In fact, Kenny Murillo, I think he has made good his escape over the others as now we see a flat left front tire for the #33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Harry Gottsacker sharing with Robert Wickens.

#33 is in the lane for slick tires.  That one had a shredded left front tire though.  Robert Wickens won this race last year alongside Mark Wilkins in TCR.  The track is still damp.  The tires will take a while to get temperature in the tires.  What kind of lap times will Harry Gottsacker be able to cut?  This will tell other teams in Grand Sport and TCR what the tire deal wll be.  The ideal situation is to get to halfway and do it on one stop but if the track dries, your one stop strategy goes out the window.  Mat Pombo leads Bryan Ortiz now by 3.6 seconds as Murillo Racing is in the lane now to swap to slick tires.  The old rain boots are coming off the car.

This is a thirsty fuel track at The Glen.  So it will be risky on fuel compared to the tire strategy.  That was a slow stop at Murillo Racing!  Oh my!  Mat Pombo leading in TCR in the new Honda Civic FL5.  The pavement on the road is beginning to get lighter.  What caused the trouble for the Hyundai with Harry Gottsacker at the wheel of it?  There are drive time limits and fuel numbers to hit.  Everything was soaked when WeatherTech Championship qualifying was cancelled.  They are really hoping for something for Mario Biundo, team owner.

Mario Biundo also drives himself in another TCR championship here stateside.  A rain tire going away is a terrible thing to deal with as we see more TCR cars hitting the lane.  This is the #98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi.  Change the tires over because those tread blocks on the wets will be separating and really squirming around.  That creates heat in the tires like taking a coat hanger and bending it back and forth.  Kenny Murillo now in the lane as Hugh Plumb and Rory van der Steur both stay on track.

Murillo still believes he is the guinea pig for the Michelin slick tires.  More fuel in the tank as well.  Robert Megennis has brought the #95 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 in the lane as well for fuel and slick tires.  How will he handle on slicks on a dry track?  He was like a cat on a tin roof in the wet.  Great to see Gavin Ernstone and company back with Jon Morley.  They will only do two or three of the next races.  The RFID readers have been hit and Kenny Murillo has tagged them.  I think that was a support board and hopefully not the computer boxes.

If you mess up the tire reader it is coming out of your budget.  Rory van der Steur now in the lane for fuel and tires as well.  Five lug nut wheels on GT4 and TCR cars.  It is not a center locking nut like the prototypes and the GT3 cars use or even the Gen 7 NASCAR Cup cars like that experimental one we saw at Le Mans a few weekends ago.  Honda #37 in the lane from the class lead in TCR.  Mat Pombo staying at the wheel doing a double stint.  The Honda FL5 Civic's thrive in the rain.  Front wheel drive for TCR and rear wheel drive for GT4.

Oh dear!  The #19 has spun!  No contact with anything.  Focus forward.  Let's see.  In replay, he got tipped by Jrff Mosing, tucking in on hot tires and got spun around!  He has to be fuming inside his helmet saying "I can't believe this happened again!"  Hugh and Matt Plumb, Aston Martin #46 has just pitted.  The sister Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 is in the lane as well. Vincent Barletta and Robby Foley.  Flat left front tire, too, look, for the #5 Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR with Roy Block at the wheel of it.  He shares of course with Tim Lewis.  The team changes the tire and he is back underway.

We are definitely seeing class overlap now between the GS and TCR fields here at The Glen.  Oh no!  Another accident!  The Nolasport Porsche Cayman and the Winward Mercedes have come together!  The #47 Nolasport Porsche Cayman has gotten the worst of it and the #95 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 has picked up shrapnel!  Full Course Yellow.  Full Course Yellow.  We are under Full Course Yellow.  In replay, contact is made spinning the Porsche into the Armco and the Mercedes crunches into the opposite guardrail.  Ouch!  

Barely half an hour on the board and we are seeing carnage and calamity in Michelin Pilot Challenge at Watkins Glen already, early doors.  Game over for the winners on the street circuit at Detroit, the duo of Bryce Ward and Daniel Morad and for the Nolasport Porsche of Elliott Skeer and Adam Adelson.  We have seen Adelson and Skeer successful in a GT3 Porsche in another championship, in SRO competition.  But no luck for them in GT4 in Michelin Pilot Challenge this afternoon.  I told you we would have a mixed candy dish and we do.  We have the two Murillo Racing Mercedes cars second and third.  

But, the leader now is the Riley Motorsports #14 Toyota Supra with Alfredo Najri at the wheel of it sharing with Thiago Camillo.  The two drivers both from central and South America.  Najri from the Dominican Republic and Camillo, the Brazilian.  I think Bryce Ward broke a toe link on the Mercedes.  So, the Detroit winners are out of this one here at Watkins Glen.  Game over.  But there is no blame.  It is clearly just a racing deal.  Jenson Altzman ran over a headlamp and Robert Megennis had some contact at the front and may have holed a radiator.  The car maybe ran out of water which would be terrible.

That would be instant retirement.  Pit stop time coming soon as we will see some drivers meeting their minimum drive time.  But believe you me, this motor race is far from over.  The field continues trundling 'round behind the safety car as we are near the 45-minute mark in the race.  Would you like a sandwich?  Nope.  The action should be getting hot and heavy again real soon.  This is no time for snacking and enjoying a cold drink.  That said though we have takers in Grand Sport coming to the pit lane for driver changes.  Gain track position by nailing the driver change.  Thiago Camillo will take over the #14 Toyota Supra.

The #95 Turner Motorsports BMW handed off to Cameron Lawrence.  No tires on the Murillo Mercedes'.  Eric Foss now in the #56 and Christian Szymczak in the #72.  It appears that Jesse Lazare in the #69 MIA McLaren is the erstwhile leader before we go back to green.  Wholesale routine pit stops going on in TCR for fuel, tires, and driver changes.  This place is going to the dogs.  I have seen a lot of fans out at the track today at Watkins Glen with their canine pals.  A handful of other cars coming through the pit lane for service.  Turner BMW #95 is one of them.  

In replay, he got squeezed in that incident we saw earlier between Bryce Ward and Elliott Skeer.  Also in pit lane is the #69 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for a driver change it appears.  That is the car of Billy Johnson and Todd Coleman.  We are going to go back to green soon.  We have an hour and five or six minutes to go.  Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens are now back in the game in TCR.  Jon Morley has taken over from Gavin Ernstone.  Green flag.  We are back to racing.  Jesse Lazare leading the motor race ahead of Eric Filgueiras in the Porsche Cayman.

Filgueiras and co-driver Stevan McAleer are on full attack mode.  Filgueiras in the car right now, coming off two runner-up finishes, second in the points standings.  The sun is popping out on a dry track and oh my goodness!  Big damage to the #27 Lone Star Racing Mercedes!  Scott Andrews... wallop!  He has smashed the barrier!  Game over for Andrews and co-driver Anton Dias Perera.  In replay, the #39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Porsche Cayman was also involved in this mighty crackup.  

It was the #46 that got into the #39.  Matt Plumb was the villain of the peace there.  Short Full Course Yellow as we come close to the halfway mark.  Day done for the #27.  A drive through penalty assessed to the #33 Hyundai Elantra for Bryan Herta Autosport for working on the car outside the pit box.  The car is good according to William Tally in the second #73 LA Honda World Honda Civic FL5.  They ended up at the back of the pack in qualifying and they dodged the carnage early doors.  They just have to roll with it on a wet setup and that is indeed what they've done.  

Robert Megennis says things were troubling with the TCR cars getting in the way of the Grand Sport machines and drivers were being too aggressive.  Megenniss slammed on the brakes and caught the nose.  They are at the back of the pack with Cameron Lawrence now driving working their way forward after the damage.  The tire was rubbing but that Michelin Pilot is holding air it seems.  Working a hammer into car repairs is old school motor racing.  That is what the British drivers call the Birmingham Screwdriver.  The safety crews are attending to he stopped car #43.  That is the BMW M4 GT4 in the hands of Sean Quinlan and Greg Liefooghe for Steven Cameron Racing which is going up on the rollback.  

I wonder what happened.  It looks like some damage t the rear left corner but also could have suffered mechanical problems.  In replay, it is hard to tell what happened as we were watching from the Toyota Supra's onboard camera.  But it is game over for BMW #43.  That car has had enough for one day.  Less than an hour to go as we still circulate under Full Course Yellow but should be back to green soon.  Quite the variety is highlighted in cars and manufacturers here in Michelin Pilot Challenge of course as it will be in the WeatherTech Championship for the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen tomorrow, especially with the return after 30 years of the fabulous IMSA Grand Touring Prototypes.

We will have all six hours of the WeatherTech Championship race covered wall to wall for you tomorrow, here on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog.  So, stay tuned for that.  We are now ready to go back to green here in Michelin Pilot Challenge.  No stop and driver change yet for the RS1 (RennSport1) Porsche Cayman team yet.  They are on the back foot.  The top three are coming in to do the driver change.  It is an early stop for the McLaren pitting early.  Hopefilly they can bring it home.  There are some damp places off line here at The Glen.  I think most of the track is drying.

Foley on Szymczak look, towards the Bus Stop and makes the pass and now, Jenson Altzman nearly tags Christian Szymczak!  That could have been ugly!  Lots of damp places in the Outer Loop!  My gosh!  This is remarkable stuff!  Jeepers creepers!  Thiago Camillo now in the #14 Toyota Supra of course.  They too have a fast race car and Austin McCusker now at the wheel of the #19 van der Steur Aston Martin.  Cameron Lawrence is also beginning to motor after an extra pit stop.  Lawrence is flying.

Owen Trinkler, too, now at the wheel of the #46 Team TGM Aston Martin and Robert Wickens is now in the pit lane for a penalty and has to claw back.  He won though, last year, and did after some may have doubted him.  Robin Liddell now doing all he can to gain time and he is a monster in the wet but it is now dry.  If it had stayed wet, Robin Liddell really could have been in it this afternoon.  Robby Foley now leads Christian Szymczak and Stevan McAleer is now at the wheel of the #28 RS1 Porsche Cayman and clawing his way back through the GS pack.  

Jon Morley is now passing the #91 Hyundai Elantra and decides discretion is the better pater of valor passing Tyler Maxson and going after Chad Gilsinger in the #89 HART (Honda America Racing Team) Honda Civic TCR.  Tyler Maxson is another talented driver in the #91 Hyundai Elantra, the other van der Steur Racing entry.  Camillo, Lawrence, Trinkler, third, fourth, and fifth, with Robby Foley now in the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 sharing with Vinny Barletta, at the top of the shop.  

Kenny Murillo survived his stint and says that the Mercedes AMG GT4 is a dream to drive and they have figured out the tricky conditions, running their own race and so on.  In TCR, Dennis DuPont is leading over Michael Lewis.  Audi vs. Hyundai.  Rockwell Autosport Development vs. Bryan Herta Autosport with 45 minutes of racing left.  It could be squeaky, squeaky time on fuel mileage before this motor race is done and dusted.  Trouble for the leader in TCR!  We were just talking about them!  Ugh!  Commentator's curse!  Maybe he is trying to reverse into a safe haven.  In replay, he suddenly slowed, losing drive on the #15 Audi RS3 LMS TCR.

The driveline is toasted.  It just won't go.  Thank you very much, and good night.  This will throw the cat among the pigeons in this case.  Okie dokie then.  A good pass by the #14 Toyota Supra on the #95 BMW M4 GT4.  Riley Motorsports vs. Turner Motorsports.  That was a wild replay.  More debris on the road, too, look.  That is a piece of crumpled bodywork.  Hard to tell where it came from.  Now, the #15 Audi is going to trundle its way back to the pits.  Fans still here enjoying the motor race this afternoon including the ones we talked about earlier with their dogs.

The cars continue to circulate behind the safety car once more.  Hoping to go back to green soon as we have just about a half hour of racing to go before we see the checkered flag here this evening.  In spite of the yellows, this has been a jolly good motor race for the most part.  Who has the fuel?  Who has the tires?  Who has the car?  Who has the talent?  Robby Foley leading overall and in Grand Sport but the sister car of Cameron Lawrence has more fuel and so does Owen Trinkler and Billy Johnson.  Green flag again.  Go, go, go guys.  Let's finish this motor race.

Spencer Pumpelly and Billy Johnson side by side and both looking racy.  Both very experienced drivers and here comes Austin McCusker.  Cameron Lawrence gets nerfed by Thiago Camillo.  Camillo has dirt on his tires or has cut one down.  Robin Liddell moves by and Billy Johnson wants a bite of the cherry as well, look.  Cameron Lawrence is to Camillo's flank, and crunch!  He goes up and over the curb through that argy bargy.  Damage to the right rear and Camillo could be dropping like a stone.  If you give it to someone, the other driver will give it back to you, according to Race Director Beaux Barfield.  

Lawrence is owed one after the BMW was destroyed in taht Detroit crash about three weeks ago.  Michael Lewis in the #1 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai leading TCR but has Tim Lewis in the #5 Alfa Romeo and the #61 Audi of Jon Morley going for it and Morley goes with the Alfa Romeo and they drop the #1 Hyundai back to third place.  Tyler Maxson applying the blowtorch to Michael Lewis as well, look.  How will all this shemozzle shake out?  The heat is increasing as the track is drying out.  26 minutes left on the board and lots more racing yet to come.

Good battle here featuring the two Turner Motorsports BMW's in first and third and the car at the end of that train is Robin Liddell in the #71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R looking to get back on the lead lap.  He wants a yellow.  Billy Johnson in the #88 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin GT4 is really going for it as well as we watch Chad McCumbee, doing everything with being a driver and a team owner, winning a Michelin Pilot Challenge championship alongside Stevan McAleer who is a co-owner of the Mustang team, car #13.

Morley in the fight against Maxson.,  Maxson slams the door in his face.  Not much speed differential between GS and TCR here at The Glen.  Moving in response is a no no.  You can't make a separate move after your fellow driver behind you does so.  Trouble for the #37 Honda!  Ryan Eversley at the wheel of it.  The left front smoking and he has whacked the wall at the toe of The Boot.  22 minutes now remaining and we see Christian Szymczak the meat in the BMW sandwich.  Also, trouble for Hyundai.  Michael Lewis locks horns with Ryan Eversley, and... ker-runch!  

Full Course Yellow.  This is going to be the shootout to the end.  Big damage to the left front of the Hyundai.  This TCR scrap was getting way too spicy.  That is a spot of grass tracking turned into a crash, bang, wallop, getting really feisty.  These are two quality drivers and you don't see those two blokes getting into fisticuffs like that.  Well, not fisticuffs, but that correction was enough to lock horns with Eversley and that was no different than the shemozzle we saw earlier with the #47 Nolasport Porsche Cayman and the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT4.  BMW 1-2.  The #72 Murillo Racing Mercedes has slid to third spot. 

Will Turner Motorsports have their favorite tacos for dinner tonight if they win and pull off this 1-2?  We'll have to find out.  Just about 15 minutes to settle this.  This is going to be a shootout at the OK Corral which these Michelin Pilot Challenge events usually are when it comes down to crunch time.  The cards and the money are on the table.  As the late Kenny Rogers sang in his song "The Gambler", never count the money when you are sitting at the table.  That's true.  You've got to seal the deal first.  The skies here at The Glen almost looked like nighttime and the rain was tipping down.  

But if you have saved everything for the end, now it is time to spend it.  Todd Coleman says he, Billy Johnson, and Archangel Motorsports need a large slice of luck, but they want to go for it.  Vincent Barletta is coached by Robby Foley to stay in a rhythm and hit target lap times of 2:13-2:14.  We have a 1-2 for Turner Motorsports currently.  Tim Lewis aboard the #5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR leading the TCR division.  We are set to go back to green.  Green flag!  Turner Motorsports still leading.  Can Robin Liddell do anything with Billy Johnson?

Robin Liddell wants to get his lap back.  That's for dead sure.  Stevan McAleer in tenth trying to move up the order, sitting second in points in the #28 RS1 Porsche Cayman sharing with Eric Filgueiras.  Robin Liddell slides up out of the way and lets Billy Johnson through.  Drive through penalty for the #1 Hyundai for incident responsibility as Mark Wilkins in the #98 sister Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai goes off the rad and clatters the fence, Mike LaMarra not realizing poor old Wilkins is there and that was completely accidental.  Not deliberate at all.  Chad Gilsinger in trouble too, with a cut down tire in the #89 HART Honda and more calamity1  Chad McCumbee spins the #13 Mustang GT4.

Wilkins is dead in the water.  Is someone throwing banana peels on the road?  I wonder.  The #98 Hyundai has holed a radiator and has lots of damage.  Significant toe out and damage too for Chad McCumbee in the #13 McCumbee McAleer Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4.  Full Course Yellow.  Time will be limited to get the stricken cars to a safe haven and back to green.  In replay, #73 tags the #89.  Two Honda's clattering each other and the #89 had something weird happening and Chad McCumbee clattered Stevan McAleer, his team co-owner!  Oh my!  Turner Motorsports run 1-2 with #96 ahead of #95 which replicates their Sebring result from back in March.

The #98 Hyundai will be put back on the rollback.  The Alfa team in TCR who also won at Sebring are also looking for their second win of the year.  We will have a sprint to the finish.  Stay with us, please.  Don't run to the refrigerator yet.  Safety car lights off.  We are going to go back to green flag racing.  Chad McCumbee trundled his Ford Mustang back to the pit lane and we should have a couple laps left with four minutes left on the clock.  Tim Lewis Jr. in the #5 Alfa Romeo may be able to pull away but he is going to have his hands full with Jon Morley.

But it sounds like he has some kind of popping and banging sound in the transmission when he grabs a gear.  That's strange.  Green flag!  Foley controls the restart with Cameron Lawrence as the wingman.  Lawrence and co-driver Robert Megennis have not won yet this year.  Mikey Taylor moves past Jon Morley, monstering Tyler Maxson for P2.  Down into turn five and into the laces of The Boot, Christian Szymczak is being monstered by Todd Coleman!  Coleman has the preferred line and makes his move as poor old Szymczak are losing places hand over fist.

A brilliant day for Owen Trinkler and Ted Giovanis in the #64 TGM Aston Martin.  Wow.  Mikey Taylor has a huge lunge and Tyler Maxson runs wide!  Jon Morley stalled out his speed.  TGM really going for it.  Owen Trinkler has Billy Johnson right on his six and Billy Johnson dives to the inside!  He is going to go for it as Trinkler defends!  Wow!  Aston Martin on Aston Martin.  This is how you race.  Be respectful.  Scrap, but be respectful.  Trinkler was right there, Johnson tried to send it, could not make the delivery.

Checkered flag.  Turner Motorsports 1-2.  Robby Foley and Vincent Barletta are the first repeat winners of 2023 in Grand Sport and the #5 Alfa Romeo team of Tim Lewis Jr. and Roy Block also win their second race of the year in TCR.  Turner Motorsports won here in 2004 19 years ago.

Overall/Grand Sport: #96 Foley/Barletta     Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 (G82)

             TCR: #5 Lewis/Block                      KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo                                                                              Giulietta Veloce TCR

Turner Motorsports with celebrate with tacos and champagne tonight.  The next event for Michelin Pilot Challenge is in two weeks, north of the border, eh, in Canada, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport Park).  Excited to bring you that race when it happens.  We'll see you in two weeks.  So long for now, everybody.  Take care.



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