Earl Bamber
Bamber & De La Torre Are Picture-Perfect
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — The importance of picture-perfect, precise pit stops took center stage in the first of two Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America 50-minute races from Watkins Glen Int’l.In Friday’s Round 5 of the season, three of the four class leaders recorded pit stop times below the minimum requirement, resulting in a shake-up of the race leads—and ultimately, the winners.
The polesitting No. 29 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami, Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2, scored its first Pro and overall victory in the hands of Will Bamber and Elias De La Torre. It ends the run of four straight wins in the Pro class for the Wayne Taylor Racing team, which won the opening four races with two different cars.
RAFA Racing scored a ProAm class win with the new pairing of Harry Gottsacker and Tyler Gonzalez, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge regulars in two different Hyundai Elantra N TCR cars. Wayne Taylor Racing secured another Am win with the Graham Doyle and Glenn McGee duo, while Forty7 Motorsports claimed its first LB Cup win of the year in the hands of Mark Brummond.
The No. 29’s lead time in Pro only book-ended the race from the start into Turn 1 on the first lap to coming out of Turn 11 on the final trip around Watkins Glen’s 3.4-mile circuit, with the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing pair of Danny Formal and Hampus Ericsson having paced the proceedings the remainder of the race. Formal made an opening lap pass of Bamber around the outside into Turn 1 and proceeded to set sail, with Ericsson keeping the lead against De La Torre through the pit stop sequence.
However, the race turned on its head after a late-race restart when a series of short pit stop times were announced. The No. 1 car was one of the several cars affected, and Ericsson took the car into pit lane on the final turn of the final lap. That gave the No. 29 car a clear run to the checkered flag as De La Torre won by 1.802 seconds.
“We had a good test and we carried the momentum straight to the weekend,” said De La Torre, who also noted improved grip and durability from Hankook’s debuting new L63H tire in both a pre-race test and during the weekend itself.
“I think we just executed well today. We might not have had the fastest car, but we had the best gameplan and I think the way we handled everything our strategy was just not really beatable, I would say, but we just held it together really well.”
Forty7 Motorsports’ new Pro pair of Al Morey and Jake Walker, filling in for Keawn Tandon this weekend, finished a season-best second in the No. 77 Huracán with WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca double winner Nick Persing ending third in the No. 8 WTR Huracán.
TR3 nearly completed a double with a ProAm win as well but came up one position short. Instead, RAFA Racing broke through for its first win in any Lamborghini Super Trofeo class this season, adding to its wins in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge this season.
RAFA’s new pair of Gottsacker and Gonzalez in the No. 81 RAFA Racing, Lamborghini Austin, Huracán led home the No. 67 TR3 Huracán of Conrad Geis and Jason Hart by 6.339 seconds. Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Andy Lee and Slade Stewart completed the podium in their No. 14 Huracán.
“I’ve always wanted to drive one of these things,” said Gonzalez, who adds the Super Trofeo Huracán to a rapidly expanding list of different cars he’s raced. “They’re so fast and just can’t thank Kevin Conway and RAFA for giving me this opportunity to hop in one of these cars. The first time in it was practice yesterday morning, and I took to it pretty well.”
The Am and LB Cup leaders also incurred the short pit stop penalties, which negated potential first wins of the season for Anthony Bullock in his No. 12 ONE Motorsports Huracán (Am) and Rocky T. Bolduc in his No. 99 RAFA Racing Huracán (LB Cup), respectively.
McGee and Doyle benefited in Am, as they won their fourth race in five starts this season in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Huracán ahead of the RAFA Racing pair of Lindsay Brewer and Jem Hepworth in their No. 2 Huracán (scored their third podium of the season) by 5.142 seconds with Mateo Siderman third in his No. 63 TR3 Racing Huracán.
“It was a little chaotic with yellow there, but it seemed like a lot of other cars got held up with pit times,” Doyle explained, “We opted to go conservative and race from there. I started third, was able to get it up to second, but we were within a decent gap for Glenn to be able to fight for the win.”
Brummond returned to the top of LB Cup for the first time this season in a Forty7 Motorsports 1-2 finish. Driving the No. 52 Forty7 Motorsports, Lamborghini Philadelphia, Huracán, Brummond won by 1.533 seconds over Christopher Tasca in his No. 66 Huracán, with Bolduc third in the No. 99 Huracán.
“I was in fifth going into the last lap and I just sent it on the inside of the esses,” said Brummond, describing his run from fifth to the lead in the final green flag sequence. “Some people got tangled up or had penalties and I went around them.”
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — The importance of picture-perfect, precise pit stops took center stage in the first of two Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America 50-minute races from Watkins Glen Int’l.
In Friday’s Round 5 of the season, three of the four class leaders recorded pit stop times below the minimum requirement, resulting in a shake-up of the race leads—and ultimately, the winners.
The polesitting No. 29 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami, Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2, scored its first Pro and overall victory in the hands of Will Bamber and Elias De La Torre. It ends the run of four straight wins in the Pro class for the Wayne Taylor Racing team, which won the opening four races with two different cars.
RAFA Racing scored a ProAm class win with the new pairing of Harry Gottsacker and Tyler Gonzalez, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge regulars in two different Hyundai Elantra N TCR cars. Wayne Taylor Racing secured another Am win with the Graham Doyle and Glenn McGee duo, while Forty7 Motorsports claimed its first LB Cup win of the year in the hands of Mark Brummond.
The No. 29’s lead time in Pro only book-ended the race from the start into Turn 1 on the first lap to coming out of Turn 11 on the final trip around Watkins Glen’s 3.4-mile circuit, with the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing pair of Danny Formal and Hampus Ericsson having paced the proceedings the remainder of the race. Formal made an opening lap pass of Bamber around the outside into Turn 1 and proceeded to set sail, with Ericsson keeping the lead against De La Torre through the pit stop sequence.
However, the race turned on its head after a late-race restart when a series of short pit stop times were announced. The No. 1 car was one of the several cars affected, and Ericsson took the car into pit lane on the final turn of the final lap. That gave the No. 29 car a clear run to the checkered flag as De La Torre won by 1.802 seconds.
“We had a good test and we carried the momentum straight to the weekend,” said De La Torre, who also noted improved grip and durability from Hankook’s debuting new L63H tire in both a pre-race test and during the weekend itself.
“I think we just executed well today. We might not have had the fastest car, but we had the best gameplan and I think the way we handled everything our strategy was just not really beatable, I would say, but we just held it together really well.”
Forty7 Motorsports’ new Pro pair of Al Morey and Jake Walker, filling in for Keawn Tandon this weekend, finished a season-best second in the No. 77 Huracán with WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca double winner Nick Persing ending third in the No. 8 WTR Huracán.
TR3 nearly completed a double with a ProAm win as well but came up one position short. Instead, RAFA Racing broke through for its first win in any Lamborghini Super Trofeo class this season, adding to its wins in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge this season.
RAFA’s new pair of Gottsacker and Gonzalez in the No. 81 RAFA Racing, Lamborghini Austin, Huracán led home the No. 67 TR3 Huracán of Conrad Geis and Jason Hart by 6.339 seconds. Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Andy Lee and Slade Stewart completed the podium in their No. 14 Huracán.
“I’ve always wanted to drive one of these things,” said Gonzalez, who adds the Super Trofeo Huracán to a rapidly expanding list of different cars he’s raced. “They’re so fast and just can’t thank Kevin Conway and RAFA for giving me this opportunity to hop in one of these cars. The first time in it was practice yesterday morning, and I took to it pretty well.”
The Am and LB Cup leaders also incurred the short pit stop penalties, which negated potential first wins of the season for Anthony Bullock in his No. 12 ONE Motorsports Huracán (Am) and Rocky T. Bolduc in his No. 99 RAFA Racing Huracán (LB Cup), respectively.
McGee and Doyle benefited in Am, as they won their fourth race in five starts this season in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Palm Beach, Huracán ahead of the RAFA Racing pair of Lindsay Brewer and Jem Hepworth in their No. 2 Huracán (scored their third podium of the season) by 5.142 seconds with Mateo Siderman third in his No. 63 TR3 Racing Huracán.
“It was a little chaotic with yellow there, but it seemed like a lot of other cars got held up with pit times,” Doyle explained, “We opted to go conservative and race from there. I started third, was able to get it up to second, but we were within a decent gap for Glenn to be able to fight for the win.”
Brummond returned to the top of LB Cup for the first time this season in a Forty7 Motorsports 1-2 finish. Driving the No. 52 Forty7 Motorsports, Lamborghini Philadelphia, Huracán, Brummond won by 1.533 seconds over Christopher Tasca in his No. 66 Huracán, with Bolduc third in the No. 99 Huracán.
“I was in fifth going into the last lap and I just sent it on the inside of the esses,” said Brummond, describing his run from fifth to the lead in the final green flag sequence. “Some people got tangled up or had penalties and I went around them.”
Source: Speed Sport
