After a tough race, two former Porsche juniors crossed the finish line fifth on the road to the Porsche 963. Their factory drivers Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy won the eleventh place after a fine. Still, they are second in the driver’s standings, while Porsche also maintains the lead in the manufacturer’s championship game with two remaining games. In the GTD course, Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer finished sixth in the 911 GT3 R sent by Porsche account team Wright Motorsports.
Contest
The 160-minute race started in a busy way on the 6.515km U.S. Tour. The safety car was deployed in the opening lap after the LMP2 car was glided from the track. 15 minutes later, when the green flag waved the green flag, it had to appear again immediately – another competitor had slipped down.
The two hybrid prototypes that the Porsche Penske Motorsport Factory team took advantage of the second yellow stage, reaching an early pit stop just 23 minutes into the start of the race. After refueling, starter Matt Campbell from Australia and Felipe Nasr from Brazil rejoined the 10th and 11th positions, trapped behind a slower LMDH car, holding it in a slower situation. Nevertheless, bold strategic decisions paid off. When the safety car entered the race just over an hour later, the leading GTP car drove into the repair station for a reservation service stop. Thanks to short refueling times and excellent work by the pit station staff, both factories’ Porsche 963s took advantage of this: Mathieu Jaminet from France (6 cars from Campbell, which had taken over in Car No. 6), while Nick Tandy replaced NASR and went to fourth place.
More than an hour before the end of the eighth IMSA race of the season, the British attacked the third-place driver and completed the overtake. However, when the driver over a few meters tried to fight, the two cars were in contact straight up, causing the Cadillac to spin. The game housekeeper believed that Tandy was at fault and imposed a 60-second pit stop, eventually throwing seven Porsches to 11th in the GTP level.
The incident triggered another yellow flag phase that caught the sister cars off guard and allowed two freshly refueled BMWs to move to the site. After the pit, Jaminet rejoined the game in fourth place. He eventually had to rank fifth in the closing ceremony in a situation that was often subject to fierce competition and a fair showdown with Earl Bamber.
“We are looking back at Elkhart Lake, in a bad mood – that’s not going.” But we still lead the championship with the 6th Porsche 963, which is the most important thing. This is the most important thing. The driver and maintenance staff did a great job. We did two campaigns.
“We made the right decision during the race and brought two Porsches to the frontline.” Jonathan Diuguid Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsports. Porsche.
Porsche client team JDC-Miller Motorsports climbed from eleventh to fifth in the early stages of the race. However, as the event progressed, Dutch Italian drivers Gianmaria Bruni and Tijmen van der Helm were unable to keep pace with the race and gradually lost the draw. The two finally crossed the finish line in tenth place.
GT Course: Strong Display of the Client Team Wright Motorsport
Austria Klaus Bachler developed a bold strategy and dominated IMSA GTD-PRO champion Laurin Heinrich, climbing steadily from seventh place on the U.S. road. A good hour before the end of the race, AO Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R (nicknamed “Rexy” by fans) led and remained ahead until 15 minutes before the end. However, there is no extended yellow flag period, which will make another gas-filled parking unnecessary, which means inevitably going to the pit. The last stop for two former Porsche juniors, finally ranked eighth in class.
Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer have better fortunes. They brought a lot of avoidance to their Wright Motorsports 911 and climbed from 12th to 6th in the GTD category. Their biggest challenge is competing for the entire race without radio contact, relying on strategic notes conveyed through pit areas in traditional ways.
The driver's impression after the race
Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963#6): “The positive news for us is that we can further expand the championship lead. With two games left before the end of the season, our future is in our own hands. It's a bit of a roller coaster here at Elkhart Lake – sometimes we're almost the last, and then we get the lead and feel control. However, the yellow flag stage puts us in position again, and the collision damages the left forward. Not long before the end, there was an incident with a GTD Pro Car, followed by an interesting duel with my friend Earl Bamber. A lot of things happened. Ultimately, fifth place means it's a great day for us.”
Nick Tandy (Porsche 963#7): “It's a tough game. I've seen this incident lead to a different fine. As a result, we can't achieve what we can. Still, the strategy, the team and the pit stop are still there in pushing our Porsche to the frontline. It shows that I have the ability to fight for victory again – I look forward to that.”
Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 963 #85): • We sometimes managed to make the top five thanks to a strong start and solid strategy. Later, I was congested with traffic jams. Compared to yesterday, we took a step in the right direction with the Porsche setup. However, we still lack a straight top speed. Hopefully this will improve in the last two games so that the duel with other competitors will be more enjoyable again – that will be good. ”
Laurin Heinrich (Porsche 911 GT3 R#77):'We know that our pace alone will not lead us further, which will naturally put us in a vulnerable position. So we made some gambling on our strategy – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Unfortunately, luck is not around us today and we have to accept that. Still, I’m proud of my team because at least we gave it. ”
Elliott Skeer (Porsche 911 GT3 R#120): “After 12th, finishing sixth is a big step forward, and it's a huge reward for all the hard work we've done since the Mosport race! We're trying our best to squeeze out the last drop of Porsche's performance. But there's no match with the team radio? It reminds me of the past, but it's by no means my favorite way to operate. It makes things even more exhausting, especially from a strategic point of view, in a race that's already chaotic…
Competition results
GTP class:
1. Eng/d. Vanthoor (Aut/Bel), BMW #24, 66 laps
2. S.van der Linde/Wittmann (ZAF/DEU), BMW #25, +2.524 seconds
3. Vander Zande/Yelloly (NLD/GBR), Acura #93, +3.628 seconds
5. Campbell/Jaminet (AUS/FRA), Porsche 963 #6, +15.848 seconds
10. Bruni/van der Helm (ITA/NLD), Porsche 963 #85, +37.098 seconds
11. Nasr/Tandy (Bra/GBR), Porsche 963 #7, 1:43.648 minutes
GTD-Pro Class:
1. Snow/Verhagen (US/US), BMW #1, 62 laps
2. Rockenfeller/Priaulx (DEU/GBR), Ford #64, +2.915 seconds
3. Costa/Altoe (ESP/ITA), Ferrari #81, +13.316 seconds
8. Heinrich/Bachler (DEU/AUT), Porsche 911 GT3 R#77, +1:05.657 seconds
GTD Class:
1. Triarsi/Koch (US/US), Ferrari #21, 62 laps
2. Goikhberg/Farnbacher (CDN/DEU), Lamborghini #78, +1.618 seconds
3. Franco/Serra (US/Bra), Ferrari #34, +3.066 seconds
6. Adelson/Skeel (US/US), Porsche 911 GT3 R#120, +7.018 seconds