DPi
The fight for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi title resulted in a breathtaking finale. Of the contenders, whoever would have come in front would have closed the conversation, but obviously things weren’t so simple.
At Road Atlanta the final 10h lap saw Felipe Nasr hold on as Ricky Taylor tried to pass him after a great comeback that followed an off-piste excursion.
Petit Le Mans went to Jarvis / Tincknell / Bomarito’s Mazda # 55, with Nasr chasing Tincknell for victory in the final round. Taylor tried to overtake the Brazilian at Turn 10A, Cadillac # 31 and Acura # 10 made contact and the Wayne Taylor Racing car went off the road, cutting the variant and returning in front of the rival car.
Nasr put his DPi-VR back in the front keeping that second place he needed to celebrate the title with the Action Express Racing men for only 0 “405.
As for the Mazda, Tincknell / Jarvis / Bomarito actually took the win by overtaking Nasr at Turn 7 with 22 minutes remaining, holding up to the finish. An incredible comeback that among other things saw the trio recover 3 laps of delay accumulated due to various mechanical problems at the start of the race.
Third place is obviously very bitter for Taylor / Filipe Albuquerque / Alexander Rossi, who had to precede Nasr / Derani / Mike Conway in hopes of defeating them. This last trio stands out among the riders, the AXR among the teams.
Top5 for the Cadillacs of Johnson / Kobayashi / Pagenaud (# 48 Ally Racing) and Van Der Zande / Bamber / Dixon (# 01 Chip Ganassi Racing), behind the Acura # 60 of Montoya / CameronCastroneves (Meyer Shank Racing).
# 55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi: Oliver Jarvis, Jonathan Bomarito, Harry Tincknell
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
LMP2
Success in extremis for Tower Motorsport in the LMP2 Class in a three-way fight that ended with a final penalty.
The Oreca 07-Gibson # 8 of Farano / Aubry / French benefited from the Drive Through imposed on the # 52 of PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports for a previous contact with the winning car.
However, this does not deny Jensen / Keating to finish second taking home the drivers’ title and the Endurance Cup together with the third competitor, Scott Huffaker.
Jensen had been in the lead up to 10 ‘from the checkered flag, but found himself having to save fuel and trailed by the # 8, who in the end took the lead.
Thomas / Nunez / Merrill finished third with WIN Autosport’s Oreca # 11 maintaining second place in the championship standings.
# 8 Tower Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07: John Farano, Gabriel Aubry, James French, # 2 United Autosports USA Ligier JS P320, LMP3: Niklas Kruetten, Tom Gamble, Andrew Meyrick
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
LMP3
The Ligier # 74 of Riley Motorsports takes the victory and the title in the LMP3 class after a grueling 10 hours of racing.
Robinson / Fraga / Andrews led the race for the most laps, with Robinson Champion of the first season of the category at IMSA.
CORE Autosport’s Ligier # 54 was the only one able to undermine the winners, but Bennett / Kurtz / Braun were never really a threat, also due to problems that forced the crew to retire at the ninth hour.
On the second step of the podium we find the Ligier # 30 of Jr III Racing, followed by the # 91 of Riley Motorsports.
# 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320, LMP3: Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga, Scott Andrews
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
GTLM
As often happens, the result of the Petit Le Mans for the GTLM Class was resolved in the last 10 ‘of the race.
Mathieu Jaminet, in the # 79 Porsche RSR-19 of the WeatherTech Racing team shared with Cooper MacNeil and Matt Campbell, overtook ‘twin’ # 97 of Estre / Christensen / Makowiecki in the last lap, preceding her by 0 “318 at the finish.
The double win for the German cars materialized thanks to the contact that the Corvette # 4 had with the Mazda # 55 with just under 15 minutes to go. Nick Tandy took too much damage and the C8.R had to retire.
Estre had managed to bring the margin over the British to over 10 “, who was trailed by Jaminet, who joined his teammate by exchanging positions in the final stages, in a last desperate assault on the # 79 title.
For MacNeil and Jaminet, assisted by Campbell, it was the third win of the year, but the title goes to Jordan Taylor / Antonio Garcia with the # 3 Corvette, despite being KOed for an accident in the fifth hour, when a carom between 8 cars Turn 10 saw Taylor find the track blocked by a group of slower cars, hitting a GTD.
The podium is then completed by the BMW M8 # 24 of Edwards / Krohn / Farfus (Team RLL), at the last exit of the Bavarian car.
# 79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR – 19, GTLM: Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, Cooper MacNeil
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
GTD
Great show also in the GTD Class, with Gunn / De Angelis / James triumphing aboard the # 23 Aston Martin Vantage. The Heart of Racing crew got the better of Pfaff Motorsports’ Porsche # 9, but Robichon / Vanthoor / Kern can smile for the title.
Throughout the day and night, the GT3s of the lot exchanged command continuously with five to six cars in single file or with close detachments. The final margin of victory was 7 “857 after 10 hours, which speaks volumes about the close fight.
The # 23 Aston took the lead with just 35 minutes to go, after three times the leader had changed in the last hour and hit the second triumph of the season.
Even though they didn’t win the race, Porsche-Pfaff took home the championship for the team, recovering from eighth place.
The big disappointment is suffered by the Lamborghini Huracán # 1 of Paul Miller Racing that Sellers / Snow / Lewis had placed in Pole Position with a mathematical chance of winning the title.
However, an initial contact with an LMP3 car sent the Lambo to the pits for lengthy repairs, finishing with a bitter seventh place.
On the podium also Megennis / Montecalvo / Veach with the Lexus # 12 of Vasser Sullivan Racing, beating the Mercedes # 28 of Alegra Motorsports (Morad / Juncadella / De Quesada) and the Porsche # 16 of Hindman / Long / Heylen that Wright Motorsports had had to rebuild after an accident in rehearsal.
# 23 Heart Of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3, GTD: Ian James, Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis
Photo by: Art Fleischmann
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