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| The DPi Podium after the finish of the Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
WeatherTech Raceway's Speed Week Feature - Monterey SportsCar Championships Powered By McLaren
By: Brandon O'Brien
Sunday morning dawned at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a slight fog that burned off well before the start of the Monterey SportsCar Championship Powered by McLaren race. After an unseasonably hot week the cooler weather was just what the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams needed.
This writer is impressed with any championship series where, near the end of the season, there are still mathematical odds for a number of teams and drivers to come away with the championship. As in years past, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is one not to disappoint. The series is divided into four distinct automotive classes; DPi (Daytona Prototype International), LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2), GTLM (Grand Touring Le Mans), and GTD (Grand Touring Daytona) which are GT3 specification cars. Due to the number of cars and their performance differences some of the tracks are unable to "safely" handle all four classes at one time. Fortunately WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca can handle all four classes which makes for some very exciting racing.
The change in weather from hot to "average" Monterey weather left some teams behind the curve. Those teams that could quickly adapt to the new track conditions seemed to do best. On Saturday, in the heat, Ricky Taylor was able to place the No. 7 Acura Team Penske Acura ARX-05 on the overall pole with a time of 1:15.035.
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| Ricky Taylor and Helio Castroneves had the pole winning No 7 Acura Team Penske Acura ARX-05 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
Kyle Masson in LMP2 placed the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports ORECA LMP2 on their pole with a time of 1:16.817.
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| Kyle Masson exiting Turn 11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports ORECA LMP2. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
The GTLM pole when to the No. 24 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE when Jesse Krohn put down a time of 1:21.557.
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| Jesse Krohn on his way to the GTLM pole in the No. 24 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE while entering the Corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
Finally, Corey Lewis with a time of 1:24.962 placed his Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 on the GTD pole.
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| Bryan Sellers and Corey Lewis on their way to the GTD pole in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
Unlike last year, the race had a clean, safe start leaving the full field of 32 cars vying for the coveted checkered flag and the race ran without a full-course caution. As anticipated, the Acura Team Penske Acura's led the pack of ten DPi cars. Dane Cameron was able to take control of the race from the No. 7 Acura after his second pit stop about halfway through the race. Essentially from that point the drivers of the No. 6 Acura never looked back. Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R took over third place from the Van der Zande and Jordan Taylor No. 10 Cadillac with about 15-minutes remaining.
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| The DPi winning No. 6 Acura Team Penske Acura ARX-05 co-driven by Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya in the Corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
With only two cars participating in the LMP2 class Matthew McMurry and Dalton Kellett in the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 were able to take over the lead from Cameron Cassels and Kyle Masson No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports ORECA LMP2.
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| Matthew McMurry and Dalton Kellett in the winning LMP2 No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 entering the Corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
Fortunately for Dirk Mueller the race did not start as it did last year and they were in contention from the very start The No. 24 BMW M8 GTE being driven by Jesse Krohn was able to hold onto their lead for 19 laps when the car suddenly slowed in Turn 2 allowing Mueller to get by in the No. 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT. Mueller stated, "I knew my car was great, I could follow so closely behind. I don't know really know what happened but he lost momentum and I took advantage (and) got by. That was tough because you don't expect it. That was quite a close moment. From that moment, I think that was the milestone for the victory."
Krohn and co-driver John Edwards in the No. 24 BMW were able to maintain their second place position in front of the No. 25 BMW for most of the race. With about 10 minutes remaining Antonio Garcia in the No.3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R, on fresher tires, was able to pass the No 25 BMW for third place. The BMW was then quickly passed by Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette. This was the order the race finished.
For Joey Hand this was a dream come true. Hand said, "I've been trying to win at this racetrack, my home racetrack, since like 1998."
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| The smile on Joey Hands' face says it all. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
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| The GTLM winning No. 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT during practice on Saturday was co-driven by Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
In GTD Bryan Sellers and Corey Lewis in the No. 48 Lamborghini Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 were able to take their pole position all the way to take the checkered flag.
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| The GTD winning No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 driven by Bryan Sellers and Corey Lewis exiting Turn 11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2019) |
In second place was the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 which was being co-driven by Cooper MacNeill and Toni Vilander. The final podium spot was taken by the No. 44 Magnus Racing Lamborghini driven by John Potter and Andy Lally.
TAGS: Acura Team Penske, Acura DPi, Brandon O'Brien, BMW Team RLL, BMW M8 GTE, Chip Ganassi Racing, Ford, Ford GT, GTD, GTLM, Huracan, Lamborghini, LMP2, Monterey SportsCar Championships, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca,
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