Teams, Drivers Earn IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Points at the Three-Hour Mark
By Mark Robinson and Godwin Kelly
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R used a lightning-quick pit stop to jump into the lead halfway through the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday. Live streaming coverage of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Watkins Glen International continues through its 4:40 p.m. ET conclusion on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, with television coverage airing tonight at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
The two Acuras in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class – the No. 10 Konica Minolta and No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian entries – swapped the overall lead through the opening two-plus hours of the race on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course. A full-course caution period 20 minutes before the halfway point brought all the leaders to pit lane and the No. 31 Cadillac, with Felipe Nasr at the wheel, beat the others out of the pits to take the lead and hold it at the three-hour mark.
Other leaders by class at three hours were: in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), the No. 11 WIN Autosport ORECA LMP2 07; in Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3), the No. 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320; in GT Le Mans (GTLM), the No. 4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R; and in GT Daytona (GTD), the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours is also the third of four WeatherTech Championship races that count toward the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. A point system separate from the season championship awards teams and drivers points by class at designated junctures of the endurance events. In the case of Watkins Glen, those points are awarded at the three- and six-hour marks.
With the awarding of points at the three-hour mark, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura leads the No. 55 Mazda Motorsports car by five points in the Endurance Cup DPi standings. In LMP2, the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA is one point ahead of the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA.
In LMP3, the No. 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier holds a sizable 14-point edge on its sister No. 91 entry. All the No. 74 need do to clinch the LMP3 Endurance Cup is start the final race of the season, the Motul Petit Le Mans on Nov. 13.
The Corvettes hold the top two spots in GTLM Endurance Cup competition, with the No. 4 a single point ahead of the No. 3. Finally, in GTD, the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche took a one-point lead on the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche.
Hendrick-Johnson Reunion: Jimmie Johnson and the rest of the No. 48 Ally Cadillac Racing DPi team had a welcome and an interested observer in their pit. NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Rick Hendrick, whose Hendrick Motorsports operation is collaborating with Action Express Racing to field the No. 48 DPi for the Endurance Cup events, made the trip to Watkins Glen for the start of the race from Pocono, Pennsylvania, where NASCAR Cup Series is racing this weekend.
“I wanted to be here today to support Jimmie,” Hendrick said shortly after the green flag waved. “I love this type of racing. This takes me back to my GTP days with the Corvette. I’m here and keeping an eye on Pocono, too. About the time this race ends, Pocono will kind of be getting right.
“I brought the Ally CEO (Jeff Brown), too, and his father,” Hendrick added. “They are all having fun. I love all kinds of racing, but this kind of racing has a special place in my heart from the Sarel van der Merwe days and that GTP Corvette. It’s changed a lot since I was here.”
Johnson, who drove the second stint in the No. 48 Cadillac, was happy to see his old boss, who was a big part of Johnson’s seven NASCAR Cup championships.
“I’ll take every second I can with Mr. Hendrick,” Johnson said. “I haven’t seen enough of him as I’d like since I retired from NASCAR. This has been a really nice treat today.”
No. 79 WeatherTech Porsche Exits Early: The No. 79 WeatherTech Porsche 911 RSR-19 was one of the earliest casualties in the race. Just three laps in, driver Cooper MacNeil brushed the wall exiting the 11th and final turn with the left side of the car. Soon after, a fire started in the left rear wheel well. MacNeil was able to return the car to pit lane before a larger fire broke out and he scrambled from the car, the day over.
“It’s a shame,” MacNeil said. “The Proton Competition crew worked hard on the WeatherTech Porsche all weekend. We had a pretty loose car all through practice. At the start the car felt good. I was catching the BMWs. I exited the last corner and got into the wall and something broke in the rear, and that’s when the fire started. Big apologies to the team, it is 100 percent my fault. They are going to work hard to rebuild the car for the WeatherTech 240 on Friday.”
Spin Out for No. 2 United Autosports LMP3: The No. 2 United Autosports USA Ligier JS P320 led most of the opening two hours in LMP3 until Austin McCusker spun in Turn 7 and slid into the outside barrier, bringing out the second full-course caution. Following pit stops under yellow for repairs and a drive-through penalty for making the repairs in a closed pit the No. 2 went a lap down and was fifth in class at the halfway mark.
Hard Contact for No. 19 Grasser Lamborghini: The race ended abruptly for the No. 19 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3 just before the halfway point. The car spun at the exit of Turn 11 and into the inside wall leading to pit lane. With fire erupting from the rear of the car, driver Misha Goikhberg stopped the car in the middle of pit lane and hopped out unscathed.
Grid Changes for Race Start: Four cars were moved to the rear of their respective classes for the race start, for various reasons. The No. 55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi and the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 in GTD were sent back for making engine changes after qualifying. The No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 was moved back in LMP2 for changing the tires it started the race with from qualifying. The No. 75 Sun Energy 1 Mercedes-AMG GT3 went to the back in GTD for changing its driver from Mikael Grenier, who qualified the car, to Kenny Habul to start the race. Finally, the No. 84 Dawson Racing Ligier JS P320 was required to start the race from pit lane after coming late to the grid.