Deep in the heart of Texas, it’s more than just a Formula One track that you will find. When teams and drivers come to COTA, they are ready for no ordinary race. The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship rolled into Austin this weekend, as it was time to tear up the track with IMSA at Circuit of the Americas.
In the leading prototype class, a dazzling display was underway where nearly every car in class took a turn at the front of the field. However, after winning the pole on Friday, Chip Ganassi Racing would take the #01 Ford back to victory lane for the first time in a year with the driver duo of Scott Pruett and Joey Hand.
In GT Le Mans, the dominance of the Porsches continued with the #911 Porsche of Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy winning the pole on Friday. They would control much of the race in class, even with a spin and a tight battle with fellow combatant in Team Falken Tire. However, fuel mileage would run short for the Porsche factory squad, handing the lead and win to the #25 BMW of Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen.
The Prototype Challenge class saw a number of cars go for spins in Turn 1, many with incidents with other classes, including the race-winning #38 Chevy of James French. In the end, Colin Braun of CORE Autosport would outduel Bruno Junquiera to win in the PC class in the #54 car.
Finally, in the GT Daytona class, the Viper squad that notched a big victory earlier in the season in the #93 car will secure a victory for the #33 car, piloted by Jerome Bleekemolen and Ben Keating.
The final race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season comes in October with the ten-hour Petit Le Mans from Road Atlanta. You can see the action in the United States on FS2. But the action isn’t finished at COTA, as the World Endurance Championship races into the night in the 6 hours of Circuit of the Americas.
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