Porsche Penske Motorsport has extended its lead in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship despite a tough outing at Road America.
Despite a lack of success and challenging conditions, the team managed to secure another top-five finish at Elkhart Lake on the legendary 6.515-kilometre Road America circuit.
After a tough qualifying session, the Porsche 963s managed to turn things around in the 160-minute race.
Once again, thanks to flawless strategy and the efficiency of the team’s mechanics in the pit lane, the No. 6 car led the race for 19 laps.
However, the fifth and final safety car disrupted the plans of the pairing of
Meanwhile, due to a 60-second stop-and-go penalty, reigning champion
With two races remaining in the season, Porsche Penske Motorsport retains the lead in the Manufacturers’, Teams’, and Drivers’ championships.
Story of the Race
In qualifying, heavier and less powerful than their rivals, the 963s struggled to shine. Campbell still managed to set the fifth-fastest time, just 0.332s off pole, while Felipe Nasr qualified eighth (+0.543s).
But endurance racing is a team sport, and once again Porsche Penske Motorsport could rely on the talent of its strategists and mechanics to fight their way to the front.
During the second yellow flag, both Porsche 963s pitted for fuel. Although they rejoined in 10th and 11th positions, they soon reaped the benefits of this strategic gamble.
Just before the one-hour mark, the entire field took advantage of a third yellow flag to head into the pits.
With less fuel to add, the two cars completed lightning-fast stops, and Mathieu Jaminet rejoined the race in the lead, three places ahead of Nick Tandy.
Jaminet remained in the lead for 19 laps. Unfortunately, with an hour remaining, Nick Tandy made contact with the #10 Cadillac while battling for third place. The Cadillac spun, triggering the fifth and final safety car period.
After the final pit stops, the two BMWs - who had anticipated their final refuelling stop seven minutes before the yellow flag - took the lead.
At the restart, with 38 minutes to go, the two Porsche 963 couldn’t hold off the #93 Acura.
A few seconds later, Nick Tandy was found guilty of causing the collision with the #10 car and was given a one-minute stop-and-go penalty.
Jaminet lost another position before the checkered flag but still finished the race in fifth place.
It was a solid result for the Frenchman and team-mate Campbell, who extended their lead in the Drivers’ Championship over Nasr and Tandy - still holding second place - with two rounds remaining.
Customer Racing
The only true privateer team of the GTP class, JDC-Miller MotorSports, managed to finish on the lead lap.
Starting 11th on the grid, the #85 Porsche 963 briefly ran as high as fifth.
Ultimately, despite their best efforts, Tijmen van der Helm and Gianmaria Bruni came away with points for tenth place.
GTD Pro and GTD
As always, the battle was fierce in GTD Pro. And once again, the #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R was among the main contenders for a podium finish. The duo of Klaus Bachler and Laurin Heinrich led the race for 13 laps after starting seventh.
Unfortunately, the team’s bold strategy didn’t pay off as the sixth yellow flag they've been waiting for never came. Ultimately, Laurin Heinrich was forced to refuel with just 15 minutes remaining and “Rexy” crossed the finish line in eighth place in the GTD Pro class.
Laurin Heinrich and Klaus Bachler now sit third in the overall standings but still have a shot at the title, with three races left on the calendar for the GT classes.
In GTD, the #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R finished sixth, just 1.5 seconds away from the top five.
Despite a radio failure, Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer navigated through all the race’s obstacles to bring home valuable points.
While GTD Pro and GTD teams will meet again on August 24 at Virginia International Raceway, their GTP counterparts will have to wait until September 21 for the penultimate round of the season at Indianapolis.
From there, just one round remains: Petit Le Mans, the thrilling season finale at Road Atlanta on October 11.
