Race Report: Watkins Glen Short Course

As this year’s Grand-Am season heads into the home stretch, it seems likely that 2009 will be remembered as one of the most competitive in the series’ history. With nine races completed, the race for championship position could not be tighter. Although the press focuses on the contest among the top three teams, positions four through nine are even tighter, with only twelve points separating those six spots.

Throughout the season, the two Brumos cars have traded positions in the points lead back and forth with little advantage either way, despite variations in each car’s results race-to-race. That lead changed hands once again following the Watkins Glen race, putting the #58 car one point ahead of their #59 teammates. With just three races to go, Brumos holds down 8th and 9th position in team points, with two teams tied for 6th place holding only a one-point advantage.

The return trip to the Glen brought our #58 car in for its seventh top ten finish in the nine races completed. Despite struggles with the set-up of the car in pre-qualifying practice sessions, during the final evening session, David Donohue posted #58’s fastest lap time of the day and was encouraged with the progress made on track. Darren Law qualified and started the race from the seventh position on the grid, narrowly avoiding an early incident that retired the #2 DP car from the race with extensive damage. Law moved steadily up through the field, running as high as 4th before pitting for the driver change. David Donohue faced a difficult task in regaining position, but eventually benefited as two of the frontrunners dropped out of contention with flat tires. Donohue held on to take the checkered flag in 6th, marking the best finish for the #58 since their third race of the season.

Our #59 car suffered a serious setback when compression issues forced a post-qualifying engine change. The change kept #59 out of the final practice session, with no opportunity to test the new engine prior to the race. It also put qualifying driver J.C. France at the back of the pack to start. On the first recon lap, one of the Brumos spotters reported fluid leaking from the rear, bringing it back to the pits where a problem with the gearbox cooler was discovered. The crew worked quickly to repair the leak, getting the car back on track with minimal loss of time. Taking advantage of an early yellow flag, the #59 was brought back in to top off oil levels, averting a major repair and loss of track position.

Strategy came into play as the driver change to Joao Barbosa was made under a subsequent caution period, with the #59 briefly running as high as 2nd place. Barbosa struggled with handling throughout his stint, so a reading of low tire pressure was cause for concern, bringing the car back to the pits near the end of the race for an unscheduled tire change. Despite the setbacks, Barbosa held on to finish the race in 8th place, marking the #59’s fifth consecutive top ten finish and further boosting J.C. France’s lead in the Trueman Sportsman points standings.

Our team will take lessons learned at the Glen back to the raceshop, as preparations are already underway for round ten of the Grand-Am season. That race will be held on August 29th at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, the only non-US venue the series will visit this season.

Article posted on: 09-Aug-11