This past weekend was the IMSA event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. I had a busy schedule, co-driving with Ashton Harrison in the Wayne Taylor Racing/Harrison Contracting Lamborghini Trofeo for the first time and continuing to co-drive the Forbush Performance Toyota Supra GT4 in Michelin Pilot Challenge.
We had almost unseasonably chilly weather, but beautiful sunshine made the afternoons perfect. It felt so good to be racing again at Laguna Seca, since I have so many fond (and winning!) memories from that place.
Since I was running in two different series, it meant I had a very busy minute-by-minute schedule, but it also meant more opportunities for podium results, and I came away from the weekend with two of them!
This was my first time driving the Lamborghini “in anger,” though we recently had a test with WTR to shake down the Evo 2 package, which includes a new aero kit and brake package. This 600+ HP beast is a thrill to drive, and a bit of a handful, too! The car turned out to be as quick as the WeatherTech GT3 cars, though the Lamborghinis make their time up in slightly different places around the track. It makes for a busy lap around the 2 ¼-mile circuit.
After an early-morning qualifying session for Super Trofeo, we prepped for race one that same afternoon. We focused on tire preservation since the track surface at Laguna Seca is notorious for burning through tires pretty quickly, and that strategy paid off. I had qualified, so I started race one, then Ashton got in and pushed to the front, going from third to first to come away with the first win of the season. There’s no better way to start than that!
Ashton started race two, and she did a terrific job of saving tires for me in the final stint, which enabled me to push forward from fourth up to second. Although we would have loved the win again, the finish put us first in points as we prepare for the next round just a few short weeks away.
It was great to have Harrison Contracting special guests on hand for the race weekend, and to celebrate with them, too!
The Forbush Performance team did an incredible job prepping the Supra for Laguna Seca, and we found ourselves near the top of the speed charts right away. This team has been gaining momentum since the beginning of the year, which is really rewarding to watch. With a top-15 starting spot, it further proved that we had a good car for the race. The team called a flawless strategy to put us in sixth place after the final pit stop and driver change, when I got in the car.
April 30, 2022. Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Laguna Seca, 25 Tom Long, Wayne Taylor Racing WTR, Harrison Contracting, Prestige PerformanceLamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2
We were under a full-course yellow, and I was poised to take advantage of the scenario the team had created. Just before the green flag, though, the car experienced an electrical glitch with the steering wheel, which left me with no ability to shift. I pitted immediately, and the team got to work rectifying the issue. I went back out, but unfortunately, we were at the back of the lead lap by them. We fought back from deep in the field to claw our way into 14th place. This result left me and the team even more hungry for the next round at Mid-Ohio. Luckily, that’s next weekend, so we don’t have too long to wait to take care of our unfinished business!
