I just wrapped up the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Lime Rock Park, where Britt Casey, Jr. and I finished fourth in the No. 77 TRUMPF Inc. Audi RS3 LMS. It was an exciting lead-in to the event because we had more TCR entries than we’ve had all year, which shows the popularity and growth potential of the class.
I’m a huge fan of Lime Rock and all the history it represents for me personally. It had been a long time since I’d driven a front-wheel drive car around the circuit, and I certainly enjoyed playing with the nuances that a platform like that requires at Lime Rock.
Once again, Britt did an incredible job in qualifying, getting a front-row starting position for the race. Although we didn’t feel like the car was perfect in qualifying, we had a good idea of where we needed to go with the setup for the race.
As the race unfolded, Britt found himself in a comfortable position running behind the TCR leader. He maintained a small gap throughout his stint while managing lapped traffic. It was a busy race track!
Over 100 TRUMPF guests came out for the race since the company’s US headquarters is less than an hour away in Connecticut.
Right at the 45-minute mark, a full-course yellow came out. This was our time to make a pit stop and driver change, just as it was for all of the other teams. Our Compass Racing team executed the stop flawlessly. In fact, it was their best stop of the season, and it catapulted us into the lead out of pit lane, so we were ready to take on the second half of the race when the green flag flew. We were able to lead for several laps before finding that the car’s balance wasn’t ideal, but we hoped it would pay off long-term later in the race as the tires wore.
As we settled in further back in the pack, our mindset was to make a final push at the end when the other cars might have over-driven their tires. Another extended full-course yellow came, though, which probably saved everybody from using up their tires too soon. With a late-race dash to the finish, it was too little too late for us to get to the front. The car’s balance and pace just weren’t there for us to fight for the podium.
You know it’s a good season when you’re disappointed about finishing fourth! This year we’ve been fortunate to have a car capable of winning at every other event, but it’s okay that we were able to come away with a clean run and a top-five finish. Lime Rock can be a very challenging place, not only on the car but also with the tight racing and difficult passing, so just getting out of that track in one piece is an accomplishment.
Although we wanted a win or a podium, we came out retaining the TCR points lead heading into our next race at Road America. In two weeks’ time, we get to do it all over again, this time at Britt’s home track. We’re excited to get to another iconic circuit like Road America!