This past weekend I was at Watkins Glen with Forbush Performance for the SRO races. I typically don’t visit Watkins Glen at this time of year– I’m usually there in the summer – but we had gorgeous weather and probably some of the last 80-degree temperatures that area will see this year.
Sometimes I talk about having good weekends at the track, and sometimes I talk about having bad weekends, but this was one of those weekends where we had both. It was an exciting event in that several of the Forbush Performance drivers had never driven at Watkins Glen before, which is certainly one of my all-time favorite tracks. Not only was the track walk critical for the drivers, but so was all of the pre-event preparation, with video, notes and the sim driving we did. Putting it all together live going into the opening practice sessions was a big test, and the drivers did a terrific job getting up to speed and being competitive. It was fun to see all that preparation pay off.
GT4 qualifying was on Saturday morning, and it had rained overnight, but it was a beautiful sunny morning. That gave us tricky conditions because the track was drying rapidly in the sun. From my experience, this can be some of the toughest conditions, being on dry tires on a drying track that’s still damp in the shaded areas. Unfortunately, it caught one of our drivers out, which crunched the car just enough that the team wouldn’t be able to complete the weekend. However, one of the strengths of this first-year team has certainly been its planning, and they will have the car ready to go when they get to Sebring in two weeks.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the team’s Touring Car drivers had phenomenal race results. In Saturday’s race, both drivers started mid-field but worked their way to the front, finishing second and third for a double podium. On Sunday, they followed it up with a 1-2 victory! It was so exciting to see that success for both the team and drivers. Caleb Bacon continues to lead the championship heading into the final two events of the season.
Although Saturday was somber with the GT4 disappointment, the results in the Touring Car races on both Saturday and Sunday were a real positive shot in the arm for the team. I’m really excited to see how the season unfolds for Forbush Performance!