Autosport – 25 July 2019

Recent Formula E title

winner Vergne was busy

collecting more spoils

Scorching Lime Rock

Park helped Ford

defeat Porsche

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WORLD OF SPORT RACE CENTRE

25 JULY 2019 AUTOSPORT.COM 39

G-Drive extends lead in Spain

Westbrook initially ran fourth behind

the Porsches and the sister Ford GT of Dirk

Muller/Joey Hand, which was also pursuing

a two-stop strategy. He then leapfrogged to

the front on lap 116 after all three leaders

had made their final stops. Crucially, while

the German cars had lost pace as their

tyres succumbed to the heat, Westbrook

continued to run strongly, even extending

his advantage to just over 41 seconds before

making his third pit visit on lap 133.

A slight fumble while changing his

right-front tyre meant Westbrook resumed

in third with just over 40 minutes

remaining, but once again the Porsches

were unable to maintain their speed in

the afternoon heat. Westbrook ultimately

grabbed the victory with an audacious move

on Bamber on lap 175. Bamber narrowly

held on to second from Muller/Hand

to extend the points lead.

The GTD battle was also intense. Points

leaders Trent Hindman/Mario Farnbacher

(Meyer Shank Acura NSX GT3) led from

pole but were unable to shake off the Pfaff

Motorsports Porsche of Zacharie Robichon

and Dennis Olsen (below), who executed

a smart pass with time running out and

held on to win by just 0.010s.

JEREMY SHAW

IMSA SPORTSCAR

LIME ROCK (USA)

20 JULY

ROUND 8/12

It was steamy hot at Lime Rock Park last

Saturday, and so was the competition in

the first of two IMSA championship events

this season that will focus on the two GT

classes. Porsche once again appeared to

have the upper hand, with series leader

(along with Earl Bamber) Laurens Vanthoor

claiming his first pole earlier in the day,

narrowly outpacing team-mate Nick Tandy.

But while both 911 RSRs ran an identical

two-stop strategy, a bold decision by Ford

Chip Ganassi Racing to gamble on making

an extra pitstop enabled Ryan Briscoe and

Richard Westbrook to capitalise on fresher

tyres and snatch a brilliant tactical victory.

Even though Briscoe was unable to

make any ground on the leaders during his

opening 40-lap stint, he emerged on the tail

of the two Porsches after their first stops

and remained in their wheel tracks until

handing over to Westbrook at half-distance.

Ford triumphs

over hot and

bothered 911s

EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES

BARCELONA (ESP)

20 JULY

ROUND 3/6

After the sun had set in Barcelona,

Jean-Eric Vergne piloted the #26 G-Drive

Racing car to the team’s second win in a

row in the European Le Mans Series after

being untroubled for most of the race.

It was Roman Rusinov who had a more

difficult time compared with team-mates

Vergne and Job van Uitert. Starting from

third, he managed to take over the lead

before the first hour had been completed.

Not long later he endured a scary

moment as the #9 LMP3 car of Realteam

Racing spun in front of him, although he

managed to avoid making any contact.

Paul Lafargue in the polesitting #28

IDEC Sport ORECA was able to get to

within a second of Rusinov to challenge

for the lead, but was given a drivethrough

penalty for speeding in the pits.

When it was time for Rusinov to hand

over to van Uitert, the race went back

to green from a full course yellow before

the team had finished the stop. The #30

Duqueine Engineering entry had pitted

just before, but G-Drive Racing stretched

its advantage thanks to a quicker stop.

Van Uitert and Vergne weren’t

challenged for the race lead during their

stints on the way to victory. The result

extends G-Drive Racing’s lead in the

LMP2 championship to 16 points.

The Inter Europol Ligier of Nigel

Moore/Martin Hippe won in LMP3,

while the Luzich Racing Ferrari of

Alessandro Pier Guidi, Nicklas Nielsen

and Fabien Lavergne topped GTE.

TIM LUMB

W SERIES

ASSEN (NLD)

Race 1 Emma Kimilainen

Race 2 (non-championship) Megan Gilkes

IMSA SPORTSCAR

LIME ROCK (USA)

GTLM Ryan Briscoe/Richard Westbrook

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing (Ford GT)

GTD Dennis Olsen/Zacharie Robichon

Pfaff Motorsports (Porsche 911 GT3 R)

EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES

BARCELONA (ESP)

Roman Rusinov/Jean-Eric Vergne/ Job van Uitert

G-Drive Racing (ORECA-Gibson 07)

WEEKEND WINNERS

For full results visit motorsportstats.com

POWERED BY

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