The Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca of Dillmann/Boulle beat the similar cars of Gar Robinson/Filipe Fraga and Steven Thomas/Scott Huffaker in Sunday’s 2h40m race, which featured a 34-car entry.
The premier class GTP hybrids took a break from the fearsome 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course near Toronto, formerly known as Mosport. Although those cars weren’t here, some of the top drivers still made the trip north of the border to drive the LMP2 machinery – as the clashing World Endurance Championship race at Interlagos also complicated matters.
Polewinner PJ Hyett (AO Racing) led the field to green but drifted across to the outside lane of traffic at the startline, repeating the error he made at Watkins Glen and receiving the same penalty, a drive-through.
That handed the lead to Daniel Goldburg (United Autosports) over Boulle, Robinson (Riley) and George Kurtz (Crowdstrike by APR), with Hyett rejoining in sixth. Another penalty befell the #2 United Autosports entry, as Ben Keating was given drive-through for changing tires on the grid.
Dennis Andersen, who shunted the #20 MDK by High Class Racing at Turn 2 in qualifying, got shoved off through some trackside signage at Turn 8 in opening moments of the race. The first caution flew after 20 minutes, as Andersen went off again into the tires at Turn 9 and this sent the majority to the pits.
After the reset, Boulle – who had taken the lead from Goldburg before the yellow – led Kurtz, Robinson, Goldburg and Thomas (TDS Racing).
A second yellow was required 20 minutes later when Orey Fidani’s GTD Corvette slammed the Turn 3 barriers after getting fired off by Bryan Sellers’ Paul Miller Racing BMW.
Soon after the restart, leader Boulle was delayed trying to pass a tardy GTD car at Turn 1, then Robinson was shoved wide by Kurtz as cars flew in all directions at Turn 2. Thomas vaulted to second, and Luis Perez Companc followed him through in AF Corse’s car. The big loser was Kurtz, who tumbled to eighth and he quickly handed over to Colin Braun, who rejoined 24th overall with it all to do.
The majority of the amateur drivers handed over to their pros with 90 minutes to go, with Dillmann (in for Boulle) leading Scott Huffaker (in for Thomas) by 3s.
The United duo of Ben Hanley (sharing with Keating and bouncing back from its earlier penalty) and Felipe Albuquerque (partnered with Goldburg) ran third and fourth, ahead of Fraga (in for Robinson), Louis Deletraz (taking over from Hyett), Pipo Derani (in for Companc), Braun and Renger van der Zande (who’d earlier been delayed when John Farano incurred a drive-through for a pitstop infringement).
Fraga passed Deletraz for fourth when the Acura GTP regular went off at Turn 9 and continued. Deletraz lost another spot to Albuquerque before making his final stop with 45 minutes remaining.
Dillmann had a scare when he banged wheels with Derani at Moss Corner inside the final 20 minutes, which allowed Huffaker to close right up.
Fraga, who was the last pro driver to take over, ran long and led until making his final stop inside the last 30 minutes – benefitting from a shorter fuel fill to rejoin third. Albuquerque was fifth, while Deletraz spun after clashing with Braun.
The third and final yellow flew with 16m left on the clock when Ryan Dalziel crashed at The Esses. But just before that, Huffaker ran wide over the grass and gifted second to Fraga.
The race went green with eight minutes to go, with Dillmann being chased by Fraga, Huffaker, Hanley and Albuquerque. That’s how they finished, with van der Zande snatching sixth from Braun and Deletraz.
#3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
Corvette dominates GTD Pro
In GTD, Corvette Racing ruled the roost as Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia won from Tommy Milner/Nicky Catsburg. After the late caution period, they finished nose-to-tail.
Sims led from the start in his #3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and the ’Vette 1-2 was achieved when Tommy Milner’s #4 car passed the #14 Lexus of Vasser Sullivan’s Jack Hawksworth around the outside at The Esses at the end of the opening lap.
In the second hour, Harry Tincknell split the Corvettes in his #64 Multimatic Ford Mustang, but that car fell back to fourth in the final reckoning in Mike Rockenfeller’s hands, as Seb Priulx/Laurin Heinrich grabbed third in their AO Racing Porsche 911.
The #14 Lexus was a surprise retirement with a technical issue in the closing stages.
The Turner Motorsports BMW M4 of Robby Foley/Patrick Gallagher and the Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage of Roman De Angelis/Spencer Pumpelly were duelling for the lead of the pro-am class when Gallacher spun at Moss Corner, dropping him to fourth.
That handed the Aston the win and second to the #57 Winward Mercedes of Russell Ward/Philip Ellis from the Inception Racing McLaren 720S of Brendon Iribe and Frederik Schandorff.
