Hand retakes IMSA GTLM points lead
IMSA SPORTSCAR LIME ROCK (USA) JULY 21 ROUND 8/12
The evenly matched nature of GT racing in the IMSA Sportscar Championship was perfectly demonstrated on Saturday when, in the absence of the prototypes, the GT class took top billing at the tight and challenging Lime Rock Park.
Seven of the eight GTLM cars, representing four manufacturers, took turns in the lead during a thrilling 2h40m contest. Three different marques filled the top three positions after qualifying and that carried through to the chequered flag, albeit not in the same order. Chevrolet claimed pole and Porsche set the fastest lap, but it was the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT of Dirk Muller and Joey Hand that topped the GTLM field for the second time this season.
The story in GTD was much the same. Patrick Long took pole for Porsche and Jack Hawksworth bagged another fastest race lap for Lexus, before Bryan Sellers/madison Snow emerged victorious in their championship-leading Paul Miller
Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3.
Despite precious little on-track overtaking, the competition was intense. After earning the pole with a recordbreaking lap of 106.065mph aboard the Corvette he shared with Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia took off into the lead with the Porsche 911 RSR of Laurens Vanthoor, fellow Corvette runner Tommy Milner and Muller giving chase.
Ford was the first to blink, calling Muller into the pits after 63 laps in an attempt to find a way past Milner’s Corvette. The ploy was successful as Hand resumed in third after the round of stops.
Garcia stayed out a couple of laps longer before handing over to Magnussen, who continued to lead – albeit just a few seconds ahead of Earl Bamber, who had taken over from Vanthoor. Corvette elected to make its second and final stop after 106 laps, with just over an hour remaining. The intention was to eliminate any chance of being caught out by a full-course caution (since the pitlane is routinely closed under IMSA regulations), but that meant Magnussen had to run longer on his final set of tyres on a surface that is notoriously abrasive.
Bamber’s hopes of winning went south when he made a mistake on lap 115, sliding briefly off the road at Big Bend. The sister car of Tandy and Patrick Pilet also lost its chance of a victory owing to an airgun failure during its final pitstop.
Magnussen led by almost 10 seconds once the final stops had been completed, but he began to struggle with a lack of grip in the closing stages, which allowed Hand to close inexorably. It seemed to be only a matter of time before the fired-up American would make his move, but he had no need after Magnussen sealed his fate by sliding briefly off-line at the Downhill Turn while passing a couple of GTD cars.
That one slip was all Hand needed. He pounced for the lead, then pulled away over the final 15 laps to regain the championship lead with four races remaining.