Two years in the past, Filipe Albuquerque made one of the vital spectacular passes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at Highway America, placing two wheels on the grass whereas preventing by means of visitors to place the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 in his mirrors, win the race for himself, Ricky Taylor and the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura squad, and hold the crew within the championship struggle.
Heading again to the Wisconsin circuit two years later, the need to win burns sturdy in Albuquerque, for a special motive: With the championship off the desk, it’s win or nothing.
“We’re utterly out of the championship as a result of it’s solely three races left,” explains Albuquerque. “We’ve got nothing to lose. Sadly, Watkins Glen, that failure that we had in a wheel utterly put us out of the championship — we had been already in a tricky place. Now we simply go for single wins, put all of the dangers we’ve and make it occur.
“With that mentioned, we want the luck to sort of begin turning round and finally we are able to make one thing occur. At Highway America prior to now we received there. We had been aggressive final yr. So I simply hope that we might be once more aggressive. We simply have to hit our marks, attempt to get the pole place after which, , depart the automobile in P1. At this level, second place doesn’t imply something for us; it’s positively a win or nothing.”
For Albuquerque (left) and teammate Ricky Taylor, second locations simply received’t lower it. Richard Dole/Lumen
Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor are 380 factors from championship leaders Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr within the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsports 963. That was largely because of a wheel failure and DNF for the No. 10 Acura within the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, the results of slight, however simply within the mistaken spot, contact between Albuquerque and Cameron within the Porsche. To make up the hole, there are, realistically, solely round 140 factors accessible to realize every weekend, and even that might require pole and victory for the No. 10 Acura in every race, with the No. 7 ending final every outing.
The WTRAndretti sister automobile, the No. 40 of Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor, although, is 199 factors off the championship lead. Nonetheless fairly a feat to make it occur, however not unattainable. The one circumstance the place “win or nothing” doesn’t apply for Albuquerque? If there have been a possibility to assist his teammates.
“100%, we’re going to attempt to assist them as a lot as we are able to. And if that may price us a win, we are going to again off for them to win,” he admits. “It’s these issues that we talked about prior to now — what if this example occurs or not — however I take it with none crew name wanted, as a result of I’m a crew participant and know the state of affairs. On the finish of the day, we’re working for a producer, which is Acura. We’re the place we’re for various causes, and they’re a bit forward on the street. So if they’ll go for the win, we’ve obtained to help them as a lot as we are able to, take extra daring technique and automobile setup to see if it really works, as a result of we’re those with nothing to lose.”
Previously two races at Highway America, the No. 10 has a primary and a 3rd — a mean of second. If Albuquerque and Taylor had been within the championship hunt, that common can be completely acceptable; however this time it’s solely the glory of a win that issues.
