Trent Hindman isn’t normally one to get emotional after successful races. That modified Saturday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
As Hindman emerged victorious from the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, he shouted and showered his teammates with water.
“IMSA wins are so particular,” Hindman stated after teaming with Stevan McAleer to win the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120, the sixth race of the 10-race IMSA Michelin Pilot Problem season.
“Sadly, you study the onerous manner how onerous it’s to win on this championship – how onerous it’s to win in any stage of IMSA competitors,” he continued.
The well timed victory ended a run of dangerous luck for RS1 – with one second-place end this season however all others seventh place or worse. The crew’s technique play Saturday put the Porsche into the general and Grand Sport (GS) class lead after McAleer’s opening stint.
“Monitor place was essential,” McAleer stated. “I really feel that we’re the very best driver pair within the collection and it’s type of proven at many of the occasions. We simply haven’t been in a position to execute. I’m hoping this can be a turnaround for us within the season with 4 occasions left. Trent was unimaginable. He was flying all weekend.”
Hindman credited the decision that obtained the Porsche the lead after a full-course warning simply previous the midpoint of the two-hour race. The RS1 Porsche was amongst eight automobiles opting to not pit for a splash of gas and moved to the entrance of the sector, the place Hindman remained for the ultimate 43m of green-flag racing.
“Luckily, it labored out,” Hindman stated. “I needed to do lots of gas saving in the long run, for certain, however I knew our automobile was tremendous fast, and I knew we may hold our momentum up and nonetheless save gas. If we have been in site visitors, it could’ve been a special story.”
Scott Andrews introduced the No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 he co-drove with Rory van der Steur residence in second place, 2.537 seconds behind the successful Porsche. The No. 46 Workforce TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4 pushed by Matt Plumb and Paul Holton completed third. All three podium finishers opted for the one-stop technique and went into fuel-saving mode to the end.
RS1’s victory – the eleventh for each Hindman and McAleer within the Michelin Pilot Problem – additionally marked the sixth totally different GS crew to win in as many races this season.
With the third-place end, Plumb and the No. 46 Aston Martin unofficially prolonged their GS result in 430 factors over van der Steur and the No. 19 Aston and to 450 over Hindman, McAleer and the No. 28 Porsche.
Michael Levitt/Lumen
Wickens, Gottsacker Finish Drought with TCR Win in No. 33 Hyundai
There’s one thing about his residence monitor that brings out the racing finest in Robert Wickens and the outcomes once more bear that out. Wickens and co-driver Harry Gottsacker drove the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR to victory within the Touring Automotive (TCR) portion of Saturday’s race.
In three Michelin Pilot Problem races at CTMP, Wickens has now completed first, second and first. He received with co-driver Mark Wilkins in 2022 and was runner-up with Gottsacker final 12 months on their technique to the TCR championship with out recording a win. Saturday’s triumph was Wickens’ first for the reason that July 2022 CTMP victory and Gottsacker’s first since Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course in Could of the identical 12 months.
“I don’t know what it’s about this place, however I simply appear to get on rather well with it within the TCR automobile,” Wickens stated. “It’s not simply me. Harry’s opening stint was so sturdy, he prolonged one lap longer than the (No.) 17 Audi to mainly put us in prime place. … He put us able the place I may push and assault as an alternative of simply saving gas and making an attempt to make it to the tip.
“That’s precisely what we did, and as soon as we capitalized on the misfortune of the [No.] 17, it was simply managing the hole behind at that time.”
Gottsacker and Wickens ran second for many of the race to the championship-leading No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR of Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor. The race took a dramatic flip when Taylor abruptly pulled astray with a mechanical failure with 27m to go. It opened the door for the No. 33 drivers and engineer Mark Weida – a racing veteran making his debut with the crew – to grab the much-desired victory.
“I’m retiring now,” Weida joked. “I’m one-for-one in order that’s it. I’m executed.”
“It’s unlucky what occurred to [the Audi] however I’ll take it,” Gottsacker stated. “It’s racing, issues occur. It’s an enormous aid [to win again]. I do know that we may’ve executed it final 12 months, it simply by no means labored out. However yeah, it feels actually, actually good.”
Wickens by no means surrendered the lead after the Audi’s exit, although was continually harried by Karl Wittmer within the No. 93 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR. Wittmer was handicapped by a lack of the anti-lock braking system for the ultimate 20m and unable to mount an overtake try. He and co-driver Dai Yoshihara held onto second place, 0.723s behind the winners.
“To have a well-deserved podium end at our residence monitor with this crew that’s been placing in sweat and tears for the reason that begin of the 12 months is so rewarding to them,” Wittmer stated. “I’m so completely happy, I can’t wait to social gathering with these guys!”
The No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai, with co-drivers Denis Dupont and Preston Brown, took third place, which means Canada was represented by a driver on every step of the TCR podium (Wickens, Wittmer and Dupont).
“Fairly stacked podium, should you ask me,” Wittmer quipped.
The No. 17 Audi wound up eighth at school and noticed its championship lead trimmed to 150 factors over the No. 76 BHA Hyundai and 190 over the successful No. 33 Hyundai.
The subsequent Michelin Pilot Problem race is the Highway America 120 from the Wisconsin highway course of the identical identify on Saturday, Aug. 3.
