IMSA: Disappointment for Porsche at Virginia
Patrick Pilet started round nine of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from the front row in the No911 911 RSR at Virginia International Raceway. Pilet soon handed over to team mate Nick Tandy where the No911 entry found itself leading the race. However, a technical defect caused by damage to the car’s drivetrain just an hour into the race put an early end to the No911 RSR’s challenge – Tandy was forced to park the car at the side of the track.
Things were not going well on the other side of the Porsche garage either. After an incident on the first lap, the No912 911 RSR driven by Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor received a drive-through penalty. The pair doggedly worked their way forward from the back of the field during the race’s two-hour and 40-minute duration, at times looking good for a podium finish. However, after 88 laps the No912 911 ultimately crossed the finish line in fifth place.
Nick Tandy commented: “Obviously we’re very disappointed that we couldn’t score any points. We could have actually won, because the team implemented a terrific strategy that propelled us to the front. While I was in the lead I suddenly noticed that something was wrong and I lost power. And that was the end.”
Pilet and Tandy retired early into the race
Laurens Vanthoor said: “Everything was okay at the start of my stint. Earl, however, was nudged in the first lap and I’m sure that’s what caused the damage. After driving for a while, the diffuser played up more and more. That was disastrous, of course, because the downforce at the rear axle got increasingly less. In the end the car was virtually undriveable and I’m pleased that we actually made it to the finish.”
The result at Virgina means Porsche occupies third in the manufacturers’ championship standings. The tenth and penultimate round of the 2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship takes place on 7-9th September at Laguna Seca in California.
