For Immediate Release –
July 6th was Round 5 of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
where California based Carbahn Motorsport with Peregrine Racing Team raced
their #39 Audi R8 LMS GT4 from 2nd place on the grid after a
phenomenal effort in qualifying.
Season long drivers Jeff Westphal and Tyler McQuarrie were excited about round
5 of the championship as this is the midway point in the 10 race championship
that they are currently in 2nd place overall, just 4 points out of
the lead. A good points haul this
weekend could have them closing in on the leaders of the championship, which of
course is the goal.
The weather provided warm conditions, 88 degrees with humidity, which
would challenge man and machine from a tire degradation standpoint as well as
heat for the drivers in the cockpit. Westphal closed the last 1.25hr of the 2hr
race after Tyler took the green flag and the opening stint. “The car was quite hot, and given the
Balance of Performance rules, I opted not to run the AC to free up as much
horsepower as possible for our Audi as we are the slowest on the straightaway. This meant I was in a 135 degree
cockpit, sliding the car around 100+mph corners, sometimes inches away from the
competition. Good thing I love it
and I have a partner like Hammer Nutrition that keeps me sharp and firing in
extreme conditions.” explained a sweat soaked Westphal.
The duo was able to keep the car in the top 5 all race, with a 4th
place finish at the drop of the checkered and a positive points haul against
the competition. Strategy and flawless driving had a 3rd
place looking very promising, but a late race yellow flag with 15 minutes to go
collapsed the gap Westphal had built on the #69 Mclaren, and at the restart the
Mclaren made quick work of Westphal’s Audi up the back straight with a 5 mph
advantage on the straightaway.
“The Balance of Performance is a tough job for the series to do, I sure
wouldn’t want to do it. However,
the parity between our car and others on the straightaway isn’t close, and thus
it puts my Audi and myself in very high risk, defensive positions constantly. Or in the case of this race, just watch
him drive around the outside of me on the straightaway. Hopefully the series can make an
adjustment to the Mclaren and rein it in a bit since it’s out of the window
with us and a lot of the others (who are within 1 mph of our Audi).”
The next race is in Lakeville, Connecticut at Lime Rock Park in two weeks, July
19th, 2019 where the #39 looks to continue its assault on the 2019
championship, where it is now tied for the lead. You can catch TV coverage of all the Imsa Michelin Pilot
Challenge races on a tape-delayed schedule with NBC sports.
Special Thanks to:
TNVC Inc.
Race for RP
Hammer Nutrition
Bell Racing USA
Sparco USA
