The Lone Star Grand Prix, held at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, marked the fifth round of the 2024 VSCA SportsCar Championship and the third round of the 2024 VSCA Sprint Cup. This event took place on Saturday, featuring a 2-hour and 40-minute race on the 3.42-mile track, which includes 20 turns. Starting at 5:35 PM local time, the race concluded near sunset, creating a dramatic backdrop for the intense competition.
Race Highlights
Pole position was secured by Kyle Birnie, driver of the #3 Mayer Simspeed Performance Porsche 963 GTP, with an impressive lap time of 1:51.355. The race was characterized by strategic maneuvers and key moments, including one full-course yellow two hours into the race that went on to last 33 minutes. Following the caution period racing resumed with just over ten minutes remaining in the race, setting up a dramatic frenzy for the final results of the race. Throughout the event, there were four lead changes in the GTP class.
The #3 Porsche, driven by Birnie and Niclas Pedersen, dominated much of the race, leading for 70 laps and ultimately finishing first. An impressive performance was also delivered by the #4 Fischer Motorsport Porsche 963 GTP, which gained six positions, moving from P11 at the start to finish in fifth place. The race concluded with a narrow winning margin of 0.570 seconds, marking the second-closest finish in the GTP class in the series' history.
A significant development during the race was the implementation of stricter incident limits. This led to the disqualification of the former championship leaders, the #15 Composite Performance Cadillac, as well as the #42 DS Racing eSports Team Cadillac, both of which exceeded the new limits. The #50 Bravo Snow Schatten Acura also faced challenges, finishing 12th and completing only 25 laps after their strong second-place finish at Laguna Seca in April.
Second place was secured by the #51 World Of SimRacing Team Cadillac V-Series.R GTP, driven by 32-year-old Dani Fonte from Madrid, Spain, and 37-year-old Álvaro Martínez from Cedillo del Condado, Spain. The #111 HAC Racing Cadillac V-Series.R GTP, with drivers Christophe Demay and Daniel Keane from took third place.
The top five were rounded out by the #19 Trading Paints Racing Porsche 963 GTP with Jordan Erickson and Selena Ward and the #4 Fischer Motorsport Porsche 963 GTP, driven by 41-year-old Scotsman Neill Forbes and his German team-mate, 33-year-old Patrick Rall, in fifth place.
Post-Race Reflections
In a post-race interview, Kyle Birnie expressed his surprise and satisfaction with the unexpected win: "This win is definitely unexpected. To be honest, we were planning on qualifying mid-pack, seeing the times in practice leading up to the race. So to qualify on pole, 1.2 seconds ahead was a shock. Plus, to pull away and create the gap at the start like we did was unexpected too. But when we have the gap, it is easier to take less risks and manage traffic."
"Overall, our focus was on avoiding incidents and building a setup that allowed us to be comfortable to do so, regardless of pace, which seemed to work out. Additionally, both Niclas and myself were very comfortable at the track which gave us the confidence we needed."
Reflecting on the final restart, Birnie said: "That was a strategic decision made by Niclas to have a shorter run from the green flag to turn one, which he timed wrong. We were actually really lucky there that the cars behind use chose to not capitalize on our mistake and we were able to hold the lead."
Looking ahead in the championship, Birnie expressed hopeful expectations: "We are hoping to stay in the top three and be in contention for the lead with the final two races to go. We know the competition is tough, but we also know we have had the pace the last three seasons we just need to be able to capitalize on the pace more often and bring home the results. This season we have done so with three pole positions and two wins."
Championship Standings
Following the Lone Star Grand Prix, the #3 Mayer Simspeed Performance Porsche 963 GTP leads the GTP SportsCar Championship standings with 2055 points, moving up one position. The #111 HAC Racing Cadillac V-Series.R GTP holds second place with 1951 points, also moving up one spot. The #51 World Of SimRacing Team Cadillac V-Series.R GTP is in third place with 1816 points, climbing three positions. The standings show significant movement, reflecting the impact of the race results and incident limits on the championship dynamics.
In the GTP Sprint Cup standings, the #111 HAC Racing Cadillac V-Series.R GTP leads with 1226 points, followed closely by the #3 Mayer Simspeed Performance Porsche 963 GTP with 1190 points. The #88 DS Racing eSports Team Cadillac V-Series.R GTP is in third place with 1169 points, moving up one position. The standings indicate a highly competitive season with close margins between the top contenders.
Looking Ahead: 6 Hours of the Glen
The next race in the 2024 VSCA SportsCar Championship is the 6 Hours of the Glen, scheduled for June 15, 2024, at Watkins Glen in Watkins Glen, NY. This race, the sixth round of the championship, will start at 16:00 GMT and will be broadcast live on GreenFlag TV. Teams and drivers will be preparing intensively for this endurance race, which promises to be another exciting chapter in the series.
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