Intense Competition at the 6 Hours of the Glen
The 2024 VSCA SportsCar Championship continued its exhilarating season with the 6 Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen, New York. This race marked the sixth round of the 2024 VSCA SportsCar Championship and the third round of the 2024 VSCA Endurance Cup, attracting teams and drivers eager to demonstrate their prowess on the historic 3.40-mile, 12-turn circuit.
Race Dynamics and Key Incidents
The race was marked by three full-course yellow flags, totaling 49 minutes under caution. The first yellow flag emerged 31 minutes into the race, lasting 20 minutes. Shortly after the race restarted, a major collision in the esses triggered the second yellow, involving 24 cars – the largest crash in VSCA history. This incident significantly altered the dynamics of the race. The third yellow flag appeared two hours and 25 minutes in, with the race resuming 21 minutes later.
Bruno Carreira, driving the #992 DS Racing eSports Team Porsche 911 GT3 R, secured pole position with an impressive lap time of 1:43.892. Despite the challenges, including a 1-lap 30-second penalty in the final hour for an incident involving the #29 Firestorm Mercedes, the #992 car led the most laps (145) but ultimately finished third. The penalty proved decisive, reshuffling the standings and opening the door for other competitors.
Top Ten Finishers
The #84 Fischer Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R clinched victory, driven by Florian Eigner, Benjamin Fischer, and Simon Ball. This win was particularly significant for Fischer and Ball, marking their first-ever victory in the VSCA series, and for Eigner, it was his debut race.
The #911 RPM Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Brack Crouch and Mark DeBoer, impressed with a second-place finish, the best result for the team in a points race so far this season.
Despite leading for most of the race, the #992 DS Racing eSports Team Porsche, driven by Bruno Carreira and Joao Pedro Teixeira, settled for third after their penalty.
The #67 Kinetic Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Aedan Campbell and Vincent L'Herbier, finished in fourth place, followed by the #116 Vulture Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Jeremy Littleton, Thomas E Fisher, and Jeff Carollo, in fifth.
Sixth place went to the #151 World Of SimRacing Team BMW M4 GT3, driven by Adrian Subiela, Víctor Iruela Garrido, and Andres Quintana. The #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Stephen Nobes and Daniel Gruber, finished seventh.
Eighth place was secured by the #6 Torque Freak Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Neil Middleton, John Goodwin, and Jonathan Dance. The #21 GSE Racing eSports Audi R8 LMS EVO II GT3, driven by Kevin Mueller and Tom Wini, finished ninth.
Driver and Team Reactions
Simon Ball of the #84 Fischer Motorsport expressed his excitement, stating, "It's amazing to come here, in my debut and win this race with Fischer Motorsport. I've just got to compliment Florian and Ben, who have done an amazing job in the car. It made it so much easier for me, just taking us to the finish. Honestly, I couldn't be happier, to start off my VSCA career with a win."
Benjamin Fischer echoed this sentiment, highlighting the challenging nature of Watkins Glen and expressing relief and joy at achieving his first VSCA win as a driver.
Championship Standings and Looking Ahead
With this victory, the #84 Fischer Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R now leads the GT PRO SportsCar Championship standings with 2383 points. The #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche follows with 2311 points, and the #67 Kinetic Racing Porsche sits in third with 2249 points.
In the GT PRO Endurance Cup standings, the #992 DS Racing eSports Team Porsche leads with 36 points, followed closely by the #911 RPM Racing Porsche with 31 points, and the #84 Fischer Motorsport Porsche with 30 points.
The next race, the JRT Summer Sprint, is scheduled for June 29, 2024, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. This event will be Round 7 of the 2024 VSCA SportsCar Championship and will be broadcast live on GreenFlag TV. Fans and teams alike are looking forward to another thrilling race as the season progresses.
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