Perfect Start, Treacherous Finish
The seventh round of the 2024 VSCA SportsCar Championship, the JRT Summer Sprint, began under idyllic conditions at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Sunshine bathed the 4.00-mile, 14-turn track, and temperatures hovered at a comfortable 71°F. As the green flag waved early in the afternoon, the #46 Rising Panda Racing Dallara P217, driven by Remy Loesch and Ryan Ware, took pole position with a stunning lap of 1:51.735.
For the first hour and fifteen minutes, the race unfolded smoothly. Spectators and teams alike enjoyed the high-speed action and close battles that featured 17 lead changes in the LMP2 class. However, the tranquility did not last. Clouds began to gather, and the sky darkened ominously, setting the stage for a dramatic turn of events.
Rain and Resilience
As rain began to fall, the drivers' skills were put to the test. The light drizzle quickly turned into a downpour, causing visibility issues and a slick track surface. Despite these challenges, the race remained green with zero full-course yellows, marking a historic first for the VSCA at Road America.
The deteriorating conditions led to numerous incidents. The #321 Tri-State Racing car, driven by Garret Spenst, made contact with Jeff Carollo's #116 Vulture Motorsports Porsche on lap 70, resulting in a drive-through penalty. Meanwhile, the #18 Gowin Racing Dallara P217, piloted by Josh Gowin, collided with Julia Cervone's #119 GT AM Ferrari in turn three. Although the Gowin car continued without severe damage, their championship lead was jeopardized.
A Triumph for Rising Panda Racing
Rising Panda Racing managed the chaos expertly. And it did not come easy for the team, after a technical problem on the car on lap 4 caused Ryan Ware to go off course in turn one and through the gravel. The car even made contact with the tire barriers and Ware had to bring the car down to pit lane for repairs. Through the repair stop, the team made a driver swap and Remy Loesch took over when the team rejoined the track a minute later.
What followed was nothing short of amazing as the #46 car battled all the way back into contention and on lap 22, the lead in LMP2 class, when the other teams made their scheduled pit stops.
Once rain hit the race, Loesch battled hard to bring the car from seventh position all the way to the lead once more and bringing home victory for his team and the first-ever career victory for team-mate Ryan Ware. In an overall commanding performance, the #46 Rising Panda Racing machine crossed the finish line 51.617 seconds ahead of their nearest rivals.
Second place went to the #86 GSE Racing eSports Dallara P217. Despite leading 23 laps, drivers Luca Harmening and Dennis Denicio couldn't reclaim the top spot. Their consistent performance in recent races has propelled them to third in the LMP2 championship standings. The #14 Fischer Motorsport Dallara P217, with Rico Kollmeier and Travis Linscome-Hatfield, rounded out the podium, earning their second third-place finish in the past three races.
Veterans and Rookies Shine
The #66 VRG Sport Dallara P217, driven by the father-son duo Andy and Alexander Banfield, showcased impressive progress, finishing fourth after starting 11th. This marked their fourth top-five finish of the season. The Gowin brothers, Nicholas and Josh, in the #18 Gowin Racing Dallara, secured fifth place but lost their championship lead due to recent misfortunes.
Thomas E Fisher, a former LMP2 Endurance Cup champion, made his second appearance for Vulture Motorsports in the #216 Dallara, finishing sixth. The #123 Tri-State Racing Dallara P217, driven by Thomas Marcelino and Michael Simpson, secured seventh place, followed by the #048 SCOWRS Esses Racing Dallara P217, the #11 Vision 1 Motorsports Dallara P217, and the #333 Tri-State Racing Dallara P217.
Championship Battle Heats Up
With this victory, Rising Panda Racing's #46 Dallara P217 moved to the top of the LMP2 championship standings with 2839 points, just 13 points ahead of the Gowin Racing's #18 Dallara P217. GSE Racing eSports' strong performance at Road America boosted them to third place with 2635 points.
The battle for the Sprint Cup also intensified. The #18 Gowin Racing Dallara P217 leads with 1710 points, but the #46 Rising Panda Racing Dallara P217 is closing in with 1598 points. The upcoming race at Virginia International Raceway promises to be a crucial showdown.
Post-Race Reflections
In victory lane, Remy Loesch reflected on the triumph, "This win means everything to us. The conditions were incredibly tough, but our team stayed focused and delivered. I'm proud of everyone involved."
Ryan Ware, savoring his first career victory, added, "This win was a long time coming for me, but with such a great start it looked so bleak with that technical problem on lap four."
But for us to come back through the changing conditions was nothing short of a fairytale. The pit crew and Remy did an incredible job to make this a memorable win for the whole team."
Looking Ahead
After teams and drivers will now enjoy an eight-week summer break, the next race, the Virginia Sports Car Grand Prix, is set for August 24, 2024, at Virginia International Raceway. Fans can catch all the action live on GreenFlag TV. With only three rounds remaining in the VSCA SportsCar Championship, the stakes are higher than ever.
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