Flight Level Racing claimed its first VSCA LMP2 class victory in extraordinary fashion Saturday at Watkins Glen, winning the Abruzzi Six Hours of the Glen after the #81 Gowin Racing Dallara suffered electrical problems on the final lap while leading.
The #757 Flight Level Racing Dallara of Paolo Calvo and Jonathan Fojtik finished 9.327 seconds ahead of the #14 Grow Racing Team entry, with championship leader #87 Ric Team Racing third. Wolf Motorsport Simracing crossed the line fourth, while Gowin Racing was officially classified fifth after a result that left the team stunned in the paddock.
Hansen Takes Pole Before Opening-Lap Trouble
Timothy Hansen put the #47 Superstar Racing Team Dallara on LMP2 pole with a lap of 1:35.350, the first career class pole for both Hansen and the team. That advantage did not last long. Watkins Glen produced another bruising opening phase, continuing a concerning trend of large first-lap incidents in LMP2 over the past several races.
Calvo launched the #757 Flight Level Racing entry from fifth to the class lead on the opening lap before the race's first full-course yellow arrived only six minutes into the event. A second caution followed immediately after the restart, setting the tone for a race that ultimately featured ten full-course yellows and nearly three hours under caution.
Strategy, Cautions And Constant Lead Changes
With 20 lead changes throughout the six hours, no team managed to control the race for long. Gamma Sim Racing, Old Dogs Racing, Ric Team Racing, Grow Racing Team, Vision 1 Motorsports, Gowin Racing and both Flight Level Racing entries all spent time at the front as strategy continually shifted with each caution period.
Old Dogs Racing proved particularly impressive, leading a class-high 36 laps. Grow Racing Team repeatedly found itself at the front during the middle stages, while Ric Team Racing carefully protected valuable championship points despite pit road penalties and difficult traffic.
Paolo Calvo admitted Flight Level's race was anything but straightforward.
"We knew we had a really good car, but I honestly didn't put together the qualifying lap I wanted. I got a great launch, worked my way into the lead, but later we were caught out by the new pit limiter system and picked up a penalty. We also had contact with a GT car that resulted in another penalty, but we kept our heads down, stayed on the lead lap and kept adjusting our strategy. The final full-course yellow really worked in our favor, and Jon was able to use the clean air after the last stop to get us the track position we needed."
Gowin's Fairytale Ends On The Final Lap
The biggest story of the race belonged to the #81 Gowin Racing Dallara.
Starting only eleventh, Garret Spenst and Zach Sweeney steadily climbed through the field while staying clear of the chaos that affected many of the favorites. After gaining six positions during the race, Sweeney took over late and found himself leading with only a handful of laps remaining.
Victory appeared all but certain.
Instead, disaster struck on the final lap when the car developed electrical problems, leaving Sweeney unable to complete the race normally. Flight Level Racing inherited the lead moments before the finish while Gowin limped home to an official fifth-place result in one of the most dramatic endings the LMP2 class has seen.
Sweeney struggled to hide his disappointment afterwards.
"I'm absolutely gutted. Losing a race because of a mistake is one thing. Losing it because of something completely outside your control is heartbreaking. The servers developed some kind of issue that left me only partially connected. We know we did everything we possibly could and, in our hearts, we won that race. It's just a shame the official results don't show it."
Sweeney also praised teammate Garret Spenst after exceeding the team's own expectations.
"Garrett did a smashing job in the opening stint. Honestly, we came into this race with pretty low expectations because I'd barely driven the LMP2 before this weekend. We just stayed calm, reacted to every situation as it came and suddenly realized we were fighting for the win. It was incredible racing against the #757 at the end."
Grow And Ric Capitalize In Championship Fight
Although victory slipped away, Grow Racing Team left Watkins Glen with important championship gains. Tiago Maduro Dias and Alirio Jorge finished second, moving the #14 Dallara into the Endurance Cup lead while closing further on Ric Team Racing in the overall SportsCar Championship.
"We didn't come here to fight for every corner. We came here to fight for the championships," Maduro Dias explained. "The plan was to maximize the clean racing bonus, save tires and fuel, and be there when it mattered. It stings to finish nine seconds short, but I'm very happy with the maturity we showed and where it puts us in both championship battles."
Ric Team Racing completed the podium despite another event filled with interruptions.
"Every time we started finding a rhythm another caution came out," Roberto Artur said. "We expected Watkins Glen to be like that, so we focused on managing the situation as well as possible. We know our competitors are strong, but we also know our own strengths. We leave here still leading the championship, and now our job is to manage that advantage over the remaining races."
Ric Team Racing now leads the SportsCar Championship with 3,100 points, while Flight Level Racing has climbed to second only 155 points behind. Grow Racing Team remains third, another five points back.
Old Dogs Show Speed, Vision 1 Suffers Setback
Old Dogs Racing ultimately finished sixth despite leading more laps than anyone else in class.
"We finally felt like everything was coming together," Dan Piazza said. "Our pace and strategy were both very good. Unfortunately, an accident ahead of us forced repairs, then later Doriano's VR headset unexpectedly shut down during the race, forcing another stop while the pits were closed. From that point our only goal was getting the car home."
Gamma Sim Racing finished seventh after spending much of the afternoon near the front, while polesitting Superstar Racing Team recovered from its opening-lap troubles to finish eighth. Flight Level Racing's new second entry, featuring series debutant Grant Erlinder alongside Owen Chen, came home ninth.
Vision 1 Motorsports endured one of its toughest races of the season, eventually finishing tenth after completing only 128 laps.
Matthew Routon summed up the team's afternoon simply.
"My sim computer crashed, and that was ultimately the final blow that ended our race. Hardware failures happen."
Race Control Reviews Busy Afternoon
The race remained busy long after the checkered flag. Timothy Hansen received a 35-second post-race penalty for contact involving Gowin Racing in Turn 1. Wolf Motorsport Simracing received two separate 35-second penalties for incidents involving the #18 Gowin Racing Ferrari and the #87 Ric Team Racing Dallara.
Old Dogs Racing also received a 95-second penalty for a closed-pits violation, while several additional warnings were issued to Vision 1 Motorsports, Gamma Sim Racing, Wolf Motorsport Simracing and RedLab Competizione.
Road America Awaits After Summer Break
The VSCA SportsCar Championship now heads into its summer break before returning on August 15 with the Advanced Sim Racing Endurance Grand Prix at Road America.
Flight Level Racing arrives with its breakthrough victory and renewed championship hopes. Grow Racing Team now leads the Endurance Cup, while Ric Team Racing still controls the overall championship, although by a much smaller margin than just a few races ago. Meanwhile, Gowin Racing will be left wondering what might have been after seeing a memorable Watkins Glen victory disappear only moments before the finish.