Ross Gunn triumphed to victory in the GTD Pro category after a dramatic and rain-hit IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Six Hours of the Glen.
Along with teammate Alex Riberas, the pair earned their way to the top of an action-packed and disrupted six-hour affair hit with a heavy spell of rain in the latter half.
This meant that the GTD classes were kept tight and close, even after the opening two hours when the gaps started to settle.
It came down to an emphatic sprint to the finish between Gunn and #4 Corvette driver Tommy Milner, as one experienced triumph and another defeat.
In the GTD and GTD Pro classes, the race start was controlled and smooth with little to no position changes across the field.
GTD pole-sitter Parker Thompson in the #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F, who was sixth in the combined order of both GTD classes, begun his race under calm circumstances albeit surrounded by a fast field of GTD Pros.
Meanwhile for Dirk Mueller in the #65 Ford Multimatic Mustang pitted after their rear-left brake unit caught fire which soon afterwards prompted a longer job in the garage though it did return to the race.
The second full-course-caution period was called after the #04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca 07 driven by George Kurtz went into the rear of Roberto Lacorte’s #47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 which hit the barrier and continued onto the gravel trap.
With Lacorte prompting a slight defence into the Turn 8 braking zone, no further action was taken as barrier repairs commenced.
After this caution period, Jack Hawksworth of the #14 GTD Pro Vasser Sullivan Lexus took the lead after Serra took on all-four new tyres in his pitstop.
Meanwhile the #64 Mustang ran positively in fifth place (GTD Pro) in the hands of Mike Rockenfeller.
Another brake-related issue occurred for the #3 Corvette with Sims at the wheel after he complained of long brake pedal travel.
In response, the Corvette team changed the front brakes with an efficient and drama-free pit stop.
As Sims pitted from second place, Ross Gunn in the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage was tasked with fending off Rockenfeller for third position as both Lexus cars held 1-2 in the GT order.
The two Lexus RC Fs were comfortably in their respective class leads, with the top seven GTD Pros separated from the GTD field behind.
The threat of rain loomed with overcast conditions as a third caution period, deployed for Barbosa’s impact, brought back the GTD and GTD Pro protagonists together upon the restart.
On the restart, a spin by Spencer Pumpelly in the #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage at Turn 9 came from minor contact with Simon Mann’s #21 AF Corse Ferrari.
This was costly to GTD leader Aaron Telitz in the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus who had to take avoiding action and fell to fifth even though he did not seemingly incur any damage.
Unfortunately, his day was not eased by a drive-through penalty which was awarded for not maintaining pace on the restart for the preceding caution period.
A fourth caution hit before the halfway point when the #55 Proton Competition Ford Mustang of Levorato with significant front end damage after going off into the left-side barrier at the final corner, as Zacharie Robichon also lost his rear behind him in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin.
Both cars were out, even if Robichon brought it back to the pit lane.
A fifth caution period was later declared when the race continued for a few laps during an initial burst of rain when #83 Iron Dames driver Sarah Bovy slipped the rear of her Lamborghini on the exit of Turn 10.
This prompted a major rear-end collision into the barrier as one of the wheels flailed off and the car lifted slightly during the impact.
She left the car on her own strength as her mistake ruled the pink Lamborghini out of the race.
As the race returned to green flag conditions, the fight for the GTD Pro lead was intense as Madison Snow (#1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4) fended off Garcia’s #3 Corvette and Tincknell’s #64 Mustang.
The pressure eventually got to the reigning GTD champion as made a slight mistake, prompting Garcia to take up the opportunity, but not without Tincknell taking the lead.
Intermittent rain quickly became heavy rain, which caused chaos as cars went off the circuit and some aquaplaning into the barriers.
One major contender in GTD was the #78 Forte Racing Lamborghini, which went straight and into the Turn 8 barriers, causing significant front-end damage to the car with Loris Spinelli at the wheel.
Due to the amount of standing water, a red flag was called with 1-hour and 22-minutes remaining as the clock continued to tick down.
Many of these drivers had to nurse their car slowly back to the pits on slick tyres.
After sweepers prepared the drying track back to green flag racing, the race was somewhat resumed under a caution period with 42 minutes to go.
As the prototypes pitted, the GTs were given the chance to pit and refuel to reach the end.
Davide Rigon’s #62 Risi Competizione, which started on the GTD Pro pole, was out and behind the wall from third place in-class after damaging a tow link.
It was a rapid sprint to the end with 16-minutes remaining as the #1 Paul Miller BMW was hit with two drive-through penalties for infringements which got it out from P2 in GTD Pro.
Meanwhile Tommy Milner fought fiercely at the GTD Pro lead on Gunn’s #23 Aston Martin, with the pair running nose-to-tail.
Milner defended his #4 Corvette up the hill and into the chicane, as Marvin Kirchhofer’s #9 Pfaff McLaren 720S took third off Garcia (#3), with three more GTD Pros followed closely behind.
The lead fight came to a heartbreaking end for Milner despite his valiant effort after needing to pit for fuel just before the final lap.
Ross Gunn took victory in the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin with teammate Alex Riberas, as Pfaff Motorsports claimed their first podium in McLaren machinery by Marvin Kirchhofer and Olly Jarvis.
Third place was taken by the other #3 Corvette of Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims, followed by the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus duo of Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat.
Harry Tincknell rounded the top-five in GTD Pro with the #64 Ford Multimatic Mustang showcasing good pace, but needed to make an additional pit stop towards the end.
Philip Ellis fended his lead in the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG, claiming GTD victory with Russell Ward and Indy Dontje.
Second position was taken by the #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3.R crew of Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer and Jan Haylen.
The final GTD podium position was claimed by the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 crew of Manny Franco, Albert Costa Balboa and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli.
Editor’s Note:
After not meeting the minimum drive time, the #120 has been moved to the back of the order.
This has promoted the #34 into P2 in GTD and the #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin to P3.
