Dane Cameron of the racing-winning #7 Porsche Penske 963 alluded to how the hot track surface bought him time during the initial wet conditions at the 2024 Six Hours of the Glen.
The sixth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was most noted for its sequence of wet conditions, with an initial burst of rain approaching the middle of the race and a heavy burst later on which caused a red flag within the final hour.
The #7 crew were off-sequence in pit strategy in comparison to their GTP rivals as the initial shower burst stopped which meant much of the track could dry out as the track surface rose to over 35 degrees Celsius.
Cameron, who drove on slicks during a double-stint when the rain started, said in the post-race press conference: “I think surviving these moments are key moments.
“This decision [to opt for slicks] probably got us forward a little bit because obviously we were a little bit on the back foot at the start of the race, lost a little bit on the first pit cycle there. It definitely rolled us forward, which was good.
“Really, they’re hard moments because you’re trying to make a good decision, but the easy decisions take rain tyres, that’s a safe one, but maybe that’s not the ultimate best one.
“… Obviously with the orientation of the track, the way the weather comes, you typically only get it on one portion.
“In the moment honestly it felt like we were a bit unlucky. Felt like we kind of got it wrong. Seemed okay, little bits of rain.
“Then suddenly the downpour came on the fronts… And then it went yellow, and suddenly it’s going to be dry, we’re going to be fine here.
“We were a little bit off sequence, that took a little bit to unravel.
“… At least from the radio, it sounded like there were a few people who were sure it was going to rain, took the rain tyres, and it didn’t work out for them.
“But it’s been hot. The track surface has been hot. That buys you time until you get the really heavy rain.
“They’re tough moments and you just have to keep it on the track because you know it’s only the midway point in the race.
“This isn’t the winning decision at this point, so to speak. We got through that moment, got to the front and Felipe [Nasr] executed at the end.”
Cameron and Nasr entered the weekend leading the championship standings and so they have extended their championship lead at 2044 points, though still narrowly ahead of the #01 Cadillac V-Series.R duo of Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande who finished second to keep the gap close.
Watkins Glen marked Cameron’s and Nasr’s second win this year since the #7 Porsche won the 24 Hours of Daytona, and also their second at the venue itself.
The championship fight remains vitally close as Porsche will need to come out on top against the #01 Cadillac at the Road America sprint on 4 August.
