IMSA Michelin GT Challenge and PorschePlatz at VIR

By Jim Condon

The top races of this multiday event at VIR took place on Sunday, August 19. As usual this summer, heavy rain was predicted, but all of the races were completed on a dry track. The PorschePlatz tent was set up on NASCAR Bend this year, not just after Turn 4 as before. Shenandoah Region members in attendance on Sunday included Cam & Lisa Abernethy, Kim Butcher, Jim Condon & Sherry Westfall, Howie Dunbrack, Michael Evans, Dan Graff, Steve McCaughan, John Odden, Dick Pitman, Alex Smith, Bill Speidell, Steve Upman, and Keith Welty. To see the photo gallery from this event, click here.

After the early morning practice session, the first race was the Porsche GT3 Cup (platinum), with best lap times about 1 minute, 49 seconds. Next up in the morning was the Lamborghini Super Trofeo. In the PorschePlatz, a representative from Michelin described their race tires, answered questions from the audience, and gave a set of tires to a lucky winner. Michael Levitas and the TPC racing team told us about their GT3 Cup efforts.

The Michelin GT Challenge ran from about 1 PM to 3:45 PM. Sherry Westfall and Dan Graff won passes to the Porsche pit area during the race, were given an explanatory tour of the pits, and got to watch Porsche GTLM car #912 come in for a pit stop. Dan made a short video of the pit stop; click on the arrow in the image below to play it.

Porsche #911 led the race from lap 32 to lap 40, when it caught fire at the top of the climbing esses and had to drop out. #912 driven by Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor finished fifth in GTLM, with best lap times 1 minute, 43 seconds. Patrick Long and Christina Neilsen drove the Porsche #58 car to second place in GTD with lap times as fast as 1 minute, 46 seconds.

Selected race results:

Porsche GT3 Cup (platinum), first place: Zacharie Robichon

Porsche GT3 Cup (platinum), second place: Trenton Estep

Porsche GT3 Cup (platinum), third place: Roman De Angelis

GTLM, first place: BMW #25

GTLM, fifth place: Porsche #912 driven by Earl Bamber & Laurens Vanthoor

GTLM, DNF–fire: Porsche #911 driven by Patrick Pilet & Nick Tandy

GTD, first place: Lexus #14

GTD, second place: Porsche #58 driven by Patrick Long & Christina Nielsen