Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) returns to Watkins Glen International holding the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi points lead heading into the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 26.
Oliver Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist are riding a streak of three-consecutive runner-up finishes in the No. 60 MSR Acura ARX-05 DPi. Jarvis missed out on a victory by a mere 0.398-seconds on the streets of Detroit’s Belle Isle Circuit last month in a thrilling run to the finish. The pair previously took the second step on the podium at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio.
The consistent results now give MSR a ten point advantage heading into the seventh round of IMSA competition.
Jarvis is the defending winner of the Sahlen’s Six Hours, in addition to racing to second place in 2019. Blomqvist is a two-time competitor at The Glen, finishing eighth in 2018 and seventh in 2019, both in the GTLM class.
Meyer Shank Racing has had recent success at the 2.45-mile New York circuit. The team has two GTD victories under its belt, winning the six hour classic in 2017 and 2019 and also placing second in 2018. Last years schedule saw back-to-back race weekends at The Glen which MSR finished second in the six hour and sixth in the Watkins Glen 240.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours is also the third of four rounds comprising the Michelin Endurance Cup. MSR opened the competition with victory in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, before taking fifth in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Jarvis and Blomqvist are fourth in the Endurance Cup points, trailing the leader by only three points.
For Watkins Glen, points are awarded at midway and the finish on a 5-4-3-2 basis. The final round will be Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 1.
Driver Quotes:
Tom Blomqvist:
“We’re off to Watkins Glen off the back of several consistent results, which has been a morale boost for the team. And getting a podium finish in Detroit was really awesome for us. We had a test at Watkins Glen a few weeks back and we went through some key items which should get us up to speed pretty quickly once we get to the track. Watkins Glen is one of my favorite tracks – it’s bloody awesome. It’s going to be hot and super hard. We plan to continue where we left off, we haven’t had a victory since Daytona, so that’s what we are going to be aiming for.”
Oliver Jarvis:
“Watkins is my favorite track on the calendar and a race I look forward to every year. Last year as part of the Mazda team we managed to win the 6 hours just ahead of MSR who were extremely fast all race. Therefore we head there full of confidence not only after several recent strong results, but also knowing that it is a track that suits the Acura well and the team have been extremely strong at in the past. Despite the strengths of the Acura at Watkins Glen we are taking nothing for granted as we have seen the step forward that Cadillac has taken this year, so I have no doubt it will be a closely fought race for the full 6 hours. The goal is ultimately to win the race but it is important we maximize points on offer as we currently hold a very slender lead in the Championship and every point will count come the end of the season.”
Source. Sunday Group
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