Katherine Legge and Bia Figueiredo brought the No. 57 Acura NSX GT3 of Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing to the checkered flag in13th during the IMSA Road Race Showcase at Road America on Sunday.
Starting from the fourth row, Figueiredo had a strong run, picking up one position at the start. Focusing on tire management, Figueiredo was maintaining strong pace and patiently moving forward while other cars began to fall off at the end of her stint.
Figueiredo handed over the Acura to Legge on Lap 22 at the 4-mile course. Pushing hard immediately as she exited pit lane, Legge ran the car’s fastest lap of the race just three laps later on Lap 26.
Despite this early forward progress made in the race, the No. 57 Caterpillar Acura sustained left rear damage after contact and a spin on Lap 29. With a punctured tire Legge, carefully limped the Acura to pit lane for a tire change. Quick work by the pit crew allowed Legge to rejoin the action two laps down with new tires and a full tank of fuel.
Unfortunately, a drive-through penalty was issued for the No. 57 Acura and Legge returned to pit lane one lap later, forcing her to drop down the order. Legge crossed the finish line 13th.
The No. 57 will return to on-track action for the Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway, August 23-25.
Team Quotes:
Katherine Legge:
“The car was running really well considering what we were dealt, and we were looking to be in good shape for the race. But unfortunately, we had contact and after the drive-through there was not much else that we could do. The entire team has worked so hard this weekend and really put a great car together for Bia and I and I’m looking forward to VIR where hopefully we can regroup and have a better result.”
Bia Figueiredo:
“I was trying to plan ahead during my stint as I wanted to manage the tire degradation by keeping cool, exiting the corners well and keeping the pace. We were able to catch up with the rest of the field in front of us but then it came down to strategy and I had to pit. It was a lot of fun and Road America is an amazing track. Katherine did a great job and she brought the car home in one piece. She is a fantastic driver so she will recover for the rest of the season.”
Jackie Heinricher:
“It was a frustrating day for us. We have been building momentum this season as you’d expect a new team to do. The last few races have seen us struggle to maintain that momentum—also a hallmark of a new team. We expect to perform every weekend. I’m confident we’ll show the resolve and strength of this team pushing to the front of the field as we finish this season.”
Source. Sunday Group
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