WeatherTech Racing drivers Cooper MacNeil (Hinsdale, Ill) and Daniel Juncadella (Spain) finished 11th in today’s running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship IMSA Fastlane Sportscar Weekend at Road America.
MacNeil took the start in the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG with Mercedes-Benz of Billings, Montana support under threatening skies. Twenty-five minutes into the race it began to mist making the handling of the WeatherTech Racing/Proton prepared Mercedes-AMG a handful. MacNeil was able to keep it on the racing surface and turn the car over to Juncadella. The team put on rain tires and the Spaniard put on a wet driving clinic going from 11th place to first in a matter of 25-minutes. Leading the race, he pitted for a final stop and ran the red light at the end of pit lane putting the team back down the finishing order in 11th.
“Wow! What an up and down race,” MacNeil said. “My stint started great with a dry track and then the rain came. I was on slicks, and it was raining but I was able to get to pit lane in one piece. Dani got in and made an incredible charge to the front of the field to lead the race. On the pit exit the light was red but he ran through it resulting in a stop plus 60-second penalty. I don’t believe we would have finished better than maybe fifth without the penalty due to other teams stretching their fuel mileage to the end. On to VIR.”
“It was a shame,” Juncadella said. “Going from last to first in the wet was a lot of fun. Then in the dry the car was good. We were in the lead, and I was pretty comfortable. We took the safe strategy which was to box (pit). Ultimately that wasn’t going to be the winning strategy. I also got a penalty for exiting the pits under red which was a shame. Racing in so many championships I wasn’t paying attention to the light. The WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG was good, and it is a lot of fun to race here at Road America.”
The IMSA WeatherTech Championship will travel to Virginia International Raceway for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR for GTD Class cars only, August 26-28.
Source. Kyle Chura
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