WILD RACE LEADS TO FOURTH PLACE FINISH AT WATKINS GLEN FOR CARBAHN WITH PEREGRINE RACING

The No. 39 Audi R8 GT3 LMS began its weekend on a high note with a third-place qualifying lap by driver Richard Heistand. With limited track time for this event Engineer and Strategist Steve Dinan was required to work his magic to provide the drivers with a perfectly balanced car. As always, Dinan delivered, presenting the drivers with a fast car in all conditions, even in the erratic rain.

Heistand had a stellar start in the No. 39, moving into second position almost immediately. He maintained the position for the entirety of his stint, constantly putting pressure on the No. 12 ahead of him. With 95-minutes remaining a red flag was thrown due to inclement weather, leaving the clock counting down.
 
With 50-minutes remaining cars rolled back onto the track to resume the WeatherTech 240. With Westphal at the helm, the No. 39 retained its second-place position. However, as the sun set and temps dropped faster car were able to pass the tactful Westphal. After a wild race the No. 39 finished in fourth place.
 
Next up for the No. 39 Audi R8 GT3 LMS is the Northeast Grand Prix, July 16-17 at Lime Rock Park. This will be the first GT-only weekend of the season promising intense battles across the board.

QUOTE BOARD

Steve Dinan, Engineer and Strategist of the No. 39 Audi R8 GT3 LMS
“The car was fast, and the drivers were fast,” Dinan said. “We’ll just need to be a bit faster next time. This car is always fast at Lime Rock so we’ll be ready for the next one”
 
Richard Heistand, Driver of the No. 39 Audi R8 GT3 LMS
“I was really close to grabbing first at the start,” Heistand said. “Looking back on the start I think we could have locked in first. We were feeling pretty confident but unfortunately, there was a weather delay and dampness in the air which really favors the front-engine cars. It’s tough to watch the car drop back from that. The car was handling pretty good I think we really just need more straight-line speed to compete with these guys.”
 
Jeff Westphal, Driver of the No. 39 Audi R8 GT3 LMS
“It’s always great to drive a beautiful Audi R8 prepped by CarBahn,” Westphal said. “I don’t have huge complaints, the car was handling very, very well. The only place we seemed to lack was off the punch in the corner. The Lexus and Aston Martin were really able to pull away from us there even when I was drafting them. Watkins Glen definitely favored their package but where we ended up was still good. Losing positions on track will be a tough one for us to swallow until the next one but under the circumstance, I think the car was strong and we did the best we could.”

Source. CarBahn with Peregrine Racing