Last minute error cost Volt Racing potential podium at IMSA's visit to Mid-Ohio
Sunday, May 16, 2021
The third round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series took place at the Mid-Ohio racetrack just to the south of the Great Lakes yesterday and looked to promise another exciting racing encounter for the GT4 and TCR classes that race in the series.
The #7 Volt Racing with Archangel Motorsport Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 of Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman was the sole AMR representation at the event this time around and the bright yellow GT4 and its crew looked fast going through Free Practice and into Qualifying before Brynjolfsson placed the car in P3 for the Saturday afternoon two-hour race.
Dropping one place on the opening laps, Brynjolfsson quickly established a rhythm and maintained his P4 position with the P2/P3 cars just ahead even though the leading McLaren had already made a speedy exit out front. An early strategy call by pitting early from that car would lift the #7 car up to P3 by the time it would come in for its first scheduled service.
Swapping out to Hindman, the #7 car would quickly come to the attention of race officials as first they had the rear wheels spinning whilst the car was on its jacks and then they would be clocked speeding in pit row – two transgression that would earn them a drive through penalty for each offence.
Believing that their race was already in tatters, luck would have it that a Full Course Yellow at the hour mark would neutralise the race with by chance, the #7 car having had just completed its second drive through just ahead of that caution.
Remaining on the lead lap and by having a quick splash and dash stop as well, the #7 cycled through to remain P4 overall by the end of the pit window and all was left to race for.
With thirty or so minutes remaining, and with a clearly quicker McLaren 570s wanting to take the lead of the race again the top four cars pushed each hard to maintain their positions just as another FCY was called for a further stranded car on track.
Now with just twelve minutes remaining at the green flag and in his quest for a podium finish, Hindman inadvertently tapped the rear quarter of the #46 Chevrolet ahead – knocking him into a spin but breaking his own steering in the process to end up in the tyre wall at the next corner.
Fortunately for the others, Hindman was able to keep his car off track enough for the race to finish under green, but his and the team’s race was done for the day and their earlier efforts were rewarded with a DNF to add to their mixed bag of results so far.
Photo credits – CSJ Motorsport / Team