Heart of Racing inherit GTD Class win around street circuit of Detroit
Sunday, June 13, 2021
Then, hours after the fall of the chequered flag, the race winning Autobahn Audi R8 car was awarded a technical infraction for refuelling faster than their car’s designated minimum refuelling time during one of the stops. For that transgression, the #39 Audi was moved to the back of the GTD meaning that the #23 car inherited the GTD class win.
Considering it was many within the team’s first visit to a street circuit in their racing career so far, that didn’t put off De Angelis and Gunn as they cycled through Free Practice earlier in the event and for the young Canadian to Qualify the car on the second row of the class grid.
Taking the start as well, De Angelis initially dropped but then regained positions to run as high as P2 by the end of the first forty minutes of the shorter hour and forty minutes race around the temporary Belle Isle circuit.
Pitting with just over an hour remaining, the then leading Audi would just refuel and change driver whilst the Aston would complete a full service with four new tyres as their refuel rate would allow for that to take place. Coming out onto track, Gunn would slot in in P3 – behind the #39 Audi and now the #96 BMW which had pitted first in class.
Himself dropping a place on his opening lap, Gunn was soon ahead of a retiring Acura and then a stationary BMW who had apparently suffered from a catastrophic gearbox failure whilst running in P2.
With a vailed threat of rain looming in the distance, Gunn would cycle through the resulting periods of caution to claim what looked to be an awesome result – P2 in the GTD class, but then a race win is always better!
The IMSA Championship now moves onto Watkins Glen at the end of the month with the #23 crew now leading the GTD Class.
Photo credits – HoRT / IMSA / CSJ Motorsport
