Two P2 finishes at Sebring improve the Flying Lizards AMR GT4 America chances at season finale

News from the circuit was that the #2 GMG Racing AMR of Jason Bell and Andrew Davis would not be running in GT4 America as they would be concentrating on the defence of their GT America GT4 title. This news was on top of the known absences from both the Heart of Racing and Zelus Motorsport with their two Vantage GT4’s.

During Saturdays one hour opener, the #55 API prepared AMR of Moisey Uretsky and Justin Piscitell however had obviously failed to notice the ‘gameplan’ as they again dominated the race – the same as Uretsky had done during the opening GT America round to claim their first season P1 double with their partially rebuilt car.

Completing a good day for the Aston Martin family was the Pro-Am podium lockout as the #8 Flying Lizard car of Sabo and Lee finished second, the #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing car of Ross Chouest and Aaron Povoledo in third with the #15 Bsport Racing AMR in fourth to help reinforce their Championship credentials particularly after the earlier demise of the #120 Porsche with technical issues.

With two drivers came obviously two Qualifying sessions and Sundays finale would be the turn again of the Pro drivers to runs their races first with Lee pipping all to the post with a second row start in fourth overall, with Koch just another row behind in sixth. The Chouest Povoledo and API cars however, would not fare so well in race 2 with Piscitell and Povoledo never featuring beyond their starting positions of P9 and P10 respectively.

Race 2 would start five abreast down the start straight before the leaders funnelled out into a more coherent approach to the twisty section of the course whilst others behind came into contact. Fortunately staying green, the #15 had jumped the #8 car for position and would run out the course of their Pro’s race in that order to the end of their stint.

Pit stops over and Putt and Sabo continued the inter AMR battle that had been started for them earlier but neither had enough speed to trouble the #47 Nolasport Porsche ahead of them although both were importantly ahead of the #120 Premier Racing Porsche.

As the faster silver class cars ran their battles ahead, it was fairly stalemate within Pro-Am right until the final lap of the race when the #15 car of Putt evidently slowed and allowed Sabo to pass easily to steal away the #15 cars (up until then) rightful P2 in class position at the death. Only just managing the finishing line itself, the #15 car would drop down to fourth in class but massively for them, behind the #120 Porsche.

Without seeing these results confirmed by the series, it would appear that the #15 cars technical glitch at the races death may become costly enough to remove them from any further Pro-Am Class championship contention as the series reconvenes at Indianapolis for the final two races of the season in two weeks’ time.

For the #8 Flying Lizard car, their pair of P2 class finishes may well be enough to keep them into a three-way battle to the prize at IMS.

Photo credits – Teams / GT4 America