The rough and the smooth of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge racing at CTMSP

Again in qualifying, the #46 Team TGM AMR of Paul Holton and Matt Plumb continued to be the fastest of the five as they secured another second row start to this two-hour race whilst the #72 Rebel Rock Racing AMR for Frank DePew and Robin Liddell positioned themselves nicely in P14 for another one of the Scotsman’s epic drives.

Another hot and dry start to the race allowed Holton to comfortably hold track position for was to be an overall clean opening lap and the race quickly adapted a flowing format around the traditional twisting and undulating circuit layout. DePew was also having a good race holding P12 whilst Ted Giovanis was having another ‘difficult’ start to the race after having to start from pit lane and then getting a drive through penalty as a consequence.

Forty minutes done as it was minimum drive time achieved for all of the bronze rated drivers with Holton staying out but with Giovanis, Christine Sloss and DePew pitting with their Team TGM, Van Der Steur and Rebel Rock cars respectively.

After the turn of the first hour, Liddell was already on his move through the field and was circulating in eighth whilst (now Matt Plumb) within the #46 had dropped to P4 after their first service but that all changed at the forty minute to go mark as a multiple car incident along the back straight claimed the #71 Rebel Rock Aston Martin as it tried to thread the needle between the three cars originally involved only to become a victim himself with significant front end damage.

The extensive debris field obviously negated any possibility of an early restart as the full Course Yellow extended through to leave just over ten minutes to go at the restart. There was then further strife for the #46 Team TGM Aston Martin as Plumb got turned around on that restart lap after contact from a Ford Mustang behind after Plumb had impacted up the rear of another car beforehand, and that dropped them out of a third-place position.

At the chequered flag, the #46 car would recover to a disappointing for them P10 position and whilst the #71 Rebel Rock was an obvious DNF, the success came for the two remaining Bronze Cup entered Aston Martins with husband-and-wife duo Christine and Ben Sloss taking first with their P15 overall finish Giovanis and Hugh Plumb taking P2 one place behind.

There was some joy for the Rebel Rock Racing AMR team however, as DePew took he second position finish within the GSX class in the VP Racing Sportscar Challenge Series in-between Michelin Pilot Challenge sessions to go with his first earned at CoTA earlier in the year but race two was cancelled after earlier torrential rain to allow the other IMSA Series races to maintain their televised time slots.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media