RWE Motorsport drivers John Dempsey and Andrew Davis broke their McLaren Trophy America duck at VIRginia International Raceway this weekend, taking two ProAm class pole positions and a brace of victories to close the gap at the top of the championship standings.
After a two-month break since the teams and drivers last competed at COTA in Texas, they were raring to get going as the series headed to the 3.270-mile circuit near the Virginia border. In hot and humid conditions, the drivers not only had to contend with getting the most out of the 585PS McLaren Trophy EVO cars, but also ensure they were keeping themselves well hydrated.
McLaren Graduate driver Tommy Pintos was the pacesetter in the first qualifying session, recording a time over a second clear of the chasing pack. Come the race however he was a little too quick off the line, earning a jump start penalty, negating the impressive lead he had built up. After a late Safety Car bunched up the field, they were confident of reclaiming the lead but contact dropped them down the order, allowing James Li and Casey Dennis to extend their Pro class championship lead with another victory.
It would be the Dark Horse Racing entry of Deniz Teoman and Jeff Cook that would be the ultimate surprise, as the Am class car swept to overall race victory, rewarding the promise they have shown all season.
Their run of good form finished on Sunday morning however when then lost overall pole position due to a technical infringement, requiring them to start the second race from the back of the field. Their misfortune handed first place on the grid to the Race for RP car of Kevin Madsen who got a good start, building a strong lead over the first 20 minutes of the race. Behind him, Andrew Davis battled Jesse Lazare and Eric Filgueiras in a nose-to-tail battle for ProAm class honours.
A mid-race Safety Car period once again bunched the pack up, ensuring a dramatic end to the contest as the leading Race for RP car went wide at turn one, allowing James Li into the race lead, behind James Sofronas expertly timed his manoeuvre to go between Alex Hainer and Teoman, going from fifth to second and the lead of the Am class. It wasn’t long before Dempsey reduced the gap to Hainer, passing into turn one, to complete their perfect weekend and close the ProAm championship gap to just five points with four races still to go.
The event also welcomed some new podium visitors in the new Papaya Cup, introduced to recognise the achievements of the older or less experienced. The close racing ensured we had four different winners across both the ProAm and Am classes, welcoming Teoman, Brandon Kreutz, Steve Sorbaro and Tom Kopczynski to the podium.
The championship returns to action at Road America, August 15th – 17th for rounds seven and eight. With the title battles closing, it will prove to be a crucial weekend that could make or break a championship challenge.
“McLaren Trophy America delivered two more really exciting races. There were strong battles throughout the field, which provided some great racing. My congratulations to all the race winners, but especially to Deniz and Jeff on their outright win – a great performance by an am class driver pairing.
We all wish George Lawrence and John Capestro-Dubets a speedy recovery after their incident on Friday. We Look forward to seeing them both back in the paddock soon.”
Rob Bell, Sporting Director, McLaren Automotive