Grand-Am 6
Hours at the Glen
Autometrics Motorsports joined with Marcus Motorsports to run the annual
6 Hours at the Glen in an E36 BMW M3. We also managed to put
together a last-minute effort to run the PharmacyDirectUSA sponsored
Front Porch Racing #14 GT3R in the GTS category.
Cory first drove the #9 M3 at the
last Grand-Am race in Phoenix, and drove it again this event along with Bryan
Dobyns and Bob Chase. The BMW ran very well during the practice
sessions and ran a respectable time during qualifying. The car was
running strongly in the first hour of the race, but was forced to retire
in the first hour when a harmonic balancer failed. Thankfully, it
seems the engine shut itself down before oil pressure was lost, so the
engine should be repaired in plenty of time for the Paul Revere 250 at
Daytona next week.
Typically Porsche's GT3R
racer runs in the GT class in Grand-Am. However, this car is being
prepared to run the remainder of the ALMS season, so it has undergone
some modifications not allowed by the GT class. The car was still eligible
for the GTS category. Practice and qualifying went without any
major issues. An axle failure was the only real incident.
Adam Merzon, who ran with
us at a few races last season, started the race with Front Porch's Tom
Soriano going into the car second. The final driver in the car was
Lynn Wilson, a long-time Autometrics Motorsports supporter. The
car started 2nd in the GTS class, but dropped to 3rd when the the left
rear tire went down forcing an early pit stop. During this time
the #72 Supercup of Lewis and Fisher took a 1 lap lead over the #14
GT3R. After 2 hours into the 6 hour event, the Supercup maintained
its 1 lap lead, and the class leader was 2 laps in front of the second
place car. The third stint in the car between the 2nd and 3rd hour
marked the turning point in the race. The first in class Saleen
suffered a failure and retired from the race while the PharmacyDirectUSA
Porsche ran its fastest laps of the race. By the end of the third
hour, the official standings had us leading in the GTS category by 4
laps. This change came despite puncturing the left rear tire for
the second time in the race and a resulting spin. The lead was
maintained for the next few hours, but dwindled when an unscheduled tire
change was required after a spin and subsequent flat-spotting of all 4
tires.
Front Porch held a 2
lap lead going into the final hour of the second longest race on the
Grand-Am calendar. There was 1 more scheduled stop for tires, fuel
and a driver change. This stop pulled #72 within 1 lap; the
Supercup car was about 5 seconds in front of Adam Merzon and a lap down
resulting in a 2 minute lead. This was the case until the clock
showed 5:51, just 9 minutes from the end of the race. A full
course yellow came out as a result of a car that collided with the wall
and left considerable debris on the track. On the restart, the
Daytona winning GT3RS of Kevin Buckler's The Racer's Group blew the
right rear tire throwing broken pieces of carbon bodywork into the
windshield of Merzon. The debris somehow managed to break and go
through the glass windshield of the Porsche. On the front straight
the compromised windshield completely caved in on the driver resulting
in a dramatic spin down the front straight and light contact with the
pit lane dividing barrier. Merzon backed the car off the guardrail
and proceeded around the track into the pits despite having no sort of eye
protection whatsoever. The windshield was removed and sunglasses
given to the driver, but during this time, our 2 minute lead dissolved
and the class lead was relinquished to Lewis and Fisher. The last
few laps of the race were completed with no windshield in the car, but
there was no chance of regaining the lead.
Though it was disappointing
to hold the lead for over 3 hours before losing it in the last 9
minutes, we are all very happy with the end result of the one of the
most eventful and exciting races we have ever done.
A
quote from Adam Merzon, who drove nearly 3 of the 6 hours, from a local
newspaper:
"We were in the lead until Buckler's bumper flew into our windshield and
collapsed it. I was driving and had no glasses on and it collapsed in my
face. I closed my eyes and hit the guardrail. We got it out, got
around, got into the pits, pulled it out, lost our lap and came in second."
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