Performance Tech Motorsports set a qualifying lap record and laid down the fastest lap in the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix Presented by Hawk Performance on Sunday despite dropping out of the race early due to bad fuel.
The No. 38 Prototype Challenge car finished seventh in class, retiring five minutes before the end of the two-hour, 40-minute race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Performance Tech was 37 laps down when the car retired.
James French, who set a qualifying lap record and won the TOTAL Pole Award, started the race with a fast pace. French, from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, was creating a gap on the No. 11 of Chris Cumming when he reported a problem.
French radioed that the car behaved as if it was out of fuel and was losing power. The No. 38 rolled to a slow halt and was towed to the paddock for repair.
The team ran diagnostics on the car and eventually returned it to the 10-turn, 2.549-mile (3.957 km) circuit. French turned clean laps, and the worst seemed to be over.
Conor Daly took over for French with 45 minutes remaining. The car had no issues for the 38 minutes French was on track after re-entering the race.
During his stint, Daly set the fastest lap in the PC class with a time of 1 minute, 11.360 seconds.
Shortly after Daly set his fast lap, he reported the car was low on fuel. Lead Engineer Ryan McCarthy told Daly to switch into reserve fuel. The switch made no difference in performance, and the car again began losing power.
Daly and the No. 38 limped back to the pit box. The car did not restart, and the team retired early.
“It’s a shame, I hate it for everybody,” McCarthy said. “The whole team worked really hard this weekend. We fought our way to the front. James French did a great job putting the car on pole. I think we had the car to beat this weekend.
“We had the fastest lap of the race and the best drivers out there. But it just doesn’t always go your way, just more bad luck. I’m really proud of all the guys on the team; they kept their morale up and worked hard to get the car back out there. We’ll be back in Lime Rock.”
Team Principal Brent O’Neill was optimistic after winning pole that the team would take home its first win of the season and fourth podium finish. When the fuel issue first arose and put the team 37 laps down, he was heartbroken for his crew and drivers.
“Once again on the pole, we were driving away from the field, but we got a bad drum of fuel, and it killed the race,” O’Neill said. “We got the car up and running after James was towed in, Conor went back out there had the fastest lap of the day, and then the car quit on us again. It’s just a shame for the entire team. Everybody worked so hard this week after the wreck at The Glen. It’s just heartbreaking.”
Performance Tech’s next chance at a podium finish is at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, for Round 8 of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The race takes place July 24-25 and will be televised on FOX Sports 1.
Keep up with Performance Tech Motorsports by following the team on Facebook and Twitter at @Perf_Tech. For more information on the team, visit performancetechmotorsports.com.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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