Yahoo Autos Hectic start to IMSA Watkins Glen Six Hours
Separate incidents to open the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen have eliminated the chances for several competitors, starting with a Turn 1 spin by Augusto Farfus in the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL M Hybrid V8. Farfus made heavy contact with the barrier, wrecking the suspension and sending the BMW back to the paddock on a rollback.
Once that incident cleared up, LMP2 cars began removing themselves and each other from contention. First the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing ORECA lost a wheel. Then Mark Kvamme in the No. 20 High Class Racing ORECA turned into the passing No. 31 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R and spun, collecting a couple of LMP3 cars as well.
The biggest incident that affected several front-runners happened just a little more than half an hour into the race. Salih Yoluc in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA, subbing for John Farano, dive-bombed Ben Keating’s No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen machine, spinning Keating. Steven Thomas was next on the scene, and in trying to avoid the incident, put the No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA into the barrier. Thomas and Mikkel Jensen were leading the points in the class.
More IMSA!
Watkins Glen IMSA race day news and notes
Turner BMW gets third straight GS win at Watkins Glen, Alfa celebrates birthday in TCR
Nixed 6 Hour qualifying leaves GTP drivers with mixed feelings
Other incidents include the No. 80 AO Porsche GTD car making light contact with the wall, and Alex Riberas in the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 hitting a Corvette wheel in the pits, sending it bounding across pit lane.
The No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-06 had to make an early visit to the pits due to a malfunctioning TPMS sensor — IMSA had issued a bulletin prior to the race stating that inoperable TPMS sensors would required to be changed, and the car was given a mechanical black flag. The No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura was hit with a drive-through for a pit lane speed violation, and the GTD championship-leading No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 spent a long time in the pits, taking it two laps down.
After two full-course cautions and the first round of pit stops, Porsche Penske Motorsports is running one-two, the No. 7 963 with Matt Campbell at the wheel leading the No. 6 of Nick Tandy. Action Express Racing with Pipo Derani at the wheel of the Cadillac V-Series.R is third.
