- Juan Pablo Montoya and Dane Cameron measure second uninterrupted win of 2019
- Teammates Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor finish third on Belle Isle travel circuit
- Incidents, strike blunt Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo efforts
Acura Team Penske drivers Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya continued to build movement in a 2019 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, holding their second uninterrupted feat of a deteriorate Saturday on a Belle Isle travel circuit, with teammates Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor finishing third in their Acura ARX-05 prototype.
Acura Team Penske Prototype
Starting from a pole, Montoya confirmed his advantage via a opening army of a brief one hour, 40-minute contest, before handing off to co-driver Cameron during a initial array stop. The span total to lead all though 7 laps of a 58-lap distance, notwithstanding a competition interrupted by 5 full-course counsel flags and mixed on-track incidents.
Today’s feat for Montoya and Cameron follows their win progressing this month during a Acura Sports Car Challenge during Mid-Ohio, and moves a span to within 5 points of a drivers’ championship lead after 5 of 10 races. The second win for a ARX-05 antecedent also moves Acura to within a singular indicate of a Manufacturers’ Championship lead.
In a #7 Acura Team Penske ARX-05, starting motorist Castroneves was shuffled behind to fourth on a opening lap, though co-driver Taylor regained second place with 30 mins remaining, afterwards battled a Action Express Cadillac of Felipe Nasr over a shutting laps, finishing third. Taylor and Castroneves also sojourn in a thick of a championship conflict and now mount third, a singular indicate behind their teammates.
Meyer Shank Racing GTD
In GTD, a Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo’s started second and third, though a team’s try during winning a third uninterrupted Belle Isle competition finished following strike for both cars.
Starting second, Christina Nielsen had an uneventful run during her opening stint, handing a #57 Acura off to co-driver Katherine Legge during a team’s singular array stop. Legge done a bid for a lead with only over 30 mins remaining, though was shuffled behind to fourth after side-to-side strike with a Porsche of Patrick Long. With reduction than 10 mins remaining, a strike from behind sent a #57 into a discerning spin and unrepresentative ninth-place finish.
In a second MSR Acura, starting motorist Trent Hindman ran third via his run in a #86 NSX GT3, afterwards handed off to co-driver Mario Farnbacher. However, an emanate changing a left back circle behind their lapse to a track, and Farnbacher done complicated strike with a Turn 13 wall to finish his race.
Next
From one of a shortest races on a report in Detroit, a IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship moves on to one of a longest: a Sahlen’s Six Hours of a Glen, Jun 30 during Watkins Glen International Raceway in upstate New York.
Video recaps from this weekend’s Acura racing activities in Detroit, as good as movement from a messenger Honda teams during a NTT IndyCar Series doubleheader competition weekend, are accessible on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD) and on Twitter during (https://twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD). Produced by a Carolinas Production Group, YouTube video packages can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.
Quotes
Matt Niles (Prototype Principal Engineer, Honda Performance Development) on today’s competition and competition win for Acura Team Penske: “It’s additional honeyed to win in Detroit, and turn a initial non-GM automobile to finish initial altogether here during Belle Isle Park given 2012. Coming on a heels of a win during Mid-Ohio, it seems like both a group and drivers have gained in confidence. Acura Team Penske executed scarcely perfectly, and so did Dane [Cameron] and Juan [Pablo Montoya]. This unequivocally helps us build movement as we conduct to a six-hour competition during Watkins Glen, that is always a plea for everyone.”
Dane Cameron (driver, #6 Acura Team Penske ARX-05) Race winner, second uninterrupted 2019 win with co-driver Juan Pablo Montoya: “This is year dual for a [Acura prototype] program, and we schooled so most from a initial season. We showed well, often, final year, though done some mistakes. Now we’ve spotless adult all a details, so hats off to everybody during Acura, during HPD and Team Penske for giving us a collection we need to win. We’re unequivocally happy to broach a win here for Acura in Detroit. Our automobile was unequivocally good this weekend. we was unequivocally good by [Turns] 9 and ten, that gave us a small respirating room entrance out of [Turn] 11 to strengthen myself. So, it was only a matter of capitalizing where we were clever and creation certain we did my best where [second-place curtain Felipe Nasr] was a small bit weak, and never give him an event [to try a pass].”
Ricky Taylor (driver, #7 Acura Team Penske ARX-05) Finished third with co-driver Helio Castroneves: “Another good day for Acura, and for Acura Team Penske. we was happy to see a ‘Six’ guys [Cameron and Montoya] get another win. The group did an overwhelming job; good plan all day. I’m a small unhappy we couldn’t sign it with a 1-2, though third is good for a championship.”
Christina Nielsen (driver, #57 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3) Finished ninth in GTD after late-race strike for co-driver Katherine Legge: “I got a good start and we were unequivocally competitive. We were means to keep adult with a personality [Zachary Robichon] and say a good opening forward of a rest. The automobile was so good to drive; that was a automobile that deserved a lectern [top-three finish]. The group deserved it. Our array stop was great, a motorist change was great. Unfortunately, a finish outcome doesn’t simulate a opening we had this weekend.”
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Circuit: Belle Isle Park (2.35-mile proxy travel circuit) Detroit, Mich.
Weather: Overcast, humid, 76 degrees F
Top-6 Prototype Results:
Acura GTD Results:
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