Defending four-time GT driving champion Johnny O’Connell, came through from third at the start to control Sunday’s 50-minute GT sprint race in the Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Sonoma, with an impressive move at Turn 1. In addition, Michael Schein, and Alec Udell, scored double victories in the GTA and GT Cup divisions, respectively.
O’Connell, in the #3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.R., started third behind K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S teammates Austin Cindric and Alvaro Parente at the drop of the green flag. But Johnny slid his Cadillac inside Cindric into Turn 1 and took the lead up the hill into Turn 2.
O’Connell then jumped out to a 4.6-second advantage by lap three and ultimately extended his gap to 11.386 seconds at the checkered flag in the 31-lap GT main event. Few drivers have as much experience at Sonoma Raceway as O’Connell, who served as a driving instructor at the Sonoma facility decades ago in the Bob Bondurant Driving School.
“My eyes were like a laser on the starter and the second his hand started to move, I went,” said O’Connell. “I timed that just about perfect. The speed for the start is supposed to be around 45 miles per hour and we have been running it a little lower. And that allowed me that quick shot out for the start. Then, once I got inside of Austin (Cindric) in turn one, I have been around this place enough to know what I had to do. I then saw there was little bit of monkey business on the first lap behind me and opened the gap as quickly as I could. I then wanted to take care of my tires. I knew that I had a good gap right after the first or second lap, and that was a huge luxury.”
The GT action behind O’Connell was wild early in the race with veteran sports car racer Jon Fogarty having his #99 GAINSCO McLaren hit in the carousel and spun around on the first lap. Several GT drivers were involved in the mishap including two-time 2016 winner Michael Cooper in the #8 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.R. and Adderly Fong of Hong Kong in the #88 Team Absolute Bentley Continental GT3.
With O’Connell well on his way to victory, Parente, the five-time GT race winner from Porto, Portugal, held the second spot in the #9 K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S with pole winner Cindric third in the sister #6 K-PAX McLaren. Late in the contest, Cindric applied the pressure to his teammate but had to settle for third at the checkered flag.
The drive of the day in the GT event though was by 2011 GT champion Patrick Long, who started 14th in the #58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. Long, a three-time 2016 winner, gained ten positions to finish fourth Sunday. Entering the Pirelli World Challenge season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca next month, Parente unofficially leads Long by nine points, 1554 to 1545. O’Connell and Cooper are now tied for third place in GT points at 1451.
Schein, Long’s teammate in the #6 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, posted his eighth 2016 win in the GTA class with an impressive win over series debut Andrew Kim in the #78 Team Absolute Bentley Continental GT3 and Cooper MacNeil of in the #79 WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“I got a good start today but I saw cars and dust in the carousel and Fogarty was parked in the middle of the track,” said Schein. “I had to check up and slow through that area, but I was able to make a move on the outside in turn seven and passed some cars. Once I was in the GTA lead, I noticed that the car was much better today than Saturday. Then I was able to hit my marks and open up a gap. It is great having Pat onboard with the Wright team. Having a guy with his knowledge and experience is a great advantage and great stuff can come from it. We are good buddies and we have gelled together this year.”
In the GT Cup division, Udell drove his #17 GMG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to a 12th 2016 victory. Udell battled with his season-long rival Sloan Urry in the #20 TruSpeed Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup before winning by five seconds. Third place went to Mike Hedlund in the No. 35 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Unofficially, Udell clinched the GT Cup Drivers Championship.
The 2016 championships close out with the season finale rounds at MAZDA Raceway Laguna Seca on October 7-9, 2016.
