Trent Hindman and Cameron Cassels won the first round of the 2017 CTSC series at Daytona in the #12 Bodymotion Racing Porsche Cayman GT4, after a frantic four hours of racing which saw multiple lead changes and dramas all the way to the end.
Hindman and Cassels managed to take the victory after starting the race 16th. Hindman started the car before handing over to Cassels early on, as the pair worked their way to the front through multiple caution periods. In the end the duo put themselves in position to win the race at the very end in what turned out to be a dash to the flag with two laps to go after a caution in the closing minutes.
The two new Mustang GT4s making their global race debuts led from the front row early, but the KohR Motorsports car had a driveshaft failure 30 minutes into the race which forced Dean Martin and Jack Roush Jnr into retirement. The Multimatic Ford also fell by the wayside after a drive-through penalty for speeding in pit lane, and later again for a pit infringement while in the lead in the final hour.
In the end after the #77 C360R McLaren 570S GT4 of Nico Rondet retired, also from the lead in hour four, when the car began leaking fluid onto the circuit, causing a few cars to spin into the grass in the infield, it set up a dramatic finish.
After the caution for the McLaren’s failure, the lead was taken back by Hindman, who held off the CJ Wilson Racing Porsche of Marc Miller and Till Bechtolsheimer at the end of the race in the run to the finish which was interrupted by one of the ST class Mini’s having an off into the barriers.
Down in the ST class, the #73 MINI JCW Team Mini of Derek Jones and Mat Pombo took a controlling victory ahead of the #56 Murillo and #17 RS1 Porsche Caymans which ran nose-to-tail all the way to the flag with Eric Foss and Spencer Pumpelly driving.
