Barrichello eager to shine in VDSR relief role
Eduardo Barrichello makes his IMSA debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the same place where his father Rubens won the 2002 United States Grand Prix, and a place that Barrichello is familiar with from when he started his single-seater career in 2018.
After driving around the Grand Prix circuit for the first time in five years, at the wheel of the #19 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin, Barrichello said: “It was a good first contact; I had eight laps, I enjoyed myself. Tried to do the best job possible, and had a good time.
“It really helps to have the boys that I already raced with together, and we’re going to Japan next week together as well. So it felt like family from the get-go.” He speaks of co-drivers Anthony McIntosh and Valentin Hasse-Clot, with whom Barrichello scored his first WEC pole and podium, and with whom he’ll be racing with again in the WEC 6 Hours of Fuji.
Barrichello’s set no expectations for this weekend, other than “to do the best job possible and get more experience,” as he said. “I have good people around me – especially Val, who’s such a good driver, and has good success as well. So I just try to learn from him and just become a better person and driver.”
He’s replacing the injured Rory van der Steur, who is with the team, staying with Barrichello and loaning his suit for his substitute driver to use.
“Unfortunately, he’s had that incident, but he’s already doing better, and I’m hopeful he can jump back in the car soon,” Barrichello said.
Cooper, Ibiza Farm McLaren lead Friday practices for Pilot Challenge
Michael Cooper turned in the fastest time in Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 1, aboard the #44 Ibiza Farm McLaren Artura GT4. His session-leading 1:29.552 put him in the front of a McLaren 1-2, with Jesse Lazare in second in the gold #21 Motorsports In Action McLaren. Morgan Burkhard rounded out the top three in the GS class driving the #67 Czabok-Simpson Motorsport Porsche.
In Practice 2, the fastest time was set by Jake Walker in the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO (1:30.214); Ford Koch was second in the #23 Copeland Motorsports Toyota, and Lazare finished the afternoon session with the third-fastest time.
In the TCR class, the fastest time in both practices was held by the #99 VGRT Cupra Leon VZ TCR. In the morning, it was Tyler Gonzalez who led with a 1:31.471 – then co-driver Eric Powell led the afternoon session with a 1:31.654.
Behind them were the #93 MMG Honda and the #7 Precision Racing LA Audi which alternated second and third places.
Qualifying starts first thing Saturday morning at 8:00 AM, with the two-hour race itself starting at 12:40 PM.
Mustang Challenge’s only winners ready to link up for GT4 debut
Within the GS class, KOHR Motorsports is fielding its #60 Ford Mustang GT4 for two series newcomers, Robert Noaker and Cameron McLeod.
Noaker arrives at Indy, the place where he claimed his first Mustang Challenge title, as the newly-crowned, two-time series champion. At Charlotte Motor Speedway during the NASCAR weekend in October, Noaker could complete a perfect season in North American one-make racing – he’s won every race from pole, set every perfect lap, and led every lap this year.
“I want to be able to do it, but it’s not a concern of mine to do it,” Noaker said. “If it happens, great; if it doesn’t, the main goal has already been achieved, to get the championship again. Really, anything from this point on, it’s just a bonus.
“I think the next logical step would be a full season of GT4 in Pilot Challenge. Obviously, we’ll see how this weekend goes, and see what I can do for next year. I think both me and Cameron have high hopes when it comes to the race, being able to be up front and being able to contend for that win.”
McLeod, meanwhile, was the only driver to defeat Noaker this season in the non-championship Le Mans Invitational. He has prior GT4 experience with BMWs in Europe and the Middle East.
The third-generation racer – grandson of 1987 Bathurst 1000 winner Peter, son of MARC Cars Australia founder Marc – is looking forward to his first proper North American race weekend. “It’s good competition! It’s different, first time here, actually, so it’s quite cool,” McLeod said.
“Everyone’s quite lovely, including Robert, he’s a good young gentleman. I think the tracks are quite cool, especially this track, I’ve never driven here. It’s just real cool, another thing I’ve done, another thing I can tick off – and it’s all working forward to something great.”
A first-time winner in the Dunlop Super2 Series – Australian Supercars’ equivalent to Michelin Pilot Challenge – McLeod will make his second Bathurst 1000 start later this year.
Vanier wins, Yardley takes championship lead in Porsche Cup Race 1
Zachary Vanier took his second win of the year in Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 1. The Canadian’s #9 JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup finished ahead of Topp Racing’s Ryan Yardley, who exits Friday as the new championship leader.
Yardley trailed Riley Dickinson by just two points in the championship heading into Friday’s race, but with Dickinson’s #91 Kellymoss car finishing fourth, Yardley has turned that two-point deficit into a four-point lead.
Rookie Aaron Jeansonne started from his first PCCNA pole position but the #24 Kellymoss car was shuffled to third because of Vanier’s aggressive start. Jeansonne will get another chance when he starts Race 2 on pole tomorrow morning.
GMG Racing’s Patrick Mulcahy took the Pro-Am class win ahead of car owner James Sofronas, meanwhile, Scott Blind took his ninth win of the year in the Masters class, putting the Ruckus Racing driver closer to the championship.
Pro-Am championship leader JP Martinez walked away after his #4 ACI Motorsports Porsche crashed on the first lap of Friday’s 40-minute sprint, but second-place contender Alan Metni suffered a cut tyre and could do no better than fifth in class
Formal/Eriksson cruise to Race 1 win in Super Trofeo
Danny Formal and Hampus Eriksson took their third straight Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America race win, and fifth of the season, to close out Friday’s on-track action.
The black and blue #1 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini cruised to victory from pole position, while the #69 WTR Lamborghini of Trent Hindman and Jackson Lee took second overall and first place in Pro-Am.
Scott Huffaker and Jaden Conwright took third in their #22 World Speed car, followed by Nick Persing and Giano Taurino in the #8 WTR car in fourth. A slow start for the #29 TR3 Racing Lamborghini of Will Bamber and Elias de la Torre dropped them to 13th on the opening lap, they’d recover to finish fifth overall.
Meanwhile, in the Pro-Am class, the leading #11 MLT Motorsports car (Darius Trinka/Tadas Karlinskas) fell from class podium contention to finish fourth in Pro-Am, while contact with the speedway wall entering turn one brought the #67 TR3 Racing car (Jason Hart/Conrad Geis)’s race to a sudden end with just a few minutes remaining. Trinka and Karlinskas now have a five-point lead in their championship.
Mateo Siderman took his first Am class win in the #63 TR3 Racing car, while Nick Groat captured his sixth LB Cup class win of the year in the #57 ONE Motorsports car.
With his brother Marcus here to support him, Eriksson will start Race 2 from pole position on Saturday evening.
Feature image © Jack Webster / dailysportscar.com
