Porsche Penske’s Indianapolis Sportscar Breakthrough
1-2 Victory at Indy Puts Porsche Penske into IMSA Championship Lead
Porsche Penske Motorsport achieved a breakthrough when its two 963s clinched an historic IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship one-two victory at Indianapolis on 17 September. Briton Nick Tandy and French driver Mathieu Jaminet led teammates Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr.
Brickyard 1-2 Puts Porsche Penske Ahead
The Penske team’s success at the Brickyard, backed by Porsche customer teams JDC-Miller and Proton Competition coming home in eighth and ninth positions, has moved Porsche into the IMSA manufacturers’ championship lead. The success has also served to confine the maker’s tough time at the Le Mans 24 Hour to a distant memory.
It started with a strong qualifying performance as the Penske Porsches locked out the front row of the grid. The race was however not without its challenges. Jaminet squeezed past polesitter Campbell’s sister car into the first corner and so it remained until the first round of stops as the factory 963s pitted under the yellow flags.
The Race Wasn’t Quite Plain Sailing
The Porsches then lined up in front behind the Safety Car, only for officials to deem that Nasr and Tandy had failed to adhere to safety car phase class split requirements. Race directors then ordered the Porsche pair to fall behind the third-placed Cadillac. Nazr however soon overcame his teammate when racing went back green and set about the Cadillac in front.
It took half an hour, but Nazr and his Porsche swept into the lead with a little over an hour left to race. The third placed Porsche then took advantage of a Cadillac error to seize second. But Nasr then slipped onto the grass on cold tyres after his final pit stop, to allow teammate Tandy into the lead to bring home a fine Indianapolis one-two for Porsche Penske.
A perfect Day for Porsche Penske
“That was a perfect day for Porsche!” motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach concluded. “Our first Porsche Penske one-two success could not have come at a better time to see us into the manufacturers’ championship lead before the season finale at Road Atlanta, with our driver’s championships hopes also intact. Bring on the season finale – we’re ready!”
Photos: Porsche