Jens Klingmann and Jesse Krohn in the #96 Turner Motorsport M6 GT3 finished a close second in the GTD class in the two-hour-and-forty-minute IMSA WeatherTech series race at Virginia International Raceway. Alexander Sims and Bill Auberlen in the #25 BMW Team RLL M6 GTLM finished fourth in class. The finish was a heartbreaker for Team RLL, as Sims had to pit from a race-long lead to change a tire with just twelve minutes remaining in the caution-free race.
Sims took the lead early in the race from his second-place position on the grid and held on through his stint. Bill Auberlen quickly returned to the lead when he got in the car, and then Sims moved back into the lead when he got back in the car with just over an hour left. The margin was substantial, although Corvette’s Antonio Garcia reduced the margin to under ten seconds near the end. Then Sims brought the car into the pit because of the puncture and fell to fourth; Garcia took the lead in the #3 Corvette that he shared with Jan Magnussen. Garcia held on for the win, extending an eight-point lead in drivers’ points to sixteen with two races remaining; Auberlen and Sims are second, just a point ahead of Ford GT racers Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, Ryan Briscoe, and Richard Westbrook. John Edwards, who started third on the grid, had to take the #24 BMW GTLM into the garage for power steering repair early in the race. In the end he and co-driver Martin Tomczyk finished ninth in class.
Auberlen said, “I have raced for many years, and a loss like we had today never gets easier to deal with. The complexion of the championship now changes out of our favor, but there is no giving up.”
Jesse Krohn started second on the GTD grid in the #96 Turner M6 GT3. He ran second for much of his stint. When Jens Klingmann took over from Krohn he held on to second, closing in on the leading Lamborghini driven by Corey Lewis. Lewis’ co-driver Jeroen Mul had led the race for his entire stint. While Klingmann got within a second of Lewis near the end the Lambo held on for the win.
On the day before the WeatherTech series race James Clay in the #84 BimmerWorld 328i started the two-hour Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge from the ST class pole and led for most of his stint. His closest challenger was Sarah Cattaneo in a Nissan Altima. After driver changes Cattaneo’s co-driver Owen Trinkler took the lead from Tyler Cooke, who had taken over from Clay. Trinkler held on for the class win with Clay a very close second. Ari Balogh and Greg Liefooghe finished fifth in the #81 BimmerWorld 328i, just ahead of Mike LaMarra and James Vance in the #37 Mini.
IMSA runs again at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on September 21 to 24 and then ends its season at Road Atlanta on October 4 to 7.—Brian S. Morgan
Photos by BMW NA/Sam Cobb
