Gottsacker-Filippi inherit IMSA TCR victory at Sebring
Bryan Herta Autosport did it again, matching its season-opening win at Daytona with a victory Friday afternoon in the TCR class of the two-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Sebring International Raceway.
The #98 Hyundai Elantra N co-driven by Harry Gottsacker and Mason Filippi was ruled race winner following post-race technical inspection when apparent winners, their teammates Mark Wilkins and Bryson Morris, were dropped to the rear of the order in the #33 Hyundai for having a refuelling time less than the minimum of 52 seconds.
The BHA team had dominated qualifying, with Morris setting the pole position ahead of Gottsacker, then led the field in the second half of the race with the Wilkins-Morris #33, while the Gottsacker-Filippi #98 consistently ran among the top three for the last hour holding off Louis Philippe Montour and Karl Wittmer in the #93 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 that was ultimately elevated to runner-up. Another Honda, the #89 HART of Chad Gilsinger and Tyler Chambers rounded out the podium.
The first hour of racing delivered a thrilling battle, with a quartet of cars running bumper-to-bumper; Celso Neto led the train in the #7 Precision Racing Audi RS 3 LMS he shared with Ryan Eversley, followed by Montour’s Honda and the pair of Hyundai cars driven by Morris and Filippi. Neto handed the lead to Morris when he pitted halfway through the race, but then the Audi dropped to finish eighth.
The #76 BHA Hyundai victorious in Daytona was delayed by a couple of collisions that results in a drive-through and was classified seventh, which enabled Denis Dupont and Preston Brown to retain the lead in the standings, ten points over Gottsacker-Filippi.
The next round will be at Laguna Seca on May 10.
Sebring – Race
- H. Gottsacker/M. Filippi (Bryan Herta Autosport, Hyundai Elantra N), 53 laps
- L.P. Montour/K. Wittmer (Montreal Motorsport Group, Honda Civic FL5), 12.946
- T. Chambers/C. Gilsinger (HART, Honda Civic FL5), 24.693
Championship points
- D. Dupont/P. Brown, 590 pts; 2. H. Gottsacker/M. Filippi 580; 3. T. Chambers/C. Gilsinger, 560
Picture: IMSA/LAT Images
