No. 33 McLaren spun from overall lead late in Race Two
Blackdog Racing recorded another podium finish in Pirelli GT4 America at Barber Motorsports Park but also saw its hopes for the Pro-Am championship take a big hit in a frustrating end to the weekend.
Michael Cooper and Tony Gaples placed second Friday in the first of two one-hour races in the No. 33 Blackdog Cars McLaren Artura GT4 – their seventh straight top-three finish. The streak came to a cruel end Saturday when Gaples was spun from the overall lead coming to the white flag for the final lap.
He and Cooper were credited with sixth place in class following a post-race time penalty for a pit stop infraction.
What that means is the pairing will go into the final weekend of the season at Indianapolis in two weeks still in contention for the Pro-Am Drivers and Teams championships… but barely. After Saturday’s disappointing end, the gap to the lead in the Drivers championship is 41 points and 43 in the Teams standings with 50 points available at Indianapolis.
The weekend began positively enough as Gaples qualified third in class in Friday’s first 15-minute qualifying session followed by Cooper’s third straight overall pole in the second session. Gaples drove the first 25-and-half minutes in Race One and handed over to Cooper in fourth place. Cooper, the winningest driver in SRO Motorsports America, raced his way up to second 10 laps later to the team’s final finishing position.
Saturday, Cooper drove the first 35 minutes in the overall lead and Gaples kept the Blackdog McLaren out front despite a late-race, full-course yellow that erased an 11-second lead. Once the race went green again, Gaples held strong until getting spun two corners from the white flag.
Blackdog Racing will close its seasons in Pirelli GT4 America at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from October 8-11. All races will stream live on SRO Motorsports’ GT World YouTube channel.
MICHAEL COOPER, NO. 33 BLACKDOG CARS McLAREN ARTURA GT4: “The pole and result Friday was nice, but it feels a little empty with how Saturday ended. It’s really unfortunate with how well the team has executed and how well we have driven. It was always going to be tough to get back in the championship after some of the early-season trouble, but I’m proud of how the team has fought back to this point. We’re not out of it but obviously we need a lot to happen at Indianapolis. We’ll be ready and give it all we have.”
TONY GAPLES , NO. 33 BLACKDOG CARS McLAREN ARTURA GT4: “A very tough way to not win a race. The time penalty is one thing but the contact to send us spinning was really frustrating. Michael and the team did a great job all weekend. The runner-up finish Friday was solid although we knew we needed to keep winning races to have a chance in the championship. We’ll go to Indianapolis and hope to sweep the weekend again. For the championship, we will wait and see.”
About Blackdog Racing
Ever dreamed of piloting a real SRO GT race car? Blackdog offers rental and “arrive and drive” racing in addition to purpose-built cars. Email sales@blackdogspeedshop.com to discuss the best way to put you in the driver’s seat!
About Blackdog Performance Cars
At Blackdog Performance Cars, luxury and performance converge in an exclusive collection of high-end vehicles, each designed to deliver an unparalleled driving experience. Our curated inventory is a testament to exceptional craftsmanship and innovation, while our GT4 America McLaren Artura race team subtly underscores our passion for precision engineering on the track. Discover the ultimate blend of sophistication and speed at www.blackdogperformancecars.com.