Shane Lewis and the #72 Robinson Racing Camaro GT4 lead the field to the green flag to kick off Round 12 of the 2019 Pirelli GT4 America Sprint season at a cloudy Road America but when the field got to turn 6, Michael Cooper and the #10 Blackdog Speed Shop McLaren 570S would swoop from third to first, with Spencer Pumpelly and the #66 following Cooper through to second. Cooper would never look back and cruise to the Round 12 victory. “I’ve been pretty good on cold tires, and I got a great run on the Panoz at the start and then just battled Shane [Lewis} the whole way until I got him at turn 6. I was able to set a qualifying lap early in the race, but it’s because these Blackdog guys have worked so hard. Watkins Glen was a struggle, so here we’re super happy,” said Cooper. Cooper will start Race 2 from pole.
Spencer Pumpelly would finish second with Shane Lewis claiming third.
Jarrett Andretti in the #18 Andretti Autosport McLaren 570S would get past championship leader Ian James and the #50 Team Panoz Racing Avezzano GT4 for fourth on lap 2, but just three laps later Gar Robinson in the #74 Robinson Racing Camaro GT4 would get past Andretti at Canada Corner for fourth, where he would finish.. James and the Panoz would slowly drop through the field ultimately finishing eleventh overall, seventh in class, handing the championship points lead unofficially to Cooper.
With 15 minutes remaining, Andrew Davis in the #81 Kelly-Moss Road & Race Audi R8 LMS would sneak past Andretti for fifth as the McLaren driver would go wide at the kink. Davis would finish fifth with Andretti sixth.
Drew Staveley in the #12 Ian Lacy Racing Ford Mustang GT4 would cruise to the Am class victory and finish an impressive seventh overall, thirteen seconds ahead of Tony Gaples and the #11 Blackdog Speed Shop McLaren 570S GT4 in second. With the victory, Staveley unofficially claims the 2019 Pirelli GT4 America Sprint Am championship with three races remaining. “The car was really, really good for us today. All around the car was great and I’m really excited and ready for tomorrow,” said Staveley.
Jeff Courtney and the #99 JCR Maserati would come home third in the Am class with Alan Brynjolfsson and the #7 Park Place 718 Cayman CS MR fourth. Sean Quinlan and the #19 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M4 GT4 would round out the top five.
Pirelli GT4 America Sprint Race 2 goes green on Sunday, September 22nd at 10:00am CT streaming live at https://www.gt4-america.com/watch-live.
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PROVISIONAL RESULTS - PDF LINK