After three weekends with three series, NOLASPORT’s month in Road America came to an end with Pirelli GT4 America, which saw the team earn a podium finish following a herculean effort.
In the No. 47 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, Matt Travis and Jason Hart powered through an incident on Friday and contact in Race 1 on Saturday to remain in the hunt for a podium in Race 2.
The team expertly timed the mandatory pit stop and driver change prior to a full-course yellow while other competitors did not, cycling NOLASPORT into third place with less than 15 minutes to go. Travis went on to defend the position versus a hard-charging BMW in fourth place, while also making a quick pass for second coming to the checkered flag.
Having now podiumed at the last three consecutive events, Travis and Hart remain second in the Pro/Am championship standings with two weekends remaining this season.
In addition to the team’s Pro/Am success on Sunday, the No. 52 Porsche of David Peterman and Lee Carpentier earned their best finish and first points of the season in eighth place, even running as high as third at the start.
The team’s No. 83 entry of Nelson Calle and Juan Pablo Martinez was also poised for top-10 finishes in the Am class this weekend, with a top-five also in sight for Race 2. However, incidents with other class cars in both races ended their chances early, but the pair will seek redemption at their home track in September.
NOLASPORT next travels to VIRginia International Raceway to continue its IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge schedule on August 25 – 27. The next rounds for Pirelli GT4 America are scheduled in a month’s time at Sebring International Raceway on September 22 – 24, with the team’s two-car effort in Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America taking place the weekend prior alongside Pilot Challenge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
For team news and updates throughout the season, follow NOLASPORT on Instagram and Facebook.
Quotes:
Jason Hart, No. 47: “Road America proved to be quite the challenge this year. Firstly, a huge thank you to the NOLASPORT team for all the extra effort and hours they put in to keep the No. 47 in the races along with our teammates’ cars! After a tough Race 1 and post-race analysis, we came to a simple conclusion, "Keep making good decisions." With that in mind, we put our heads down in Race 2 and came up with a fortunate second-place finish in class. This was a nice surprise, and it's good to see the pendulum of racing swing back our way. We are now focused on the triple header at Sebring, where Matt and I have had great results in the past. Thank you to our friends who follow along and support us, we feel you.”
Juan Pablo Martinez, No. 83: “Road America just wasn’t our weekend. We were feeling strong after testing and practices with a combined pace and with a car we felt could get us on the podium or a win. Unfortunately, luck was not in our favor with our pole being reversed for Race 2, and getting crashed into both races.
"I can’t thank the NOLASPORT team enough for all the hard work and extra hours they put in this weekend for our car. We are only going to bounce back stronger from this. We are looking forward to our next event at Sebring, our home track, with three races to make things right.”
David Peterman, No. 52: “Road America proved to be a challenging venue for us last weekend. We both made progress that resulted in our best performance in terms of finishing position. We were happy to finally collect some series points for the first time.
“The upcoming Sebring races are very important for us. Three races at Sebring give us the chance to execute at a high level and demonstrate what we believe we are capable of.”