Bringing the heat: The July racing report​​
Jul 30, 2016

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It’s been a scorching hot summer for the RS1/Legistics/RickieFowler.com racing team. After their dramatic first-place finish on July 2nd at Watkins Glen International Raceway (see the previous post for the exciting play-by-play), co-drivers Nick Galante and Spencer Pumpelly headed north to Canadian Tire MotorSport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario for their July 7th race.

The team had a tough qualifying session, struggling to master the exceptionally fast and daunting track; as a result, they started the race from the 13th position out of 27 cars. After a good clean start, Nick maneuvered the No. 17 Porsche Cayman up to the 10th spot before handing the car off to his teammate at the halfway point in the race. Spencer went to work, methodically passing the field over the next dozen laps. With just 40 minutes remaining in the race, the No. 17 had advanced to the 4th position, and Pumpelly had the leaders in his sights.

Aggressive driving pays off

Battling through traffic, the car experienced light contact with one of the Audis in turn 5. Fortunately, damage was minimal, and Pumpelly was able to continue his relentless pursuit of the leaders. Seeing that his competitors’ tires were starting to wear and degrade, Spencer attacked and advanced to the lead with just 10 minutes remaining in the race. With the No. 44 Nissan breathing down his neck, Pumpelly was heading into a turn when his brakes momentarily locked up. The No. 17 took the turn wide and the No. 44 claimed the lead. Pumpelly crossed the finish line in 2nd place, with enough points to retain the teams’ lead in the season standings.

Hanging on tight at Lime Rock

The team would need all of those points as they headed to Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut on July 22nd. The short racetrack is notorious for its tight, twisting turns, suiting the lighter cars much better than weightier entries like the No. 17 Porsche Cayman. Nick Galante qualified the car in 14th position and did a great job during the first half of the race steadily advancing towards the front. He handed the car off in 6th place at the half. Spencer Pumpelly had his work cut out for him as the nimble Mazda MX5’s held on to their advantage in the top three spots. Pumpelly drove his heart out trying to catch up with the leaders; due to his heroic efforts, the No. 17 was the top finishing Porsche in the race and 4th overall. It was enough for Team RS1 Legistics to retain its lead in the standings going into the crucial races in August.

Follow Galante and Pumpelly as they tear up the tracks in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Keep an eye on our blog posts for some exciting news from the Road America race on August 6th – as well as updates on the upcoming “March to Atlanta” (VA on 8/27; TX on 9/16 and the exciting FINAL in GA on 9/30).