Left to right: Spencer Pumpelly, Phil Frengs and Nick Galante celebrate at Daytona. Sponsorship from Legistics and team support from Rennsport One.
The 2016 racing season got off to a fantastic start on January 29th as Nick Galante and Spencer Pumpelly charged to a thrilling second place finish in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. In their inaugural appearance as co-drivers of the Legistics-sponsored No. 17 Porsche Cayman, the veteran Pumpelly and the up-and-coming Galante demonstrated the transformative power of great collaboration.
The day didn’t start out particularly well. Driving a new car under rainy conditions, Galante qualified a disappointing 14th out of 29 cars in the ST class. But like all great athletes, he quickly mastered the learning curve. By race time, the track was dry and Nick was raring to go. With every passing lap, he became more comfortable with the car and more aggressive in his approach. Galante had advanced to 6th place by the time he handed the warmed-up Porsche over to Pumpelly at a pit stop halfway through the caution. After a nerve-wracking delay due to a broken fuel light, Pumpelly roared onto the track.
Pumpelly drew on his considerable experience, talent and skill to capitalize on Galante’s solid showing. Driving strategically throughout the second half, Spencer pounced with only minutes left in the race. In a heart-pounding finish, Team R1’s No. 17 raced past the third and second place drivers to claim second place – and a coveted spot on the podium. Not a bad beginning for a brand new team.