WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Action Express Racing’s Jack Aitken was able to assume the lead with 44 minutes to go Sunday (June 28) when BMW M Team WRT’s Marco Wittmann pitted. From there, he was able to hold on to win the Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen with teammates Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti. It is the the team’s second straight victory.
“We knew we had a bit of a fuel advantage [over Wittmann and Nick Yelloly],” Aitken said during the post-race press conference. “So it was just trying to stay close to them and keep saving fuel, see if we could get by if there were any opportunities.
“We got out [of the pits] with a decent gap, and we were able to just manage it from there,” Aitken continued. [Just had to make sure we’re taking care of the car and managing the traffic, which is always a bit — a lot of fun here but quite scary at times.”
The margin of victory was 11.166 seconds over Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian’s Kakunoshin Ohta, Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly in the No. 93 Acura. JDC-Miller MotorSports’ Kaylen Frederick, Laurin Heinrich and Tijmen van der Helm were third, then BMW M Team WRT’s Sheldon van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor. Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr finished fifth.
Aitken led the 54-car field to green in his Cadillac. In the opening laps, he was able to open up a small lead.
Further back, Intersport Racing’s Jon Field had an eventful first 15 minutes. First, he had contact with Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Chris Cumming and went into the runoff at turn 1.
Later on, he spun in the Inner Loop after contact from Era Motorsport’s Naveen Rao and backed into the wall to bring out the race’s first caution. Service beyond what is allowed under emergency service rules resulted in a stop-and-60-second hold penalty right after the restart. Those issues put Intersport two laps down and out of contention.
Another caution followed shortly afterwards when Louis Deletraz was shoved into the grass by Myers Riley Motorsports’ Sheena Monk and clouted a Brembo advertising banner 35 minutes in. This resulted in a round of stops.
Then, an unusual incident occurred under caution. Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian’s Colin Braun made a second stop along with The Heart of Racing’s Roman De Angelis to top off their energy.
While trying to get past the GT cars as part of the class split, Braun suddenly slowed exiting turn 3 and De Angelis ploughed into the back of the Acura. DragonSpeed’s Henrik Hedman was also collected in his Corvette. All three drivers were ok. Braun and De Angelis were out on the spot, while Hedman was to continue after repairs
“I was told to commence with the wavearound of the GTs and LMP2s,” De Angelis told NBC Sports’ Chris Wilner. “Colin Braun was on that same strategy. Passing the GT cars, he moved over. There were a pack of cars stopped and a bunch of other people had the same reaction as me in not being able to stop in time. I wish I could have not been in that situation.”
A third incident for Field exiting turn 7 brought out the third caution of the race 77 minutes into the race. That finished the team for the day.
At Watkins Glen, the narrowest part of the course is in the middle of the Esses where it crosses over a tunnel. It is only 33 feet wide, something that you would not be allowed to build today. It came into play multiple times Sunday.
The Braun-De Angelis wreck was just the first one. On a restart later in the race, 13 Autosport’s Matt Bell and Inception Racing’s Ollie Millroy collided and spun exiting turn 3. The resulting incident collected Magnus Racing’s Spencer Pumpelly and Winward Racing’s Russell Ward. Millroy and Pumpelly were out on the spot, while Ward ended up in the paddock for repairs. Bell was able to continue with minimal issue.
In the fifth hour, Bamber was attempting to lap slower traffic when there was contact with AF Corse’s Simon Mann. Mann then went hard into the barriers, ripping a wheel and door off of his Ferrari. Mann was ok, but out on the spot.
This crash could have derailed Action Express’ day had the IMSA officials chosen to penalize Bamber for the contact. However, the officials decided to not even investigate the incident.
The caution brought everyone into the pits to set up their final strategy to the finish. Aitken got back in the Whelen Cadillac and won the race off the pit lane. Yelloly chose to stay out and assumed the lead.
Aitken re-assumed the lead when Yelloly pitted under green. Following the final round of stops, Aitken ended up with a six-second lead over the Acura. From there, he was able to hold on for the win.
Inter Europol Competition’s Jeremy Clarke started from the LMP2 pole and teamed up with AO Racing’s PJ Hyett to pull away from the rest of the class.
Pit strategy in the middle of the race, plus the copious number of cautions allowed a number of teams to have their time at the front. Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Manuel Espirito Santo led at one point, as did CrowdStrike Racing by APR’s Toby Sowery.
After Mann’s crash, Tower Motorsport’s Tristan Vautier assumed the advantage with AO Racing’s Dane Cameron giving chase. It did not take long for Cameron to make the move for the lead with 68 minutes to go. From there, Cameron was able to hold on to take the class win with Hyett and Jonny Edgar.
AO Racing’s margin of victory was a full lap over Sowery, George Kurtz and Alex Quinn. Era Motorsport’s Rao, Jacob Abel and Ferdinand Habsburg were third, then Clarke, Tom Dillmann and Bijoy Garg. United Autosports’ Paul di Resta, Dan Goldburg and Rasmus Lindh were fifth.
GTD Pro saw Vasser Sullivan’s Jack Hawksworth started from pole and set a decent pace in his Lexus. However, he was beaten out of the pits during the second caution by Paul Miller Racing’s Neil Verhagen.
The vast majority of the race saw Vasser Sullivan fighting with Paul Miller Racing and either one of the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvettes at the front.
Vasser Sullivan was able to reassume the lead during the fifth caution in the second hour. From that point on, the Lexus controlled the race in the class.
Pit strategy did affect the running order for the class in the last order. However, Hawksworth took the lead with seven laps to go when Risi Competizione’s Daniel Serra pitted. From there, Hawksworth held on to take the win with Ben Barnicoat.
Barnicoat and Hawksworth won by .550 seconds over Verhagen and Connor de Phillippi. Ford Racing’s Ben Barker and Dennis Olsen were third, then Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims. Serra and Davide Rigon.
In GTD, The Heart of Racing’s Zacharie Robichon started from pole by virtue of the class starting on points. His time at the front was very short-lived as Turner Motorsport’s Patrick Gallagher took over the lead early.
The class ultimately came down to fuel mileage. Conquest Racing’s Albert Costa was up front in his Ferrari with Turner Motorsport’s Robby Foley and Vasser Sullivan’s Aaron Telitz. However, one-by-one, everyone had to pit for fuel.
A caution with 25 minutes to go would have changed everything. However, that didn’t come. As a result, Gradient Racing’s Corey Lewis had to pit with 10 minutes to go.
That gave the lead to Manthey Racing’s Riccardo Pera, who was also on a conservation strategy. He likely would have had to pit as well, but a crash coming to the white flag for Ford Racing’s Christopher Mies brought out a caution that ended the race. Pera was able to coast to the class victory with Ryan Hardwick and Richard Lietz.
Manthey’s margin of victory was .538 seconds over Wright Motorsports’ Adam Adelson, Callum Ilott and Tom Sargent. YRB Racing’s Trenton Estep, Marius Fossard and Valentin Hasse-Clot were third, the best-ever finish for the team previously known as van der Steur Racing. Telitz, Frankie Montecalvo and Benjamin Pedersen were fourth, while Robichon, Eduardo Barrichello and Tom Gamble were fifth.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen Unofficial Results
Next up for WeatherTech teams is their sole trip of the season north of the border, but only for the LMP2 and GT classes. Coverage of the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will begin on July 12 at 2 p.m. ET on Peacock. GTP teams will race next at Road America on Aug. 2.
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the Frontstretch email newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the Frontstretch Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.
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