TUSCC Laguna Seca – the LMPC and GTD race gallery

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RacerViews photographer, Jim Fonseca was at the TUSCC Laguna Seca round over the weekend for the new-for-2014 two race weekend.  Here is the LMPC and GTD race gallery and rundown.

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A would-be race for second wound up being the battle for the win in the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda after the GT Daytona class-leading Audi R8 LMS of Spencer Pumpelly ran out of fuel coming out of the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Corkscrew on the final lap of Sunday’s two-hour race.

Pumpelly’s misfortune played right into the hands of Dane Cameron in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 started by Markus Palttala. Cameron held off a hard-charging Christopher Haase in the final corner to pick up the win. Meanwhile, Pumpelly stopped approximately 100 yards short of the start-finish line for a heartbreaking sixth-place finish.
– See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/thrilling-victory-turner-motorsport-bmw-z4?invalidate-cache=1399218853#sthash.eN56PmMJ.dpuf

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A would-be race for second wound up being the battle for the win in the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda after the GT Daytona class-leading Audi R8 LMS of Spencer Pumpelly ran out of fuel coming out of the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Corkscrew on the final lap of Sunday’s two-hour race.

Pumpelly’s misfortune played right into the hands of Dane Cameron in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 started by Markus Palttala. Cameron held off a hard-charging Christopher Haase in the final corner to pick up the win. Meanwhile, Pumpelly stopped approximately 100 yards short of the start-finish line for a heartbreaking sixth-place finish.
– See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/thrilling-victory-turner-motorsport-bmw-z4?invalidate-cache=1399218853#sthash.eN56PmMJ.dpuf

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“Even a lap down, I was running with some of the good guys that were there in the end and we seemed to be quite competitive, so we can be happy with that,” Bleekemolen said. “We just need that one more lap I guess and we would have been fighting for a podium. The positive thing is there is always a next time. If we can build on this one and get everything together, we are definitely a team that people will notice.” – See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/viperexchangecom-ben-keating-and-jeroen-bleekemolen-finish-imsa-tudor-return-monterey#sthash.YSl3h0sE.dpuf

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BOBBY OREGEL – Team Owner – PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports

“I couldn’t be more proud of the team for working so hard to get us here. After our last new car was totaled at Sebring, the order for the new tub was sent out immediately and the boys at the shop worked tremendously to get the 250+ hours in to get ready for Laguna.

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“The changes made after qualifying made the 8Star Motorsports ORECA feel much better and I knew we had a really good car going into the race,” said Diaz. “The goal was to achieve a podium finish for our new sponsor, Takis, and everyone at 8Star. Sean (Rayhall) had done a great job all weekend and we was in a position to fight for the win, if everything went well.

“In the end, I think we did everything we could. Our strategy didn’t help us and the yellow flags were definitely not beneficial to us, but the team did a great job in the pit stops, making no mistakes, and, while Sean tried to pull off a pass that didn’t work, I think that was the way to play it – he carried great momentum. I am really happy and this is a great result for 8Star Motorsports and Takis!”

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What was on target to be a perfect race weekend ended in heartbreak for Spencer Pumpelly when his No. 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Audi A8 LMS ran out of fuel on the final lap while leading the Monterey Grand Prix presented by Mazda. – See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/heartbreak-pumpelly-monterey#sthash.VqLh7787.dpuf

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“If they were going to finish or not was outside of our control,” Cameron said of trying to catch Pumpelly, who held an 11-second lead at the white flag. “He was too far ahead to catch him on pace so my only concern was to maintain the [second-place] position and make sure there was no way the Audi was going to get around us.

“Once I was clear of [Pumpelly] I was pretty sure I could get a good enough exit off the last corner. The Audi was quicker than us on top speed, but not until we came over the top of the hill [after the start-finish line]. I thought as long as he was beside us on the final corner we would be able to seal the deal.”
– See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/thrilling-victory-turner-motorsport-bmw-z4?invalidate-cache=1399218853#sthash.eN56PmMJ.dpuf

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James Davison, driver, No. 007 TRG-Aston Martin Vantage GT3: “Our race began before this last weekend. We received a BOP penalty that we strongly disagreed with and that put us in the position that the only way that we would get a result is on strategy or attrition. So we ran a fuel mileage race, which was a new experience for me, and our car was simply not competitive with these new rules.” – See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/trg-amr-works-hard-strong-finish-007-entry-laguna-seca#sthash.OZ7asv3h.dpuf

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg7-i3V4P9w&list=PLf7wapfsaSfgvpsxKoew84n-7tIivYfIt&feature=share&index=1

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Photos by Jim Fonseca

Words from press materials

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