Where apparently Thar’ll bee More Racin’s Rubbin
going on, Righto?
By now Y’all have Heard the News about IMSA’s
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series returning to Indianapolis Motor
Speedway next year. As the Sports Cars will race at Mother Speedway on
September 17, 2023 in their normal “Sprint” race duration of Two Hours and 40
minutes, before Years 2-3 will become longer Endurance events.
Arse-sumably in order to allow the various
IndyCar Teams who’ll be running new IMSA GTP Sports Car operations, i.e.;
Ganassi, Meyer Shank, Penske and Rahal Letterman Lanigan the opportunity to
sprinkle some of Thar IndyCar Drivers into the
Mix.
As Sports Cars raced three times previously
between 2012-2014 under then the Gran Am Series before becoming the United Sports
Car series. As here’s what I’ve gleamed from what miniscule information’s
available…
Brickyard Grand Prix
July 27, 2012: Grand Am, Round 9 of 13; 3hrs
July 26, 2013: Grand Am, Round 10 of 13; 3hrs
July 25, 2014: United Sports Cars, round 9 of 13; 2hr 45mins
2012 Brickyard Grand Prix
The inaugural Grand Am series Brickyard Grand
Prix was won by somebody known here upon No Fenders as le Hamburgular’, aka
Sealmeister B’, nee SeaBass’ or just plain ‘Ol Sebastien Bourdais and Alex
Popow, driving the No. 2 Starworks Motorsports Riley/Ford Daytona Prototype. (DP)
As the race featured nine Cautions and was run in Heavy Rain!
As ‘Ol Scooter’, nee Scott Pruett and Co-Driver
Memo Rojas limped Thar Damaged Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) Riley/BMW home second.
With Wayne Taylor Racing’s Ricky Taylor and Max “the Ax” Angelelli finishing
third aboard their #10 Corvette DP.
Reportedly that Montoyer’ Feller was involved
in multiple incidents when liberally applying the Chrome Horn treatment to
fellow competitors! As Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray and Scott Dixon finished
fourth in the #02 CGR entry.
Andy “The Enforcer” Lally and John Potter were victorious
in the GT Class in Thar Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3, finishig fifth Overall.
And Speaking ‘O Chrome Horns, Good ‘Ol Sugar
Ray Tracy’, nee PT’, or just plain Paul Tracy. Hmm, is Thar something as a “Plain”
Paul Tracy, Eh? Saw Pt’ and Co-Driver Jim Lowe finishing P17 Overall and sixth in
the DP Class aboard their No. 77 Dallara/ford Daytona Prototype.
Presumably completely overlooked was bill
Lester driving aboard the #88 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro with Jordan Taylor in
the GT Class. As the pair finished 14th Overall and 10th in
class.
2013 Brickyard Grand Prix
The 2013 Brickyard Grand Pris was the final iteration
under the Grand Am Sanctioning series and was won for a second year in-a-row by
the Starworks Motorsports team. Alex Popow won for a second consecutive year,
this time paired with Ryan Razzle Dazle’ Dalziel in the No. 2 Riley/Ford Daytona
Prototype.
Chip Ganassi Racing once again fielded it’s two
cars with the #01 Riley/BMW chauffeur by Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, who
finished Runner-up for a second consecutive outing at Mother Speedway. While
the #02 was driven by Joey Hand and TK’ Follow your Schnoz! Kanaan, who finished
ninth.
Finishing third Overall was the Gainsco/Bob
Stallings Racing’s Johnny CCR’ Fogarty and Alex Gurney aboard Thar No. 99 “Red
Dragon” corvette DP, Remember them Y’all? As this Duo Dominated Gran AM for
awhile before vanishing from the scene…
Drivers of note included ‘Ol rubino’, aka
Rubens Barrichello in the #77 Doran Racing Dallara/Ford (DP) finishing fifth
Overall with co-Driver Doug Peterson. And Defending Race winner Sebastien Bourdais
now in the No. 4 8Star Motorsports Corvette DP finishing P11.
The Tintops’ Gran Torismo (GT) category was won
by Mad Mas Papis and Jeffry, Not Steven’ Seagal aboard the No. 61 AIM
Motorsports Ferrari 458 Italia.
2014 Brickyard Grand Prix
The final Brickyard GP was run under the auspices
of the newly formed tudor United Sports Car series moniker, the mergified Grand
Am and American Le Mans Series having combined for 2014. And once again Scott
Pruett must have been wondering if Thar was a curse upon Him at Mother Speedway?
Since Pruett and co-Hort, Err Co-Driver Sage Karam once again finished
Runner-up in the #01 CGR Riley/Ford Eco boost, Pruett’s third Runner-up finish
at the Brickyard.
As the race was won by Joao Barbosa and
Christian Fittipaldi driving the #5 Action Express Racing corvette DP entry, with
Barbosa crossing the Yard ‘O Bricks just 49 seconds ahead of Pruett! While Richard
“Westie” Westbrook and Michael Valiante came home third in the #90 Spirit of
Daytona Racing Corvette DP.
Former A.J. Foyt Enterprises IndyCar driver “Union” Jack Hawksworth along with Chris Cumming won the PC class. While Jonathan Bomarito who just announced His retirement, won the GT LM (Le Mans) category with Kumo Wittner in a Factory SRT Dodge viper GTS/R and Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal won the GT Daytona (GTD) category aboard their #63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia.
