Porsche Two For Two In COTA GT4 America Weekend
Matt Travis and Jason Hart (Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, shown above) claimed a dominant victory in Saturday鈥檚 Race 1, converting a pole-winning effort into the first win for Porsche鈥檚 new-for-2019 GT4 challenger in global sports car competition. The duo nearly pulled off victory in Race 2 as well, with Travis coming up just 0.155 seconds short after an impressive recovery drive in the closing stages of Sunday鈥檚 60-minute race. Trent Hindman teamed with Alan Brynjolfsson in the VOLT Lighting Porsche to eke out the Race 2 win, giving Park Place Motorsports its first victory in the team鈥檚 GT4 America debut. Hindman retook the lead on Lap 8 following the restart, but a quicker pit stop by the Nolasport crew saw Travis rejoin as leader with 25 minutes to go after the driver changes. Travis, however, was handed a drive-through penalty for his car鈥檚 stop being 0.7 seconds faster than the 81-second minimum pit stop delta for Pirelli GT4 America competitors this weekend, giving the lead back to Brynjolfsson鈥檚 Park Place Porsche.
Despite coming under pressure from Michael Dinan鈥檚 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche and Matt Fassnacht鈥檚 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, Brynjolfsson鈥檚 biggest challenge in the closing laps came from Travis, who bulled from fourth to second on the final lap. The near-photo finish resulted in another Porsche 1-2, with Fassnacht and co-driver Christian Szymczak finishing third overall and winning the GT4 East Am division. The Hindman/Brynjolfsson Porsche also picked up top class honors in GT4 East Pro-Am, while Nolasport鈥檚 Travis and Hart took maximum GT4 SprintX Pro-Am once again. ST Racing鈥檚 Jon Miller and Harry Gottsacker claimed victory in GT4 West Pro-Am with a fourth place overall finish in their BMW M4 GT4. Flying Lizard鈥檚 Dinan faded to fifth on the final lap, which was still enough for second in the GT4 Sprint Pro-Am class. This came after a technical infraction in Race 1 for Andretti and Thomson that saw the pairing lose Saturday鈥檚 class win and fourth place overall finish. Rounds 3 and 4 for Pirelli GT4 America SprintX take place at Virginia International Raceway on April 26-28, and will include the GT4 East series. GT4 West returns to action later this month at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in support of the California 8 Hours Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli round.
Not quite: According to GT-line boss Andreas Preuninger, American cars will receive a baffle in place of the filter to match the backpressure required for the engine鈥檚 tuning. The somewhat subdued sound can make it easy to get lulled into forgetting the innate wonderfulness of the engine sitting just aft of the rear axle, but one deep immersion into the 9,000 rpm power band quickly recalibrates any skepticism. With individual throttle bodies inherited from the GT3 R race car, there鈥檚 an even more organic, intuitive throttle response than the regular GT3 across the rev range. The magic that happens at higher rpm is particularly entrancing as the tach climbs toward redline: The thrust, especially in second gear, is intoxicating as the needle approaches the upper hash marks. But if you鈥檝e been fortunate to experience the raucous clatter of the GT3, you might find your ears missing the treble notes in this symphony. However, the plot twist hits like a velvet hammer when the winding road unfurls before you.
GT-loving fanboys may be disappointed at the news the Speedster sits 5-mm (0.2-inch) taller, with its dampers recalibrated for more softness (the springs remain untouched); after all, this is supposed to be the most hard-core convertible in Porsche history. But the effect is transformative. Whereas the GT3 Touring, even in its softest setting, can feel busy on somewhat smooth roads and jumpy over rough surfaces, the Speedster negotiates real-world pavement with agile grip and supple articulation. Massaging a tightly wound suspension system demands a delicate balance between sharpness and compliance, especially when it comes to the GT3鈥檚 competition-capable setup. And that鈥檚 where the Speedster鈥檚 strengths emerge: When the drivetrain delivers intense longitudinal thrills complete with negative g-force satisfaction thanks to a button that can select rev-matched downshifts, and carbon-ceramic brakes with slightly softer compounds that modulate stopping more easily. Press the ESC OFF button on the center console, and the Speedster becomes more playful, making it easier to exploit more of the engine鈥檚 502 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque when tapping into the throttle. When engaged, the stability systems work so well you鈥檙e hard-pressed to know they鈥檙e on.