The IMSA Acrua Grand Prix of Long Beach has come to an end. IMSA, IndyCar and Formula DRIFT all have events this weekend which meant a Saturday race day for IMSA fans. The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R took the overall win in the Long Beach sprint race. Drivers Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande took home the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class for Chip Ganassi Racing. The Cadillac ran one set of tires for the entire race. Through proper tire management and good race craft the Cadillac was able to navigate the field to lay down consistent lap times that kept them out in front.
The strategy call to forgo a tire change provide to be the deciding factor in the win. “It was quite cold, then the sun came out and it started to warm up,” van der Zande said. “We left it to the last minute to decide. They made the right choice for sure. Strategy won this race. The tires were kind of gone at the end; it was quite slippery. But I’m very proud of my team.”
Vasser Sullivan Stays on top with GTD Win
The No. 89 Vasser Sullivan tribute entry won the GTD class in Long Beach. The team entered the car to commemorate the year the Lexus brand started in America; 1989. The team secured the victory over the No. 96 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3. Parker Thompson and Ben Barnicoat drove the No. 89 to a brilliant victory that will be remembered as a testament to the legacy of racing at Lexus. “He crushed it,” Barnicoat said speaking about Thompson’s performance.
“Track record, and he was faster than me in the race too, so I might have to look out for my seat in the No. 14. He’s definitely one of the up-and-comers. He’s got a bright future and I’m very lucky to drive with him now. He’s going to achieve great things, no doubt.”
Full Race Result are Below