Corvette Racing’s #3 Z06 GT3.R driver Alexander Sims doubted their second-place finish in Detroit was possible before the hectic sprint round.
Sims and his teammate, Antonio Garcia, faced a setback in qualifying when the latter driver caused a red flag in FP2, consequently losing their fastest qualifying lap time.
The Spaniard started on the fourth row on the grid, in eighth place, alongside AO Racing’s #77 Porsche 911 GT3.R driver Klaus Bachler.
Detroit’s Street Course was narrow and bumpy, which limited hopes for on-track overtakes during the 100-minute race, but the #3 Corvette sufficed after taking more risks during the pit stop cycles, which offered a more straightforward alternative to on-track passes.
“If I’m perfectly honest, no, I didn’t think this sort of result would be possible with a relatively normal strategy,” said Sims.
“But people fell off all around us. We gained a few positions on the pit stop, we had good pace in clear air, anyway.
“And it worked out for us this time. It’s impossible to overtake the Ford, but we had the car underneath us.
“Our Corvette was really working well around the streets here in Detroit.
“And yeah, after the pit stop, I took some big risks to try to get the lap time on the out-lap in case we needed to jump people on the stop, which we ended up doing, so it paid off, for sure.
“It all worked out well. I couldn’t ask for much more.
“The team did a great job.
“The Corvette felt nice. Thanks to Pratt Miller and everyone on the team.”
Sims pressured Mike Rockenfeller’s #64 Ford Mustang GT3 to the checkered flag. Despite finishing second, the #3 duo ultimately overtook them in the Drivers’ standings.
READ MORE – Ford’s Mike Rockenfeller beats Corvette to IMSA Detroit sprint victory
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