DragonSpeed driver Albert Costa was surprised by their Canadian Tire Motorsport Park win in GTD Pro, given that they qualified last in class.
“It was a big surprise,” he told the media, including Motorsport Week, in a press conference ahead of the upcoming 180-minute Road America sprint race on 3 August.
“We were last in qualifying and didn’t expect anything. I’ve never won a race by not pushing, just managing fuel.
“It was strange. We didn’t even realise (process) we won until two or three days later.
“After qualifying, the only chance we saw was a lot of yellows and a one-stop strategy. It was crazy.
“I was constantly told to save more fuel — even more than I thought possible.
“The last full-course yellow helped us finish. Funny thing — when I overtook Catsburg (#4 Corvette), I didn’t know it was the winning move.
DragonSpeed rides on a wave of momentum with four podium finishes in the past three races, and is looking to continue that at the upcoming SportsCar Grand Prix at America’s National Park of Speed.
DragonSpeed chases reigning champions
Sitting third in the championship standings, Costa/DragonSpeed (#81 Ferrari 296 GT3) is only 14 points away from the reigning GTD Pro champions in second, the #77 AO Racing ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 GT3.R driven by Klaus Bachler and Laurin Heinrich.
“No, not really,” Heinrich replied in the press conference when asked about whether he expected to contend for another GTD Pro Drivers’ championship title — in only his second IMSA season.
“I came with high hopes, but IMSA is incredibly tough.
“The level of drivers, teams, and tracks is amazing. I came to IMSA to challenge myself.
“I understand the racing better. For example, last year at Daytona, I jumped in and started pushing immediately.
“This year, I knew to just stay alive early on. When that big crash happened in the night, I stopped on track to avoid it.
“Last year, I wouldn’t have done that.”
READ MORE – 49 entries set for Road America SportsCar Grand Prix
