Problems in free practice, a promising third in qualifying, but ultimately falling short of the podium: Mario Farnbacher’s race weekend in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was a real rollercoaster ride. The German finished fifth in class for 3GT Racing together with Jack Hawksworth after a difficult weekend.
Farnbacher’s teammate Hawksworth put the car in third position on the grid, which put the duo in a promising position ahead of the race. A rapid start saw the Brit rise to second, a position the 3GT Racing pair were able to maintain as the race progressed. However, tyre degradation and traffic around the tight circuit ultimately cost the Michigan-based team a podium finish at the Northeast Grand Prix.
“We had higher tyre wear to contend with with our Lexus RC F GT3 compared to our competitors,” explained Farnbacher. “Throughout all the sessions our focus was on preserving the tyres so that we would have an additional set for the race. That was a good strategy, even though it didn’t completely pay off with our finishing position. Nevertheless, I think we can still be quite happy with our result after the problematic start to the weekend.”
Free practice wasn’t a happy hunting ground for Hawksworth and Farnbacher on Friday, with the #15 car not able to progress beyond the back of the field in all three sessions. However, the crew at 3GT Racing didn’t let that get them down and worked hard on improving the set-up on the Lexus. The hard work paid off, too, with a third-place finish in qualifying marking a significant improvement on the previous day.
“It wasn’t an easy weekend for us,” said the 26-year-old after the race. “The team worked really hard and did a fantastic job. We made real progress in qualifying, even though the car isn’t exactly where it should be.”
