A tough race, close duels and an enthralling final phase: It was a real rollercoaster ride for Mario Farnbacher at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship performance in Ohio. In the end, the Franconian and teammate Matt McMurry secured a fifth place and defended their championship lead in the GTD class.
“The result is rather disappointing”, Farnbacher explains. “We were heading for the podium until an opponent touched me and I left the track. At least we were able to haul in some points with a fifth, but more would definitely have been possible.”
Meyer Shank Racing’s Qualifying second created a promising starting position for a possible fifth podium finish of the season. And the Acura NSX GT3 drivers were also on course for a top 3 for a long time.
But the end of the race saw them ranking fifth. Due to a collision with an opponent, the 28-year-old had to pit about 30 minutes from the checkered flag, but thanks to the crew’s fast work, Farnbacher didn’t lose any laps and his strong performance enabled him to make several positions good.
“Matt delivered another great performance. However, our strategy made us poker a bit, which wasn’t ideal”, Farnbacher sums up. “I’m glad I got to cross the finish line after my involuntary ride off the track and at least that meant partially cutting our losses.”
Farnbacher and Mc Murry continue their GTD standings lead. With 176 points they lead by three points ahead of Aaron Telitz.
Next stop on the IMSA calendar is the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on 9 and 10 October. But before that, the second race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge season is scheduled for 2 to 4 October. In US Indiana, the Ansbach native will be driving for Team Honda Racing. Together with Dane Cameron and Renger van der Zande, he’ll be behind the wheel of the Honda NSX GT3 Evo.
