Viper Leads Ferrari By Three Points In GTD In Patrón Endurance Cup

Subtitle:Carter Approaching Sahlen’s Six Hours At The Glen As If It Were Two Races

Heading to Watkins Glen International leading the GT Daytona (GTD) class of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, Al Carter is approaching the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 28 as two separate races.

The race, is the third round of the Patrón Endurance Cup, which features the four classic endurance races on the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship schedule. The event will award points at both the halfway point and race finish.

“We can’t let our guard down, because there are good teams challenging us,” said Carter, who along with fellow No. 93 Riley Motorsports/ViperExchange.com Dodge Viper GT3-R driver Cameron Lawrence leads the GT Daytona (GTD) class by three points over the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari F458 Italia ,27-24. “The three-hour mark is like a checkered flag for us. Every time they award points for the Patrón Endurance Cup, we’ll be racing like we’re going for the checkers.”

Carter and Lawrence – along with Dominik Farnbacher, Kuno Wittmer and team owner Ben Keating – won three of the four points-paying segments while winning the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona. The pair – joined by Marc Goossens – earned two bonus points while finishing fourth in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida.

“We’ve been focused on the Patrón Endurance Cup since November,” Carter said. “We’re looking good halfway through the season, so we just need to keep our focus and keep the points rolling in.”

Goossens will return to the No. 93 Viper for Watkins Glen, joining Carter and Lawrence.

“We have a solid team, and when everyone’s working for the same goal, you get the results like we had at Daytona,” Carter said. “’The Goose’ (Goossens) is the steady, stalwart, experienced guy, and Cameron is a great up-and-coming driver. I can’t wait to get back in action at The Glen.”

Scuderia Corsa drivers Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell are coming off a third-place finish in the GTE-Am class at last weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans – the first time at the French classic for both the team and drivers.

The Riley Motorsports No. 33 Dodge Viper with Keating and brothers Jeroen and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen are tied for third with Christina Nielsen in the No. 007 TRG-AMR Aston Martin Vantage, with 19 points each. Nielsen will be joined at The Glen by Wittmer, the 2014 GT Le Mans (GTLM) champion.

Fifth in the standings with 17 points is the No. 22 Alex Job Racing WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America with Cooper MacNeil, Leh Keen and Andrew Davis.

The Patrón Endurance Cup concludes with the 10-hour Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta on Saturday, Oct. 3.