Benitez Splashes To Sweep

Subtitle:Series Veteran Wins Again At Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 27, 2015) – Angel Benitez Jr. completed a powerful return to the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama by winning Round 6 on Saturday, polishing off a sweep of both rounds at Watkins Glen International.

Venezuela native Benitez, who lives in Miami, earned his second win in as many days in the No. 05 JDX Racing Porsche by staying steady in a race shortened from 45 to 30 minutes due to driving rain. The race ended under caution.

Benitez made his first two starts of the season in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned Single-Make Series at this event. He has been a standout in the series since 2012, winning the 2012 Gold Cup championship and finishing third in the 2013 Platinum Cup standings with five victories and second in the 2014 standings with a series-high five victories.

“It’s raining, and it’s Watkins Glen, which is really difficult, so I am happy,” Benitez said. “I had so much fun – you just have no idea. It’s been a long time since I have had this much fun in a car. I am really happy to be here, and I have to thank Hertz and JDX for this.”

Series rookie Andrew Longe, from Naples, Florida, finished second in the No. 47 Fall-Line Motorsports Porsche. He tied his career-best finish, first set in Round 3 in mid-April at NOLA Motorsports Park.

Reigning Platinum Masters champion Kasey Kuhlman, from Cincinnati, placed third to earn his third overall podium finish of the season in the No. 15 Wright Motorsports entry. He also finished third in Round 2 in mid-March at Sebring International Raceway and Round 3 in mid-April at NOLA Motorsports Park.

Jesse Lazare, from Montreal, finished fourth in the No. 21 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche and regained the point lead from Elliott Skeer. Lazare leads Skeer, 84-81.

Michael Levitas, from Baltimore, finished fifth and was the Gold Cup winner in the No. 36 TPC Racing Porsche. It was the best overall finish this season for a Gold Cup competitor.

Benitez started second but took the lead for good when pole sitter Skeer was one of five drivers who spun off in Turn 1 after the start. Skeer, from Carlsbad, California, ended up ninth in the No. 14 Wright Motorsports Porsche.

Multiple incidents triggering caution periods never allowed drivers to gain a rhythm on the 11-turn, 3.4-mile circuit, and Benitez was able to stay in front of Longe on restarts.

Longe passed Kuhlman for second 17 minutes into the race and pulled to within .743 of a second of leader Benitez. But Longe never got a chance to challenge for the lead in the No. 47 Fall-Line Motorsports Porsche.

Michael Schein hit the barrier in Turn 10 with approximately seven minutes remaining in the No. 16 Wright Motorsports entry. The rear and front right of the car suffered heavy damage, leaving a trail of debris on track and triggering the final caution period of the race. Schein was unhurt.

“The Fall-Line Motorsports team put together a great car to run in such sub-par conditions,” Longe said. “This is my first time here in the rain, so it was a real learning experience the first couple of laps. I just tried to stay on track and avoid the accidents, so I couldn’t thank my team enough.”

Platinum Masters

Kuhlman earned his fourth Platinum Masters victory and fourth in a row. But Kuhlman admits he enters every race looking for an overall podium finish before Platinum Masters glory. Mission accomplished.

“I’m always trying to be a top five, but overall podium is the ultimate goal, and I am happy with that,” Kuhlman said. “I finally found my pace out there.”

Jay Patel, from Crown Point, Indiana, used a steady, conservative approach in the No. 00 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche to avoid other drivers’ incidents and earn his first podium finish since Round 2 at Sebring.

Charlie Putman, from Mills, Wyoming, placed third to earn his first podium finish of the season in the No. 40 Atlanta Motorsports Group entry. This was Putman’s first event weekend of the season in the series.

Gold Cup/Gold Masters

Levitas earned his second victory of the weekend and fourth consecutive Gold Cup win at Watkins Glen, as he swept both rounds here last year. Levitas started from the pole and never was threatened in the race.

“I can sum it up – playing it safe and smart,” Levitas said. “We kept at good pace. The DSC Sport/Tractive car just had amazing grip, and I was able to just stay up there in the top five with the Platinum guys and watch the rest of the field keep going back.

Jeff Mosing finished second in the No. 01 TOPP Racing Porsche, and David Ducote placed third in the No. 6 Kelly-Moss Motorsports entry. The top three was a mirror image of the Gold Cup finishers from Round 5 on Friday.

Gold Cup championship leader Mosing produced an inspired drive during the short stints of green-flag racing. He spun near the Turn 1 melee at the start and was forced to drive from the rear of the field to the second step of the podium.

“I finally got Levitas within view, but unfortunately we had to finish under caution,” Mosing said. “The Yokohama rains (tires) were really fun to work with. They were very predictable and forgiving, and I just really enjoy running a rain race.”

All three Gold Cup podium finishers are also Gold Masters competitors.

Gold Masters standout Wayne Ducote earned the Yokohama Hard Charger Award. He finished 15th after starting 26th in the No. 70 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche.

Round 4 Update

Unsuitable racing conditions caused by heavy, persistent rain forced IMSA officials, after consultation with race teams, to abandon the rescheduled Round 4 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama scheduled for today at Watkins Glen International.

IMSA will evaluate further consideration for replacement of this round, which originally was scheduled and postponed by rain April 12 at NOLA Motorsports Park.

Up Next

Rounds 7 and 8 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama will take place July 10-12 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, during the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix Presented by Hawk Performance weekend for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

ROUND 6 POST-RACE QUOTES:

ANGEL BENITEZ JR. (No. 05 JDX Racing, winner): “I am happy to be here again. It’s raining, and it’s Watkins Glen, which is really difficult, so I am happy. I had so much fun – you just have no idea. Just no idea. It’s been a long time since I have had this much fun in a car. I am really happy to be here, and I have to thank Hertz and JDX for this.”

ANDREW LONGE (No. 47 Fall-Line Motorsports, second): “It felt great. The Fall-Line Motorsports team put together a great car to run in such sub-par conditions. This is my first time here in the rain, so it was a real learning experience the first couple of laps. But the team gave me a great car to do it, and it was great. I just tried to stay on track and avoid the accidents, so I couldn’t thank my team enough.”

KASEY KUHLMAN (No. 15 Wright Motorsports, third, first Platinum Masters): “I feel pretty good. Third podium in the last four races. I’m always trying to be a top five, but overall podium is the ultimate goal, and I am happy with that. I finally found my pace out there. When we went back to yellow, I was ready to roll. The 47 car (Andrew Longe) passed me out of bounds for position, which makes me really unhappy, He was supposed to yield to me, and I had to back up so he didn’t crash us, so I should have been second, in my mind. But it is what it is, and I can’t complain with a third-place finish.”

JAY PATEL (No. 00 Kelly-Moss Motorsports, second Platinum Masters): “I just basically kept my nose clean. I tried to be aware that there were a lot of incidents. It was really slick out there. And I went over the wet line with the team, and the team really helped out with that. But the one thing was I just tried to keep it slow and even-paced and not making any sudden moves. I figured people were going to get me at the beginning, and I let that happen and thought I would just be consistent. Consistency would help me do better in the end, and that’s the pace I set for myself, and it led me here.”

CHARLIE PUTMAN (No. 40 Atlanta Motorsports Group, third Platinum Masters): “It was fun and fearful at the same time. Big melee at Turn 1 at the start, and I was fortunate to get to drive through the middle of it. I think it was more just happening to be in the right spot at the right time, more than anything. It got really wet, really damp, there for a while, and I just tried to push the Yokohamas as far as they would go until they would slip. By golly, I was surprised at what they could do. We were just out there playing in the rain for most of us. Some of the guys didn’t have too much fun, but that’s what happens in the rain.”

MICHAEL LEVITAS (No. 36 TPC Racing, winner Gold Cup, Gold Masters): “I can sum it up – playing it safe and smart. We kept at good pace. The DSC Sport/Tractive car just had amazing grip, and I was able to just stay up there in the top five with the Platinum guys and watch the rest of the field keep going back. It was a great drive, and my competitors just drove their heart out. I was listening on the radio, and they were just working their butts off, but on the last lap I knew we were going to have a shootout. I guess we were saved by the yellow.”

JEFF MOSING (No. 01 TOPP Racing, second Gold Cup, Gold Masters): “As expected, a lot of cars went off at Turn 1, and all I wanted to do was get through 1 with no carnage. But unfortunately I was over-focusing on everything going on around me, and I overshot the braking and ended up spinning the car completely around and bought (Michael) Levitas and (David) Ducote a lot of time. I had to work my way back up nearly from in the back. There is a definite rain line here, and I took advantage of that with a little bit of knowledge from a couple of years ago from a Conti (Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge) race, and I tried to work my way back up. I finally got Levitas within view, but unfortunately we had to finish under caution. The Yokohama rains (tires) were really fun to work with. They were very predictable and forgiving, and I just really enjoy running a rain race. It’s that added factor that most people aren’t used to. I embrace it and I really like doing it, and I am really looking forward to the rest of the day.” 

DAVID DUCOTE (No. 6 Kelly-Moss Motorsports, third Gold Cup, Gold Masters): “I was very cautious the whole time. I knew there were going to be a few yellows, so I wasn’t pushing hard enough early. But the plan was to stay clean and then see what happened toward the end of the race, but unfortunately it was shortened, so I didn’t get the chance. I settled for third, but I have a whole car.”

WAYNE DUCOTE (No. 70 Kelly-Moss Motorsports, Yokohama Hard Charger Award winner): “The Hard Charger is about keeping the car on the track, and I managed to pass two cars in one lap. But besides the fact that you really can’t see anything, it’s more difficult when you’re tip-toeing around the track and you have fog in front of you because of the 20 cars in front of you and you can see nothing. So you have to look out the side and figure out where you are supposed to stop and hope that nobody is stopped in front of you. But it’s fun. You have to really focus. I’m glad they shortened the race.”