Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian Watkins Glen Post-Race Report

Watkins Glen, N.Y. (28 June 2015) – Despite hundreds of hours of preparation helping the team arrive for the event well-prepared and highly competitive, a promising start to the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen event came to a disappointing and early end for Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian after a broken suspension took the team out of the race early after 3 hours and 27 minutes of running.

The result was all the more frustrating for the Ohio-based team, which had led all three practice sessions leading up to the event. Hopes of securing the pole position with the No. 60 Honda-powered Ligier JS P2, which showcased a brand new bright orange and silver livery, were high. Unfortunately, heavy rains on Saturday afternoon saw IMSA abandon the qualifying session, with Michael Shank Racing set for sixth on the grid set by points.Undeterred, the squad was ready to move forward with driver Ozz Negri tabbed to start the race. He delivered a great start in the No. 60 machine, moving up three positions in a matter of corners.Conditions were not ideal, with persistent but inconsistent rain making each lap a new challenge as the track continued to change. Negri settled into a rhythm running among the top-five through the opening segments on a slick track on the dry Continental Tires.“The car was very good and I was quicker than the guys ahead,” said Negri. “In the beginning, until we got heat in the tires, it was pretty hairy. But once we got heat in the tires the car picked up. We had very good speed, but it was hard to move forward—they (DPs) were quicker in different places. Through the Bus Stop I had nowhere to go, I was so much quicker than Joey (Hand). A few times I tried some bold moves, tried to pass him around the outside, but I thought it was a little bit risky and too early for that.”John Pew took over driving duties with a little over four hours remaining and returned to the track sixth in line. He had moved up into the top-five when contact with a GTLM car saw the No. 60 Ligier make slight contact with the wall.The damage was enough to eventually shear off a bolt on the suspension. The team worked to repair it on pit road, but when rain started falling (which ultimately red-flagged the race), the decision was made to retire the car. The team goes straight to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in two weeks, and with a lack of spare parts for the Ligier Honda, it was determined to be too much of a risk to send the car back out under such hazardous conditions.“I had an incident with a GTLM car,” said Pew. “It wasn't his fault, I was just trying to pass in the last corner. And I came out right behind him and was accelerating right behind him right at the exit curb. I either lost downforce because I was too close to him or there was a wet spot on the curb. But I think I lost the downforce. I tapped the wall, which damaged the front left tire. We lost some time in the pits there because we had to come in for a new nose. It also probably caused the problem with the suspension. The car definitely didn't handle well after that, I was driving with a crooked steering wheel. I was doing the best I could. The team did a great job, these guys did a fantastic job. I feel really bad for the Shank guys, they give it their all and they never complain. It’s my mistake. It's part of the business. It happens.”“At the end of the day, this is racing,” offered Negri. “These are extremely difficult conditions. It's unfortunate what happened to John (Pew) but he's the only amateur guy out there. It was treacherous for us pros, you can only imagine how it is for him. It is what it is. It happens in racing. We did the best we could. We had a fast car and that's all we can say. Now we will just look ahead to Mosport, I think that is another opportunity for us to do well and we will want to make the most of it. ”Michael Shank Racing next travels to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, a track that is expected to favor the P2 machine, in two weeks’ time.