IMSA: Porsche dominates GTLM, Scuderia Corsa Ferrari take GTD at VIR

Porsche North America's Nick Tandy shattered the GT Le Mans track record in qualifying on Saturday and continued his mastery of the Virginia International Raceway circuit on Sunday as he and teammate Patrick Pilet demolished the field.

Pushing out to a lead of more than 25 seconds late in IMSA's TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Oak Tree Grand Prix, Tandy and Pilet toyed with the GTLM field with the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR. Behind them, Risi Competizione's Pierre Kaffer and Giancarlo Fisichella did their best to put up a fight--Kaffer was sharp once again--but the Porsches were too strong as the sister No. 912 911 RSR leapfrogged the Ferrari to give the German manufacturer a tasty 1-2 at VIR. The result also marked the team's second consecutive 1-2 after the team demonstrated a similar degree of domination at Road America.

"We've been really strong, but we've been executing perfectly," said Tandy who crossed the line 27.2 seconds ahead of teammate Earl Bamber. "It was a perfect run and when we do this, we always give ourselves a chance."

Fisichella was able to push Bamber on the final lap as the Porsche driver was busy saving fuel, yet fell 0.575 seconds shy in third.

Watching Tandy and Pilet crush GTLM field was impressive, but the most remarkable individual performance of the day belonged to Bill Sweedler, who raced his way to the GT Daytona lead and continued pulling away before handing his No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari F458 to Townsend Bell.

Sweedler reeled in the pole-sitting No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 driven by Dion von Moltke, stormed past, and never looked back. With Bell at the controls, the situation tightened as von Moltke's teammate Christopher Haase sat less than a half-second off the Ferrari's tail for a series of laps before Bell settled in and built a handy lead.

"It feels great, but we want to win a few more," said Sweedler after earning his first win of the year. "VIR is one of my favorite tracks, so it feels great to win here."

The Paul Miller Racing team gave every indication they would narrow the GTD championship battle as Haase held a solid second place with thirty minutes left in the event. With championship leader Christina Nielsen down in third, PMR could have caught the Danish driver in the standings, but an unforced error by Haase turned a sure second into an unrepresentative fifth. The German's off-track excursion helped Nielsen extend her championship lead after the team inherited second with the No. TRG-AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage.

Nielsen's teammate Kuno Wittmer, who took over to close the race in the No. 007, was unable to challenge the Scuderia Corsa Ferrari in the run to the checkered flag, and finished 14 second behind Bell. Mario Farnbacher and Ian James claimed a distant third in the No. 23 Alex Job Racing/Team Seattle Porsche 911 GT America.

With their win and the PMR team's troubles, Scuderia Corsa was promoted to second in the GTD standings.

Up next for IMSA Is the Lone Star Le Mans weekend at Circuit of The Americas on Sept. 18-19.

RESULTS - 92 LAPS: