Goldcrest Motorsports Doubles Up in ST with Second Porsche

Goldcrest Motorsports has doubled its efforts for the 2016 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

After running only the No. 36 Strategic Wealth Racing Porsche Cayman last year, the Kennesaw, Georgia operation added the No. 22 Kris Wright Racing Porsche Cayman under its awning for the 2016 season. Both entries compete in the Street Tuner (ST) class.

Goldcrest represents a long-standing partnership between Bob Sanderson and Steve Cosgrove. A Porsche-dedicated shop, Goldcrest specializes in both street applications and preparing cars for both amateur and professional racing.

Kris Wright and Andy Lee pilot the No. 22 entry, joining Matt Dicken and Corey Lewis, who drive the No. 36. Dicken began the association with Goldcrest at the beginning of the 2015 campaign, finishing 17th in the ST standings. He joined up with Lewis three races into the season, going on to finish in the top 10 in three of the final four races. Their best finishes were ninth at both Road America and VIRginia International Raceway.

“We ran the full season last year with the No. 36 car, so adding the second car this year has been very helpful financially,” said Sanderson, who oversees the No. 22 car at the race track. “Learning from each other with setups and everything at the track also has been very beneficial for everybody involved.”

The team has enjoyed success this season. Dicken and Lewis took fifth in the season opener at Daytona in the No. 36 Porsche, and are currently 13th in the standings. Wright and Lee placed sixth at Sebring in the No. 22 and are currently eighth in the points, finishing  12th or better in all three races.

“We’ve had a little bit of back luck with the No. 36 car,” said Cosgrove, crew chief for the Strategic Wealth Porsche. “We were spun at Laguna Seca, that put us a lap down, and at Sebring there was an incident on track in front of us and debris cut down a tire. That hurt us pretty bad.”

TAs for the No. 22, the team came together just before the start of the season.

“I got the car three days before Daytona, so we had to run it just as it was delivered,” Sanderson said. “

With the break between the race in California and the upcoming Continental Tire 150 on July 2, both teams have logged test laps at Watkins Glen International.

“We’ve had some good testing, and now we’re really looking forward to Watkins Glen,” Cosgrove said. “I think Matt should do quite well there. We’re looking forward to a good finish, and getting back on track.”

Dicken and Lewis both participated in a two-day Continental Tire test last week at the completely repaved 3.4-mile circuit.

“It was probably Matt’s best test ever,” Cosgrove said. “He was not far off Corey’s times, much better than he’s ever done. The track is very good, too. It’s much faster than it was last year.”

Dicken was also pleased with the test.

"It was great to test at The Glen,” Dicken said. “We had a productive couple of days in the Strategic Wealth Designers car, and we can build on what we learned when we get back there for the race itself. The track is smooth and even faster than it was before, so I’m really looking forward to racing there.

“We keep building as a group every time we go out, so it is great to be able to get to the track during these longer breaks in the IMSA schedule.  The last few races have had some pretty bad racing luck for us, so the big thing for us is to have some clean races and to get some solid results again here in the second half of the season."

The No. 22 car was at The Glen two weeks ago, with Lee participating in a Porsche Club of America event.

“That was also a really good test,” Sanderson said. “We learned a lot about our tires with the new surface, and it was also Andy’s first time at that track. He loved it, picked it up real quick, and was pretty quick up there. Kris ran in club races up there when he was starting up.”

Sanderson is pleased with the progress of the two-car operation so far.

“Steve and the 36 crew ran all last season, while my crew is new with the 22 car,” Sanderson said. “We’re gelling as a team and with the drivers. We sharing information, and it’s working real well.”

However, Cosgrove was quick to point out, that sharing has its limit.

“When the green flag drops we go racing,” Cosgrove said. “To heck with the other car!”