Sunday’s HSR Watkins Glen Historics concludes action-packed weekend at The Glen

A full Sunday slate of Historic SportsCar Racing (HSR) competition brought an exciting four-day weekend at Watkins Glen International to a close, with the HSR Watkins Glen Historics headlining the final day of on-track action.

The picturesque Finger Lakes circuit provided the backdrop for nearly 10 hours of racing on Sunday as competitors battled across multiple run groups in races that counted toward HSR's season-long championship campaigns. The packed schedule capped a weekend that showcased a diverse field of historic sports cars and vintage racing machinery and also include Saturday’s fourth running of the HSR Classic Watkins Glen 6 Hour.

The Grand Prix Classics open-wheel competitors opened their Sunday schedule with the first of two races on the day. In Race 1 for Groups 4B and 4C, Travis Engen guided the No. 12 GMT Racing 2001 Lola T97/20 to victory in the Modern Formula class after holding off fellow class competitor Marc Giroux in the 1997 No. 30 Lola T97/20. Engen secured both the overall and Group 4C victories, while Giroux finished second overall and in class as the pair staged a spirited battle at the front of the field.

Jim Kelleher completed the overall podium in third and claimed top honors in the Historic Formula division aboard the1980 No. 80 March 80A entered in Group 4B.

The battle between Engen and Giroux resumed in Race 1 for Run Group 4A, with Dave Handy joining the fight at the front in his No. 2 SascoSports 1968 Brabham BT29. The trio traded the lead multiple times throughout the race, putting on one of the most entertaining contests of the day.

In a dramatic finish, Engen emerged victorious by just 0.024s aboard his No. 1 1970 Chevron B17b, completing a sweep of the opening Grand Prix Classics races while also claiming top honors in the Vintage Formula category. Handy crossed the line a close second after challenging for the lead throughout the race, while Giroux completed the podium in third aboard his 1969 No. 59 Brabham BT29.

Following the opening Grand Prix Classics races, the first of three hour-long feature events got underway with the B.R.M. Chronographes Legacy/Modern Endurance Race. After the field completed its mandatory pit stops, Paul Lahaye maintained control of the race overall and in the Modern Sport Prototype (MSP) division, piloting the Mazda-powered No. 4A 2006 Elan DP02/2.0L for One Motorsports to victory.

Joining Lahaye among the Modern-era class winners was HSR newcomer Clay Huber, who enjoyed a successful debut weekend with the series by claiming top honors in the GT Modern (GTM) category. Huber drove his bright orange 2005 No. 22 Porsche 996 GT3 Cup to the win.

Mitch Eitel and Mark Hamilton Peters earned top honors among the Heritage competitors in their eye-catching green No. 49 Chevron B16 while also finishing second overall. Alan Benjamin and Barry Waddell returned to the podium after a strong showing in Saturday's Classic 6 Hour, securing second in class aboard their No. 21 1992 Porsche 964 Carrera Cup prepared by Boulder Classics. Franklin Farrow completed the Heritage podium in his No. 17 1974 Porsche 911 RS.

In the Vintage category, 901 Shop swept the podium as Todd Treffert remained inside the top three for all 27 laps to continue his stellar weekend behind the wheel of the 1972 No. 141 Porsche 911 S/T and claim class honors. David Agretelis, driving the 1972 No. 66 Porsche 911 S/T, continued his strong weekend after earning his second consecutive Group A GT victory in Saturday's six-hour race and finished second. Craig Watkins completed the podium in third aboard his 1968 No. 46 Porsche 911 S/T.

As the day progressed into the afternoon, changing weather conditions added a new wrinkle to the competition. One of the first events to feel the effects was the one-hour Mission GT Endurance Challenge presented by Pirelli, but Ben Myers controlled the event from the drop of the green flag aboard his 2017 No. 29 Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup prepared by the 901 Shop. Myers led all 60 minutes to take the overall victory and GT3 class honors.

Mark Boden and Greg Schermer, sharing the No. 145 Fall-Line Motorsports 2018 Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup moved into second during the pit-stop cycle after overtaking Andrew Myers. Boden and Schermer held the position through the closing stages, while Andrew Myers completed the overall and GT3 podium in the yellow No. 51 901 Shop 2018 Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup.

Among the GT4 competitors, Kevin Clayton made a decision to start on rain tires that paid dividends as conditions deteriorated. Clayton led every lap in class aboard his Kingpin Racing-prepared 2020 No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT4 to secure the victory. Drew Ewing and Chris Ferraro climbed through the field to earn a runner-up finish, while Keith Holdbrooks and Tyler Hoffman completed the podium aboard his No. 88 2020 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport to cap a strong race for the Kingpin Racing stable.

The afternoon shifted back to Grand Prix Classics competition as Group 4A returned for its final race session of the weekend, albeit in a shortened race compared to Sunday's opening contest. Alex Gee claimed top honors among the trio of Vintage Formula entries, driving the No. 71 1969 Lynx B Formula Vee to victory. Arnie Carbaugh followed home in second aboard his No. 12 1969 Lynx B Formula Vee, giving the Lynx-driving duo a 1 - 2 finish. Giroux rounded out the podium once again, bringing his 1969 No. 59 Brabham BT29 home in third to complete the weekend with a pair of podium finishes.

The final hour-long race of the weekend saw the HSR Prototype Endurance Challenge presented by Michelin take center stage. Two full-course caution periods shuffled the running order throughout the event, but the duo of Pierce Marshall and Eric Foss continued the momentum from Saturday's Classic 6 Hour victory. Piloting their re-branded gray No. 01 Matador Motorsports Cadillac Dallara DPi, Marshall and Foss captured the overall victory to close out a successful weekend at Watkins Glen.

Leandro Juncos, making both his Watkins Glen debut and first start in a Ligier prototype, teamed with Paul Arnold to secure a runner-up finish aboard the No. 14 PTC Motorsports 2021 Ligier JS P320. Matt Graham completed the overall podium in third with the No. 31 2020 Ligier JS P320 entered by LMP3 Canada.

Historic SportsCar Racing's next event takes competitors and fans across the Atlantic Ocean to the hallowed grounds of Circuit de la Sarthe for the HSR NASCAR Classic at Le Mans Classic, July 2-5. The event will feature 36 historic and iconic stock cars spanning multiple eras of NASCAR competition, bringing a unique piece of American motorsports history to one of the world's most legendary racing venues.