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Sebastian Priaulx from AO Racing is expecting a challenging Six Hours of Glen for his Porsche 911 GT3.R #77, despite securing consecutive wins in the last two races of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
“Last year, I believe we weren’t that strong there either,” he replied. “It’s just one of those tracks that doesn’t suit our car in the best way.
“I mean, we have a long straight and we’re a bit lacking in power, I would say, maybe a bit.
“Because our car performs better in other corners and you need to balance that.
“Some cars struggle in certain corners and that’s why we stand out… But Watkins is all about that power uphill, and sometimes it feels like we’re a bit lacking in that, maybe.
“But we’ll go out there and give our best, and whatever happens, we’ll do our best.
“And it’s been a good season so far and you don’t always need the fastest car to win.
“So it’s just a matter of staying calm and composed, and giving our best.
“But I’m sure it will be a close race. Let’s just wait and see when we’re out there.
“We don’t know, so let’s just stay focused and go for it.”
This race will mark AO Racing’s first appearance at Watkins Glen in the GTD Pro category, after competing with number #80 last year in GTD. Last year, team owner Hyett qualified in 12th place out of 20, but dropped to 14th during the race due to lack of competitiveness.
However, this year, the Porsche has achieved more success after winning the previous two IMSA sprint races at Laguna Seca and Detroit, putting Priaulx and co-driver Lauren Heinrich at the top of the GTD Pro standings with 1359 points.
In the third endurance race of the IMSA WeatherTech of the year, the duo will need to defend their 84-point advantage against the Lexus #14 duo from Vasser Sullivan, Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth, who participated in the rain-soaked 24 Hours of Le Mans last week.
While ‘Rexy’ battles at Watkins Glen, they can take advantage of mistakes made by other competitors, especially with the forecast of rainy weather for the entire weekend, as Vasser Sullivan emerged victorious last year in both GTD and GTD Pro.
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