Podium finish for Sandy in Detroit
Lamborghini Factory Driver Sandy Mitchell, bags first Pro Class podium for Temerario GT3 after late IMSA drama in Detroit with PFAFF Motorsports
Sandy and team-mate Andrea Caldarelli delivered a storming performance to clinch their first podium finish in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In a dramatic final six minutes in downtown Detroit the duo, who started 10th on the grid, took the chequered flag in second position. “That was simply unbelievable,” stated Sandy, the 26-year-old from Forfar and in his first full season racing the No9 Lithia & Driveway Temerario GT3 prepared by top Canadian team, Pfaff Motorsports, in the GTD Pro class. “What a brilliant race.”
In addition to being Sandy’s first IMSA podium finish, the result marked the first Pro Class top three for the all-new Lamborghini Temerario GT3 on only its third competitive race. It was also a race which illustrated the never-say-die approach required in endurance racing.
“We never quite hit the sweet spot with the car through the free practice sessions and qualifying,” explained Sandy, who was also making his first appearance at the bumpy, 1.645-mile, nine-turn street course, “and we were disappointed to only qualify 10th in GTD Pro for the 100-minute race.”
The Scot took the first stint, sensibly staying out of trouble on the tight, unforgiving circuit, which in places is barely two cars wide. By the time he pitted after 30-minutes to hand over to fellow Lamborghini works driver Caldarelli, the Scot — personally-backed by Tunnocks and Dama Fortuna Premium Tequila — had climbed to sixth place, including clocking a fastest time of 1min 11.116secs. The Italian rejoined in eighth place and set about reeling in the cars ahead of him. With 30-minutes remaining the #9 car was back to sixth, 5.8secs behind the #1 BMW in fifth. Eight minutes later the gap was just 0.6s. Then with 19-minutes to go there was a Safety Car period for debris on-track, bunching the field up. No sooner had the race gone green again, than immediately there was another Safety Car period to recover more debris following another incident.
With only six minutes remaining, the race went green again with the top six in GTD Pro running nose-to-tail. At the end of the first racing lap, the second-placed #14 Lexus had to serve a drive-through penalty, promoting the #9 Lamborghini to fifth. Caldarelli then was put under immense pressure by the #64 Ford. Then drama, with three minutes remaining. Heading into the tight left-handed hairpin at Turn Three, the second-placed #4 Corvette moved under braking and collided with the third-placed #15 Lexus which carried on wide at the corner but retained third. In that split second, Caldarelli also dived down the inside of the #1 BMW to take fourth.
More was to come. The #4 Corvette was immediately delivered a drive-through penalty for blocking, promoting the #9 Lamborghini to third. Then on the final lap, the #15 Lexus slowed with damage and the Lambo took the chequered flag in second, just 1.9secs off the win.
“That was an absolutely chaotic, but brilliant finish,” Sandy said as he celebrated with Caldarelli and the whole Pfaff Motorsports team. “We managed to stay out of trouble and avoid the carnage throughout the race, and in the end the result came to us. “It’s fantastic to deliver the first Pro Class podium for the Temerario GT3 at the start of its racing life. And personally it’s great to be on the podium with Andrea and the Pfaff Motorsports crew in only my fourth race with them this season. We all persevered right through the weekend and the race, and ultimately bagged our first podium. I’m so happy.”
Sandy returns to IMSA action in the last weekend in June when the championship heads to the iconic Watkins Glen International in New York State.
