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Andy Pilgrim led from pole to checker to capture his eighth-career SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship win Saturday at New Jersey Motorsport Park's Thunderbolt Raceway. Randy Pobst completed a K-Pax Racing Volvo sweep.
Driving the No. 8 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60, Pilgrim got the holeshot on the standing start from the pole with his [Weismann] all-wheel drive system and set sail. Only a mid-race caution, when a five-minute drizzle dampened the 2.25-mile circuit, could bring the field close to Pilgrim. On the race's restart, he maintained his advantage to take the win in just his third start for K-Pax Racing.
Pobst’s run to the podium was more difficult. Starting second in the
No. 1 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60, the defending series Champion crept
just prior to the start, resulting in a stop-and-go penalty that
sent him to the rear of the field.
“I was trying to keep the clutch real close to the engagement point,” Pobst said of the start. “I just twitched my foot when the lights came on and it was enough to move the car forward. The whole time that thing was rolling; I knew I was going to get a black flag and have a stop and go."
With the lap-23 restart on a damp circuit, Pobst’s [Weismann] all-wheel drive took over, launching him to second by the time the field completed its first lap back to green.
Pilgrim beat his teammate to the checkered flag by 0.433-second, averaging 83.835 mph over the course of the 30-lap, 67.5-mile race. Pilgrim also earned the Débaufré Fast Lap of the Race, turning a 1:24.944 (95.357 mph) on lap two.
"The car was absolutely hooked up,” Pilgrim said. “It was a huge bonus when the rain came out. Obviously, with [Weismann] four-wheel drive, we have a huge advantage. I was running as hard as I could. At the end, I saw Randy come back up to fifth. I thought he was going to get by those other guys pretty quick because it is slippery. And, sure enough he was coming. As it dried out, I pushed it harder and harder and he was right there. He didn’t do any dive bomb moves on me thank goodness. It was a great day for K-Pax Racing and Volvo.”
Pobst was thankful to see the caution after having to work his way through the field. He worked his way back up to fifth before the caution came out, but the restart helped close the distance to the leaders.
“After stopping, the focus became driving the best I could. I knew that without a yellow or maybe if started raining, I would never be able to catch back up. I got both of those good breaks. So, for me, it was a very lucky day. I had a chance to catch Andy at the end, but he was just too strong.”
The race will be broadcast June 16 at 11 m.m. (PDT) on SPEED.
Driving the No. 8 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60, Pilgrim captured the team's second-consecutive pole with a fast time of 1:23.712 (96.760 mph), more than a second clear of the field.
“We’ve been doing a lot of these qualifying runs over the years and this was one of those rare occasions where you know it was an absolutely perfect lap,” Pilgrim said. “I was very surprised by the time. I hadn’t been close to that pace all weekend. It was just perfect for K-Pax Racing and Volvo.”
Following qualifying, Pilgrim won the coin toss, meaning the grid would remain as they qualified for the race. If he would have chosen incorrectly, the top five would have inverted, as it did for Pobst at the previous Round in Long Beach, Calif.
Pobst’s time of 1:24.764 (95.559 mph) in the No. 1 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60 was good for second on the grid. Brandon Davis, of Huntington Beach, Calif., was third fastest in the No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions/SunMicro Ford Mustang Cobra, with a 1:25.517 (94.718 mph).
