- Katherine Legge, Alvaro Parente maximize strategy to finish fourth in GT-only run
- Legge, Acura remain second in tight GTD drivers’, manufacturers’ championship battles
- Lawson Aschenbach, Justin Marks victims of early-race contact
A fourth-place finish Saturday at Lime Rock Park for Alvaro Parente and Katherine Legge in their #86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 keeps both Legge and Acura in the thick of the close GTD championship battles after seven of 11 rounds in the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3
The Meyer Shank Racing NSX GT3s started the weekend on a positive note, with the #86 Acura of Katherine Legge and Alvaro Parente ending the hour-long session second fastest in GTD, with teammates Lawson Aschenbach and Alvaro Parente sixth in their #93 NSX GT3.
After using the second practice session to focus on race setup work, the MSR Acura’s were once again near the top of the time sheets in the final, and quickest session of the day. Aschenbach posting the second-quickest GTD time of the day, with Legge less than a tenth of a second back, third in GTD.
Acura NSX GT3 activities continue Saturday at Lime Rock Park with qualifying at 9:30 a.m. EDT and the sixth round of the 11-race GTD championship. The green flag for the two-hour, 40-minute Northeast Grand Prix flies at 3 p.m. EDT.
Acura Team Penske Next Event
IMSA’s Prototype category was not a part of the IMSA weekend at Lime Rock, but the Acura Team Penske ARX-05s will return to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the next race on the schedule, the August 3-5 Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Quotes
Alvaro Parente (driver, #86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3) finished fourth: “We suffered a little bit too much at the end of the race [with tire wear], but we never really had that last little bit of pace at any time: when the tires were fresh, or in the middle, or at the end. It’s a shame we couldn’t hold off the Ferrari for third, but we’re fighting for points and today we didn’t have the car for a podium [finish]. Maybe next time will be different
Katherine Legge (driver, #86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3) finished fourth: “Our race didn’t go entirely as we’d hoped. However, the team did a phenomenal job, and so did Alvaro [Parente], at getting us track position. Fourth place at the end redeemed a weekend that wasn’t looking ideal for us. This is how you win championships, by getting solid points when you don’t have the fastest car on the track.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Circuit: Lime Rock Park (1.474-mile road course) Lakeville, CT
Weather: Partly sunny, mild, 78 degrees F
Top-6 GTD Race Results:
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