SAMAX - Mexico race

The SAMAX Motorsport GT cars enjoyed a classic chase during the Rolex Sports
Car Series race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. Driving
together for the first time, Rob Bell and Martin Jensen took the No. 17
SAMAX Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car from eighth to sixth in class, edging their
teammates Dave Lacey and Greg Wilkins, who started ninth and finished
seventh in the No. 71 SAMAX/Doncaster Racing Porsche.

 

The Tuttle Team Racing/SAMAX Daytona Prototype had an adventurous race.
Brian Tuttle started the No. 7 Pontiac-powered Riley Mk XI 24th on the
37-car grid and moved up three positions before ice used in his cooling-suit
system broke loose in the car. Unable to brake, he went off track through a
gravel trap, losing the nose of the car. After a pitstop for repairs,
Jonathan Cochet took the wheel for a brief stint. Tuttle returned for the
final drive to earn mileage points toward the Jim Trueman Award. The pair
finished 21st in the DP class.

 

race report

 

car          time             driver                  action

 

11           start              Tuttle

               1h3               Tuttle                    off-track through
gravel trap

               1h4               Cochet in              pit – driver change,
new car nose, tires, fuel

               1h12             Cochet                 back on track

               1h50             Tuttle in                pit – driver
change, tires, fuel

 

17           start              Jensen                 

               1h7               Bell in                   pit – driver
change, tires, fuel

 

71           start              Wilkins                 

               1h7               Lacey in               pit – driver change
, tires, fuel

 

 

Jonathan Cochet (No. 7 Riley):  "I am very disappointed because the result
is not what I expected. [Finishing 21st] is not what I'm used to doing, so
for me, it's a bad weekend."

 

Brian Tuttle (No. 7 Riley):  "The cool box opened and it dumped all the ice
under the pedals. I couldn't get the brake to work and I went off. I was
trying to get miles in for the Trueman Award, so it was good – I had a great
race!"

 

Rob Bell (No. 17 Porsche): "We finished sixth, which is not too bad for the
first time in the car, the first time being a partner with our engineer
Steve [Bunkhall] and the first time  driving together. We kept out of
trouble and we were reasonably quick in the race. We just need to work on
the car a little bit and I think there's a good combination there."

 

Martin Jensen (No. 17 Porsche): "We lost a lap in the pits and that is not
ideal. I think we could have fought for a top-five today, but it became
quite tough. I would like to come back and do more races with Robert. We are
equal in performance and in the way the car needs to be set up, so it's a
good basis for us to be together."

 

Dave Lacey (No. 71 Porsche): "It was awesome fun, to be running with our
sister car in a good scrap. Rob did a great job; he kept it neat and tidy. I
got run off the road once by a prototype, so I got some dirt and grass on my
tires and it took me two laps to get back in the game. Sixth and seventh our
first time here – we'll take it and head off to Homestead [Miami Speedway on
March 25] with a pretty good car."

 

Greg Wilkins (No. 17 Porsche): "The car ran the way we expected and it was
well-balanced for most of the stint. The team did a great job; we had a good
car out there. We were really competitive – with all the pro drivers in
front of us, we were the first of the 'amateurs', so that's not a bad
result."