RS1 Porsche Uses Sage Strategy to Break Run of Bad Luck for CTMP Win
Trent Hindman isn’t usually one to get emotional after winning races. That changed Saturday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
As Hindman emerged victorious from the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, he shouted and showered his teammates with water.
“IMSA wins are so special,” Hindman said after teaming with Stevan McAleer to win the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120, the sixth race of the 10-race IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season.
“Unfortunately, you learn the hard way how hard it is to win in this championship – how hard it is to win in any level of IMSA competition,” he continued.
The timely victory ended a run of bad luck for RS1 – with one second-place finish this season but all others seventh place or worse. The team’s strategy play Saturday put the Porsche into the overall and Grand Sport (GS) class lead after McAleer’s opening stint.
“Track position was important,” McAleer said. “I feel that we’re the best driver pair in the series and it’s kind of shown at most of the events. We just haven’t been able to execute. I’m hoping this is a turnaround for us in the season with four events left. Trent was incredible. He was flying all weekend.”
Hindman credited the call that got the Porsche the lead after a full-course caution just past the midpoint of the two-hour race. The RS1 Porsche was among eight cars opting not to pit for a splash of fuel and moved to the front of the field, where Hindman remained for the final 43 minutes of green-flag racing.
“Fortunately, it worked out,” Hindman said. “I had to do a lot of fuel saving in the end, for sure, but I knew our car was super quick, and I knew we could keep our momentum up and still save fuel. If we were in traffic, it would’ve been a different story.”
Scott Andrews brought the No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 he co-drove with Rory van der Steur home in second place, 2.537 seconds behind the winning Porsche. The No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4 driven by Matt Plumb and Paul Holton finished third. All three podium finishers opted for the one-stop strategy and went into fuel-saving mode to the finish.
RS1’s victory – the 11th for both Hindman and McAleer in the Michelin Pilot Challenge – also marked the sixth different GS team to win in as many races this season.
With the third-place finish, Plumb and the No. 46 Aston Martin unofficially extended their GS lead to 430 points over van der Steur and the No. 19 Aston and to 450 over Hindman, McAleer and the No. 28 Porsche.
Source: IMSA