2015 Tudor United SportsCar Championship review part two
As part one explored, the first half of the 2015 Tudor United SportsCar Championship was not as easy for Porsche North America Racing as the US factory team had hoped.
However, by the time of Watkins Glen, there were signs that fortunes were improving for the works 911s. Here’s how they fared in the second half of the season:
Round 6 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
For the USCC’s solo visit north of the border to Canada, PNAR finally secured the victory that their form at Watkins Glen had suggested was on the way as Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet led from lights to flag in the no. 911 RSR.
After Tandy secured pole position on Saturday, Sunday’s two-hour 40-minute encounter was relatively straightforward for the Anglo-French pairing, although Pilet had to fend off the BMWs and Corvettes during the middle portion of the race.
The no. 912 car of Earl Bamber and Jörg Bergmeister could only manage to finish seventh in the GTLM field, one place ahead of Watkins Glen winners, Team Falken.
No. 911 result: 1st
No. 912 result: 7th
Round 7 – Road America
Porsche North America Racing’s good form continued at one of the USA’s most challenging tracks, Elkhart Lake. As in Canada, it was Pilet and Tandy in the no. 911 machine that led the field at the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase.
Bamber took pole in the no. 912 RSR before the sister’s car fuel strategy handed the advantage to the no. 911 car late in the race, giving Tandy and Pilet their second victory of the year.
Bergmeister rallied after the last fuel stop to move from third to second, giving Porsche its first one-two of 2015, moving the Stuttgart manufacturer to the head of the championship standings.
No. 911 result: 1st
No. 912 result: 2nd
Round 8 – Virginia International Raceway
Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet continued their winning streak at the Oak Tree Grand Prix in Virginia, their no. 911 Porsche 911 RSR proving to be the class of the field.
Leading the way from pole position again, the Briton land the foundations for his third USCC win of the year before Pilet brought the car home safe and sound, giving the Frenchman the lead in the drivers’ standings and placing the no. 911 atop the teams’ table.
The race was more of a battle for the no. 912 machine. However, after a scintillating battle in the final few laps, Bergmeister ensured that Porsche once again took a one-two finish.
No. 911 result: 1st
No. 912 result: 2nd
Round 9 – Lone Star Le Mans
For the penultimate race of 2015, the Tudor USCC headed to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Once again, the factory Porsche 911 RSRs were the class of the field but, for the first time since Watkins Glen, left the track without victory.
In a race with just two caution periods, both the no. 911 and no. 912 Porsches were forced to make a late splash and dash on the final lap, dropping Pilet and Tandy from first to third.
The no. 912 machine of Bamber and Bergmeister dropped from second to fifth, giving BMW a glimmer of hope heading into the championship decideder.
No. 911 result: 3rd
No. 912 result: 5th
Round 10 – Petit Le Mans
To secure all three Tudor USCC GTLM class title, Porsche North America Racing pulled off one of the great surprises of modern sports car racing as, in a race blighted by torrential downpours, Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy won Petit Le Mans outright in a GT car.
In conditions that sometimes bordered on dangerous, the no. 911 Porsche 911 RSR was very often the fastest car on the track, taking the lead for the final time just before a red flag brought proceedings to a close after eight of the scheduled ten hours.
The no. 912 car of Bamber, Bergmeister and Frédéric Makowiecki finished last in the GTLM class after a number of incidents but it didn’t stop Porsche from taking the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ championships.
No. 911 result: 1st
No. 912 result: 8th
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