Hoping last years notes would apply to this year’s conditions, BAR1 Motorsports arrived at Watkins Glen for the Sahlen 6 Hour hoping for a repeat trip to the podium. With two new additions to the team and unpredictable weather conditions, team owner, Brian Alder, knew the fifth round for the TUDOR Series PC cars would not be a walk in the park.

The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship  took a decidedly different turn when Saturday’s rains settled into Sunday. Suddenly the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen became a race unpredictable track conditions, fuel strategy and driver nerve. Sporadic down pours of varying intensity reared their ugly head in the final two hours on the rolling hills of 3.4 mile circuit. A series of caution flags in the final two hours left a lot of the teams vulnerable to late race fuel mileage gamble. Fortunately for BAR1 and the TOP 1 Oil team, their strategy paid off. When a final yellow flag appeared with only several minutes remaining, the team slipped into third.  The endurance race finished under the seventh yellow flag of the day.

“I felt we had one of the strongest line-ups in the PC class heading into the race,” Noted Alder. “My thoughts were confirmed as Daniel [Burkett]opened up a 50 second lead by the end of his double stint. Handing off to Matt McMurry, Matt held the lead gap until a yellow came out bunching the field and giving the pro drivers a chance to battle head to head.”   

“At one point in the race,” Alder continued, “we had a 1/2 lap lead on second place car while the 3rd place car was a full lap down, unfortunately there were quite a number of caution periods, allowing the teams to easily make up their laps.  Between the weather and cautions, at the end of the race there were no less than five cars on the lead lap… all with a shot at the win.”

Martin Plowman took the final stint pushing the TOP1 Oil car to the limit. With the crew putting in solid consistent pit stops all day, keeping the #16 Top1 Oil car in the front group all day, it was great accomplishment to see the Plowman, McMurray and Burkett standing on the podium.

“We knew we have a fast car and a highly experienced crew,” added Alder. “It was a good race and we were there fighting at the end for the win… that’s all you can ask for in an endurance event.”

In the Cooper Tire IMSA Lites races, Alder’s no. 22 Top1 Oil car was fast all weekend. Alder consistently put up the top times on the chart in all sessions and both races. Alder once again broke his own qualifying lap record [set last year] by over 1.5 seconds.

“This is my favorite track we race at,” noted Alder. “Yet, coming into this weekend, it’s the only track currently on the CTPL schedule in which I hadn’t scored a victory. “I had high hopes coming here, so I’m happy to walk away with a first place trophy.”  

Alder’s focus now shifts to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the Lites Championship.  Last year Brian won both races at the legendary track [formerly Mosport] and looks to repeat and close the 12 point gap to catch Todd Slusher.

“It’s extremely hard to make big gains in the championship,” said Brian. “Todd is a fast driver and consistently runs in the top 3.  I’m going to need a win streak and find some luck in order to close the gap. I have got a feeling the Championship will not be decided until the conclusion of round 14 at Petit LeMans, similar to how it shook out last season.”

Up next, both TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the Cooper Tire IMSA Lites Championship travel north of the border for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance July 10-12 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.