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TRG wins Third in a Row at ALMS Mid-Ohio Race

Monday, 08 August 2011 01:01 |

Lakeville, OH (August 6) – Spencer Pumpelly and Duncan Ended guided TRG’s No. 66 Racer’s Roast/Fox River Coffee Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to the team’s third consecutive victory in GTC class Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Championships. It was Ende handing the car to Pumpelly for the final portion of the race where the Atlantan was challenged repeatedly by several teams, all of whom were never able to get by the veteran sports car driver.

TRG’s No. 68 PR Newswire/South African Airways car piloted by Dion von Moltke and Marc Bunting had an absolutely stellar run and unfortunately was a victim of a mix up on the IMSA pace car situation. Bunting had driven an incredible first stint and had turned the controls over to von Moltke who had the race solidly in hand and was holding off the hard charging Leh Keen when it was assessed a disputed stop and go penalty, eventually finishing seventh in class.

The race ended under red flag after a three-car incident sent the Flying Lizards’ Patrick Long off the track and into a gravel trap during a heavy rain. All cars were directed into the pits with about six minutes left in the race because of standing water on the track which was making driving conditions treacherous.

“It was a good win,” said Pumpelly. “There was really not a lot of drama for us at the end except wondering if we were going to go green or not. The win was already ours when Duncan handed it over. He did a good job hanging on to the lead. And thanks to [winning GT Falken driver] Wolf [Henzler]. I was just following him most of the time. I was just lifting on the straight-aways because there was so much water.”

“The TRG guys gave us a great car,” said Ende. “During the race we had a bit of a mix up with a back GT car, but about 45 minutes into the stint I begin to feel it like we had the hardware to stand it.”

“This was definitely not the result we were hoping to have,” said von Moltke “We struggled a bit on pace but the team worked extremely hard all weekend, and we found the pace we needed right in the race. I actually think we had a car to contend for a podium shot. We will take everything we learned, and take it to Road America where we will look to get back on form."

Teammate Bunting expressed similar sentiments: “The start did not go well after I inadvertently hit the pit speed limiter, and we went to the back of the field. After that I was able to gain back positions and turn the car over to Dion in first but with a three-minute penalty - the reason for which I am still am not clear - it became difficult to climb back.”

The third consecutive win comes after Pumpelly and Ende’s recent victory at Mosport. Its sister No. 68 car won at Lime Rock with vonMoltke. The victory increased TRG’s lead in ALMS GTC class to five points over Black Swan Racing with four races remaining in the American Le Mans Series season. In addition, Pumpelly and Ende, who are in second place in the GTC driver standings, gained four points on Black Swan’s Tim Pappas whose lead has been reduced to seven points.

Lexington, OH (August 6) – Spencer Pumpelly and Duncan Ende guided TRG’s No. 66 Racer’s Roast/Fox River Coffee Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to the team’s third consecutive victory in GTC class Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Championships. It was Ende handing the car to Pumpelly for the final portion of the race where the Atlantan was challenged repeatedly by several teams, all of whom were never able to get by the veteran sports car driver.

TRG’s No. 68 PR Newswire/South African Airways car piloted by Dion von Moltke and Marc Bunting had an absolutely stellar run and unfortunately was a victim of a mix up on the IMSA pace car situation. Bunting had driven an incredible first stint and had turned the controls over to von Moltke who had the race solidly in hand and was holding off the hard charging Leh Keen when it was assessed a disputed stop and go penalty, eventually finishing seventh in class.

Last Updated (Monday, 08 August 2011 16:06)

TRG Earns Four Podiums in GT3 Cup Races at Mosport

Tuesday, 26 July 2011 23:43 |

mosport_imsa_podium TRG’s legion of three Porsche GT3 Cup cars picked up four podium spots over four races at Mosport International Raceway over the weekend. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada and the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama conducted races both Saturday and Sunday with TRG drivers Randy Oswald and Carlos Gomez each earning a pair of podium spots with Dr. Jim Norman in his No. 11 Parathyroid.com Cup car battling to as high as fifth for Sunday’s Canada competition.

“We had a very good weekend with all our Porsche GT3 Cup drivers,” said team owner Kevin Buckler. "Having the drivers complete 4 races each, over the course of 4 days, at one of the most challenging and dangerous tracks in North America—-and coming away with 4 undamaged race cars, is truly amazing. These guys keep getting better and better, and I think that’s a bi-product of their talent and work ethic as well as the dedication of each of their crews. I was really happy to earn a couple of podiums and was thrilled that we had a chance to start two cars on the front row of one of the races."

11_14_75_mosport Saturday, Oswald put his car on the pole in the Porsche GT3 Cup Canada race with teammate Gomez starting on the outside of the front row. The Oswald No. 14 Verax Porsche finished second while Gomez’s No. 75 Capital Managers/Axis of Oversteer car earned third. Norman finished sixth Saturday, the day before his improved fifth place finish in the Canadian series.

Rounds Eight and Nine of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama proved a bit more formidable with an expanded field of 28 cars. Gomez had the best result of the trio in the two races, finishing sixth in Saturday’s competition.

TRG Goes 1-2 Again; Moves into GTC Class Lead with Win at Mosport

Monday, 25 July 2011 20:07 |

BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO (July 25, 2011) - TRG moved into the GTC class lead by scoring its second one-two finish in a row with another owerful and consistent performance at the Grand Prix of Mosport, the fourth round of American Le Mans Series.

66_mosportwin This week, Spencer Pumpelly in the Racer's Roast/Fox River Coffee No. 66 Porsche passed teammate Dion von Moltke on the final lap in his No. 68 PR Newswire/ Team Baltimore Racing/ South African Airways Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. Two weeks ago at Lime Rock, it was von Moltke who passed Pumpelly on the last lap to create TRG's 1-2 finish there.

"This is fantastic," said team owner Kevin Buckler. "To put back-to-back 1-2 finishes together is a tribute to all four drivers and how hard this very, very dedicated team and crew works."

With both cars running strong and near the front most of the day, Pumpelly who was leading at the time, was tapped by GT leader Dirk Werner in his BWM with just a little more than 30 minutes left in the race. Pumpelly fought off the opponent’s punt, which dropped him into fourth, to gradually work his way into second behind von Moltke who was trying to conserve fuel to in order to avoid the fate of Alex Job’s No. 23 car that ran out of gas with less than a minute remaining while pushing von Moltke for the lead.

Last Updated (Tuesday, 26 July 2011 22:41)

TRG RIDES MOMENTUM TO MOSPORT, REUNITES WITH BUNTING

Wednesday, 20 July 2011 22:58 |

Fresh off of his first career victory in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron, Dion von Moltke will be joined this weekend by his new teammate, Marc Bunting. Bunting, who won the 2006 Rolex GT Championship with TRG, has a long history with the team, including not only his 2006 championship, but also seven victories and a podium finish at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2006. Driving the no. 68 South African Airways / Team Baltimore Racing / PRNewswire Porsche GT3 Cup, the duo brings an exciting blend of maturity and raw speed to the upcoming weekend.

Returning for their championship effort in the no. 66 Racer’s Roast / Fox River Coffee Porsche, Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly also join this weekend off the momentum of their second podium of the season. Leading for much of the previous round, the two TRG veterans have proven repeatedly that they have the speed to take victory, it’s simply a matter of all the elements coming together.

For TRG Team Owner Kevin Buckler, returning to Mosport during an upturn in momentum is a perfect blend.

“It’s great to get back to Mosport with all of our cars and a super strong 1-2 finish from the last race” stated Buckler. “Our run from 2005-2006 was one of our best ever, and Marc’s a big part of our team’s history. He and Dion fit very well. They’re both very fast, but also extremely patient and level headed. At a place like Mosport that will be critical. Duncan and Spencer are clearly due, and I think the high speeds and on-the-edge driving this circuit requires will fit them both really well. They are both driving at some of the best performance levels I have ever seen. We have had strong success at Mosport with a big ALMS GT upset victory back when I was driving and we know this track well. We’re very optimistic on the weekend.”

Joining the team’s ALMS effort will be TRG’s three-car lineup in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Series presented by Yokohama. After recording personal bests during the previous two rounds at Lime Rock, TRG’s driver lineup of Randy Oswald, Carlos Gomez and Dr. Jim Norman will head to Mosport with a true understanding of the patience required to survive in the Series, and with that, look poised for their first podiums.

Residing in nearby Toronto, this race should be particularly motivating for TRG’s own Randy Oswald, who will head to this weekend’s round as the local hero.

“We really want to deliver this weekend for Randy and all of his guests,” continued Buckler. “Randy has been a great friend of the team for a couple years now, and has demonstrated remarkable pace and patience. The Mosport round should be extremely tough, so hopefully everyone can keep their noses clean and finally stand on the podium. I look forward to being back on the pit box and we really look forward to this weekend.”

The Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport will take place on Sunday, July 24, and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com at 2:45PM ET, as well as on ESPN2 at 10PM ET.

Petaluma, CA (July 20, 2011)- Two weeks after a commanding 1-2 finish at Lime Rock in the GTC category, TRG heads to the Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport with a five-car fleet competing in two different series.

Fresh off of his first career victory in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron, Dion von Moltke will be joined this weekend by his new teammate, Marc Bunting. Bunting, who won the 2006 Rolex GT Championship with TRG, has a long history with the team, including not only his 2006 championship, but also seven victories and a podium finish at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2006. Driving the no. 68 South African Airways / Team Baltimore Racing / PRNewswire Porsche GT3 Cup, the duo brings an exciting blend of maturity and raw speed to the upcoming weekend.

Returning for their championship effort in the no. 66 Racer’s Roast / Fox River Coffee Porsche, Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly also join this weekend off the momentum of their second podium of the season. Leading for much of the previous round, the two TRG veterans have proven repeatedly that they have the speed to take victory, it’s simply a matter of all the elements coming together.

For TRG Team Owner Kevin Buckler, returning to Mosport during an upturn in momentum is a perfect blend.

Last Updated (Wednesday, 20 July 2011 23:10)

TRG Takes Commanding 1-2 At Lime Rock

Monday, 11 July 2011 23:41 |

TRG Takes Commanding 1-2 At Lime Rock

Coming from nearly a lap down and driving briliantly to take a thrilling victory with only one lap to go, Dion von Moltke managed an overtaking move on Spencer Pumpelly to put the no. 68 South African Airways / Analog.Man / PR Newswire Porsche GT3 Cup car in first, with Pumpelly nursing worn tires to put the no. 66 Fox River Coffee / Racer’s Roast Porsche home in second. This would be the first victory in the ALMS for von Moltke, as well as for teammate Mike Piera, who was also driving in his first ALMS race!

Following some small handling issues for both the 68 and the 66 in qualifying, the race would start out with Piera, who lives just minutes from the track, and Duncan Ende in the 66 taking the green from the middle of the field.

As the opening laps unfolded, Duncan Ende took a commanding charge in the no. 66 machine, passing several cars and putting the 66 in a strong position to lead the race. Piera, meanwhile, made good on a solid ALMS debut by never putting a wheel wrong, driving very smart, preserving his car, handing the car over to Dion during an the yellow.

As the race unfolded, Ende would control the race, and hand the leading no. 66 machine over to Pumpelly, who continued to show the strength of the team and car by running quick times while continuing to maintain his tires. Dion von Moltke, meanwhile, was doing an impressive job of running up through the field, and as the final set of pit stops came, the two cars would take opposing strategies.

For Pumpelly in the 66, the team decided to only take fuel during their final pit stop. Having learned in previous races that their Yokohama tires are capable of double-stinting, the team elected to keep their “old tires” on as opposed to losing extra time in the pits to change them. The no. 68 crew, meanwhile, elected to change their tires during final stops. This would cost them valuable time in the pits, however gaining Dion the advantage of fresh rubber.

As the race would unfold, Pumpelly appeared to have the race in hand. Holding a sizeable gap to both the second place no. 54 and third place no. 68. However, as the race would get to the final stages,it was clear for Pumpelly that his tires were starting to fade, however he’d had such a sizeable gap to the field he was able to maintain a reasonable pace while preserving his tires.

A late race caution, however, would change everything.

With the race nearly over, the field would bunch up under caution, which for the no. 66 and 68, would mean Pumpelly would now lose the gap he’d had on the GT-C field, and von Moltke now would now be in striking distance.

When the green flag flew, von Moltke was quickly able to make work of the second place no. 54, and was now hot on the tail of Pumpelly in the no. 66. Pumpelly, an experienced veteran and expert at preserving tires while maintaining race pace, did a masterful job of holding von Moltke off. However, with just over one lap remaining, Dion was able to make good use of the situation and made a perfect dive inside of Spencer that would hand the no. 68 the lead as they raced to the white flag.

When the checkered flag flew, von Moltke and Piera would take their first ever ALMS victories, while Ende and Pumpelly would still walk away with second place points.

For Dion von Moltke, a surprise victory was exactly what he needed to boost his season.

“What an amazing race,” stated von Moltke, driving under the South African flag. “The guys at TRG have given us a great car at every event, and I’m glad we were finally able to showcase it. Mike Piera drove a great opening stint, and we’re lucky that the strategy worked as well as it did, it was just incredible.”

For Spencer Pumpelly, who has been a team leader for the whole ALMS program, there was much to take pride in.

“It was just a great race for everyone at TRG,” stated Pumpelly. “Of course I would have much rather been in first with Duncan, but Dion and all of the guys on the no. 68 did a great job calling the race, and the luck just worked out for them. To have two cars in a position to win just shows the strength and depth of this team, so we’re absolutely thrilled to have pulled it off.”

For TRG Team Owner Kevin Buckler, who was in Monterey during the same weekend at another event, another Lime Rock success is exactly what the team needed.

“To have as many programs as we had across the country this weekend, and to go out and defend our victory last year and to finish with a resounding 1-2 is a great sign of the entire team’s strength and depth,” stated Buckler. “The guys have worked so hard to get all of these programs prepared and ready, a win was deserved. I’m absolutely thrilled to see Dion and Mike take their first victory together. This was Mike’s first race with us and he did a fantastic job and also got a peek of just how TRG operates. Dion and the von Moltke family have worked incredibly hard to get to this point in his career, and it’s great to see him get this win. He drove absolutely brilliantly. To come from behind and pass the drivers he did is no easy feat, and I hope he enjoys this one for a long time. The 66 boys also did an outstanding job. Duncan was absolutely on fire during his opening stint, and to grab the lead and hand it to Spencer like that is a great testament to his ability and one of his best drives. Spencer, as expected, did a fantastic job of maintaining speed, driving smart while nursing his tires, and being a terrific teammate to all.”

The next round of the ALMS will take place in two weeks’ time at the historic Mosport circuit near Toronto, Canada, and will feature live coverage on ESPN2 on Sunday, July 24 at 10PM ET.

Lakeville, CT (July 10, 2011)- Following a highly competitive race that featured everything from off-setting pit strategies to come-from-behind drives, TRG took a commanding first and second place finish in the GT-C category of this year’s Northeast Grand Prix at the famed Lime Rock Park circuit, the third round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron.

Coming from nearly a lap down and driving briliantly to take a thrilling victory with only one lap to go, Dion von Moltke managed an overtaking move on Spencer Pumpelly to put the no. 68 South African Airways / Analog.Man / PR Newswire Porsche GT3 Cup car in first, with Pumpelly nursing worn tires to put the no. 66 Fox River Coffee / Racer’s Roast Porsche home in second. This would be the first victory in the ALMS for von Moltke, as well as for teammate Mike Piera, who was also driving in his first ALMS race!

Following some small handling issues for both the 68 and the 66 in qualifying, the race would start out with Piera, who lives just minutes from the track, and Duncan Ende in the 66 taking the green from the middle of the field.

As the opening laps unfolded, Duncan Ende took a commanding charge in the no. 66 machine, passing several cars and putting the 66 in a strong position to lead the race. Piera, meanwhile, made good on a solid ALMS debut by never putting a wheel wrong, driving very smart, preserving his car, handing the car over to Dion during an the yellow.

Last Updated (Tuesday, 12 July 2011 15:31)

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