PETALUMA, Calif (March 27, 2018)
The Racers Group returned to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas last weekend, tackling a very competitive Pirelli World Challenge SprintX GTS field in the season-opening races in a long championship campaign for drivers Derek DeBoer, Sean Gibbons and the team in front of a strong contingent of TRG partners, sponsors and guests. The team left the Lone Star state very encouraged, as drivers Derek DeBoer and Sean Gibbons turned in superb performances in the #66 TRG | LaSalle Solutions | BRM Chronographes | Frog Design | Armor | Fastlife TV Porsche Cayman GT4 MR, battling to P4 and P6 finishes and providing a very positive start for the entire team heading into the next four races of season.
The weekend at COTA marked the first time either driver had driven the TRG #66 Porsche. The two drivers got up to speed very quickly, constantly improving lap times during Thursday’s testing and both practice sessions on Friday. Saturday’s qualifying saw even more progress, as Gibbons put in the car’s fastest lap times yet on the circuit’s famous sweeping corners and high-speed esses, securing a solid mid-pack start for the team in the afternoon’s first SprintX race.
Gibbons and DeBoer drove solid stints in each of the weekend’s races. Gibbons started Saturday’s first race behind the wheel and kept his head down, avoiding any drama during two first-turn incidents early in the race. As his stint progressed and the safety car finally came in for good, Sean was able to show the pace of the TRG Porsche. DeBoer climbed in after the driver change and continued progress through the field, eventually picking off five spots and bringing the car home with a solid P6 finish.
The team began Sunday’s race from sixth on the grid and made excellent time with DeBoer taking driving duties first and making his way through the field in challenging wet/dry track conditions. Gibbons took over putting in very quick laps, but a yellow flag at the end of the contest ultimately slowed his progress as the team finished the second race of the weekend in fourth place, just off of the podium.
TRG was pleased to welcome partners and guests from Wells Fargo Private Bank, LaSalle Solutions, Frog Design, BRM Chronographes and Armor to the paddock for the team’s signature concierge hospitality, B2B opportunities, entertainment and heart-pumping action right on the pit wall.
The team and VIP guests began the weekend in style at an exclusive Adobe Road Winery winemaker dinner at Austin’s premier steakhouse, III Forks. The event featured exquisite Adobe Road award-winning wine and food pairings and guests enjoyed a wonderful evening, elevated by TRG’s signature camaraderie and networking, all designed to enhance and activate business around motorsports. Of course, TRG’s Aston Martin GT4 show car made a star-turning appearance right in front of the restaurant in downtown Austin.
“I want to give a huge shout out to the entire team for putting together a rocking race weekend at one of our favorite tracks,” said TRG CEO Kevin Buckler. “I’m so encouraged by our TRG #66 Porsche’s potential and we had a trouble-free weekend. It’s great to have Derek and Sean committed to the team for a full season of SprintX racing and I’m pleased with this start. Thursday was the first time they had an opportunity to jump into the Porsche and the times kept coming down with each lap. These are two very skilled drivers and they both kept it clean all weekend, despite some major incidents on the track that happened right in front of them. It was pretty crazy to watch on the in-car video but they both totally rocked it on the track and in the new Porsche. With this weekend’s performance, we are really confident heading into the next SprintX races at VIR in April.
I also loved having so many friends, partners and sponsors with us all weekend long and I think we hit it out of the ball park for our long-time partners Wells Fargo Private Bank, LaSalle Solutions and BRM Chronographes, as well as new partners Frog and Armor. It’s incredible how these companies see significant ROI as a direct result of their involvement in our paddock and we are always focused on deepening these relationships as the season progresses.”
A solid start to the season at Circuit of the Americas.