Wilkins and Frisselle take the heat
Exciting battle to the end gains championship positions for team
Woodbridge, Ontario (June 10, 2008): There would be a lot more than
the heat to consider for the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, but with
the Exchange Traded Gold No. 61 Ford Riley starting from the front
row for the third time this season, everyone on the AIM Autosport team
ignored the heat and focused on the task at hand. After a long battle
that came down to the final few laps, Mark Wilkins brought the 61 car
across the line P7 and brought the team enough points to move up two
positions (P10 to P8) in the series championship.
From the beginning of practice on Friday, both Mark and Brian (Frisselle)
felt the Ford Riley would be strong for the six hour event. AIM Autosport
crew had spent the weeks since Laguna Seca getting the car prepped
focusing on endurance as well as speed. Reliability is a key factor
when dealing with ambient temperatures of 95F and a cockpit temperature
in excess of 110F and the crew did a good job to build in that reliability
factor. Brian would go out for qualifying and with a very quick first
lap, immediately go to the front row. He was on pace to go even faster
when an incident on track brought the session to a halt. The decision
to go out early paid off for the team and they would now start the
race from the front row.
From the first lap of the race, cautions would play a pivotal role
and throughout the race both Brian and Mark would have the No. 61 Ford
Riley sitting P1. In fact Brian would go P1 just four laps in when
a full course caution saw many of the DP cars come in for their mandatory
pit stop. Brian would remain in the lead until the twenty-three minute
mark when the team elected to take its mandatory stop and take fuel
only. The next stop would be interesting.
At one hour ten minutes in the rains came just as everyone hit the
pits. The #61 would take on fuel, four Pirelli tires and driver as
Mark took over the wheel. At that same time, the edge of a dark cloud
passed over the front straight and pits bringing a heavy downpour.
With the sun beaming just beyond the grandstands, the decision was
to stay on slicks as the rest of the track was dry. Mark would re-enter
the track P10 and was soon up to P6. Mark also set the fastest lap
for the #61 to that point.
Mark would pit just ahead of the two hour point in the race. Fuel only
and a quick check on the left front wheel. After the previous stop,
the team found some marks on the inside of the wheel and wanted to
check for problems. The car went up in the air and some debris that
was dragging on the inside of the left front wheel was removed. Back
on the ground, Mark slotted into P5. Fifty-nine laps on the books and
Mark was P4, just ten seconds back of the leader. Another full course
caution and Mark would take his turn at the front of the field as AIM
Autosport's brain trust chose to stay with their original pit strategy.
Good on fuel, it was now a matter of dealing with the heat. The next
full course caution came at just the right time.
Mark held the lead from the last caution and under pressure from drivers
on fresh tires late in the stint commented, "that was a lot of
fun" as he described fending off challenges for the top spot.
Fuel and tires for the #61 but the temperature is rising and Mark has
his hands full, fighting his way through GT cars and DP back markers.
After two hours and twenty minutes in the car, he hands the wheel back
over to Brian and the #61 Ford Riley also takes on fuel.
At the end of four hours teams are cycling through pit stops under
green and this has allowed Brian to move to P3 and is now in a very
tight battle for second place. GT cars are getting into the mix but
Brian is focused on the back of the number 10 car for position. Brian
pits while sitting P2. This will be a full fuel and tires stop as well
as a change of the bottle for the cool suit and the driver's drinks
bottle. Brian will take an extended run with Mark resting to take over
the final stint. The #61 cycled out of the pits P6.
With just over an hour left in the race, Brian brings the #61 in from
P6 for a full service - fuel, tires, driver and a windshield tear-off.
The stop goes quick and Mark will close out the race. The car is good
to go to the end. The #61 cycled out of the pits P9 and the team knows
that the cars in front will need to pit to make it to the end of the
race.
In a close, four car battle to the end, Mark would bring the Exchange
Traded Gold #61 Ford Riley home P7 after one hundred seventy nine laps.
Fourth through seventh were covered by one second at the finish line
and the last podium position was just a half second up the track. It
was a tough battle with lots of defensive driving by those ahead -
plus dealing with the GT traffic but the race ended with another top-ten
finish for AIM Autosport.
The drivers had this to say after the race:
Mark Wilkins - "The heat was a big factor and this is a physical
track but to be right in the thick of the battle for position with
four cars after six hours was pretty exciting racing. I was happy with
my driving overall but that long stint in the middle took something
out of me. The car was great in my final stint with only the slightest
hint of brake fade when you tried to go deep. With such a tight race
though, everyone was in defensive mode and my one goal was to not make
a mistake."
Brian Frisselle - "It was a good result but not the one Mark and
I had hoped to bring home for the team. The car was great and even
at the end the #61 Ford Riley had great balance and plenty of power.
But track position is so important and it was a tough battle for Mark
at the end."
AIM Autosport team principal Ian Willis commented, "The boys did
as good job and it was definitely exciting and very close at the end.
Positions three through seven were changing almost every lap there
near the end and when you consider it was a six hour race in high heat,
that is truly a testament to how competitive this series really is.”
Willis continued, "We’ll be trying hard once again at Mid-Ohio
next weekend to get that elusive podium as we'd all like to see the
Exchange Traded Gold No. 61 Ford Riley in victory lane."
With the seventh place result, AIM Autosport now sits eighth overall
in the Rolex Grand Am Series presented by Cask No. 16 Championship
with eight more races on the schedule.
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