(Photo: Steve Conley | The Podium Finish)
Meyer-Shank Racing has seen a growing amount of success in IndyCar and the IMSA Weathertech Sports Car Series over the last year, but one thing remains unchecked for the Pataskala, Ohio-based team.
That checkmark is a win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which is just over an hour north of the MSR shop. Mike Shank has made it clear that this track holds a special place in his heart and it would mean a lot to win there. You can imagine his drivers feel that pressure as well. Tom Blomqvist said last week that “it wouldn’t just mean a lot to Mike, but everyone on this team.”
Bloomqvist added, “There is pressure every week, but we feel it heading into Mid-Ohio.”
Following Sunday’s Lexus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. the Meyer-Shank Racing team would feel the letdown again as they would take the checkered flag in the runner-up position.
Co-Driver Oliver Jarvis said after the race, “I’m really gutted with this result. We had such a quick car.”
Outside of pit stops and driver change sequences, the Meyer-Shank Racing Acura spent much of the day in second and third positions, but near the end of the race after a mistake by Ricky Taylor in Turn nine, Blomqvist would drive to within a half-second of the leader. There was plenty of speed in the car according to both drivers, in fact, Blomqvist made several charges to close in on the race leader in heavy traffic, turning the fastest lap of the race (1:12.264 seconds) for the second-consecutive event.
Blomqvist said after the race, “A couple of mistakes throughout cost us a shot at the win. We got caught out at our first stop, we stalled, basically. We looked like we had the lead going out of pit lane, we just got that wrong. That put us back in third. We had good pace.”
(Photo: Steve Conley | The Podium Finish)
The other incident followed the lone full-course yellow. According to Blomqvist, “On the restart, I struggled a bit with the tire buildup, but I still managed to hold the position because the car was quick.”
Traffic for both of the leaders was a challenge. Winning co-driver, Ricky Taylor said he struggled with traffic late and that allowed the MSR Acura to close within a second at the end. Blomqvist also said he was closing in late in the race, but got caught in traffic, and that allowed the two Cadillacs to get by, which shuffled him back to fourth.
“It was thanks to the team and a quick pit stop that helped put the No. 60 back in contention. The team did a great strategy to bring me in early. I did some good out laps and managed to clear them again,” Blomqvist said.
Jarvis may have said it best when it came to this race. “Second is a good result, but we really wanted to get Mike and the team a home win.”
They will have to wait another year for that opportunity, but the Championship battle is hot and heavy and still to be contested. The MSR team will do that next in Detroit.
