(Photo: Kyle Ritchie | The Podium Finish)
With just under one hour left in the 2-hour and 40-minute Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway, Jordan Taylor was trying to chase down Ben Barnicoat in the GTD Pro leading Lexus for Vasser-Sullivan Racing, all while trying to save a little fuel.
Barnicoat and his VSR Racing team knew they needed to pit for fuel and tires, but as he left the pits, Barnicoat stalled his No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus. That mistake was just enough for Taylor to drive by and take the lead.
Now out front, Taylor and his Corvette racing team were in heavy fuel conservation mode to make the final 56 minutes, which they did and took the checkered flag 2.068 seconds ahead of Barnicoat.
“This has to be one of the most special races I’ll ever have,” said Taylor in victory lane as he discussed his final season with Corvette.
Taylor announced earlier this year that he will be rejoining his father back at Wayne Taylor Racing along with Andretti Autosport in their Grand Touring Prototype.
“It was just down to saving fuel and managing tires and managing the gap,” Taylor explained. “I was counting down the laps with about 25 to go. I was very happy to see that checkered flag.
“This was an amazing race and an amazing victory.”
For Barnicoat, he was left wondering what could have been.
“The team did a great job to get us a race-winning car,” Barnicoat said. “Sadly, I made a mistake and stalled it on the pit stop. I apologize to the team for that. … It happens sometimes.”
When told it happens to the best of them, Barnicoat replied, “Well, not really.”
Taylor’s Corvette co-driver, Antonio Garcia, had a lot of praise for the way he drove that final stint to hold the lead and save fuel saying, “He was like a Swiss watch.”
The victory helped Taylor and Garcia close on Barnicoat and co-driver Jack Hawksworth, who now lead the GTD PRO standings by 144 points with two races remaining in the WeatherTech Championship season.
“It was a decent day,” Barnicoat said. “We’re still leading the points, which is the main thing right now.”
Klaus Bachler finished third in GTD PRO and 12th overall with co-driver Patrick Pilet in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). Alex Riberas finished fourth in the class and 15th overall in the No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 after he went off course late in the race. He co-drove with Ross Gunn.
