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Mercedes-AMG Teams Secure Trio Of Wins At Barber Motorsports, Propel Towards Season Finale
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams Regulator Racing and CRP Racing achieved significant victories at Barber Motorsports Park. The teams secured three wins in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America and GT America races, enhancing their championship prospects.
Jeff Burton and Philip Ellis drove the No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to a Pro-Am class win on Sunday. This victory tightened the championship race among the top three contenders ahead of next month's season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Burton and Ellis employed a reverse driver strategy in both 90-minute feature races over the weekend. Ellis started the first race each day, while Burton took over for the final stint. This approach led to a fourth-place finish on Saturday and a victory on Sunday, aided by a timely caution period.
Jason Daskalos reclaimed the overall championship lead in GT America with a sweep of both 40-minute sprint races in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. His performance was particularly notable given his challenging start to the weekend.
Daskalos began Saturday's race in fifth place after a tough qualifying session but quickly improved his position. He passed his main championship rivals, including a dramatic last-lap battle for the lead, which he won despite contact with another car.
On Sunday, starting from pole position, Daskalos maintained control throughout the race. He successfully defended against challenges during caution flag restarts and secured victory by a margin of 0.163 seconds.
GT4 Class Highlights
The No. 43 P1 Groupe with RENNtech Mercedes-AMG GT4 team also had an impressive showing at Barber. Co-drivers Alex Vogel and Matt Bell nearly replicated their July victory at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) with a strong performance on Sunday.
Vogel started from the back of the field but skillfully avoided a multi-car accident on the first lap. He advanced to the top 20 before pitting under caution, allowing Bell to take over in seventh place overall and fourth in Pro-Am.
Final Push for Championship
Bell battled into the top five overall and secured second place in Pro-Am after overtaking several competitors late in the race. The team's efforts resulted in improving 24 positions to finish as class runners-up.
The season-ending Indianapolis 8 Hour weekend at IMS from October 3-6 will be crucial for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams. The final races in GT World Challenge, GT America, and Pirelli GT4 will determine this year's champions.
"I drove well enough to keep it really close on Sunday," said Jeff Burton about his performance. "Along with Saturday, these were probably my two best drives of the year."
"It was a great weekend," added Philip Ellis. "It was Jeff's best weekend by far this year."
"This was crucial this weekend," noted Jason Daskalos regarding his victories. "We were on the back foot, qualifying sixth and then starting fifth Saturday after another entry withdrew."
"The RENNtech and P1 Groupe guys had a ton of work to do to get this car back into racing shape," commented Matt Bell about their preparation challenges.
The upcoming races at Indianapolis will be decisive for all teams involved as they aim for championship glory.
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