DRIVING TWO CARS IN ONE RACE

Watkins Glen, NY — Driving for a long time is the name of the game in endurance racing, but this weekend at the Six Hours at the Glen, Matt McMurry will be attempting to take the concept to a new level. The 18-year-old is listed as a driver for two teams, in two separate classes, and in two completely different types of cars, which will see him driving for 4-5 hours of the six hour race.

“I was originally scheduled to race at the Six Hours at the Glen only for Park Place Motorsports in its Porsche 911 GT3 R in the ultra-competitive GTD class,” said McMurry. “But I tested for BAR1 Motorsports at Watkins Glen a few weeks ago as part of preparing for my sprint race schedule with the them.

“Things went so well in their Oreca FLM09 that the team owner Brian Alder asked if I could race for his team, too, at the Six Hours at the Glen” but in the LMPC class. “I said ‘maybe’, not knowing if Park Place would okay it or if racing two cars in one race was even practical or allowed under the rules.”

Alder texted the competition director at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on the spot to explore further. IMSA officials confirmed that the rules didn’t prohibited the scenario. With step one checked off, inquiring minds turned toward the practicality of making it happen.

For instance, would it be possible to meet the minimum drive time requirement of 2 hours in the GTD class and 1.5 hours in the LMPC class? With fuel loads differing between the cars, how much time would McMurry likely end up driving? How much rest would there be before switching mid-race from one car to the other? Could a driver run a solid race pace if they drove 4 or more of the six hours?

“The guys at Park Place were like “Whoa, that would be really cool,” McMurry added. “I wanted them to know that the Porsche was my first commitment and priority and if there was any hesitation that I would decline the opportunity with BAR1.” Though no official records are kept of this type, a few sports car historians and reporters, noted that they couldn’t recall anyone first driving in both GT and prototype classes in the same race.

There have been instances of drivers taking on a similar challenge, but in the same class and without having to adjust to the different driving styles required between GT and prototype cars. In 2014 Paul Della Lana raced in the Daytona 24 in the GTD and GTLM classes. Scott Tucker commonly raced in both of his P2 class entries during the late American Le Mans Series era. Going even further back, in 1980 John Paul Sr. clinched the World Endurance Driver Championship at the Daytona Finale after starting in a GTX Porsche 935 and finishing in a GTO Pontiac Firebird.

The Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen happens on July 2, 2016 with live coverage on FoxSports.