GT class penalties alter results of GRAND-AM Laguna Seca - MotorSportsTalk

A pair of penalties have changed the official results of last weekend’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California.

Title contender Alessandro Balzan and co-driver Leh Keen, both of whom wheeled the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia (pictured, from March) last Sunday, have been elevated to a third-place finish after originally being scored fifth.

That’s because the original third-place car, the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette of Eric Curran and Boris Said, has been demoted to eighth in class. Additionally, the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche of Patrick Long and Patrick Lindsey has been demoted from fourth to ninth in class.

“Every team deserves a fair chance to compete and the process that maintains this was appropriately implemented by officials,” said Scuderia Corsa principal Giacomo Mattioli in a team release.

“We ran a fantastic race on Sunday and are now focused on getting ready to go for the championship at our last race of the season at Lime Rock.”

Balzan sustained damage to his car’s rear diffuser and exhaust system in separate incidents during the closing moments of the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival.

The revised results also have an impact on the hotly-contested GT championship race. With the podium finish, Balzan has now moved within four points, 313-309, of the class-leading No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche of John Potter and Andy Lally, who won their first race of 2013 at Laguna Seca.

Lally touched on the subject, as well as Jeff Gordon’s inclusion in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, on Twitter. One could argue he was a bit surprised at both:

Was in the mountains for 3 hrs helpin set up a streetluge race & by the time I came down my point lead was cut in half & #24 is in the Chase

— Andy Lally (@AndyLally) September 14, 2013

Follow @estradawriting

Ryan Hunter-Reay was named to replace Conor Daly in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet, starting in the NTT IndyCar Series event next week at Road America.

Hunter-Reay is the 2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. He finished 11th for Dreyer & Reinbold last month in the 107th Indy 500, his first start since the 2021 season finale. He drove full time for Andretti Autosport from 2010-21.

“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” team owner Ed Carpenter said in a team release. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”

Hunter-Reay has 18 IndyCar victories, most recently in 2018. He also is a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having been a part of winning entries in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 2018 Petit Le Mans. Last year, he was an endurance driver for Cadillac Racing while being on standby for Chip Ganassi Racing.

He replaces Daly, whose departure was announced a day earlier in what the driver and team said was a mutual decision.

“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed,” Hunter-Reay said in a team release. “He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help. Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in BITNILE.COM.

“This will certainly be a challenge for me as well. It’s a tough situation jumping in a car in the middle of the season without any testing in what I believe to be the most competitive series in the world. Certainly, part of my motivation in saying ‘yes’ to Ed is the great challenge ahead. The last time I turned right driving an NTT IndyCar Series car was in October of 2021 with this team at Barber. However, I remain very confident in both my driving and technical abilities and believe by working with the talented people at ECR and Team Chevy, while representing BITNILE.COM, we will make progress. I am going to do everything I can do to help the team achieve its long-term objectives.”

Said Milton “Todd” Ault, the chairman of sponsor BitNile.com: “It is great for BitNile.com to be aligned with an Indy 500 Winner and an NTT IndyCar Series champion. I have followed Ryan’s career for years and I am confident he will challenge the entire ECR team to perform at higher levels. I wish everyone luck at Road America.”