Audi went 1-2 in Saturday night FIA World Endurance Championship Six Hours of the Circuit of The Americas, overcoming both weather and other manufacturer pit strategy to score its second straight FIA WEC win.
Neither of the Audi R18 e-tron quattros went off in the second hour rain deluge that caused a 50-minute red flag. Then on opposite tire strategies, the No. 2 Audi on Michelin’s ungrooved intermediate hybrid tire took the edge over the No. 1, on the standard wet.
The No. 14 Porsche 919 Hybrid had the lead heading into the final hour thanks to one less pit stop, but a power less coupled with Marcel Fassler extending his lead in the No. 2 Audi prior to a final splash of fuel allowed the Audi to seize the advantage.
Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer followed up their Le Mans win with the win at COTA, ahead of the sister No. 1 of Tom Kristensen, Lucas di Grassi and the returning Loic Duval.
The No. 8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid was third in the hands of Sebastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Nicolas Lapierre, the latter turning in a great comeback drive after being one of several cars that went off in the rain.
Other class winners were KCMG (LMP2) and Aston Martin Racing (both GTE-Pro and GTE-Am).
After a three-week break, compared to a three-month break, the FIA WEC is in action next at Fuji, Japan on October 12.
Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports
Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.
Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.
Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.
The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.
In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.
Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.
Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.
Last Five Seattle Winners
450s 2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto
