MONTEREY, California – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team Winward Racing secured its second-straight IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge double-podium race finish to anchor a solid 2-3-4 showing for the Mercedes-AMG GT4 Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Winward’s double podium followed a similar result one race ago at Road America, but this time it was the No. 4 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Russell Ward and Indy Dontje finishing second and leading their sister No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Bryce Ward and Alec Udell to the line in third. The No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss battled with both Winward cars to the end to finish fourth.
Both the Winward entries and the Murillo No. 56 never ran out of the top-10 in the Michelin Pilot Grand Sport (GS) class standings in the early stages of the race. The trio then stepped up to battle in the top five for the final 60 minutes of two-hour race on the 2.238-mile road course.
The Murillo entry was the first Mercedes-AMG GT4 team to move into podium contention after a flawless pit stop in the first hour. A well-timed caution at the 40-minute mark saw Murillo, the Winward entries and the other front runners all pit for the first time and make driver changes.
Foss took over the No. 56 and returned to the race in second after Mosing pitted from seventh.
With Dontje getting in the No. 4, and Udell taking over the No. 57, the Winward Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams also stayed in lead-pack contention after the first round of pit stops.
A key strategy move came during the race’s second and final pit stops in hour two. Winward took the split strategy of not changing tires on the No. 57 while putting two new rear tires on the No. 4.
The call soon favored the No. 4 as Dontje was able to pass Udell and zero in on Foss in second with just minutes to go. On the race’s final lap, Dontje passed Foss for second place with Udell, despite being on older Michelins than either the No. 4 or No. 56, also managing to edge by the Murillo entry for the third and final podium spot.
Saturday’s podium showings were the fourth and fifth of the season for Winward. Russell Ward and Dontje finished third to race runner ups Bryce Ward and Udell at Road America. The No. 57 teammates also finished third for Winward’s first podium of the season last May at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Another Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team performance of note came from Capstone Motorsports in just its third IMSA race. After taking over from starting driver Gary Ferrera, race closer Kris Wilson was battling to crack the top-10 in the race’s late stages. Unfortunately, the No. 60 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 ran out of fuel coming out of the final turn on the last lap, but Wilson managed to coast across the line in 12th place.
Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in IMSA competition is the Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway, October 8 – 10.
Indy Dontje, Driver – No. 4 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We’re really happy. We had seen in practice already that we were quick, and in the race we showed that we were one of the strongest cars. The last 15 minutes was driving on ice with the low grip level here at Laguna. On the other side, I was the only one with better rear tires because we changed rear tires at the last pit stop. I think this helped us. I tried to move on the No. 56 for position, and in the end, I could stick it on the inside. A double podium for Winward Racing makes it really incredible. I’m really happy for the team and for the Ward family. It’s a strong championship and a lot of strong competitors, and I think we showed what we’re really capable of.”
Alec Udell, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “There were some different pit-stop strategies that were playing out when I got in the car, but Bryce did a great stint and brought the car in from fifth. His last two events really have been some of the best driving that he’s done, which is really cool. It’s nice to be a part of that progression because that’s kind of what this sport is about. Having the results in the rain at Road America and being able to bring that momentum into this race shows the team is really dialed in with the Mercedes-AMG GT4 cars. It has been a good season. At Mid-Ohio we were on the podium and again at Road America and here at Laguna Seca. We had an opportunity too at Lime Rock. Overall, it’s a team effort and we were able to make it happen today. There was teamwork together with Indy, and we were back and forth, but it was nice to see both cars are getting the most out of what the Mercedes-AMG GT4 is capable of.”
Eric Foss, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We unloaded really well here at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. We were quickest in practice one, which is a good start to the weekend. I feel like we did a great job on initial setup and were really close in the race, but we didn’t quite have it dialed in like the Winward cars did. The team was so phenomenal on the pit stops, which is really how we got into position. When Jeff pitted, he was P7, and we came out of the pits in P2. I couldn’t believe how well those guys did that pit stop, they just killed it. Even at the end, when we did our final pit stop, we were able to leapfrog the No. 4 car in the pits. At that point, it just became a game of knowing we were managing tires. These Michelins do a good job, but this track is always really hard on the tires. I felt like I managed the tires really well, and when the No. 57 and the No. 4 were working together, I knew they were slowly gaining. I thought I had enough, but we had some really unfortunate luck in traffic the last couple laps and that’s what really killed our margin over those guys. Once they got to me, I knew it was going to be a struggle to keep them behind. Overall, I have to be really happy. Mercedes-AMG GT4 were able to finish second, third and fourth. The recent BoP (Balance of Performance) rule changes made us competitive again, so we’re thankful to IMSA for that.”
Gary Ferrera, Driver – No. 60 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Laguna Seca is one of my favorite tracks for emotional reasons. I was stationed in the military here for language school, my wife was stationed here at Fort Ord, and I started college in Monterey. So, I love this place, I love this track and I love coming here. I know the track pretty well but I’m still learning the Mercedes-AMG GT4. We made a significant leap in where we are finishing each race. We still had a couple of hiccups, but the Mercedes-AMG GT4 was great. We really had a great time. In the end we want to have fun. We want to do well, but when everybody has a big smile on their face when you finish, it is a big advantage. We can’t do the next race at VIR, but we’re going to Road Atlanta at the end of the season. This is all about building for next year.”
