HARGROVE: A Roller-Coaster Season

The 2019 racing season is over, and what a roller coaster it has been!

From my perspective, it went by in a heartbeat. It feels like just yesterday we were arriving in Daytona for the Roar Before the 24.

That would mark my first event as a Porsche Selected Driver, a title I’ve worn with pride this year as it was an honor to represent such a prestigious brand.

It would allow me the opportunity to race in dual championships, something I haven’t done since my open-wheel and Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge double-duties in 2014.

A few months later and both the Blancpain GT World Challenge America and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship would be in full swing.

Both drew massive ups and downs over the season in what I ultimately look at as a character-building year.

I always like to look at the positives, and there were certainly lots to take away! Here are few of the highlights from the season:

Daytona – IMSA: The first IMSA race for the entire Pfaff Motorsports team, drivers and mechanics alike. The learning curve was beyond steep, however by midnight, the car was running a solid third-position with all the nerves and jitters seemingly behind us.

Confidence was raising as we broke into the second half of the race, only to be squashed by an electrical issue. Zach was driving at the time and reported no power to the dash.

That was okay until it started raining, at which point the windshield wiper wouldn’t turn on.

This was the start of the unfortunate events that would result in the car being collected in a crash during a restart with six-hours remaining in the race.

COTA – SRO America: My first race with Wright Motorsports. Pat Long and I would start the season strong with a pair of podium finishes.

If memory serves correct, it was freezing that weekend and made it extremely difficult to keep heat in the tires and pickup off of them.

Sebring – IMSA: Another roller coaster event. We led the majority of the race only to suffer an ABS failure with approximately two-hours remaining.

Sonoma – SRO America: Victory! A very memorable race with two restarts to hold off a charging Ferrari. The low grip track suited our Porsche very well.

Petit Le Mans – IMSA: The final race of the 2019 IMSA season, and what a way to finish it off! Over the course of the 10 hours we were never the fastest car, far from it actually, but we kept our heads down and pushed the limits the entire race.

Finally, the trio of Lars, Zach and I landed a spot on the podium for the first time together. A massively rewarding feeling and a testament to where a never give up attitude can get you.

With the season now in the rear view, I can look forward to 2020 and whatever new opportunities may come.

I want to thank everyone who was a part of the effort throughout the season, most notably Porsche Motorsport North America, Pfaff Motorsports and Wright Motorsports along with partners Castrol Canada, Orlando Corporation, Porsche Consulting, Henry Rifles, FEL Drives, Full Torque Gear & Life Storage.

And finally, thank you to everyone reading this and following along throughout the season, see you all in 2020!