HARRISON: Double Podium at Sonoma for Acura

The start of the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS season kicked off last weekend, but this time with a totally different twist. Same team, same car, same sponsor, even the same teammate, but this time, I wasn’t going in as a rookie.

Now, I was considered a pro. Challenge accepted.

Mario and I brought our bright red No. 93 Harrison Contracting Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 back to the 11-turn, high elevation surface of Sonoma Raceway where we started our partnership last year with Racers Edge Motorsports.

As reigning Pro-Am champions, with all the same elements in place that helped us win that title, I personally have goals I want to achieve going into this new season in the top class. The races might be “just another day on the job” for Mario, since he has been our designated Pro driver and a Honda/HPD Racing factory driver. But for me, this is a huge step, because for my entire career, I’ve been known as the ‘Am.’

After already experiencing two endurance races this year, I had plenty of laps behind the wheel of our second Acura NSX GT3 chassis. In just four short racing months, I’ve been on a different tire in a different series with different rules and regulations, so some adjustments still needed to be made.

Mario and I got up to speed quickly in our Harrison Contracting Acura NSX GT3, and we were competitive and up front on both days of practice, despite the low-grip track with the added challenges of constant rain on the first day and a super-green track on the second.

The sun shone bright Saturday morning, changing track conditions once again. But we podiumed at this track last year, and our engineer, Jim Pattin, has fine-tuned the setup of the NSX, so we felt good going into qualifying.

I took the first session and had clear track ahead of me, but almost immediately got a red flag. None of the field got to turn a lap, but the clock kept running.

We ended up going out for a one lap shoot-out for the Race 1 starting grid, and while we were the second car out of pit lane and in a great spot for our flyer, a competitor decided that was a good time to race for position and I got the wrong end of that deal – we ended with a P14 starting spot and last in Pro.

Yep, you guessed it: I was not happy, and neither was the team, but Mario put the car on pole for Race 2, in P5 overall, so we recollected and focused on the race.

Sonoma is a hard track to pass, so your starting position is crucial to how your next 90 minutes is going to play out.

I made the most out of the cards we’d been dealt and pushed forward, making up six positions and catching up to the Pro field before our mandatory pit stop. During his race, Mario did Mario things (side note: the mustaches gave us extra luck!) and earned us a step on the podium in P3. We were thrilled but not satisfied, despite bringing back the champagne shenanigans.

Mario led the Pro class to the green flag from pole in Race 2, starting in fifth position overall. He rocketed to the front of the field immediately and led for the first 20-minutes.

Unfortunately, an out-of-class car made contact and spun him out, causing us to drop back to fourth in class and 11th overall. Despite the setback, Mario kept us in the fight with the other Pro cars, and I left the pit box in third, jumping two cars during the pit stop (yeah, our crew is that good).

At this point, I had my own job to do as a pro, and I pushed forward to the leading class cars. After my first attempt to pass into Turn 9, I drove off track, recovered and had 22 minutes to play with, and I steadily caught back up to the leaders.

I constantly watch and study the drivers on track, whether they’re my direct competition or not. I make note of their weaknesses and strengths, if the car is slow or low on grip, if the drivers have “tells” or tendencies, and how they react under pressure.

I spend weeks before a race thinking about what I’d do in a particular situation, and at Sonoma, those thoughts were specific. “If I could pass, where would I do it?” All of that studying and planning paid off.

I got a great run out of Turn 11 and went for the pass into Turn 1- and I got it. One competitor down, and the leader was next. Game on.

With this particular car in my sights, I knew I was faster out of Turn 6 and into Turn 7, so I also knew what I needed to do. I left Turn 6 on his bumper and made the pass on the inside of Turn 7 and it stuck.

Within two laps, I’d gained two spots and was leading the race in the Pro class – at my debut!

Our No. 93 Harrison Contracting Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 was out front where it had originally started and deserved to be. As the laps ticked down, the No. 21 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 behind me started to close in, and as he got in my mirrors, I knew I’d have a fight to the finish. With four minutes to the checker, we were nose to tail.

White Flag. Last Lap.

As I was managing Pro-Am traffic, the Ferrari got a run out of Turn 6 and forced his way through in Turn 7. Contact was made, and we dropped to P2.

Cue Jim Pattin on the radio: “We have time; go get him back.”

Cue my thoughts: “I only have four corners to get him back.”

We raced out of Turn 9 and 9a, and I knew I only had one shot left: going into Turn 11.

As a driver, you only have milliseconds to make a decision on track. Add in the pressure of a close race, the shot at victory, and the lack of track remaining, and those milliseconds become even shorter than imaginable.

In those milliseconds, I made a decision: I was willing to risk it all. I didn’t know if the pass would work, or if I’d crash the car, but I knew without a doubt what I was going to do.

As we raced into Turn 11, I told myself I wouldn’t brake until after he was past the brake zone. I turned right, stood on the brake and opened up my hands. Our Acura charged through without any contact, and the pass stuck.

Cue my thoughts again: “Did. That. Just. Happen?!”

As I flew past the starters’ stand, checker flag flying, I hit the radio button and started screaming at the top of my lungs.

The entire team leapt pit wall and raced to the edge of the track as I drove across the finish line, taking the win in our Harrison Contracting Acura NSX GT3 Evo22.

What a race. What a team. We left Sonoma with a double podium, champagne soaked fire suits, and the points lead in the Pro class.

Hey, NOLA: here we come.