Tandy Doesn’t Feel AO Needs Race Win to Take GTD Pro Title

Photo: Porsche

Nick Tandy believes that he and AO Racing co-driver Harry King can be IMSA GTD Pro champions without winning a race this season, in what’s turned into a heated battle for the title in the top production-based ranks of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Tandy and King enter this weekend’s Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway third in the standings, just 21 points from leaders Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen, who had a race to forget at Road America in their Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

With four class podiums in seven races this season, including being on the heels of two consecutive runner-up finishes in their Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, the Porsche factory ace believes that anything is possible in the remaining three rounds.

“Obviously, we started with the pretty much polar opposites with Daytona and Sebring,” said Tandy.

“It was difficult to read where we were, how we were going, and how the season was going to pan out [and] where we sort of stacked up in the competitive order. And then we kind of ran a bit like that for the next few races.

“But since Watkins Glen, we’ve been there. We qualified on pole at Road America, which was awesome. Qualifying typically hasn’t been good for us this year. But we’ve been running consistently at the front.”

Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen were the last drivers to have won a WeatherTech Championship title without winning a race in the season, which came in 2018 in the GT Le Mans class.

“Do we need a win? If you ask me now, would I take a championship with three second places in the run to Atlanta, then absolutely,” said Tandy.

“AO and Porsche and myself and Harry and everyone in the team are there to try and, of course, win races, but win championships. This is the key aim at the start of the season every year.

“Of course, everybody wants to win. But at the same time, we appreciate how strong GTD Pro is and how strong it’s become.

“Like I say, I would prefer to consistently score points and take a big trophy at the end, then have a first and a few another 10th and an 11th or something, like we did at Detroit.

“Just to be in the fight and up there with the lead pack and have a chance to race with a bit of strategy or, whatever is going on in the race and get the drivers involved is.

“That’s all you ask for. So, yeah, [we’re hoping for] more of the same. It’s been good since the summer. It’s good racing and very close, which is how we want it.”

After three years with Porsche Penske Motorsport in the top GTP class, Tandy said he’s enjoyed his return to the GT ranks, particularly with a privateer team in the Gunnar Jeannette-led AO squad.

“Personally, I love it,” he said. “I think I’ve said before, but I think the greatest racing I ever did in my life was when I was in the peak of GTLM. It was way above what GTE was, when GTLM was back in the sort of ‘18, ‘19, ‘20 period, this was just the best racing ever.

“And honestly, GTD Pro is becoming that sort of racing. It’s the sort of thing where you’ve got to be on it all the time.

“Generally, you always have got a chance. Even if you don’t qualify well, you will have a chance to do something in the race, and put yourself in the race, to get something going towards the end, and it’s exactly how GTLM used to be.”

Tandy Continues to be Impressed by King’s Ability, Approach

Tandy has also given high praise to his WeatherTech Championship rookie co-driver, King, who burst onto the North American racing scene this year but has quietly built up his resume as one of the next sports car racing stars.

“The way he’s taken to IMSA, I think, has shocked a lot of people,” said Tandy. “He hasn’t shocked me because I’ve known him for a long time.

“And the thing that’s impressed me about Harry is how he’s taken on information. He’s very smart; he’s smarter than I thought he was! Not that I didn’t think he was smart, but he’s a very, very smart driver and he takes on a lot of information and he processes that information very quickly.

“He asks the right questions. He teaches the rest of us a lot of stuff. He drives the GT3 R a lot; not just in IMSA, and he’s a real team player.

“He understands the fact that endurance racing is not just about qualifying on the front. It’s not just about setting the fastest lap or going fast for five laps and then slow for the next 25.

“I think if he carries on the way he’s going and I see no reason why not, then I’m sure we’ll all be seeing a lot of him in IMSA in the future, hopefully.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John