Watkins Glen Pre-Race Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***The No. 1 Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b of Ryan Dalziel led morning warmup with a quick lap of 1:40.570. Other class leaders were Renger van der Zande (PC), Antonio Garcia (GTLM) and Jan Heylen (GTD). No incidents were reported and both of the damaged PC cars from Saturday turned laps.

***Starworks Motorsport team owner Peter Baron told Sportscar365 that he expects their HPD-powered Riley DP to resume testing in two weeks following a number of cooling-related updates made by Riley and HPD. “The first step is the engine coolant test. The second test is the intercooler and the third is the longevity,” he said. Baron hopes for the DP to rejoin the series beginning at the Road America round in August.

***Patrick Pilet has been a late addition to Porsche North America’s lineup, joining the No. 912 entry of Patrick Long and Michael Christensen in today’s race. The Frenchman was originally drafted in as a potential substitute to Nick Tandy, whose wife gave birth to a baby girl on Friday in England.

***Action Express Racing heads into today’s race as two-time and defending winners, although both under GRAND-AM sanction. The No. 5 Corvette DP of Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi, as well as the returning No. 9 entry of Burt and Brian Frisselle and Jon Fogarty, will start 2nd and 8th, respectively.

***TUDOR Championship teams are carrying a sticker in honor of IMSA co-founder John Bishop, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 87.

***Mazda is offering a live “second screen” video stream during today’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Fans watching the race on FOX Sports 1 (beginning at 11 a.m. ET) can watch live on-board footage of the Nos. 07 and 70 cars via Mazda’s YouTube channel.

***Ryan Eversley, who won Saturday’s Continental Tire 150 CTSC race, is fresh off a six-day journey on the 2014 Hot Rod Power Tour. Eversley’s observations, quick wit and sense of adventure provided a colorful Twitter frenzy as he drove a variety of cars, including a Lingenfelter Vista Cruiser, Lingenfelter Corvette and a Petty’s Garage Dodge Challenger. You can re-live the memories here.

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