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Estre Leads K-PAX with Flying Lizard McLaren 1-2 at Barber

Estre, Thorne lead the PWC field Sunday at Barber…

Photo: Brian Cleary/bcpix.com

Photo: Brian Cleary/bcpix.com

The pair of K-PAX Racing with Flying Lizard Motorsports teammates, Kevin Estre and Robert Thorne, dominated Sunday’s Round 7 of the Pirelli World Challenge season at Barber Motorsports Park en route to a 1-2 finish in their pair of McLaren 650S GT3s.

Estre started fifth in the No. 9 McLaren with Thorne on the pole in the No. 6 McLaren. But Estre made a perfect start, gaining three positions off the line into Turn 1 to emerge second before a full-course caution was issued for a stalled car.

Thorne led the opening 14 laps of the 50-minute race, before Estre stuck a move to the inside of him at the left-hand hairpin at Turn 5. Estre led the remainder of the 29-lap race en route to his second win of the year, this time by 4.271 seconds.

“It was the first really good start we drew up at the beginning of the season. We were up to P2 before the first yellow,” Estre said.

“The only team order is no contact, or we’ll kill you. That was the deal. So finally I was able to brake later into Turn 5. He was clever enough not to turn.

“The K-PAX team did a great job. We are back in the game now with some great points, and the other guys scored less.”

Ryan Dalziel recorded his fifth podium of the season in third in the No. 31 EFFORT Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Olivier Beretta, in the No. 61 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 was fourth ahead of Mike Skeen, in the No. 2 CRP Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra, for his second top-five of the weekend.

After starting from the rear of the GT/GTA field following his post-race technical infraction assessed after winning Saturday, James Davison recovered to 11th in the No. 33 AE Nissan GT Academy Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3.

Teammate Bryan Heitkotter, in the No. 05 AE Nissan GT Academy Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, took his first GTA victory of the weekend in eighth overall.

The race was marred when Johnny O’Connell’s No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.R burst into flames as he entered Turn 5.

O’Connell brought the car to a quick stop in the gravel trap and quickly escaped OK from the cockpit, but the car was ablaze for minutes while both driver and the Pirelli World Challenge safety crew tended to the vehicle.

It put the race under caution for nearly 20 minutes, before the restart occurred with just over eight minutes remaining.

Elsewhere Colin Thompson continued his dominance in GT Cup presented by MOMO, with his sixth win in seven races in the No. 11 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

The series has two full weeks off before reconvening at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park from May 15-17.

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno) is Sportscar365's North American Editor, focusing on coverage of the IMSA-sanctioned championships as well as Pirelli World Challenge. DiZinno also contributes to NBCSports.com and other motorsports outlets. Contact Tony

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