What a race! Down to the wire, last fumes of gas or in the Flying Lizards case a Ferrari banging in the last turns with the Ferrari getting by.
Wolf Henzler and Joerg Bergmeister celebrate a 3rd place podium and points lead.
Not this time. Both were warned in the remaining laps to ease up but it was clear that the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari had the speed but couldn’t get by at the end of a straight. Joerg Bergmeister was clean. Dirk Mueller in the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari forces his way into the corner and forces Joerg wide and into grass. It was completely uncalled for and avoidable.
In the end, they were penalized and the No. 45 Porsche was moved up to a podium spot. Congrats to No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche on their second podium, as well.
It was a tough race for the Lizard squad at Mosport this afternoon. After a disappointing qualifying session on Saturday, the No. 45, No. 46 and No. 44 Porsches started fourth, fifth and ninth, on the grid, respectively for the 2 hour and 45 minute race. By the first yellow, 45 minutes into the race, the No. 45 (with Wolf Henzler), and the No. 46 (with Johannes van Overbeek) had moved into third and fourth. Seth Neiman in the No. 44 had moved to eighth. The No. 62 Risi Ferrari was in the lead and the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari in second.
Nearing the one-hour mark, and the end of the first yellow, a lightning-fast first pit stop helped the No. 45 beat every other GT2 car out of the pits to take the lead, and the No. 46 was out in fourth. Over the next 30 minutes, with the No. 62 Risi Ferrari again retaking the lead, the No. 45 (with Joerg Bergmeister now in the car), battled to hold onto second place and Patrick Pilet in the No. 46 worked to hold fifth.
A second yellow flag sent most GT2 cars back to the pits for tires and short fuel but no driver changes. The No. 45 was out again quickly back into second, as was the No. 44, now in sixth. But bad luck struck the No. 46 when the car would not restart in the pits after fuel and tires. A fifteen-minute pit stop to replace a broken starter sent the No. 46 from fifth to the tenth at the back of the pack, ending their hopes for a top finish.
Over the final 30 minutes of the race, all three Lizard Porsches struggled to hold positions. The No. 62 was solidly in the lead, and the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche in second. It was now shaping up to be a battle for third place between GT2 championship contenders Bergmeister in the No. 45 in third and the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari, which had threaded its way back up through the field after its last pit stop to fourth.
With the No. 45 and the No. 71 nose-to-tail for the last 25 minutes of the race, Bergmeister defended his position and the No. 71 looked for every opportunity to pass, with the two cars making contact at nearly every attempt. On the last lap, the No. 71 passed Joerg on the inside, making contact. The No. 45 finished fourth behind the No. 71, but the No. 71 was penalized for avoidable contact, giving the No. 45 the podium spot. The No. 44, which had struggled over the race with a rapidly destabilizing car and a broken shock, finished seventh. The No. 46, which was not able to regain the lost time in the pits, finished ninth.
With this result, the No. 45 with Bergmeister and Henzler, increases its lead in the driver championship over the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari, and the team retains its lead in the team championships.
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