INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (September 24, 2024) – Sunday afternoon’s Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a day sports car racing fans and the team at AO Racing will not soon forget. Determined as ever to keep their championship points lead, the team drove an incredible race from last position on the grid to first place, expanding the championship points gap for Rexy, the Porsche 911 GT3 Rawr. Spike the Dragon also had an impressive podium run going until contact from another car took the LMP2 car out from the top three in the final hour.
“What a weekend,” said Team Principal Gunanr Jeannette. “From the highs & lows of qualifying on pole, then losing it and starting at the back to running a near-flawless race. Both Laurin & Michael drove well in all conditions and the 77 Crew nailed the pitstops, vaulting Rexy into the lead at the last pit cycle. The 99 car had some more challenges to face with some penalties and technical issues, but still was in podium contention until contact from a lap-down competitor. We can’t wait for the next round at Petit LeMans to finish up the year.”
Rexy’s roller coaster of a weekend at the Brickyard began with the No. 77 Porsche securing pole position for Sunday’s race, picking up an additional 35-points. The joy was short lived when the car failed post-qualifying technical inspection, not only revoking those extra 35 points, but moving the car to start at the back of the grid as well. The team’s 17-points gap lead dropped to nine, but the team remained focused forward on the task at hand.
Throughout the six-hour endurance event, Laurin Heinrich and Michael Christensen took turns driving the Porsche, navigating their way through hours of rain, several full-course cautions, and a couple of instances of contact from other cars. The strategy from the pit box kept Rexy in a position to fight at the front, and the pit crew made the move of the race in the final pit stop. Rexy pitted in third, but the team completed the stop before the competition, exiting pit lane in first place. From there, Rexy raced to the checkered flag, securing his third win of the year and valuable championship points. The team holds a 99-point lead over Heart of Racing with one round remaining.
Driving Spike the dragon in the LMP2 class, PJ Hyett, Paul-Loup Chatin, and Matthew Brabham battled through setbacks in the six-hour race. The purple and orange LMP2 car was fighting for a podium finish but with less than 45 minutes to go, contact from another car spun out Spike, and while he recovered, crucial ground was lost. Spike regained two positions before the checkered flag, finishing in fourth place.
The 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship titles will be decided next month at Petit Le Mans, October 9-12.
