Wittmer-González win TCR class at Sebring on wild final lap

In the second round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Sebring, the TCR class ended with a last-lap skirmish that was won by Karl Wittmer in the Victor González Racing Team Honda Civic FK7. 

Running an alternate strategy after starting next-to-last in the 15-car TCR field, González moved into the class lead by staying out when others made early pit stops. He finally turned the Honda over to Wittmer on their only stop of the race under a full-course caution with 47 minutes remaining. A final restart with 3:25 to go found Wittmer in third position behind Mikey Taylor’s JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS 3 LMS and Michael Lewis’ Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N.

During the final lap Taylor and Lewis clashed in Turn 10, allowing Wittmer enough room to take the lead. Trying to hold off Lewis, Wittmer charged hard into the final turn and slid wide on exit. The Canadian relied on his ice racing experience to drift the car without losing control and held off Lewis by 0.182 seconds at the finish line.

Lewis and co-driver Taylor Hagler, the 2021 TCR champions, made quite the recovery themselves. Hagler served a pair of drive-through penalties for using improper qualifying tyres, but the duo fought back to finish second and took the leadership in the standings.

Sebring – Race
1. K. Wittmer-V. González (V. González Motorsports, Honda Civic Type R), 41 laps
2. M. Lewis/T. Hagler (Bryan Herta Autosport, Hyundai Elantra N), 0.182
3. C. Miller/M. Taylor (JDC-Miller MotorSports, Audi RS 3 LMS), 1.547

Championship points
1. M. Lewis/T. Hagler, 640 pts; 2. V. González, 530; 3. T. Lewis-R. Block, 520

Picture: IMSA/LAT Images