IMSA Mid-Ohio: WTR heads Acura 1-2, Inception McLaren wins GTD

Albuquerque in the Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 got the jump on polesitter Sebastien Bourdais in the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R.

The turbocharged car pulled ahead from Turn 4 with Jarvis tucking the Meyer Shank Racing Acura into third ahead of the second Ganassi Cadillac fourth, ahead of Tristan Vautier (JDC Miller Motorsports Caddy) and Tristan Nunez (Action Express Racing Caddy).

As they threaded through GTD traffic on Lap 10, Bourdais muscled past Albuquerque down the inside at Turn 2 to grab the lead. Within three laps, Bourdais had a lead of three seconds and the main battles in class were between Albuquerque and Jarvis for second, and Vautier and Nunez for fifth.

The latter pair pitted together off strategy on Lap 21, in anticipation of a caution for a spun LMP3 car, but the little prototype got going again unassisted. Pipo Derani replaced Nunez in the #31, but the car remained behind Vautier for a couple of laps before Derani got the pass completed down the inside at Turn 4.

The Albuquerque versus Jarvis battle was interrupted by pitstops for both while running 5.5s behind leader Bourdais. Ricky Taylor replaced Albuquerque and Tom Blomqvist replaced Jarvis, but the two Acuras departed some five seconds apart.

Bourdais’ stop by the Ganassi crew was superb, and he ceded no time to Taylor initially, but a combination of traffic and a charging Taylor brought the Cadillac’s advantage briefly under a second, before Bourdais extended the margin back out to over four seconds. Blomqvist, meanwhile, chipped away at his deficit to Taylor and drew to within 1.5s by Lap 50.

A first full course caution prompted Bourdais to hit pitlane to hand off to Renger van der Zande, Taylor remained second ahead of