Glen notebook: Switch to red tires gets checkered flag
WATKINS GLEN — The color red did have something to do with who got to victory lane Sunday in the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen.
But it wasn't the red of Team Penske's familiar color scheme; it was the red-sided tires on the car of Justin Wilson that helped him win.
How important are the new red tires? Just ask runner-up Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske.
"On that final restart it just shows how important the new tire rule is," said Briscoe, who started his day on the pole. "I think in the end, that very last stint, I probably looked a little out of place because I was running on the harder compound tire compared to Justin. On the restart it really showed what the difference was."
This season teams are using two different types of Firestone tires at road and street course events. Teams utilize harder compound tires — referred to as "black" tires — as well as softer compound tires called "reds" because of the red strip painted on their outsides.
Teams get three sets of tires for the weekend and any red sets not used in qualifying can be used in the race. At least one set of red tires must be used in the race and for at least two green flag laps.
The softer reds generally run quicker lap times but are thought to fall off in performance quicker than the blacks. So how teams deploy their tire strategy in these events is significant.
The hope of series officials is that the performance differences between cars, depending on what tires they are running, will create passing opportunities.
In Sunday's 60-lap affair, Wilson relinquished the top spot on lap 41 to make his final pit stop and the team put a final set of red tires that they had saved from qualifying on the car.
Briscoe cycled into the lead for lap 42 but in his last pit stop he had to put black tires on his machine. A final yellow on lap 52 found Wilson leading Briscoe. On the restart Wilson motored away to the checkered flag as Briscoe could only helplessly watch.
"I thought I was actually quicker then Justin before that final caution came and I was actually catching back up to him," Briscoe said. "As soon as the tires cooled off, it was really hard going for the first three or four laps getting up to speed. The race was over."
. . .
Marco Andretti and E.J. Viso raced to fifth- and seventh-place finishes, respectively, but it was a controversial incident between the two on lap 5 of the race that had both expressing hard feelings toward one another afterward.
Viso slid against Andretti as the pair raced through the boot section of the course. Viso's front left wing clipped Andretti's right rear tire, forcing Andretti to the pits as that tire went flat and caused him to go a lap down.
"I knew I had to worry about that guy [Viso], everybody does," said Andretti.
Viso saw things differently.
"I was behind Marco and he was blocking me a lot, and there was a point I was trying to overtake him in corner eight," Viso replied. "He just blocked me so much, we hit each other."
. . .
Phil Lombardi of Nashua, N.H., won the Sports Car Club of America F2000 race Sunday morning.
Victory Lane: Weekend Winners
Dunn Tire RP
DRAGS
Quick 16: Rick Thurnherr II
Top ET: Dan Szewczyk
Mod ET: Pete D'Angelo
Sleds/Bikes: Rob Brandel
Street: Mike Buhan TNT: Tom Cooley, Ken Jozwiak
STOCK CARS: Off
Ransomville Speedway Modifieds: Brett Hearn
DIRT Sportsman: John Panattoni, Ricky Newton
Street Stocks: Jaren Israel, Dave Conant, Patrick Dell, Derrick Borkenhagen
Fireball Enduro: Todd Brunning
Genesee Speedway Pro Stocks: Pete Stefansk i Late Models: Brian Kotarski
Sportsman: John Venuto
Sprint Cars: Jeremy Barnard
Street Stocks: Jeb Walworth
Mini-Stocks: Bobby Dickinson
Stateline Speedway
Late Models: Scott Gurdak
E-Mods: Justin Carlson
Super Sportsman: John Boardman
Outlaw Cadet: Glen Slaney
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