Team Hardpoint, with co-drivers Rob Ferriol and Spencer Pumpelly behind the wheel of the No. 30 GridRival Audi R8 LMS GT3, made a successful IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) debut on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, overcoming difficult conditions and little advance track time for a 12th-place finish but gaining valuable experience as a team.
It was trial by fire for Team Hardpoint, who entered the race weekend having only run the car on a single test day earlier in the week and two hours of practice at Daytona on the abbreviated race weekend. To make matters more difficult, lightning delayed the start of the race and left the track surface wet but drying as Ferriol turned his first laps in the series.
Tiptoeing around the 12-turn, 3.56-mile circuit on Michelin slick tires, Ferriol climbed as high as eighth on his opening stint as the field cycled through the opening sequence of pit stops.
“We learned a lot in a very short period of time,” Ferriol said. “We have more to learn about the setup, especially in dealing with the heat as we get into the summer. The crew did an outstanding job. We did our first full-service pit stop, and it was completely flawless. They did everything to the letter. Spencer put in a heroic run at the end.
“I got off to a rough start, with slick tires and a wet track. I’ve never driven here in the wet, and I’ve only been here twice anyway. We lined up on wets and looked at the radar and made the switch. We expected it to clear up, which it did, but it took me some time to get comfortable with the mixed conditions. By the last half of the stint, I had as much pace as I could with the car.”
Pumpelly ran his opening stint trying to get back on the lead lap, looking for a caution that never came in the two-hour, 40-minute race. The team’s strategy was to stay out as long as possible and then short fill while waiting for that full-course caution. Pumpelly came to pit lane with 45 minutes to go on fumes, and the car refused to fire right away after the stop.
A cut tire less than 10 minutes later forced a final unplanned pit stop and unable to move up in the finishing order.
“This was not the result we were hoping for, but it was a great effort by Team Hardpoint,” Pumpelly said. “The guys did a fantastic job getting the car up and running in a short time frame. We were lacking some pace and we had a tire puncture that set us back, but I’m proud of Rob for keeping his cool in tough conditions and just proud of the whole team.
Armed with the experience from Saturday’s race, the team returns in less than two weeks’ time with double duty at Sebring International Raceway. Not only will Ferriol and Pumpelly run the second round of the Sprint Cup, but they will also team up in the No. 31 GridRival Audi R8 GT4 for the second round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS Championship. The event runs Thursday, July 16 – Saturday, July 18.