GLTC Race Update - Road America 2024

This was the team's second visit to Road America. The long 1,500-mile tow from Oakland Park, Florida to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin had some minor setbacks, but the team arrived excited about competing at one of the most iconic motorsports facilities in the country. 

GLTC is a power-to-weight series where each modification affects the car's overall weight. For instance, installing a large rear wing costs 3% of the car's total weight—about 90 lbs for our E90s.

Leading up to the event, the goal was to reduce car #83’s weight to boost top speeds on long straights. The first step involved swapping the rear wing for a flat, adjustable spoiler. This allowed the team to remove 90 lbs of ballast. They also replaced the rear door glass with Condor polycarbonate windows, removed the differential pump, fan, and cooler, and opted not to install the front splitter, which allowed the team to cut weight by an additional 60 lbs (2% of the total weight).

These modifications made the car lighter than ever, reducing its race weight to under 3,000 lbs—160 lbs less than at the CMP event earlier this year. For car #84, the preparation was simpler, involving a complete bolt check, fluid flush, and new brake pads. Get Motul brake fluid here.

On race day, the team had a single practice session to reacquaint themselves with the track. Unfortunately for Lathrop this was his first visit to Road America, and he had a lot to digest in only two non-race sessions. In the practice session, Mendez complained that the #83 didn’t feel right on the straights, prompting an early return to the paddock. After a quick alignment check, the team was ready for the qualifying session. Mendez secured P30 out of 60 racers with a time of 2:35.024. Lathrop qualified P40 with a time of 2:38.410. Both racers had hoped to be further up in the qualifying order. 

To prepare for Race 1, Mendez adjusted the rear spoiler on car #83 to its maximum angle of attack and adjusted the front sway bar. These changes proved beneficial, as he gained several positions during the opening laps. However, a full-course caution on lap 3 halted his progress, and he ultimately finished in P21. Lathrop also made progress, moving up 7 positions to finish in P33.

On Saturday morning, the team prepared the cars for Race 2. Mendez started from P20, but a red flag during the second lap halted the race early, and he ended up finishing P17. Lathrop, who started in 33rd, maintained his position throughout the brief race.

In Race 3, starting positions were determined by each driver’s fastest lap from Race 2. This placed Mendez in 18th and Lathrop in 40th, as he took the red flag before finishing his second lap. Both drivers were hopeful that Race 3 would go the full distance, given that they had only completed 3 laps in the previous two races. 

When the green flag waved, both finally got to experience some competitive racing. After 6 laps, Mendez had moved up to P13 and set his fastest lap of the weekend at 2:34.145, which was 9/10ths of a second quicker than his qualifying time. Lathrop also made progress, finishing P34 after gaining 6 positions.

The last race of the day usually features a random invert. This time it was the top 11 drivers that were inverted. Mendez started from P12; just outside the invert. His strategy was to keep pace with the fast drivers that started directly in front of him. Mendez successfully advanced 4 positions, finishing in P8, tying with his best GLTC result of the year. He was particularly proud of this finish, as his goal for the season had been to break into the top ten by merit, not by invert (which is how he finished in P8 at CMP). Although the car's current setup wasn’t competitive enough for a win, with continued effort and no setbacks, more top-ten finishes are achievable. 

Lathrop began Race 4 in P33. Unfortunately he encountered car issues on the first lap and had to retire the car.

The team is prepped and ready for the next race at Lime Rock Park.