As another season of racing comes to an end, the Porsche Sprint Challenge North American & USA West Championships will go out with a bang this weekend in the season finale at the famed Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. As leaders in the USA West 911 class, Black Sheep Racing (BSR) looks to grab those last few points and secure the 2022 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West 991 class team championship and also the accompanying title of 2022 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West 991 class driver champion.
Laura Ely made the strategic choice in her last race to play it safe and not ruin her chances at a championship title by not racing in what looked to possibly be a disastrous weather filled race one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stephen Ayers hit the track in damp conditions and went on to secure the second step on the podium.
“If we chose to race and crashed the car in the rain, it would make it a lot tougher to achieve our 2022 goal of the USA West series title,” explained Ely. “We chose to play it safe and were able to get back on track the next day to complete some valuable testing.”
Ely currently sits in first place in the GT3 Cup – USA West 991 class going into this weekend, only one point ahead of the next championship contender.
Ely continued, “We must be very strategic this weekend because the championship is literally on the line, and we’re hopeful for a strong weekend for both Stephen and I as we try to pull off a first and third place Championship finish.”
Ely’s counterpart Ayers sits in fourth place with the possibility of third place finish depending on his performance in Texas this weekend.
Ready to hit the track in the hot Texas heat, Ely and Ayers will take to the track Friday for three practice sessions. On Saturday and Sunday, they’ll take part in race one and two with the goal of finishing first and third in the championship.
Circuit of the Americas Weekend Schedule
Friday, September 16
Practice – 10:10am
Practice – 2:00pm
Practice – 5:20pm
Saturday, September 17
Qualifying – 11:25am
Race #1 – 4:20pm
Sunday, September 18
Race #2 – 12:20pm
Stay tuned to the Black Sheep Racing social media pages for news, information, photos and results from the event weekend. To be added to the Black Sheep Racing Mailing List, please email Chris@BlackSheepRacing.org.
For more information and sponsorship opportunities on Black Sheep Racing, please contact Chris Stiffler at (330) 419-2445 or via email to Chris@BlackSheepRacing.org. Black Sheep Racing can also be found on social media by searching Black Sheep Racing.
Photos: Tek Media