It was a trip to The Dairy State and Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for another event in the Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama program. Taking on the 4.048-mile, 14-turn Road America with series regulars Laura Ely and Kenton King, Josh Conley joined Black Sheep Racing (BSR) as a guest driver at the longest circuit the series has to offer.
In the 992 Am class, Laura Ely qualified her Black Sheep Racing #209 entry in the sixth position after showing speed throughout Friday’s practice sessions. Taking on the first wheel-to-wheel action on Saturday for race one, Ely improved from her P6 qualifying result to advance forward and finish fourth, narrowly missing out on a podium result. Looking for more on Sunday, Ely fell down the running order and finished seventh to earn a pair of top-ten results.
Kenton King and Josh Conley battled hard in the 992 Pro/Am class with both having consistent results throughout their Road America weekend. King qualified sixth in class and maintained his position in Saturday’s first race to finish sixth before repeating that performance again on Sunday. Conley, who entered the weekend as a guest driver for the BSR squad, turned his ninth-place qualifying effort into a pair of top-ten results, as Black Sheep Racing fielded three entrants for the first time throughout the 2023 race season.
“It was a tricky weekend with weather and the ever-changing track conditions,” explained BSR’s Laura Ely. “In the end, we registered three drivers that ran inside the top-ten throughout the weekend.”
Business Development Manager Chris Stiffler added, “Road America is such an awesome facility, and the length of the track makes it one of the most challenging circuits on the schedule. We worked hard throughout the weekend to score the on-track results that we deserve, but also the off-track marketing and development program that we have become known for. We are looking forward to the next one.”
With three races over six weekends, Black Sheep Racing will leave Road America and shift their focus to the Circuit of the Americas in two weeks’ time in Austin, Texas. Taking place at one of North America’s famed circuits, BSR will look to find its way back to the podium before heading back to California and the Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca to race alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Photo Credit: RTD Media