ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Michael Cooper tamed the rainy elements and executed a huge pass on a race restart to score his sixth consecutive Pirelli GT4 America Sprint win at Road America Friday afternoon.
Spencer Pumpelly finished second. Michael Dinan finished third overall and first in Am.
Paul Terry finished fourth overall and second in Am, while Tony Gaples, running at his home track in the No. 11 Blackdog Speedshop McLaren 570S GT4, had a successful return to series action after a short layoff, finishing fifth overall and third in Am. Drew Staveley finished 10th overall and third in the Pro division.
The start of the 50-minute race was delayed for more than 35 minutes because of the inclement weather. With rainfall slowing, Race Control gave the all clear for the start at 1 p.m. Central.
With Friday morning’s qualifying session canceled because of rain, Pumpelly started from the pole based on his fast lap in Thursday afternoon’s second practice session. Pumpelly led the field to green and launched successfully into the lead.
Behind him Terry slotted into second while Staveley pursued in third. Cooper moved up to fourth from his fifth staring position. Behind them, Am division championship leader Dinan went on a charge on the first lap and moved up into fifth from the 12th starting position. Staveley would also pass Terry through turn eight and move into second. Terry then fell back into the clutches of both Cooper and Dinan, with both drivers moving around him.
Officials then issued a full-course yellow as Mark Klenin spun off track into the tire wall in turn eight. The race returned to green with less than 23 minutes left and Pumpelly launched into the lead.
Cooper timed the restart perfectly and drag raced past Staveley and then, in a huge move, swept past Pumpelly around the outside of turn one to lead the field. Behind them, Dinan maintained his lead in Am and moved up into third overall on the restart lap when Staveley ran wide around turn five.
The leaders maintained their positions until, with less than five minutes left in the race, Jeff Burton made contact with Ray Mason heading into turn 12 to bring out the caution flag. Â With the race clock expiring during the caution period, Cooper brought the field to the checkered flag to claim his sixth-straight win.
“On the restart, I could see Pumpelly through Staveley’s windshield and when he went, I went, and I got a little run on Staveley and cleared him on the inside,” Cooper said. “Then I moved to outside on Pumpelly so I could have a clean shot and see better. And then I thought I could probably out brake him and then I waited for him to brake and I knew my car was stable enough and I wouldn’t lose it and I drove it in there and around the outside of turn one.”