MONTEREY, CA (March 31, 2019) – Upon leading at the halfway mark, a shifting issue ended the Intercontinental GT Challenge’s California 8 Hour early for the No. 912 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R entry of Matt Campbell, Dennis Olsen, Dirk Werner. Despite the unfortunate outcome, the group saw their experience and teamwork shine through cooperation with Park Place Motorsports on a third-place podium result.
“After closely analyzing what failed we realized it was not a race prep issue or a mechanical error, it was simply a random technical defect,” said Wright Motorsports Principal, John Wright. “It’s unfortunate that an issue outside of our control prevented us from finishing the race, but I’m proud of the effort put forth by the entire Wright Motorsports team.”
“Thanks to all of those at Porsche AG, Porsche Motorsport North America and Park Place for banding together to create such a strong force. It was a unique experience coming together with Park Place. The collaboration within the teams created a great product and I’m glad to see that was reflected with a result for the No. 911. This gives me a good perception of what the day could have been for us should the technical defect not have happened.”
The weekend started on a high, after a strong lap by Campbell qualified the No. 912 in fifth place for 8-hour event. Come time for the start of the race, Werner slipped back to ninth in an effort to avoid contact on the front straight. From there, the battles ensued as each of the three drivers cycled through single stints and pushed the Porsche to the front.
Three hours into the race, Campbell was at the wheel when he made a powerful charge from ninth to the overall lead, before handing the car off to Werner for his second stint. The German was maintaining a comfortable lead, when the parts issue came into play, ultimately ending the day for the team at the halfway mark.
While the No. 912 Porsche 911 GT3 R entry may not have seen the checkered flag, the Wright Motorsports team is pleased to have seen their hard work pay off through the likes of Park Place Motorsports. Though usually competitors, the collaboration between the two teams proved to be a key contribution to the mutual objective of furthering Porsche’s championship contingent.
Wright Motorsports will be back in action for the regular SRO America season, April 25-28 at VIRginia International Raceway.
Driver Quotes:
Matt Campbell | Driver, No. 912 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R — "It's very frustrating when you can not get the result you deserve from such a promising race. Sometimes that’s just the case in motorsport. What is important is that we were able to show that we are strong in the new version of the Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Intercontinental GT Challenge competition. The whole Wright Motorsports team did a great job and I’m looking forward to returning with them later in this year in SRO America."
Dirk Werner | Driver, No. 912 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R — "It's very disappointing. We had fallen behind at the beginning and had consistently worked our way forward. I was in the lead in the middle of the race, then the technical defect occurred. Our car was very fast and the Wright Motorsports team set it up perfectly. We could have won the race, but unfortunately, we could not reap the benefits of a strong program this time. "
Dennis Olsen | Driver, No. 912 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R — "During the race we had one of the fastest cars in the field - if not the very fastest. Our Porsche 911 GT3 R was just perfect. Unfortunately, a technical defect threw us out of the race. This is a shame. Not just for us drivers, but for the entire Wright Motorsports team, who did a great job all weekend. "