after Battling For the Lead Late in the Orion Energy Systems 245
Patrick Dempsey Competitive in Rainy Opening Stint; Andy Lally Races for Lead in No. 27 Tullys Coffee Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
Patrick Dempsey, Andy Lally and Dempsey Del Piero Racing finished fourth for the second-straight American Le Mans Series (ALMS) race Sunday at Road America in the No. 27 Tullys Coffee Porsche 911 GT3 Cup at the Orion Energy Systems 245 at Road America.
Dempsey drove well in mixed wet and dry conditions in the races opening 60 minutes, holding station in sixth-place and turning consistent lap times throughout the run. He handed off to Lally just over an hour into the timed 2-3/4-hour race and then watched pitside as Lally engaged in rough and harried battle for the lead.
I wasnt too bad, we were in a position again to get on the podium and Andy drove a great stint, Dempsey said. We just didnt have it over the other cars, but we were in the hunt and todays race just shows you how competitive this series is, how close this class is.
Lally actually led the race by a bumper when he was locked in a three-wayand at times three-widebattle for the lead in the last hour of the race.
It was a tight race, Lally said. We had a real good battle with all three of those guys and I even took a swipe at the lead, and actually passed for the lead on the outside. We were three-wide coming out of Turn 5 and I just got shoved off. It was unfortunate, I tried to compose myself and re-attack but the fourth-place car eventually got by me. We just got a little bit too free at the end of the run.
While Lally was disappointed he couldnt get his team back on the podium, he was once again impressed by Dempseys performance, particularly in Sundays less than ideal conditions.
Patrick did another wonderful job today in extremely tricky conditions, Lally said. He kept his composure and ran very strong laps, so I am real happy with that. The car ran relatively trouble free all day for both of us, but it just doesnt feel good coming home fourth.
Track time was at a premium this weekend but Dempsey made the most of his time behind the wheel of the No. 27 Tullys Porsche.
Considering the amount of seat time I had, not much more than an hour combined, and after being off for a couple of weeks, I think it was a pretty good success. It hampered my pace a little bit but I did pretty well considering the conditions. At the end of the day, an OK result but we just want to get back on the podium.
Dempsey Del Pieros best result of the season was in May at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where Lally and Dempsey finished second.
Next up for Dempsey Del Piero Racing and the American Le Mans Series is the Grand Prix of Baltimore, August 3031. The featured 2-3/4 hour race can be seen live online at ESPN3, Saturday, August 31 at 3:30 p.m. EDT with ABCs coverage scheduled to air the following day, Sunday, September 1, at 12 p.m. EDT.
NOTEWORTHY
- Lally was in the thick of the harried late-race lead battle with eventual GTC winner Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche and Jeroen Bleekemolen in the No. 22 Alex Job Racing entry. The 22 shoved the 45 off coming out of Turn 1 and then did it again out of Turn 3, Lally said. It let me move to the outside of both of them going into Turn 5, and I think for a second we were three wide. Spence ducked back in, I held the outside of 22, and I dont think he meant to do it, but he got in hot, or maybe he lost some of the rear, but he just shoved me off. I have raced with Jeroen a lot, and he always races clean, I think he just got in hot and we were all racing hard.
