Richard Westbrook passed Alex Brundle on a late-race restart and went on to win last weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, joining Michael Valiante in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Visit Florida Corvette DP.
Westbrook is a native of Chelmsford, Essex in England, and currently resides in London.
He’s been running fulltime for Spirit of Daytona since 2012, winning three races and three poles for the team in 2012 – including the first victory for the Corvette DP.
He was the 2009 FIA GT2 champion with four victories and finished second in that series in 2008. He was also back-to-back Porsche Supercup champion in 2006-07, and Porsche Carrera Cup GBR champ in 2004-05.
How does winning the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen rank on your career resume?
“For me, it means a lot, because this is my favourite track, period. I absolutely love it here. On the build-up to the race I saw all the tweets about the throwbacks and the history of this race. I didn’t realize how much history this race had. Now that the championship is unified in the TUDOR Championship, it makes it a little bit more special. I always wanted a good result here, because I love driving here. It’s definitely a sweet victory.
“It was also a huge win for everybody at Visit Florida. After regrouping after our (Daytona testing) accident in December, we’ve come a long way. I’ve really sensed it the last three races. This victory is for them, they’re earned it.”
Many teams opted to go with three drivers, with the demands of the added downforce and expected high temperatures. Why did Spirit of Daytona go with two?
“When I looked at the weather forecast when we landed, I wondered if we were doing the right thing. We’ve always done this race with three (drivers). This year, it’s hot, and the biggest difference is the added G-force inside the cockpit. It’s way more physical. And there were not many yellows, and that got us out of jail.”
Did you feel like this was a six-hour sprint race?
“Yes, we were with the 42 (OAK Racing) the whole time. I thought it was a real classic race. The 5 (Action Express) was on a different strategy, and it could have gone either way. It was really, really close. Without the yellow, we had the win in the bag, because we did not have to stop for fuel again, and obviously the OAK car had to stop for a splash. But there’s always a chance a yellow will come out. That meant he had track position and now he didn’t need fuel. But I had a good restart, and I made it stick.
Coming off a victory, and with five races remaining, what are your thoughts on the Prototype championship?
“I definitely want to look at the points table now. Before our victory, that was the last thing I wanted to look at. I like to be fighting for a championship. If we keep finishing on the podium, the points will take care of themselves.”
Have you ever raced at our next TUDOR Championship venue, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park?
“I’ve been there. I like fast tracks, it suits our car. We’ll give it a go, take a swing at it.”
