CrowdStrike Racing by APR troubles the podium in intense and battling IMSA CTMP performance

CrowdStrike Racing by APR battled intensely from start-to-finish and troubled the outright podium in the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (12-14 July).

Drivers George Kurtz and Colin Braun were both embroiled in race-long, multi-car tussles and featured as highly as second in the energetic 2h40m race, but minor setbacks resigned them to points for seventh at Mosport.

Two red flags distilled Qualifying down to just a few minutes and, although Kurtz registered a solid time prior to the first stoppage, he dropped from P2 to P6 before the 15-minute session was halted for a second time.

The top six were covered by little more than four tenths and there was still plenty of untapped pace in Kurtz, who was in attack mode from the very start of the Chevrolet Grand Prix on Sunday (14 July).

CrowdStrike’s Kurtz staved off Ben Keating in the #2 United Autosports USA and then snatched fifth place from the #11 TDS Racing of Steven Thomas on the first tour of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

However, an early stop to brim the #04 ORECA 07-Gibson with enough fuel to see Kurtz through to the end of his minimum drive-time, also resulted in place-gains.

A short while later, a car struck the barriers and prompted the LMP2 opposition to box in anticipation of a Full Course Yellow (FCY), and relatively slow in-laps ensured CrowdStrike Racing vaulted to second overall.

Unsatisfied with P2, American Am Kurtz pressurised the leading #52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports in confident restarts, only to be wrongfooted by a lapped GTD car following a second neutralisation.

The #04 ORECA was swallowed up by the chasing gaggle and held P8 at the mandated driver-change, after which CrowdStrike Racing by APR maintained track position and, crucially, remained on the lead lap.

Braun put the hammer down, progressing to seventh at the expense of the #88 Richard Mille AF Corse and homing in on the sixth-placed #99 AO Racing, all with the #8 Tower Motorsports machine hanging on  to his coattails.

However, traffic once again played its part, this time providing Braun with an opportunity to sweep around the outside of the #99, which span out of the fight.

Eight LMP2s were on the lead lap with a shot at victory following a late neutralisation and, although Braun successfully repelled the #8 Tower car to the final lap, the #04 CrowdStrike Racing prototype slowed and relinquished P6 moments before the chequered flag.

George Kurtz (#04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2): “We were strong in the early part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Chevrolet Grand Prix. We got the car up into second position, and we were simply unfortunate to get caught up in some traffic and shuffled back during the second restart. Colin (Braun) drove incredibly well and the CrowdStrike Racing by APR team gave us a great car once again. Sadly, the results don’t reflect the potential we had at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.”

Colin Braun (#04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2): “What a good fight up in Mosport! I’m proud of the CrowdStrike Racing by APR team and George (Kurtz), because we were in intense battles from start-to-finish, and I believe our execution and car performance was stronger than the seventh-place result suggests.

“It’s always incredible to drive an LMP2 car at a place like Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. I had a blast racing with the likes of Renger (van der Zande) Pipo (Derani) and Louis (Deletraz), although I’m sure we all wished we were battling for the lead. Nevertheless, there was some great racing!”