USC – Barbosa and Fittipaldi win at the Brickyard

With the French Sébastian Bourdais, the Portuguese Joao Barbosa and the Brazilian Christian Fittipaldi had started the first season of the United Sportscar Championship perfectly by winning the 24 Hours of Daytona in Florida for the opening of the championship. This night, the duettists from Action Express Racing once again tasted the joys of Victory Lane, and were able to embrace the famous Brickyard in Indianapolis, thanks to their second success of the year. The duo of the No. 5 Corvette DP easily won after taking the lead 50 minutes from the finish, while maintaining their fuel and their lead over their pursuers. Behind, consumption played tricks on several drivers, and forced final stops for additional fuel, notably for the No. 01 Riley-Ford of Scott Pruett? Sage Karam (Ganassi) who finally finished 2nd in front of another Corvette DP, the #90 Spirit of Daytona of Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiente.

The start was turbulent in Indianapolis with contact involving Ganassi's Riley-Ford on the first lap, sending several cars into a spin, including Oak Racing's Morgan-Nissan, then driven by Gustavo Yacaman. The French team's LM P2 ultimately finished 8th overall.

In LM PC, it's the usual driver IndyCar Jack Hawksworth who stood out by winning with his teammate Chris Cumming for a one-two finish in the Oreca FLM09s from the RSR Racing team. Bruno Junqueira and Duncan Ende finished 2nd ahead of category leaders Jon Bennett and Colin Braun (Core Autosport).

In GT, Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer did not succeed in their bet to win after having won pole position on their Ferrari 458 Italia of the Risi Competizione. It was the Viper of SRT Motorsports n)93 of Kuno Wittmer and Jonathan Bomarito which won ahead of the Italian car and the Porsche Long’s 911 RSR? Christensen (Porsche North America).

Finally in GTD, victory for Ferrari with the Balzan duo? Westphal on the 458 Italia of Scuderia Corsa in front of the Audi R8 LMS of Paul Miller Racing from Haase? Miller and the Riley Motorsports Viper from Bleekemolen – Keating.

Find the report on the Indianapolis USC round in issue 1971 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version and from next Wednesday on newsstands.