Solid GT4 America debut for Erin Vogel

Flying Lizard Motorsports' driver Erin Vogel claimed two class top-10 finishes in her absolute GT4 America debut at COTA.

Erin Vogel made her GT4 America debut at the wheel of the #30 McLaren 570S GT4, launching the program she put together with GT powerhouse Flying Lizard Motorsports and McLaren factory driver Michael Cooper.

In damp track conditions, Vogel finished her first qualifying run with a 20th place for the first race, while Cooper was 17th in the second session.

At the start of race 1, Vogel dropped two places from 16th, but was immediately able to reclaim her starting position and showed good pace and racecraft in the midfield battles. Erin completed a very positive stint and a great driver change to leave the #30 Flying Lizard McLaren in the hands of Michael Cooper, who rejoined in P12. Michael Cooper was able to climb two spots and finished the opening race in the overall top-10; in doing so, the Vogel-Cooper pairing finished sixth in the Pro-Am class.

"There were a few bumps along the way, but I made a good charge through the middle of the field and Michael Cooper and I executed a very smooth driver change," said Erin after the first race. "Michael got us the rest of the way to the top 10 overall, and P6 in class is a solid start to the season."

In Sunday's race, starting from the middle of the field the No. 30 McLaren had an impressive opening, with starting driver Michael Cooper jumping from 16th to fight for 10th in the opening laps. Caught the in the middle of fierce battles, the #30 McLaren suffered a tire puncture that forced Cooper to an unexpected pitstop and brought out the Safety Car for debris. At the restart, Cooper lapped quickly but had to recover a significant gap. He made up a few positions before entering the pits for the mandatory stop in 25th place and, with remarkable strategy on the part of the team, Vogel re-entered the race in P20 overall. Erin had another impressive stint and recovered more positions after a very consistent run. She was 17th at the checkered flag, 10th in the Pro-Am class, despite the unfortunate start to race 2.

"Another solid race to wrap up our first weekend of GT4 America SprintX here at COTA," commented Vogel. "After an early tire failure due to contact, Michael Cooper managed to claw his way from P28 to P21. I took over after another smooth driver change and was able to knock off another 4 positions. Was close to gaining a 5th spot there in the last few laps, but it wasn't meant to be."

"We’re still happy with that comeback to P10 in class. That puts us in the points as we head into Long Beach in April."

Flying Lizard Motorsports Program Manager Darren Law praised Vogel's debut: “Erin Vogel had great SprintX debut performance with her McLaren. If it weren’t for a little bit of bad luck, she and Michael Cooper would have possibly been on the podium with their teammates."

“It was a very special first event sharing the Flying Lizard McLaren with Erin Vogel,” Michael Cooper remarked. “She did a flawless job all weekend. The whole operation was quick and consistent. Driver changes and strategy were on point. As with any new race car, there is fine tuning needed to get everything out of it. I’m confident we’ll be fighting at the front of both races soon enough.”

The second round of the GT4 America SprintX championship will be on the legendary streets of Long Beach, when the series will support the Long Beach Grand Prix on 17-19 April. For full schedule information, visit gt4-america.com.

Article Source: www.racers-behindthehelmet.com