iRacing Special Events

Late crash spoils strong LMP2 debut at Watkins Glen

by Fischer Motorsport PR

June 20, 2021 04:47 PM CET 641 Views

The No. 14 Dallara P217 LMP2 team earned respect from competitors and fans alike in the iRacing 6 Hours of the Glen, battling for the win in the event. But a late crash involving a GT3 car put an disappointing end to the first ever LMP2 start of Fischer Motorsport.

It was a special day for Fischer Motorsport on Saturday, marking it the first time in its almost 20-year history, to field a LMP2 prototype in a race.

Kyle Birnie and his brother Jason from San Jose, California showed competitive pace in all official practice sessions leading up to the six-hour event at Watkins Glen International in New York, earning the respect from competitors and fans.

In Qualifying Kyle Birnie confirmed the team’s strong start to the weekend by setting the fourth-fastest time at 1:31.879, only .155 seconds off the pole position.

At the start, Kyle Birnie immediately jumped into third position, then went on to make the diving pass for second position heading into the bus stop chicane.

The race was barely one minute old, when on the same opening lap, Birnie suddenly experienced oversteer at turn six, also known “the toe”. Wrestling with the car for several seconds, the 31-year old was eventually able to save it and regain control, but dropped to P6.

“That was a nice save, I have to hand it to Kyle. I am the first one to give him critical feedback, that’s just how we are as brothers. But that was one heck of a display of car control. I have no idea how he did not put that in the wall right there.”, Jason Birnie commented on the incident.

After overcoming the early scare, the remainder of the opening double stint went without problems for Birnie and the team.

One hour and 16 minutes into the race, on lap 47 Kyle Birnie brought the car back down pit lane for the second time and handed over the cockpit to Jason, who was eager to take on the chase to the front from fifth position at the time.

The 34-year old impressed in his first LMP2 prototype start and put together a nearly flawless double stint, with only two minor off tracks. In combination with excellent fuel management, the team took the lead for the first time on lap 64 and again 78 and before making the next scheduled driver swap on lap 93.

With just over two and a half hours remaining in the race, on lap 126 Kyle Birnie was leading the race and was following another LMP2 prototype into the esses, working through slower class traffic when a Corvette GTLM closed the door and Birnie tried to evade the situation to the left, but the two cars still made contact, sending the Corvette into a crash.

“I had a big run into the esses and that Corvette left the door open for the LMP2 directly in front of us, so it looked like he was going to stay to the left and let us through on the right as well. But then they moved to the right in the last second. I tried my best to react, but it happened all so quick.”, commented Birnie on the incident.

Fortunately for the team, the car sustained no damage and Birnie was able to continue to hold the lead until lap 129 when the No. 77 LMP2 of Waffle House Racing made the diving pass into the bus stop chicane.

Lap 179: With just over one hour remaining in the race and while holding second position, the No. 14 Dallara P217 LMP2 gets involved in a race-ending crash at the esses

Overall, traffic with slower class cars was a big issue all race long.

“A lot of the times we would catch up slower cars into the chicane, that cost us the most time. It was really frustrating at times.”, said Jason Birnie.

After anouther round of pit stops were complete, with the final hour of the race approaching, Jason Birnie was in a three-car battle for the win, holding the second position in the race.

Coming up on slower class traffic once again, heading into the esses on lap 179, Jason Birnie had to slow up severely for a Porsche 911 GT3 R car that got loose after hitting the inside curbs in the esses.

Birnie had made the decision to attempt to pass the GT3 car on the left, which ended up the wrong decision as the GT3 car was hit by the third-place LMP2 prototype, that used the hold-up to pass the Fischer Motorsport machine, only to make contact with the GT3 car.

The contact eventually sent the GT3 car bouncing back onto the race track, collecting the No. 14 LMP2 of Birnie, destroying both cars in a spectacular crash.

While Jason Birnie was able to escape the wrecked car unscathed, the team was unable to continue and had to retire from the race.

“Wrong place, wrong time, right there.”, Kyle Birnie said of the replay, visibly frustrated but at the same time relieved that his brother was okay.

The team was officially classified as P12 in the end.

“We obviously hoped for a different ending, but this is racing. Stuff happens that is out of your control. We have a lot of positives to take away from this weekend that hopefully will help us at Le Mans next month.”, Kyle Birnie added.

The 6 Hours of the Glen were the dress rehearsal for the team prior to the biggest endurance race of the year, the iRacing 24 Hours of Le Mans on July 10-11th when the team will enter the No. 14 LMP2 prototype again with Kyle and Jason Birnie plus two yet-to-be-announced drivers.