Photo by: Darren Pierson
With six hours to get back on track, Ende still has eye on championship
September 12, 2011 (Los Angeles, CA) - Challenging for the American Le Mans Series' GT-C class championship, Duncan Ende and co-driver Spencer Pumpelly struggled through a difficult Baltimore Grand Prix two weeks ago. After a practice crash, the pair also suffered an unscheduled pitstop during the two-hour race which left their no.66 TRG / Racer's Roast / STANDD.org Porsche 911 GT3 Cup sixth at the finish.
The result meant that Ende and Pumpelly lost further ground to championship leader Tim Pappas in the no. 54 Black Swan Racing Porsche with two races remaining in the 2011 season. However, both this weekend's ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patron at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, as well as the season ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, have extra points on offer as they are endurance events.
This weekend's race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a six-hour race that begins on Saturday at 1:30 PM PST and will finish in the darkness at 7:30 PM PST, presents an opportunity for Ende and Pumpelly to regain lost ground.
"This isn't quite a home event as Long Beach is closer to my home in Los Angeles, but I love racing in California," said Ende. "There is always more support from friends and family, and TRG has a large following in Northern California that always gives us a tremendous amount of support and encouragement. Of course, Spencer and I want to do the best we can - getting our third win of the year and getting some of the points back in the championship chase before going to Petit Le Mans would be huge."
Ende and Pumpelly are currently second in the GT-C class championship at 109 points, with Pappas leading at 134. But, with two endurance races left to run in the ALMS season, Ende is confident in his team's ability to make up the deficit.
"Whenever we've found ourselves in a situation where we are coming from behind, I remember that Spence is one of the best drivers you could have as a teammate and TRG is one of the best at endurance racing," said Ende. "TRG has a long history of success at Laguna Seca, I'm looking forward to adding to it with Spence. It should be a great race and great for the fans as we race into the night."
The ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey will be shown live on WatchESPN.com beginning at 1:15 PM PST on Saturday, September 12. The race will be broadcast on ESPN2 on Sunday, September 18, at 1:00 PM ET.
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