Photo by: Richard Sloop
Ende Advances as High as Third, But no. 25 Dempsey/Silicon Tech Racing PC Ultimately Finishes Fifth
August 20, 2012 (Elkhart Lake, Wis.) - The American Le Mans Series' four-hour Road Race Showcase was one of the most exciting races of the season for Duncan Ende. After a string of troublesome races for the no. 25 Dempsey/Silicon Tech Racing Prototype Challenge car, the weekend got off to a difficult start after a lackluster qualifying effort which saw the car line up sixth in the PC class.
In addition to qualifying, Ende would also start the race - a role that typically falls to teammate Henri Richard. With the aim of staying out of trouble and saving the car for the second-half of the race, Ende made up a position during the hectic start and settled in as the race went through its first hour.
However, through the race's second hour, Ende was able to advance farther and became embroiled in a battle for third position. After taking the position, Ende was held up by a slower GT-C class Porsche exiting Road America's Carousel and would fall to fourth as a result. However, half a lap later, the third-placed PC car would spin, handing the position back to Ende. He would continue in third place, closing the gap to the leading two PC cars until pitting and handing the car over to Richard.
"It felt great to finally have a wheel-to-wheel battle again," said Ende. "We knew the car would come on strong as the race went longer and when everyone else's fell off a bit, ours was getting better. I had a good battle with the no. 7 Merchant Services car, we traded positions a few times going through GT traffic but all that fun ended when he spun in the Hurry Downs. I think that's the best I've driven since starting with the team in the PC car and I was really happy when I got out of the car."
Richard would run in fourth position throughout the first part of his stint, but a badly-timed Full Course Caution period combined with the no. 25 Dempsey / Silicon Tech Racing machine failing to restart after a pit stop, would see Richard finish the race in fifth position.
"It is a bit frustrating to have a good run going, and real shot at the podium, and then have a couple of things out of our control put us in fifth," said Ende. "But that's racing. This was one of our strongest efforts yet as a team. I think we raised our game here and now we will have a shot at a completely different animal - the Baltimore Grand Prix."
Source: Duncan Ende media
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