LEXINGTON, OH (Saturday, May 14, 2022) – Team TGM came away with a strong sixth-place finish in the action-packed IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.
Sometimes in racing, it comes down to luck! After several incidents, the first 30 minutes of today’s race was almost completely run under caution. However, last-lap drama enabled the #46 car to grab a sixth-place finish and valuable Championship points.
As the last few laps wound down, lead cars which had taken a risk on fuel economy fell out, either entirely out of fuel or to pit to top off fuel. Team TGM was able to take advantage with better race strategy and timely pit stops thanks to team strategist and veteran racer Joe Varde.
Team owner and driver Ted Giovanis said, “After the initial caution laps, the race was fairly predictable as we focused on our pit stops; however, that all changed on the last laps when several of the lead cars ran out of fuel and did not see the checkered flag. It was a super exciting final two miles of the race, and I’m sure the TV and radio coverage had to be fantastic. We were definitely lucky to be in the right place at the right time.”
Next up for Team TGM is Round 4 of the Michelin Pilot Challenge series at Watkins Glen International on June 24-26.
Gallery: Sebring Race
It was a great day for racing - although some might say every day is a great day for racing! Check out Team TGM in action in round two of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Sebring International Raceway.Ted Giovanis the author FOCUS FORWARD: Life lessons from racing...
Team TGM brings home top four finish and points lead from Sebring
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Gallery: Sebring Practice and Qualifying
All the action from Sebring International Raceway as Team TGM prepares for round two of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Championship. Today - we race!Ted Giovanis the author FOCUS FORWARD: Life lessons from racing Life comes at you fast when you’re traveling 180...
Ted Giovanis
“We were hoping for a bit better points payday instead of the sixth and twentieth final positions. But we got some points by coming through some of the altercations, including the first lap, which was really unfortunate with a lot of cars involved. We seemed to make up time. I got into a rhythm. I’m told I ran a virtual best here by about a second and a half, so that’s always rewarding. We have to take what we got and count it as points and move onto Watkins Glen, which is a better track for us.”
Owen Trinkler
“It was still a good weekend here. We showed some pace in practice, and we have to take these small victories at times and understand what our goal is for Ted and myself. Ted did a good job, got beat up a little bit at the start, knocking the toe out some on the car. We went an hour and twenty minutes on a set of tires all the way to the end. The car has decent pace, but there are probably a couple of things I would have changed set-up-wise to it, but overall we made it to the end, and both cars finished. We just didn’t get the cautions we needed to get back on the lead lap and cycle back around.”
Hugh Plumb
“Absolutely, P6 feels good right now. Going into the last lap, we were P9, so it’s a bit how this sport works. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. I had a fairly uneventful stint and gave a decent car to Matt, and as always, he did an amazing job. We walked away P6, which is a decent points day for us, being that a few of the top cars dropped out. I’m happy with that, happy for TGM, never completely happy with sixth, but we have to put things into perspective, and with the rest of the season and how things are going, I’m happy.”
Matt Plumb
“It was kind of a lonely race in P8 most of the time until the last few laps. Last lap a couple cars popped out and pulled over to the edge of the road, next lap a couple more so it’s not a very exciting way to pick up positions but we’ll take it all day. We’ve salvaged someones and I think our car was good, we had great pace in the second half of the race. We just didn’t have the track position and another yellow would have helped us catch up because I think we would have had something for the leaders.”
Ted Giovanis the author
FOCUS FORWARD: Life lessons from racing
Life comes at you fast when you’re traveling 180 miles per hour. For Ted Giovanis, it’s also where you can learn the most valuable lessons. Since becoming a race car driver three decades ago at age forty-six—a ride that is still in overdrive—Giovanis has discovered how the tools of racing and the teamwork within it are applicable to life and business. In forty-eight motivating and, at times, exhilarating chapters, he shares his experience and knowledge.
