- Jacob Abel, Taylor Hagler take Pro-Am honors in Saturday’s opener
- Matt McMurry, Michael Di Meo combine for class victory on Sunday
Acura teams and drivers combined to sweep the Pro-Am competition his weekend at Watkins Glen International Raceway, rounds nine and ten of the 2021 SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge America, Powered by AWS. The Racers Edge duo of Taylor Hagler and Jacob Abel led a 1-2 result for Acura in Saturday’s opening race; while Matt McMurry and Michael Di Meo took the Pro-Am honors on Sunday in their Compass Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo.
On Saturday, Hagler and Abel claimed Racers Edge Motorsports’ second Pro-Am class victory of the season in their Acura NSX GT3 Evo, as Abel held off hard-charging fellow Acura racer McMurry for his first professional sports car victory [Hagler scored top class honors at Road America with co-driver Dakota Dickerson].
On Sunday, it was Compass Racing claiming its second Pro-Am class victory of the season, courtesy of an impressive closing drive by Di Meo, who took the No. 77 Acura NSX GT3 Evo to a third-place overall finish, alongside co-driver McMurry. Di Meo passed Fred Poordad for the class lead with 14 minutes to go and stretched into a commanding class lead to the checkers.
Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS Saturday Acura Watkins Glen Results
- 1st Pro-Am – #93 Taylor Hagler and Jacob Abel, Racers Edge Acura NSX GT3
- 2nd Pro-Am – #77 Michael Di Meo and Matt McMurry, Compass Racing Acura NSX GT3
Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS Sunday Acura Watkins Glen Results
- 1st Pro-Am – #77 Matt McMurry and Michael Di Meo, Compass Racing Acura NSX GT3
- 4th Pro-Am – #93 Jacob Abel and Taylor Hagler, Racers Edge Acura NSX GT3
Quotes:
Jacob Abel (#93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 Evo) 1st Pro-Am, Third Overall in Saturday’s race, his first Pro-Am win in SRO competition: “Taylor [Hagler, starting driver on Saturday] did an absolutely phenomenal job at the beginning. She got us up there, and then the Racers Edge guys got us in the lead [at the mid-race pit stop/driver change]. All I had to do then was to hang on.”
Taylor Hagler (#93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 Evo) 1st Pro-Am, Third Overall on Saturday: “When I’m that far back [after qualifying seventh], I’m usually like a dog with a bone, and as long as I have something to chase, I’m going to be up there. If I had a few more laps, a little more time, I think I could have been right up there with the [overall racer] leader – I was catching him a half-second a lap. I get a little fire under my foot, and if I have someone to chase, we’re good to go.”
Next
The SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge America, Powered by AWS continues next month with rounds 11 and 12, October 1-3, at the classic Sebring International Raceway in central Florida.
Social media content and video links from this weekend’s Fanatec GT World Challenge America races at Watkins Glen are available on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Twitter (www.twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD). Additional features and long-form videos can be found on the Honda Racing/HPD YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV).
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