- Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 EVO22 quickest overall in pre-race practice
- Mario Farnbacher and Ashton Harrison claim a hard fought 4th place Pro Class result on Saturday
- The duo was aggressive on Saturday battling with their closest championship contender before being knocked off track on the last lap
With only three races remaining in the 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, the championship battle headed to the wide and bumpy Sebring International Raceway. The 17-turn 3.74-mile track suited the NSX well with its superior braking leading to the car having the fastest times through the track’s infield section.
Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
Mario Farnbacher and Ashton Harrison began the opening race of the double-header race weekend after qualifying 4th in the Pro class. The Racers Edge Motorsports duo, last year’s Pro-Am Champions, moved up to the pro class this season when Ashton was promoted from a bronze up to a silver level driver.
Harrison began race one and kept the top three within sight during her stint before handing the wheel over to co-driver Farnbacher. Leaving the pits, he was about six seconds behind the 3rd place competitor. However, he was executing every corner perfectly running an average of 0.7 seconds a lap faster than the car in front of him and was quickly able to real him in.
Farnbacher stayed nose to tail in the battle for the last podium spot for a few laps before making the move for 3rd with under four minutes remaining in the race. Unfortunately, only a couple turns later he was turned by that competitor, dropping him off the track and down to 6th place. He was able to pass one car back before coming in 5th. After the race the stewards penalized the driver for his move on Farnbacher moving the NSX up to 4th place.
Sunday’s race looked to be even more promising with the team starting 2nd in class. However, a mechanical problem on the opening lap took them out of the race. Despite not scoring any points in the second event, Harrison and Farnbacher are still in 3rd place overall, only two points behind 2nd. With next month’s season finale Indianapolis eight-hour endurance contest awarding double points, the championship is still a possibility for the Racers Edge pair.
Quotes
Ashton Harrison (#93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 Evo22), following the first stint of Saturday’s race: “Last year was a great example of this series, we had 3 wins in a row, then had a rough weekend and went from 1st to 3rd [in the championship]. At this point we’re taking it lap by lap, but we have to be aggressive to make up for some podiums lost this season. We are full attack at this point in the season. Our NSX is super good in the infield. The braking of this car is superior to anything else on the grid. We take advantage of that and try to grow that gap on the infield.”
Next
The Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 will head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana for the season-ending eight-hour endurance race, on October 5-7.
Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS Saturday Race Results
4th Pro - #93 Ashton Harrison and Mario Farnbacher, Racers Edge Motorsports NSX GT3
Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS Sunday Race Results
DNF Pro - #93 Ashton Harrison and Mario Farnbacher, Racers Edge Motorsports NSX GT3
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