Inside Track Motorsport News
  • News
    • Breaking News
    • Press Releases
    • Results & Points
    • Industry News & Products
    • Driver & Team Releases
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • Features
  • Streetwise
  • Current Issue
No Result
View All Result
Subscribe
  • News
    • Breaking News
    • Press Releases
    • Results & Points
    • Industry News & Products
    • Driver & Team Releases
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • Features
  • Streetwise
  • Current Issue
Subscribe
Inside Track Motorsport News
No Result
View All Result

Garage Racing’s Trial By Fire at Sebring

Wally Nesbitt by Wally Nesbitt
March 22, 2013
in Press Releases
0
photo: Image Gallery

Martin Barkey made his US Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge debut in the Sebring airport circuit and was rewarded with a pair of top six, Gold Class, results.

5
SHARES
155
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Sebring, Florida: March 18, 2013 – After racing to two checkered flags at the Sebring winter tests earlier this year Huntsville’s Martin Barkey and the Garage Racing team faced their biggest challenge yet. As a lead up to the 61st running of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring American Le Mans Series opener the U.S. Porsche IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama series began its own season at this event.

This year forty beautifully prepared Porsche GT3 Cup cars competed in two classes for two, forty-five minutes races around the 3.74 mile course. The field was made up of thirty-one cars in the Platinum class and nine, including Garage Racing, in the Gold class with speeds reaching in excess of 160 mph. With clear skies and warm typical Florida March weather the Sebring International Raceway promised optimal conditions for competitive road racing.

This was Garage Racing’s first chance to perform in an actual GT3 Cup event and last opportunity to prepare for the Porsche GT3 Cup Canada by Michelin which kicks off May 17-19 with the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Victoria Day SpeedFest weekend. This was also the team’s first time running on Yokohama tires and it took a number of practice sessions and a lot of work on the part of the team to get everything dialled in right.

Though the crew did a dynamite job of getting the car tuned to perfection the Thursday race did not go as well as was hoped. An incident on the first lap put Martin in 8th place and nineteen seconds behind the next car in class. Though he was able to improve his position as the race progressed a multi-car accident caused a full course yellow which remained in place for the duration of the race leaving Martin to finish in 6th place in class.

Friday’s race was equally plagued by yellow flags with more carnage on the track than expected following several crashes and spins. Even teammate and former GT3 Cup Gold champion Shaun McKaigue found himself pressed into the wall at turn one as he became sandwiched between two cars mixing it up on the last couple laps.

In spite of the yellow flags the second race had some great battles with Martin taking on a couple of the gold series cars and a platinum series car as well. Positions were traded with passes being made back and forth. Unfortunately, the platinum car was able to maneuver in front and finished ahead of Martin. However, he was able to battle his way to a 6th place finish in class and 26th overall.

RelatedPosts

Cornwall Motor Speedway set to start its 54th season of racing

Cornwall Motor Speedway set to start its 54th season of racing

May 17, 2023
Dave Mathers’ Motion Motorsport Report – March 22, 2023

Dave Mathers’ Motion Motorsport Report – March 22, 2023

March 23, 2023

Following Friday’s race Martin Barkey was upbeat about the experience. “Both races were a great opportunity for me to learn race craft, with bumper to bumper and door to door action I was able to get a good feeling for the race pace and try some planned aggressive manoeuvres. After having some handling issues during practice sessions, the team had the car set up well for the race. It was a great week and has very much given the entire team a heads up for what is to come during the Canadian Cup series.”

With many lessons learned the team gears up for its first Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin event in May. Check out www.garageracing.ca to follow Garage Racing as it makes its mark with more high-octane, edge of your seat action. It’s the place to go for the most recent pics, videos, drivers bio’s and up to date racing news.

From Marc Cloutier/ mcloutier@the-garage.net.

{fcomment} 

 

 

Tags: garage racinggt3imsaMartin BarkeymotorsportmotorsportsPorsche GT3Porsche GT3 Cup ChallengePorsche GT3 Cup Seriesporsche racingracingSebringsports car racingUS Porsche IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohamayokohama
Share2Tweet1
Wally Nesbitt

Wally Nesbitt

You May Also Like

Cornwall Motor Speedway set to start its 54th season of racing
Press Releases

Cornwall Motor Speedway set to start its 54th season of racing

May 17, 2023
Dave Mathers’ Motion Motorsport Report – March 22, 2023
Comments & Features

Dave Mathers’ Motion Motorsport Report – March 22, 2023

March 23, 2023
Dave Mathers’ Motion Motorsport Report – Christmas Wish List 2022
Comments & Features

Dave Mathers’ Motion Motorsport Report – Christmas Wish List 2022

December 2, 2022
Another Notch In The 5-Point Belts For Quinte Dirt Tracker Cole Perry
Driver and Team Releases

Another Notch In The 5-Point Belts For Quinte Dirt Tracker Cole Perry

October 31, 2022
Multimatic Named ‘Business of the Year’ By Motorsport Industry Association
Press Releases

Multimatic Named ‘Business of the Year’ By Motorsport Industry Association

October 20, 2022
Tony Spiteri Named General Manager of NASCAR Canada
Breaking News

Tony Spiteri Named General Manager of NASCAR Canada

October 18, 2022
Next Post
Robert Reed

NASCAR: Danica Patrick press conference from Auto Club Speedway

Discussion about this post

Popular This Month

Scotia Speedworld Announces 2023 Schedule

Scotia Speedworld Announces 2023 Schedule

February 24, 2023
Dave Mathers’ Motion Motorsport Report – May 16, 2023

Dave Mathers’ Motion Motorsport Report – May 16, 2023

May 16, 2023
Super Production Challenge Confirms Entries And Names Officials For 2023 Season

Super Production Challenge Confirms Entries And Names Officials For 2023 Season

May 15, 2023

Featured Ads

Inside Track Motorsport News

From local grassroots racing to Canadian touring series and the Canucks who compete on the international stage, Inside Track Motorsport News is the leader in terms of timely, in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the motorsports that matter to Canadians.

Corporate

  • About ITMN
  • Frequent Questions
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Advertising

  • Magazine Advertising
  • Web Advertising
  • Marketplace

Magazine

  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Change of Address
  • Gift Subscription
  • Returns and Refunds
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

© 1997-2023 Inside Track Motorsport News. All Rights Reserved.
Please do not replicate images or take columns from this website for use on another without permission of the author.
Designed and developed in Adelion Studio

Subscribe
  • News
    • Breaking News
    • Press Releases
    • Results & Points
    • Industry News & Products
    • Driver & Team Releases
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • Features
  • Streetwise
  • Current Issue
No Result
View All Result

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgot Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?