Patrick Long’s run of success at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park continued through this weekend’s round 3 of the Pirelli World Challenge SprintX series. Driving again with Jörg Bergmeister in the #58 Wright Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R, Long started the weekend by claiming pole and setting a new track qualifying record in the process.
“CTMP has been good to us,” he said. “If you would have asked me last night if we were going to be on pole today, I wouldn’t have taken that bet. It’s come a different way than last year, with the same outcome. I’m equally as proud but it’s a little sweeter this time because we really had to dig deep today. We tried a lot of things on the car and with the two-driver format, it’s fewer laps around the place for me.
During Saturday’s SprintX round 3, Long pulled away from the field at the start, raced cleanly and the team did its driver change mid-race, as did the bulk of the field. A late full-course caution scuttled the #58’s run, as the #8 Cadillac squad gambled on a late driver change to claim the lead by nearly a full lap during the caution. With his p2 and erstwhile championship leader Alvaro Parente’s last-place finish on Saturday, Long regained the GT Driver’s championship lead.
Sunday’s race 4 was ultimately rained out, as a major storm system passed through the area. PWC will look to reschedule the SprintX round at a race venue later in the season.
