The no. 27 HubAuto Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 powered through the opening four hours of the Intercontinental GT Challenge 8 Hour race at Laguna Seca. Fought under glorious clear blue skies and cooler temperatures, the HubAuto team has clearly come to grips with the Laguna Seca circuit and has put itself in a very strong position to fight to the end of the race.
Strong Pace. The no. 27 car spent most of the first half of the race at the sharp end of the field. Bit by bit, Ferrari factory driver Miguel Molina was able to reel in the leading Nissan, and was also able to run a lap longer in the opening stint before pitting with about 1 hour completed in the 8 hour race. He handed over to Tim Slade, who completed his first racing laps at Laguna Seca from the lead (once the pit stop cycle had completed). Tim led for all 39 laps of his stint before handing over to Nick Foster.
Pit Stop Slows Progress. A challenging pit stop slowed the tire change and sacrificed the 14 second gap that had been built up over the preceding 3 hours. However, Miguel was inserted back into the car and consolidated the No. 27’s standing in 2nd place. As the clock ticked just past the 4 hour mark, Tim Slade returned to the car as he looks to chase down the new leader, the No. 911 Porsche.