Hardeman Shakes Off Rust in No. 19 WPD/Moorespeed Porsche GT3 Cup in First Race since May; Round 2 Sunday 11:15 a.m. CDT
ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 7, 2016) – Will Hardeman qualified and finished sixth Saturday at Road America in his first race in more than three months in the in the No. 19 WPD/Moorespeed Porsche GT3 Cup.
Hardeman jumped to the top five in the opening laps of Saturday’s 45-minute sprint and then battled to stay there in the first half of the race.
“It was all fair-and-square stuff and clean racing,” Hardeman said. “I need to keep the car on the track. A lot of time I would fly off the track on the exit into the dirt and it’s for sure ripping up the underneath and messing with the aerodynamics.”
Hardeman ultimately dropped back to sixth and would stay there to the finish.
“He’s just a little rusty,” said Moorespeed President David Moore. “He’s been away for three months and it showed today. You just can’t take that much time off and come back and expect to be in the hunt.”
The aerodynamic damage to the car from the off-course moments combined with a shock absorber issue that Moorespeed detected after the race to make the No. 19 a real handful for Hardeman.
With those issues repaired and addressed, Moorespeed and Hardeman look forward to having a better race tomorrow.
The second and final race of the Road America doubleheader starts at 11:15 a.m. CDT on Sunday.
About Moorespeed: Based in Austin, Texas, Moorespeed is a full-service automotive company specializing in sales, service, repairs and restoration of luxury sports cars and competition on the track in numerous North American road racing series. Founded in 1991 in Austin by brothers David and Chris Moore, Moorespeed offers comprehensive, turn-key service in which people are just as important as parts and relationships are just as vital as results. Moorespeed’s road racing programs are designed for all skill levels, and driver development, both on and off the track, is a Moorespeed specialty. Dave Moore and General Manager Price Cobb, winner of the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans, welcome and work with every racing customer as a member of the Moorespeed family while Winslow Mankin brings the same dedication and passion in his role as Street Department Service Manager. Moorespeed is all about the passion for high-performance automobiles and the people who drive them. A commitment to personal service and performance permeates every corner of the company. Learn more at www.moorespeed.com, contact us at (512) 474-7223, look for us on Twitter @MoorespeedTX and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoorespeedRaceEngineering.
Photographs by Mason Bleasdell www.bleasdellphotography.com