Watkins Glen: RSR Motorsports preview

RSR Motorsports Rallies for Watkins Glen After Disappointing Lime Rock

LAKEVILLE, Conn.--Following a frustrating weekend at Lime Rock Park, RSR Motorsports is ready for good results during the upcoming GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race at Watkins Glen.

Saturday's race at Lime Rock held a lot of promise: the RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S entries were fast in practice, and Sarah Cattaneo qualified sixth in the No. 197 MINI. The race itself, though, was a challenge from the start.

Just ten laps after the green flag, Cattaneo was hit by another car. She recovered from the resulting spin and began to work her way toward the front of the Street Tuner class. "It was a tough blow, but the car held up really well," notes Cattaneo. "I had a strong car and I knew we had the speed. Passing isn't easy at Lime Rock, but I took a deep breath and started working my way through the field."

Cattaneo's teammate VJ Mirzayan took over in the No. 197 RSR Motorsports MINI, continuing the charge before another hit forced the car to retire early.

Dicky Riegel and Owen Trinkler had some misfortune of their own in the No. 196 RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S when the supercharger belt broke after just forty-five minutes of racing. Repairs were made and the car continued, and Trinkler went on to set one of the fastest lap times in the race.

RSR Motorsports is now preparing for Saturday's race at Watkins Glen, where RSR Motorsports earned a fifth-place finish last year. "We've been good there the last couple of years," says Trinkler, who will co-drive with team owner Randall Smalley in the No. 196 MINI. "The uphill section is a challenge, but after that we can make up a lot of ground through the corners. We expect to be really competitive at Watkins Glen."

"We're starting the second half of the season and I hope we've gotten all the bad luck out of the way," says Mirzayan, who praises the RSR crew for getting the No. 197 MINI repaired after Lime Rock. "Our crew has been amazing. They have really come together in the past few weeks and I want to thank them for working so hard."

While Mirzayan has experience at Watkins Glen, it will mark Cattaneo's first race there. "I had so much fun testing at Watkins Glen," she says. "Even with such fast corners, I think the MINIs will be really strong there."

B.J. Zacharias and Craig Conway will return in the No. 198 RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S, completing the RSR lineup for the weekend.

-source: rsr motorsports

 

Not a can of worms at all.

Ya know there are often times when a race team that is not progressing as desired will make wholesale changes between seasons. In this case it seems as if that is what happened. The tuner and race prep shop were all changed. As we can see it has yet to gel.

You forget that the Bosch MINI setup is very new, motors are going to break.