It’s been two years since I last attended an IMSA race at Watkins Glen and a lot has changed since then. The prototypes have gotten faster and are now ruled by Cadillac chassis. Ford is now challenging for top GT LM honors with Corvette, Porsche, and BMW. Acura has an NSX in the GTD category. Porsche is racing a 911 with the engine turned around 180 degrees.



Unlike the race in 2015, this year’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen stayed dry for the duration of the race. The rain was threatening the entire time, but never quite materialized over the track. Nearby Lake Seneca appeared to get pounded. We didn’t get much more than sprinkle, which meant no slippery track, no rooster tails, and no pause in the racing action.




After six hours of racing, the #5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi took the overall victory while the #38 Performance Tech Motorsports Oreca FLM09 claimed the top honors in the Prototype Challenge class. In GT LM, the #29 BMW Team RLL M6 GTLM won the class ahead of the #67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT. The #93 Michael Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 took the top spot with the #63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 close behind.

Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi leads the Porsche GT Team 911 GT RSR


Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi leads the Porsche GT Team 911 GT RSR

Overall winner, the Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi


Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT exits the pits

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT


GTLM-winning BMW Team RLL M6 GTLM in Turn 1.

Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R leads the Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi and Porsche GT Team 911 GT RSR through Turn 1


Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi

Visit Florida Racing Multimatic/Riley LMP2


JDC-Miller Motorsports Oreca LMP2

Tequila Patron ESM Nissan DPi


BAR1 Motorsports Oreca FLM09

Change Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 ahead of the Paul MIller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3


3GT Racing Lexus RCF GT3

Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3


Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi leads the Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi through the chicane

Prototypes at the exit of the chicane


Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi

Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R


Michael Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3

Riley Motorsports - WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3


Performance Tech Motorsports Oreca FLM09

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT


Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR

Riley Motorsports - Team AMG Mercedes-AMG GT3


Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT

Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR


Stevenson Motorsports Audi R8 LMS GT3 and Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R

Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R Cadillac DPi


Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R

Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi


Every so often, you find yourself in exactly the right place at the right time. That’s what happened to me when I was standing at the entrance to the chicane and the #911 Porsche Motorsport Porsche 911 RSR clipped the inside curb leading to a spin. The car drifted through the gravel and made contact with the barrier. The damage wasn’t bad enough to take the car out of the race, but they lost several places as they limped back to the pit for repairs.



Bonus: The nicest folk you will ever find are racing folk:


The final running order for the race can be found here. There is also a complete replay available on IMSA’s YouTube channel here.

