Starworks Motorsport has pulled its Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo entry from the next two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Lime Rock Park.

It comes following a challenging first half of the season for Peter Baron-led squad, which has struggled with an unidentified issue with the Ryan Dalziel and Parker Chase-driven GT Daytona class contender.

“It has been our goal all along to run the full season, but common sense tells us that we have an issue that is beyond our control here,” Baron said.

“Our sponsors expect us to deliver results. We need to be in the fight for the podium. We simply don’t have the speed in the car to do that at this point.

“Further, these events are back-to-back and are not key markets for our sponsors.”

The team’s Audi clocked in “well below” the competitive average in last weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, despite having led the closing stages of the race due to an alternative fuel strategy.

Starworks’ withdrawal will result in no Audi being on the grid at CTMP, following Moorespeed’s decision to pull out of the event due to damage sustained in its weekend-ending accident at Watkins Glen.

“It will be quite painful to miss these events. No racer wants to watch from the sidelines,” said Baron. “But it simply doesn’t make sense for us to burn budget money racing when we are not competitive.

“We will sit the next two races out and work on things within our control to deliver the best possible package for the next event.”

The team expects to return to competition next month at Road America.

“We have work to do for the next few weeks,” Baron added. “Our drivers are doing an amazing job. It’s the responsibility of the team and the manufacturer to provide them with a competitive car, so that will be our focus.

“Assuming we get this sorted, we will back in action at Road America. I never like these types of decisions.

“We just want to race and win. But 2020 is around the corner and we need to work hard now to ensure that we have the right package for the remainder of the year and into the 2020 season.”