MONTEREY, Calif. (May 3, 2015) - WeatherTech Racing drivers Cooper MacNeil and Leh Keen finished the TUDOR United SportsCar Continental Tire Grand Prix powered by Mazda at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in seventh place today in GTD.
The duo of Cooper MacNeil (Hinsdale, Ill.) and Leh Keen (Charleston, SC) worked hard all week on the handling of the No. 22 WeatherTech Racing Porsche. The 2.2-mile, 11-turn rolling road course proved to be a tricky track for the team this weekend. MacNeil and Keen struggled with an understeering car into the corners and that kept them mid-field runners all day.
"We were fighting understeer all week with the WeatherTech Porsche," MacNeil said. "The car got better and better, but we weren't quite good enough to drive to a higher position in the finishing results. I am looking forward to Detroit. We were tough there last year until we had to stop and put a mirror on the car."
Keen had a late race incident, but it did not cost a position.
"There were a lot more incidents than the one on TV," Keen said. "It was a tough race in general. We were struggling to get the car to turn. The other GTD cars were a little better. We were just trying to hold position. We were getting beat up by some prototypes and roughed up by some GTD cars. I got shoved at the exit of Turn Six and ended up going off. It was an exciting race, but not that exciting when you look at the results."
Alex Job, team owner, knows Laguna Seca is a demanding circuit.
"Cooper and Leh gave us their best effort today," Job said. "We just couldn't hit the sweet spot on the set-up of the WeatherTech Porsche this afternoon. At this track you have to get it just right to run at the front. When you don't you become prey for other cars and we had some of that today as well."
The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will travel to Detroit for the Chevrolet SportsCar Classic on Belle Isle, May 29-30.