Mechanical Issue Halts Promising Run for Myers Riley Motorsports at Watkins

Myers Riley Motorsports showed significant progress with its Ford Mustang GT3 program during Sunday's Sahlen'xs Six Hours of The Glen, but a suspension failure late in the race prevented the team from capitalizing on one of its strongest performances of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

Following a qualifying session that was cut short by a red flag, GTD teams were unable to complete the minimum green flag running required to establish the starting order. As a result, the class lined up according to championship standings, placing the No. 16 Ford Mustang GT3 ninth on the grid for the six-hour endurance classic.

The race took an unexpected turn before the green flag had even flown. During the formation lap, a competitor dropped fluids, causing Sheena Monk to spin after driving through the affected section of track. She rejoined the field at the back of the GTD class before the race officially began.

Once the green flag waved, Monk immediately went on the attack. Posting some fast laps, she methodically worked her way back through the pack, gaining four positions during an impressive opening stint before handing the No. 16 Ford Mustang GT3 over to Jenson Altzman.

“Myers Riley Motorsports gave us a very agile Mustang GT3 that we sadly weren’t able to capitalize with,” she explained. “After a spin during the formation lap, I was able to navigate confidently back through the field and regain most of the lost positions because of how nimble our Ford was. There were some glimmers of hope on the strategy as the race progressed but unfortunately we experienced a mechanical issue in the final third of the race.” 

“I’m leaving the Glen with a little solace after witnessing the best attributes of the team. When the road got tough, the engineers and strategists were level headed and quickly determined a plan forward, and the crew executed with speed and precision to put the car back on track. I was immensely proud of everyone’s effort and focus through the adversity.” 

Altzman continued the team's strong pace and kept the Mustang firmly in contention while the team's strategy continued to unfold. He then handed the car over to Felipe Fraga for the run to the finish, with the No. 16 looking poised to challenge for a strong result.

With one hour and 55 minutes remaining, Fraga was forced to bring the Mustang GT3 to the garage after suffering a suspension failure. The Myers Riley Motorsports crew immediately went to work, completing extensive repairs and returning the car to the race despite losing multiple laps. Although the issue ended any hopes of a top finish, the team was able to salvage valuable points toward the Bob Akin Award championship.

"The race was really disappointing for us, but at the same time I'm happy because the car was good," said Felipe Fraga. "We made some improvements compared to the last races, and I think we were in a good window for a strong result. Unfortunately, we had a suspension problem. It wasn't anyone's mistake, just one of those things that happens in racing. Now we'll keep working and prepare for Canada. I think the car will suit that track well since it's similar to Watkins Glen. Hopefully we can have a strong race there, score good points for the Bob Akin Award, and fight for the result we know we're capable of."

"Unfortunately, a shock failure midway through the race took us out of contention," said Jenson Altzman. "It had gone quite well until that point, with Sheena and Felipe both doing a great job, and we were on a strategy that was looking promising. These things happen in racing, and rather than dwell on it, I want to give a big shoutout to the team for handling the situation and getting us back on track as quickly as they did. All in all, I was happy to be back flying the Myers Riley flag after a few months away, and we already have our sights set on Road America."

While the final result did not reflect the pace shown throughout the weekend, Myers Riley Motorsports leaves Watkins Glen encouraged by the continued development of its Ford Mustang GT3 program. The speed demonstrated by all three drivers and the team's execution throughout much of the race provided another positive step forward heading into the next rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.