They say everything is big in Texas and Christian Weir of TechSport Racing had himself a big weekend at Circuit of the Americas. He leaves the Lone Star State with some big numbers. Christian was able to gain 29 total positions in two races and brought home a pretty big points score for him and the team.
The Toyota GR Cup North America has a reputation for providing great racing and the 31 car field did not disappoint. The 3.4 mile circuit features 20 turns, elevation changes and long straights. Thursday and Friday were test and practice days. “Even though we had ample practice time, I felt like I didn’t get a lot of quality laps in.,” said Weir. “There were a couple red flags, I had a fuel pump issue and because race control wanted to emphasize keeping within track limits, a lot of drivers were given drive-through penalties for exceeding limits.” Feeling positive about his progress going into race day, Weir knew he still had work to do and he was up for the challenge.
Christian had a carry-over penalty from the previous race, which meant he had to start Saturday’s race from pit lane. When the green flag dropped, he had to wait until all 30 cars crossed the start line before he could step on the throttle and go racing. “I wasn’t able to do the warm-up lap, so I had cold tires.’ explains Weir. “I had one goal, get into the top ten.” Christian immediately put his head down and got to work moving the #71 TechSport GR86 Toyota through the field. By the end of the second lap, Christian had moved from 31st to 16th. “The chaotic start and subsequent re-start really helped me, but I had to work hard to keep moving up” tells Christian. He continued to pick off positions one-by-one and ultimately crossed the finish line in 9th place. “I am really happy with my result. Moving 22 spots in one race is personal best for me. I saw it as an opportunity to challenge myself and had some fun while I was at it.”
Sunday was predicted to be another hot Texas day. The day started with a 15-minute qualifying session. Christian explains, “I can’t say I was happy with my P12 qualifying result. I had some trouble with traffic. It’s a long track and only 15 minutes to get in a good lap.” Christian knew from the day before he had the ability to improve and set his mind to accomplishing a top 5 result. Sunday’s race was not as messy as Saturday’s but still had its challenges. Knowing he had the pace; Christian was determined to move his car up the field. “I had a goal of getting on the podium. I maybe could have if it weren’t for my car overheating.” says Weir. “I am not complaining and I am thrilled with P5. I moved 7 positions and earned the Hard Charger Award.” When combining the 2 races, Christian gained an astonishing 29 positions. “Although I would much rather start a race from pole I gotta say, making all those passes made this race weekend one of the most fun I have ever had racing.”
Next on the schedule is Sebring International Raceway May 16-18. Christian is now sitting 8th in the championship and has his sights set on continuing to improve his standing. “The month of May is going to be a busy one. I have my Senior Prom and will be graduating from High School. That doesn’t mean I won’t be prepared for Sebring. It’s a track I have been to many times and I am looking forward to driving the GR Cup car. I think it might feel a little less bumpy than some of the other cars I’ve driven so it should be interesting.”
Stay tuned for schedules and updates on Christian.
Keep up to date with Christian Weir by following him on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/christianweirracing/
Replays of COTA Race 1 & 2 www.grcupseries.com/watch-live
Information about the Autobahn Driver Academy is available at https://autobahncc.com/academy-racing-school/
