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American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix
van der Steur Racing Limerock Recap
van der Steur Racing made their much anticipated return to competition in the American Lemans Series at the Northeast Grand Prix, held at Limerock Park July 6 - 8. The team missed almost half of the season due to a testing incident shaking down the car for Sebring, so the team was very excited for their first race back in the # 19 EFC Systems, Inc. AER powdered Radical SR9.
van der Steur Racing came to Limerock with very few pre-race test days to set the car up, so every bit of track time was essential. The team delivered a car that did not miss one lap due to mechanical problems for drivers, Gunnar van der Steur and Adam Pecorari. This enabled the drivers to use all the practice time trying to find a set-up on the very bumpy and slick Limerock Park. Setting competitive times in practice, the team was able to put the car in the top 10 in class and 12th overall. With qualifiying being rained out, practice times were to be used for the starting grid. "We really could have used some more practice time, with the 2nd practice and qualifying being rained out, but we were able to find a set-up for the race that let Gunnar and I feel comfortable in the car", said Pecorari before the race.
This race would be Pecorari's first start in the American Le Mans Series and van der Steur prepared Pecorari for all the hype. With the green flag, Pecorari was able to gain a few positions and would be 10th overall by the first lap. Adam had a very fierce fight with the partially factory backed BK Motorsports #8 Mazda/Lola throughout the first 45 minutes with the Mazda finally getting around Adam in traffic. Running a steady pace for the remainder of his 2 hour stint, Adam handed over the car to Gunnar during the second yellow with about 50 minutes remaining. It was a rather difficult stint for Gunnar with the team losing radio contact sometime during the pit-stop, but he did a great job to bring the car to the finish 7th in class and 10th overall.
"This race was especially difficult for only my second race in the ALMS with the track being so short and me running a double sting", said Pecorari after the race. "Limerock is so short that you never have two laps without being in some sort of traffic, so not only do you get physically drained, you get mentally drained as well. The team did a wonderful job to give Gunnar and I car that ran flawless throughout the entire weekend, and now it is up to Gunnar and I to develop the set-up of the car so we can run with the top cars in class."
The next race for van der Steur Racing will be the Acura Sports Car Challenge at the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course the weekend of July 20-21.
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