As the IMSA Esports Global Championship headed to Watkins Glen for its third round of five, both GTP and GTD championships were becoming two-horse races. Bleu Mercure Esport had the lead in both, heading Grid and Go-backed efforts by 13 and 23 points, respectively.
In GTP, Grid and Go were really able to take it to them in Qualifying, as Issac Phelps set the best time in his Aston Martin Valkyrie, while Daniel Lafuente took GTD pole for BS+ Turner. Both class leaders held their lead on a relatively clean start – only Maniti Racing in GTP went off on the front straight.
The first big moment of contact came after five minutes for the GTP championship leaders, as BME hit BS+ Competition going into the Bus Stop, effectively ending the latter’s race. Meanwhile, Bleu Mercure’s rivals Grid and Go were crafting a strategy that saw them stop first after 37 minutes, allowing the #8 (2nd in points) to jump into the lead.
BME also briefly led in GTD, though BS+ regained it before their first stops, where the lead remained unchanged. At half distance, Grid and Go made their second stops where they held on to their one-two, just ahead of BME and Verstappen Sim Racing, who lurked in fourth.
Not long after, the window for GTD’s final stops was open, a cycle started by championship leaders Bleu Mercure. This allowed them to take the lead by four seconds, ahead of MOUZ , who got into second place, and polesitter BS+, in third.
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