The Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, entering qualifying, was set to go great for Michael Shank Racing as their Honda-powered Ligier JS P2 Prototype entry was fastest in the practice sesssions that preceded qualifying for the six hour event.
When qualifying was called off due to rain, drivers Ozz Negri and John Pew were robbed of their chance to earn pole position. This was the first of two unfortunate happenings that turned the weekend upside-down for the team.
Following plenty of preparation for the race including private practice sessions at Watkins Glen, the car was running in the thick of things through the first half of the race. Just under half an hour into the second half, though, the second bit of bad luck would strike and the team's efforts in what turned into a rainy race would be terminated.
With three hours and 27 minutes behind, contact with a GTLM car caused Pew to hit the wall in the No. 60. Broken suspension was worked on in the pits before the team decided to retire the car from the race as the rain picked up. Another crash was too high of a possibility in the team's mind due to the very wet conditions, and a shortage of spare parts at the race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in two weeks was not something they wanted to deal with.
"The car was very good and I was quicker than the guys ahead," said Ozz Negri, who handed the car over to Pew before the accident.
“At the end of the day, it’s racing,” Negri also said. “Now we will just look ahead to Mosport, I think that is another opportunity for us to do well and we will want to make the most of it.”
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Aaron Durant is the editor of the VAVEL USA Racing section. Follow him on Twitter at @DoubleA291.