Cameron: Hot track helped with slick tires in rainy Watkins Glen.

Dane Cameron, the victorious driver of the Porsche Penske 963 no. 7, noted that the track’s scorching surface gave him an advantage in the rainy opening conditions of the 2024 Six Hours of the Glen.

The sixth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was particularly notable for the rainy conditions. Rain occurred mid-race, followed by a heavy storm later, leading to a red flag in the final hour.

Unlike their GTP rivals, team no. 7 adopted a different pit strategy. They took advantage of the break in the rain, allowing much of the track to dry out as the temperature soared to over 35 degrees Celsius.

Cameron, who opted for slicks during a double stint when the rain started, expressed during the post-race press conference that surviving those critical moments was crucial. He also mentioned that the decision to go for slicks helped them gain an advantage after initially falling behind at the start of the race.

Making the right decision in such circumstances is a challenge as the safe choice would be rain tires. However, it may not always be the ideal option. Due to the track layout and weather patterns, rain often falls in certain areas.

At the time, it looked like they were a bit unlucky and made the wrong decision. It looked fine with only small amounts of rain. However, suddenly there was a strong storm in front of the runway. Then it turned yellow, indicating that it would dry soon and they would be in a good position.

Their out-of-sequence strategy took some time to play out. According to radio communications, it appeared other drivers were sure it would rain and opted for rain tires, but it didn’t work out.

The hot track gave them an advantage, giving them time until the heavy rain arrived. These moments were challenging and their focus was to keep the car on the track, knowing that the race was only half way and the decision they made was not yet a winning one. However, they managed to navigate through this moment, move forward, and in the end, Felipe Nasr performed well.

Championship leaders Cameron and Nasr extended their lead to 2,044 points at Watkins Glen. However, they are still closely followed by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande in the #01 Cadillac V-Series.R duo, who finished second and maintained a narrow margin.

This victory at Watkins Glen marked the second victory of the year for Cameron and Nasr, following their triumph at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Furthermore, it was their second win at the same venue.

The battle for the championship continues to heat up as the Porsche will have to top the #01 Cadillac in the Road America Sprint Race on August 4th.