Corey Fergus of Austin-based Moorespeed earned a second-place finish in the first of two Porsche GT3 Cup races at Circuit of the Americas this weekend. CREDIT: Pirelli World Challenge file photo
Corey Fergus of Austin-based Moorespeed Racing grabbed a second-place finish in Friday night’s Porsche GT3 Cup at Circuit of the Americas.
Fergus, in the No. 00 US LED/Byers/Moorespeed machine, led winner Trenton Estep of San Antonio in the first half of the race before being overtaken. Fergus had qualified second in the event, part of the IMSA Advance Auto Parts Showdown weekend.
“I think we had a pretty good car,” Fergus said. “Everybody was probably struggling out there with the heat of the day, it was a little greasy, but our setup proved to be a little bit better than some of the others.
“We had something, and I am really disappointed I let Estep get by there for the lead. I think we could have really stayed out front because our pace was good enough to win the race. I just didn’t have the first position. The car is set up pretty good. I think it is the driver that needs to step up a little bit.
“Hopefully tomorrow (Saturday) we can get redemption.”
Austin’s Jeff Mosing, who won the ST class in the Continental Tire Challenge earlier in the day, was first in the P-M class and fifth overall.
Will Hardeman, an Austinite who drives for Moorespeed and qualified third, got swept up in a wreck but was uninjured. He was smacked from behind by a car that lost its wing and got out of control. His No. 19 car was too badly damaged to be repaired in time for Saturday’s race at 11 a.m.
“It’s really tough to deal with the highs and lows of racing, and this is definitely an extreme low,” Hardeman said. “Physically I am fine, but it is out of these things that you have a true character building experience.
“It is a test to see how well you can recover and bounce back from this. I just need to redouble my efforts, really finish the season strong and race clean.”
Former Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson, in his first race at COTA, stayed out of trouble and drove to a credible eighth place. Wilson has a racing team based in Austin.
There were two other Austinites in the Porsche GT3 event. Fred Kaimer finished 13th for NGT Motorsport and Alan Metni was 14th for Kelly-Moss Road and Race.
