Scherer Sport PHX Secures Provisional Victory in Fog-Halted Race, Rowe Racing Appeals Decision
In a dramatic conclusion to the 24-hour endurance event, Scherer Sport PHX’s Audi took the provisional win on Sunday, but not before a 14-hour delay due to dense fog. The race was initially halted on Saturday evening, leaving drivers, teams, and 240,000 spectators frustrated.
Following five laps behind the safety car to determine if the race could be restarted, race director Walter Hornung made the tough call to end the race with 54 minutes remaining on the clock. The Rowe Racing BMW team, which finished seventh in the provisional classification, has lodged an appeal against the stewards’ decision, protesting the outcome.
“It’s like always; no matter how you do it, you do it wrong. If we had let them drive seven or eight more laps, the fog would probably have remained. We didn’t, so it cleared up.”
- Walter Hornung, Race Director
Ironically, just as the decision against a restart was announced, the fog finally lifted for the first time in over 15 hours. Speaking to Motorsport-Total.com, Hornung explained that his original intention was to resume the race after the restart. However, the weather station he contacted predicted improvement between 2 pm and 2:15 pm, which failed to materialize.
The race resumed behind the safety car, with Hornung citing the DMSB circuit regulations, which dictate that the lead vehicle takes on the function of a safety car. After five laps, the weather remained unchanged, leading to Hornung’s decision to end the race.
Hornung also clarified that the decision not to restart the race and implement Code 60 at the worst-affected points on the Grand Prix loop was based on feedback from the 2021 event. This approach was previously criticized by drivers, who complained that their tires got too cold, making it unworkable.
The decision to end the race with the chequered flag rather than the red flag has significant implications for the result. Under the DMSB circuit regulations, Article 17.2 allows the organizer to end the race after a certain time, even if the distance is not reached, with the approval of the stewards.
If the race were abandoned, two laps would be counted back, and Article 35.1 would apply, adding minimum pit stop times to the total driving time, potentially altering the entire classification. This scenario would have penalized teams like Rowe Racing, who attempted to gain an advantage by heading for the pits behind the safety car.
With the provisional victory in hand, Scherer Sport PHX’s Audi has taken the top spot, but Rowe Racing’s appeal will keep everyone on the edge of their seats until the outcome is finalized. Meanwhile, the GT racing community is left to ponder what could have been if the fog had cleared sooner.
🔗 Source