A long day for Duncan Ende at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Ende Brings Dempsey/Silicon Tech Racing PC car Home in Fifth After It Is Hit and Spun on Opening Lap

#25 Dempsey Racing Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet: Duncan Ende, Henri Richard

Photo by: Art Fleischmann

On the opening lap of the two hour and forty-five minute race, Ende's teammate Henri Richard was hit repeatedly by GT class traffic before being sent into a spin, putting the car far down and causing damage to the bodywork and aerodynamics. Another incident twenty-five minutes into the race would set the car back even further, causing it to go a lap down to the rest of the field.

"It Looked like Henri couldn't have done anything else, he just got turned around by a GT car," said Ende. "Unfortunately, the spin and the contact that came after hurt the car and it wasn't as good the rest of the day. It really set us back at the very start of the race, which is frustrating. Unfortunately he went down a lap later with the second incident and then we were in total catch-up mode."

With the race going caution-free through the race's middle and late stages, Ende would not get into the car until there was an hour remaining. However, his no. 25 Dempsey/Silicon Tech Racing machine wouldn't refire after the driver change. The crew worked to get the car restarted, but by the time that Ende was able to rejoin the race, he was a further two laps behind the PC leaders, in fifth place.

With a wounded car that was now four laps down, Ende's goal was to limit the damage and bring the car home in the points. He was able to make up one position and take the checkered flag in fifth position.

"We definitely struggled this weekend at Mid-Ohio," said Ende. "The right rear bodywork and the undercar tunnels were damaged when I got in the car, but the one upside is that at least here at Mid-Ohio it isn't completely scary like it is at Mosport! After two races where we definitely had found some pace in our car, we just didn't have it throughout the weekend. So we will regroup with all of the Dempsey Racing guys and get ready for Road America. This weekend was a speed bump and we'll move past it."

Source: Duncan Ende media