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Challenges, Lessons Learned and Potential on the Horizon for Hartanto after first CTSC Race at Sebring

After failing to take the grid for the opening race of the Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge, BimmerWorld Racing driver Andrie Hartanto was eager to get behind the wheel of the No. 81 BMW 328i F30. Since the pairing of Andrie Hartanto and Tyler Cooke had walked away from the Daytona race having never turned a single race lap, it was important that the duo focus their efforts on making up for lost time and points. The second race of the season was to take place at the historic, 3.7-mile Sebring International Raceway; a track Hartanto had never driven.

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Practice turned out to be a frustrating affair. Laps were limited due to the longer 3.7-mile length, which meant less repetitions in order to get up to speed with the new track. While Hartanto was coming to grips with driving Sebring’s unique and nondescript layout, the sweltering heat and humidity hampered the turbocharged BMW’s performance. “We’re having continually dial the power back,” Hartanto remarked. “We are significantly down on power compared to Daytona, but we cannot risk overheating and throwing away possible points. It’s no fun having to short shift, but the car still feels pretty good and I think we will have a chance for some points if we keep our noses clean.”

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The next day was qualifying. While lap times continued to improve, the central Florida heat continued to limit the turbocharged 328i’s performance. While the sister No. 84 car was able to qualify in 7th position, Hartanto ultimately ended up putting the car on the grid in 13th after a challenging qualifying session. “I was looking to put in a fast lap all throughout quali. I had been circulating through traffic to find a gap somewhere but didn’t have much luck. Once I did, put in a decent lap but definitely made a mistake that probably cost us about five grid spots, maybe more. That was the only lap I got,” Hartanto lamented. “If I’m honest though, it’s rather impressive that we’re as competitive as we are. The BimmerWorld team has done a remarkable job delivering a competitive car considering where we started out here in Sebring.”

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Following qualifying, the BimmerWorld team got together for a friendly game of basketball. However, when a group of highly competitive individuals get together for any form of competition, the action undoubtedly heats up. Unfortunately for Hartanto, this resulted in a trip to the ER after suffering a bruised tailbone and a torn elbow, requiring stitches. After being patched up, Andrie was ready to go.

Hartanto is all smiles even after being banged up

On race day, Hartanto knew that the pressure would be to improve on his starting position of 13th place. Given the lack of power, it would require precise and deliberate driving with a mix of some gutsy racecraft as well. This would be Hartanto’s first wheel-to-wheel experience in the Continental Sportscar Challenge. Throughout his stint he did not disappoint, putting the No. 81 BMW well into the top ten of the field. Unfortunately the impressive performance would be for nothing as the No. 81 would spun and punted off the track from behind by a competitor. Attempts to restart the car were unsuccessful, resulting in Hartanto and Cooke’s No. 81 losing precious laps. From there, Cooke would finish out the race strongly, albeit down in the running order and the remaining laps of the race became an all-important testing session.

MotorSportMedia | Halston Pitman 2015 – All Rights Reserved

MotorSportMedia | Halston Pitman 2015 – All Rights Reserved

MotorSportMedia | Halston Pitman 2015 – All Rights Reserved

“It was disappointing to have all of that hard work erased in one incident, but I’ve been around long enough to know that these things do happen. I feel great about what we were able to accomplish, all things being equal. In the end though, as happy as we can be about the performance, we still don’t have be points to show for it. I’m hoping to change that for my home race in Monterey,” commented Hartanto.

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