Blackdog Racing continued its good form at Sebring International Raceway with podium finishes from the No. 33 McLaren Artura GT4 in both rounds of the Pirelli GT4 America championship.
Michael Cooper and Tony Gaples combined to finish third in Pro-Am after Saturday’s opening race of the weekend and bettered that with a runner-up result Sunday. The results keep them well within reach of the class Drivers Championship in third place and nine points closer to the championship lead.
The Sebring event carried on Blackdog Racing’s strong run at Sebring (wins the previous two seasons) with the team’s best dual qualifying results of the season – second and third in class – and fastest race laps both days by Cooper.
Gaples began Race One from near the front of the field but a full-course yellow interrupted the running early. The Blackdog team called in the McLaren at the 25-minute mark with Gaples in fourth to put in Cooper for the remaining 35 minutes.
The No. 33 McLaren moved up to third in class after the pit stop cycle finished, and then Cooper went on a tear. He made up five seconds to the second-place car in the final 15 minutes of the race and set the fastest lap in the process before finishing three-tenths of a second from the runner-up spot.
There was more of the same Sunday. Cooper rocketed away from the start in the McLaren, going from third overall to the outright lead at the first corner. He scampered away in the first 33 minutes and led by more than five seconds before a mid-race, full-course yellow erased that advantage as Gaples got in the No. 33 for his stint.
Gaples did an admirable job swamped in a group of Silver-class entries and held his own for the remaining 20 minutes of green-flag running. Critically he was able to keep higher-class cars between himself and third in class for most of his running to secure second place.
Blackdog Racing and the rest of the Pirelli GT4 America field gets some time off before the championship resumes July 18-20 at Virginia International Raceway.
MICHAEL COOPER, NO. 33 BLACKDOG PERFORMANCE McLAREN ARTURA GT4: “First off, thanks to the Blackdog Racing team for a great McLaren this weekend. The car was the best it’s been all season in qualifying and the race. We’re happy with the results from the weekend. It’s really hard to do better than two podium finishes and we made up ground in the championship, which is key. We’re seeing how tough this category is but we have great momentum going into the summer. I’m already looking forward to getting back to the team and in the car at VIR.”
TONY GAPLES, NO. 33 BLACKDOG PERFORMANCE McLAREN ARTURA GT4: “A good points weekend, which is what we were hoping for coming here. Sebring continues to be a solid track for us and happy to leave here with two podium finishes for the team. The team did a great job and Michael was fantastic in his stints. He’s continuing to show why he’s one of the best drivers in this series. We’re in a good spot heading into the second half of the season with more good tracks for the team and the McLaren coming up.”
About Blackdog Racing
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About Blackdog Performance Cars
At Blackdog Performance Cars, luxury and performance converge in an exclusive collection of high-end vehicles, each designed to deliver an unparalleled driving experience. Our curated inventory is a testament to exceptional craftsmanship and innovation, while our GT4 America McLaren Artura race team subtly underscores our passion for precision engineering on the track. Discover the ultimate blend of sophistication and speed at www.blackdogperformancecars.com.