Two IMSA LMP2 drivers on probation for causing crash

Fabio Scherer of High Class Racing was trying to stay in the slipstream of Juan Pablo Montoya in the DragonSpeed entry as they fought for LMP2 honors, during the seventh round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

However, on the exit of Turn 6, Scherer was behind the GTD Lamborghini Huracan of Carbahn with Peregrine Racing, at that point driven by Jeff Westphal. Scherer suddenly found himself boxed in as the closely following Racing Team Nederland car of Dylan Murry boxed him in behind Westphal.

Scherer decided to move left to pass the Lamborghini and avoid losing out to Murry, but struck the Nederland car hard. Murry responded in kind, knocking the High Class car over to the right. Unfortunately they hadn’t yet pulled past the GTD car, so Scherer hit Westphal hard enough to send the Lambo spearing off the track, hard into the Armco barrier on the inside of Turn 7 before sliding into the runoff area.

An IMSA release today said that Scherer and Murry were “determined by IMSA race director Beaux Barfield and supervisory officials Simon Hodgson, Mark Raffauf and driver advisor Johannes van Overbeek to share responsibilities for an incident that caused Jeff Westphal to crash heavily in the No. 39 GTD entry.”

It went on: “IMSA will continue to monitor all on-track conduct and will act accordingly and consistently should there be a further deterioration of driving behavior.

“Endurance and Multi-class racing is the embodiment of IMSA competition and requires mutual respect and coexistence among all competitors at all times.”

Racing Team Nederland and High Class Racing went on to finish third and fourth in class, respectively, behind entries from PR1 Mathiasen Motorsport and Tower Motorsports.

Scherer is High Class Racing’s endurance extra so was not due to pilot the #20 car again until October’s finale, Petit Le Mans, while Racing Team Nederland is present only for IMSA’s four Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, so Murry’s next race, too, is likely to be Petit, held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.