Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier complete GT4 America season with top-5 at Indianapolis
- RACERS
- Oct 10, 2024
- 6 min read
Hannah Greenemeier and Hannah Grisham wrapped up the SRO GT4 America season with a top-five finish in the Silver class at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, completing a strong campaign that showcased their growth and consistency throughout the year.
Hannah Greenemeier and Hannah Grisham completed the SRO GT4 America season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a top-five finish in the Silver class, as the Heart Of Racing all-female crew added another solid result to their impressive campaign in the series.
The driver pairing, who started the season in the AM class before being reclassified to ProAm for a single event and then moved up to the top Silver class, were coming off their second class podium at Barber Motorsports Park, where they also finished in the overall top ten for the first time this year.
While Grisham and Greenemeier couldn't quite contend for podiums at the Racing Capital of the World, the duo completed a stellar season that included class victories early on and several additional AM class podiums, followed by a second and third place in the Silver class later in the year.
Grisham returned to Indianapolis fresh off a race win in her first-ever start in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, followed by a third-place finish in ProAm in her second start. Her success at the iconic circuit was no fluke, as she had already claimed two victories last year in the final round of the Pirelli GT4 America season—her first in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4.
“I’m really looking forward to racing at Indy,” said Grisham before the 2024 season finale, which was run in conjunction with the Intercontinental GT Challenge 8 Hours of Indianapolis. “It is a track I’ve had some good luck at in the past. Hannah and myself have been in strong form the last few races and I’m hoping to carry that momentum into our last race of the season and hopefully end this year on a high note.”
For Greenemeier, on the other hand, it would be her first start at the track, although she had attended the IMSA round in support of the Heart Of Racing's GTD effort.
“I’m excited to be racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Greenemeier. “It will be my first time racing there and after watching the IMSA race I feel even more excited about getting on track."
"It’s the last race of the season and I know everyone will be giving their best to end the year with some great results. I know that with this team we have an amazing opportunity to do both!”
Grisham and Greenemeier quickly got up to speed in practice, finding six-tenths of a second between sessions as they prepared for qualifying.
Hannah Greenemeier was behind the wheel in Q1 and delivered a remarkable session, finishing 10th overall and fifth in the Silver class, marking her best qualifying performance to date.
In Q2, the session that would set the grid for the second race on Sunday, Hannah Grisham initially positioned herself in the overall top ten in the early stages, then ended up 16th overall and seventh in Silver, just 0.8 seconds off overall pole position held by Corey Lewis in an intensely competitive session.
Hannah Greenemeier's stellar qualifying efforts were unfortunately hampered even before the lights went out: during the formation lap, she experienced a tyre puncture that forced her to pit immediately, setting her back almost an entire lap right from the start.
Despite the early setback, Greenemeier quickly regained her rhythm, setting lap times of 1:31.3, significantly faster than many competitors in the field, suggesting she could have been in the top ten on outright pace.
With a composed drive, Greenemeier worked to close the gap to the pack ahead, gradually reducing the distance to under 10 seconds by lap 14. Showing great consistency, she continued to churn out competitive lap times, clawing back positions one by one as the race progressed.
At the halfway point, as the pit window opened, Greenemeier stayed out longer than most of her rivals, using her pace to her advantage in clear air. As the pit stops cycled through, she handed the car over to Hannah Grisham on lap 19.
Grisham rejoined the race in 26th overall but quickly made her way up the field. She passed several AM class competitors, including Carpentier and Vogel, climbing to 23rd overall and maintaining seventh in the Silver class. Once in clear air, Grisham found her groove, posting lap times in the 1:33 range and steadily closing the gap to the cars ahead.
In the closing stages, Grisham picked up another position on Jesse Webb's JMF Mercedes when the latter experienced issues, allowing her to move up to sixth in the Silver class and 22nd overall. Despite the disappointment of an early puncture, the duo's teamwork and strong pace showed their potential, hinting at what could have been a top-five finish with a bit more luck.
For Race 2, Hannah Grisham took the start from 12th overall and seventh in the Silver class. She made a lightning-fast getaway, skillfully navigating the opening laps to gain four positions, quickly moving up to 12th overall and solidifying her place in the Silver class.
Grisham's consistent pace allowed her to hold her ground against several ProAm competitors while gradually increasing her speed. By lap 7, she was running in 15th overall but still maintained her seventh position in the Silver class. With lap times dipping into the 1:32.5 range, she found a rhythm and continued to chip away at the cars in front.
A full-course caution was called out after a collision between Lee Carpentier and Curt Swearingin at Turn 1. The incident brought out the safety car, bunching up the field. Seizing the opportunity, Grisham pitted and handed over to Greenemeier under caution, rejoining in a competitive position after the round of pit stops.
As the race resumed, chaos erupted at the restart with multiple incidents, including a collision between Boehm and Krainz, which resulted in heavy damage to one of the BMWs. Greenemeier skillfully avoided the debris and navigated her way up to 13th overall, moving into fifth in the Silver class.
Greenemeier faced pressure from drivers in both the Silver and AM classes but managed the traffic effectively, even engaging in a close battle with James Clay for position. Despite being caught in the midst of AM class fights, she maintained her focus on the Silver class competitors, including a well-timed pass on Michael Kanisczak.
In the final 10 minutes, Greenemeier’s consistent lap times paid off as she continued to gain on the cars ahead, capitalizing on a collision among the AM leaders to gain further ground. With a display of mature racecraft, she secured 11th overall by the closing laps, narrowly missing out on a top-10 overall finish but comfortably holding on to fifth in the Silver class.
“Another great weekend with the Heart of Racing,” said Greenemeier. “Maybe not the results that we wanted, but I think Hannah and I showed great pace this weekend. I know that we had the best team behind us, and I just can't thank the Heart of Racing enough for this whole season for all their hard work and the late nights. We are very appreciative and proud to be a part of the team.”
Although the final round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway didn't yield another class podium, Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier battled once again with determination within the top five of the Silver class at the season finale; their solid finish in the last race of the season highlighted their progression and development over the course of the year, successfully concluding the second season of Heart of Racing's all-female team project on a high note.
“Overall, I think it was a good way to end the season,” Grisham echoed. “We had issues in race one that were out of our control that put us a lap down, so we weren't really in the fight on Saturday. I think today we're good."
"We kept the car clean and ended up fifth in class. You always want a better result, but I think in the grand scheme of things, it's been a pretty good year. I think Hannah and I have meshed really well and I’m super grateful to be her teammate and really grateful for the Heart of Racing for this opportunity to compete at this level.”