"We had a clean, consistent race and that resulted in our best finish of the year." - Taylor Hagler produced an excellent performance at Watkins Glen as the Bryan Herta Autosport racer produced an extremely strong first stint while the team executed a good strategy, securing her first top-5 result of the 2024 campaign.
Taylor Hagler produced an excellent performance at Watkins Glen as the Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian racer secured her first top-5 result of the 2024 campaign. Driving alongside Bryson Morris in a Hyundai Elantra N in the TCR class, the pair were consistent frontrunners in an action-packed two-hour race.
Hagler’s opening stint saw her run inside the top-5, running as high as third, before Morris held the runner-up position for the early part of his stint. Despite running out of fuel on the final lap, along with a large number of their TCR class rivals, Hagler and Morris were classified in fifth position.
Watkins Glen marked the halfway point of the Michelin Pilot Challenge season, with Hagler and teammate Bryson Morris sitting seventh in the overall TCR standings prior to the weekend. It had been a season of promise for the Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian pair who racked up four consecutive top-10 finishes to begin their campaign.
The speed shown by both drivers had seen them regularly contend for top-5 finishes, with the duo looking for change in fortune in order to convert their speed into a season’s best result.
Prior to the event, Hagler was looking ahead to the two-hour race at Watkins Glen.
"With the quick turn around to Watkins Glen, I am focused on the race this weekend", she said. "Our goal is to have a strong, clean race and The Glen is the perfect place for that with flowing long corners that suit the Hyundai Elantra N TCR well. The energy around this track is special and the fans always turn out. Ready to get the race weekend started!"
The first of two free practice sessions took place on Friday morning and was set to be a chance to start the weekend on the front foot. Unfortunately, a technical issue saw Hagler and Morris fail to complete any laps in the opening session. Both drivers therefore took full advantage of the second practice session and set the seventh fastest time in TCR as the duo showed their speed ahead of qualifying.
Hagler was behind the wheel of the Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian machine for qualifying, meaning she would also start the two-hour race. It was a productive session for Taylor despite the limited track time set the sixth fastest time in TCR. This lap also placed her in amongst the Grand Sport runners in the overall classification and although there would be a split start between the classes, traffic was set to play a role in the initial stages of the race.
As Taylor qualified the car on Saturday evening, she would start the race and lined up from fifth position following the disqualification of a Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian teammate car. An incident between the #5 KMW Motorsports Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the #89 HART Honda Civic FK7 on the pace laps led to the race initially starting behind the safety car, before the customary double-file rolling start took place. Once the race got underway, Hagler moved ahead of LP Montour, while falling behind Chase Jones and teammate Harry Gottsacker.
By lap five, the TCR competitors had already caught those in the Grand Sport category and Hagler wasted no time in passing the Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage of Ted Giovanis. Immediately after, the race entered the first full course caution period with John Potter stopped out on track with Taylor running in sixth.
A fast restart on lap eight saw Hagler overtake Dai Yoshihara and immediately gap the Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 with an excellent final sector. Yoshihara fought back and reclaimed a spot inside the top-5 on lap ten as a second full course yellow period began.
The first strategy play took place behind the safety car as the Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian team chose to stay out and this elevated Hagler to third position. Despite falling outside a podium position at the restart, Taylor was back into third place by lap 19 as the Victor Gonzalez Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N of Chase Jones was involved in an incident with the Kellymoss Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport machine of Jake Pedersen.
As a result, the race entered a third full course yellow period with Hagler again initially remaining on the racetrack. When the race restarted, Taylor brought the car into the pits and handed over to Bryson Morris with a little over one hour remaining.
A fast stop from the pit crew saw Morris run second of those on the same strategy, holding just behind teammate Robert Wickens. The top-5 drivers in TCR were now separated by less than five seconds, with Morris less than a second behind Wickens. On lap 37, with just over half an hour of the race remaining, Jon Morley moved ahead and quickly set off in pursuit of Wickens.
After Mikey Taylor moved ahead two laps later, Morris was down to fourth and was now doing well to hold off teammate Denis Dupont. A fantastic defence saw Morris negotiate a number of Grand Sport class cars as the Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian machines battled for position.
With two laps remaining, Dupont moved ahead before a dramatic final lap saw multiple TCR class cars run out of fuel. Morris also slowed and failed to complete the last lap but was classified in fifth to secure the team’s first top-5 finish of the campaign.
“Very happy with a top five result at Watkins Glen!", Hagler commented. "We had a clean, consistent race and that resulted in our best finish of the year. The pace was great in our No. 77 Hyundai and we executed our strategy. We earned some points and will take this momentum with us to CTMP in a few weeks.”
Hagler and Morris were rewarded with a season’s best finish after a strong run at Watkins Glen which saw them contend for a podium finish throughout the two-hour race. Taylor’s opening stint was extremely strong while the team executed a good strategy to ensure the pair held track position for the majority of the event.
The Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian duo will be looking to continue their momentum at the next event which takes place at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on the weekend of 13th/14th July.
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