IMSA: Brake disc issue end Iron Dames race at Indianapolis

Iron Dames faced a challenging race at the TireRack Battle on the Bricks, where an exploding brake disc ended their day after showing promising pace early on in the race and having run as high as third.

The TireRack Battle on the Bricks, fourth round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, ended in disappointment for Iron Dames, as an exploding brake disc cut short their race at the Racing Capital of the World.

Michelle Gatting, Sarah Bovy, and Rahel Frey returned to the premier North American sports car series after the 6 Hours of the Glen, where Sarah Bovy was involved in a heavy accident that sent her to the hospital overnight as a precaution. Before that, a technical issue had already taken the all-female team out of contention in the 12H of Sebring after a promising early recovery.

Their 2024 season has been marred by a string of misfortunes, including missed opportunities in ELMS and FIA WEC due to issues beyond their control. The 6-hour Indianapolis race proved to be another chapter in this challenging season. However, the team had shown positive signs with a strong performance at the 6H of Fuji in the World Endurance Championship just days before heading to Indianapolis.

It was the trio's first time at the road course of the iconic Indianapolis circuit, and the weekend began tough with a challenging first practice session, leaving all Lamborghinis down the order. However, in the second session, the pink Huracan found good speed, with Michelle Gatting posting the fifth-fastest time in the GTD class, clocking a 1:24.042 lap which raised hopes ahead of qualifying.

Gatting took over qualifying duties, unlike in WEC and ELMS, where Sarah Bovy typically handles qualifying. In IMSA, there is in fact no rule requiring bronze-rated drivers for qualifying. The Danish ace moved up to P10 after her first representative laps, with a time of 1:24.482. The #56 Ferrari and #80 Mercedes had their times deleted, and the pole-winning #77 Porsche and the #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus were also moved to the back due to technical infractions, which elevated Gatting to P7, a solid starting position for the 6-hour race.

Light rain began to fall as the cars set off on the formation lap, with Michelle Gatting starting the race. She opted for a cautious approach into turn one, avoiding chaos and making up several positions to end the first lap in fourth place. Gatting set purple sectors early on, moving up to third as other cars struggled in the slippery conditions, but later lost out to Formal and Ward on lap 10, dropping to fifth as she pursued Levorato in the #55 Proton Mustang.

A spin by Luis Perez Companc in the LMP2 Oreca triggered the first Full Course Yellow of the race. Gatting held her position well during the incident. The GTD field pitted during the caution, with Gatting staying out to reclaim third place in class. She pitted one lap later, still under caution, to switch to wet-weather tyres, rejoining the race in P10.

The race restarted on lap 19, with Gatting in eighth, and the conditions were soon treacherous. Iron Dames received a drive-through penalty for failing to adhere to the full refueling time, dropping Gatting to P21.

Lap 22 saw another FCY as the Gradient Racing Acura came to a halt with a technical issue. This neutralization helped Gatting catch back up to the pack. As conditions worsened, the #12 Lexus ended up in the wall, prompting Iron Dames to pit, with Sarah Bovy taking over from P20 in GTD.

The heavy rain led to extended caution periods, but once the race resumed, Bovy had a great restart, moving up to P9. Despite losing a few positions, Bovy held off challenges from competitors and kept the car on track in difficult conditions. It was Bovy's first race stint on wet tyres since joining Iron Dames.

"I got the chance to do my full driving time under crazy wet conditions", she wrote. "Believe it or not, it was my first time actually racing on wet tyres with the Iron Dames. Not an easy task in the very busy field we had in Indianapolis but lot of experience gained"

As the race progressed, Bovy found herself in intense battles, making smart decisions to avoid unnecessary risks. Midway through the race, after a round of pit stops, Iron Dames climbed to third as the track began to dry. Sarah Bovy pitted on lap 89, handing over to Rahel Frey with three hours to go.

Frey rejoined the race in P16. Soon after, another multiple-car incident brought out the safety car again. Frey found her rhythm, closing in on competitors and gaining positions. However, yet another FCY was called after the #7 Porsche GTP car came to a halt on the main straight. When the pit lane opened for the GTD class, Frey stayed out but had to pit shortly after with a locked front left brake.

Unfortunately, the issue was identified as an exploding brake disc, which forced the car behind the wall and ended their day. Iron Dames had retained the fastest lap in GTD for much of the first half of the race, thanks to Gatting's strong opening stint. Despite the chaotic rain stages, they had fought hard to make their way back into the top ten before the brake issue.

"Sometime you win, sometime you learn", Bovy added. "Even if we got stopped in our effort by a broken brake disc one hour to the end of the Battle on the bricks, it was a cool experience to discover another legendary track."

The fourth round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup proved to be another difficult race for Iron Dames. Despite a strong start to the season with a sixth-place finish at Daytona and consistent pace improvements, the team has struggled to capitalize on their potential, often for issues outside of their control. The Indianapolis round was yet another example of this, but Iron Dames will quickly refocus as they head back to Europe for the 4H of Mugello, the fifth round of the European Le Mans Series, on 28-29 September.