Robertson Racing were left ruing what could have been after the teams Ford GT was forced to retire after damage caused in an incident with Dirk Muller’s Rahal Letterman Racing BMW M3 48 laps in to the race.
The penultimate race of the season at Mosport marked the teams first retirement in 19 starts after Andrea Robertson took over from co-driver David Murry, with times starting to fall an over-ambitious move by Muller saw the BMW hit the left rear of the Ford. The result of the contact left the rear suspension damaged beyond repair along with further damage to the bodywork.
David Murry was running well early in the race climbing from eight place to sixth during his stint, this also included an impressive battle with the works Corvette.
Team Manager Andrew ‘H’ Smith was pleased with the pace of the car but understandably disappointed at the outcome of the race.
“We didn't have the best qualifying but the pre-race test proved that we've found a couple of seconds from last year. That was certainly evident before the crash when David drove very well. It was great to see the Ford fighting with a factory Corvette on equal terms.
“But obviously the whole team is disappointed with how it ended. It looks like he's gone for a gap that wasn't there. We've checked the replays and spoken with Andrea and it's clear that there was no space to pass. The impact ripped the studs out of the chassis, which is what ended our involvement on the day, although at least it can be repaired when we get back to the 'shop. There's a lot of damage though which means we need to build two cars instead of one ahead of Petit.”
The team return to the race track for the ten-hour season finale – Petit Le Mans – which takes place September 29 – October 2. The race will also see the debut of a second Ford GT which is currently under construction.
