BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sept. 11,\u00a02024) \u2013 For Precision Racing LA w\/PT Autosport and driver Henry Drury, the penultimate Toyota GR Cup race weekend of the season at Barber Motorsports Park represented the chance to ramp up the learning curve and show their competitive chops.<\/p>\n
Though that experience doesn\u2019t necessarily show on the results sheets, the 24-year-old English born, Tampa, Fla. resident has made great strides behind the wheel of the No. 88 PT Autosport Toyota GR86 Cup Car in his rookie season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of learning another brand new track \u2013 and such a fast track \u2013 I\u2019m pretty happy,\u201d said Drury. \u201cAnd I have to say \u2013 Barber is such an awesome place. This track is absolutely mental, it\u2019s so fast. I loved it, I just wish the results had shown that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drury had two practice sessions on Friday to learn the tricky 2.38-mile layout of the \u201cAlabama Roller Coaster.\u201d With 80\u2019 of elevation changes and tight, hard turns, the track presents a challenge, especially to new drivers. P18 in session one, Drury improved to P13 in practice two, with the track drying quickly after hard rain.<\/p>\n
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\u201dBoth sessions were really tricky,\u201d said Drury. \u201cWe struggled with setup in FP1 and the mix of damp and dry in FP2 disguised how positive they were for us. This track is so fast and requires so much commitment and confidence, and even though neither me nor the team has been here before, we were happy with the car in the end. It was one of the most efficient sessions we\u2019ve had, where we got quickly up to speed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team worked on a few setup changes overnight and Drury felt much more comfortable in the car for race one qualifying, putting the No. 88 13th on the starting grid.<\/p>\n
\u201cMassive improvement from yesterday, especially in all the high-speed entry stuff,\u201d said Drury. \u201cThe team worked hard overnight and I had enough confidence to push the way I wanted to but we\u2019re just not where we want to be on the timing sheets.\u201d<\/p>\n
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At the drop of the green, Drury began looking for the chance to make a move \u2013 but on lap two, he slid wide and off course in Turn 2, falling to 25th position in the tight, competitive field. As Drury continued, it became clear that the splitter was damaged, sending him into pit lane and out of the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made a mistake, and the splitter just dug into the ground and sent me for a spin,\u201d said Drury. \u201cSorry to the team. I have to make mistakes in my career \u2013 it\u2019s inevitable, and the best way to learn \u2013 and I\u2019ll make more in the future, but it hurts in the moment. I hate to give the team extra repair work, so definitely something to learn from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Qualifying 15th for race two, Drury focused on solid passes early to take 13th position. Keeping his line and balancing aiming forward while keeping an eye behind, Drury held his own in a four-car battle for 11th \u2013 expertly placing the No. 88 in each apex to keep his pursuers at bay. Side by side with another car turn Turn 9, the combatants locked wheels and both went off track, with the resulting incident responsibility penalty putting Drury back in 21st.\u00a0 He fought hard through the end of the race, ultimately finishing 20th.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAnother tough race for us,\u201d said Drury. \u201cWe started well until we had an incident with another car. I was forced up into a position where I couldn\u2019t avoid making contact, which blocked our radiator and landed me with a penalty, so we ended up a lap down. Had a nice little test session for the rest of the race, but a weekend to forget overall. It doesn\u2019t feel great now, this is probably the first time I feel I\u2019ve had a bad weekend and truly failed to perform, but all I can do is learn from this and come back stronger. No stone unturned\u201d<\/p>\n