Bentley Continental GT3 Battles to Top 10 Spot in Toronto Round of Pirelli World Challenge

It was a competitive race for Butch Leitzinger in the #08 Bentley Continental GT3 today in the Pirelli World Challenge double header in the streets of Toronto.  At the end of the thirty-seven minute race, Leitzinger had moved from thirteen to ninth and set a time three tenths off the fastest race lap. It was a weekend of positive progression as the team dialed in the car and found increased speed in each session.
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The weekend showcased the development of the Bentley Continental during its inaugural street race and put the team in a good position for future racing on tight courses. 

“The car really came into its potential during the race today,” said Leitzinger. “During long greens, the car got quicker and quicker.  It was a challenge today to work through some of our competitors.  Once we had some clear track, we were able to go hard at it, and the car had good pace and we were the best we were all weekend.  I have to keep on reminding myself that this is a development year. We are here to learn and not just concentrate on the results page. The goal was to come out of this weekend with a lot of data and to figure out how to come back here next year with a competitive package so we can challenge for a win.

“The best thing about the car is how predictable it is.  On street tracks, the wall is your defining exit point as opposed to a road course where you can drop a wheel off and not lose any time.  Here you end your day if you take it too far.  But with the Bentley, I am able to exit right on the wall and feel confident that it is not going to do a last kick and catch the wall. That is a confidence building characteristic and bodes well for future street races.”

Jon Divaio, Motorsports Manager for Bentley Motors, Inc., echoed the take-away:  “Overall, it was a quite positive race weekend.  This is the first time we have run on a track like this and we certainly learned a lot about the setup of the car. It is a real tribute to the team that we were able to get the car moving quicker than we had on the previous days.

“The program is moving at a quick pace.  We are learning a lot, not just about the car, but about working together and the partnership between Dyson Racing and Bentley Motors.  We both share the same goals and the program is showing positive traction.  We could not ask for a better partner.”

This weekend’s races can be seen Sunday, August 10 at 12:30 p.m. CST on the NBC Sports Network. Dyson Racing Team Bentley and the Pirelli World Challenge will next race at Mid-Ohio August 1-3.