Shift Up Now Athletes Erin Vogel, Sarah Montgomery and Nicole Havrda finished out the 2024 World Racing League (WRL) season with their best qualifying to date for Saturday's race, followed by an eighth-place finish on Sunday, at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on December 6-8, 2024.
The weekend began with a test day and Max Track Time on Thursday. The AE Victory Racing trio went into the weekend with their sights set on their best performance of the season, having tested final setup ideas two weeks prior at Buttonwillow Raceway Park.
Damp track conditions during the test day meant they didn’t get to push the car as hard as planned, but Havrda was able to get up to speed for her debut WRL weekend at COTA.
On Friday, the track was dry and Vogel was first behind the wheel for a practice session, putting the finishing touches on the setup. Montgomery then took over to do a sticker run for the team’s qualifying attempt. Heavy traffic and lower fuel meant they decided to swap back to scrub tires.
Montgomery noted she was confident that the setup of the No. 119 Shift Up Now by AE Victory entry was the best they’ve found to date. In addition, she felt there was still as much as another second-and-a-half to be achieved.
Her prediction proved to be correct when the team qualified 13th in class, their best starting position of the season.
Saturday morning dawned overcast and rainy for the eight-hour competition on the 3.426-mile, 20-turn racetrack. The race was set to begin at 8:00 am local time and Montgomery was behind the wheel for the first stint.
Despite normally running on Yokohama tires, with no wet Yokohama tire available in the correct size for the Audi R8, the team opted for an alternate wet weather tire just before heading to the grid, in preparation for the wet track conditions. When the precipitation wasn’t as heavy as expected, AE Victory Racing chose to switch back to their usual Yokohama tires during the first fuel stop, immediately gaining them performance on the race track.
Montgomery stayed in the car for another partial stint before an on-track incident caused a second caution, at which point the team decided to pit for a splash of fuel. Around 11:30 am, the race was red-flagged for lightening.
After an approximately one-hour delay, Vogel was up next in the cockpit. She was at the head of the field on pit lane, and was asked by race control to lead the field slowly while the pace car got the remainder of the cars out of pit lane before the restart. After doing so, she was then able to get most of the following lap back as she circled around to catch up to the back of the pack.
Throughout the remainder of Vogel’s stint, the track continued to dry. The racing line had become dry but off-line was still notably damp.
Havrda then took the wheel for the final stint just before 2:00 pm. She finished the race 11th in class.
Overnight rain caused more wet track conditions for Sunday’s seven-hour competition.
Once again starting at 8:00 am, Montgomery was lined up in 17th place on the starting grid. This time, her Yokohama tires had additional grooves that the AE Victory Racing team had added to better siphon the water. Amidst substantial spray from the other cars at the start, she made it through the first few wet laps before a dry line emerged near the end of her first fuel stint.
Two hours into the competition, Vogel took the wheel during a full-course caution. Track conditions were similar to the end of her stint from the previous day, and continued to dry out as time passed, allowing for faster lap times.
Vogel noted afterward that it was the first time all year she felt she could push the car and fully trust it would be there. As a result, she turned consistent laps and raced other cars, advancing the team into the top ten.
With two hours left in the race, Havrda took over during a red flag. She kept the car clean, driving smartly and consistently. Near the end of the race, when pit stop cycles didn’t work out in the team’s favor, Havrda came in for a splash of fuel with two laps to go. However, several other entries stalled before taking the checkered flag, allowing AE Victory Racing to hold position and earn an eighth-place finish, the second best of the season.
“Overall, it was an excellent weekend,” said Vogel. “And a fantastic way to end the season, showcasing all the hard work the team has put in over the course of the year and highlighting the progress we've made with the car, and our synergy as a team. We're so excited for our 2025 WRL program, and the shootout to find our third driver!”
The 2025 WRL season begins on February 7-9, 2025 at Eagles Canyon Raceway. The full schedule can be found at www.RaceWRL.com.
