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News: GT350R-C Road America Preview

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By EditorTurner

News: GT350R-C Road America Preview

Road Warriors

Multimatic Shelby GT350R-Cs compete at Road America on Saturday

By Steve Turner
Photos by Wes Duenkel/courtesy of Ford Performance

Hot on the heels of back-to-back wins in the IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, the Multimatic Motorsports-backed Ford Performance Shelby GT350R-C teams are set to compete at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, on Saturday.

At Lime Rock Park the duo of Scott Maxwell and Billy Johnson finished atop the podium in the Number 15 Shelby GT350R-C so they are carrying a lot of positive momentum heading into the race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
At Lime Rock Park the duo of Scott Maxwell and Billy Johnson finished atop the podium in the Number 15 Shelby GT350R-C so they are carrying a lot of positive momentum heading into the race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

After 16-year-old Austin Cindric and his teammate Jade Buford scored the fledgling race car’s first win in Multimatic’s backyard, they followed up by finishing second at Lime Rock Park, right behind their Multimatic Motorsports teammates, Scott Maxwell and Billy Johnson in first.

If you missed the Lime Rock race, you can watch the full broadcast right here…

While the last two races provided some friendly paths for the Flat-Plane-Crank 5.2-powered GT350R-C, this weekend’s race may present some different challenges. The 4-mile course features corners so noteworthy they carry their own monikers, not just simple numbers. As such, this race may offer an opportunity for the improved suspension in the new Shelby R-model to shine.

Here’s a little preview of the event from IMSA…

After collecting the GT350R-C’s first win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Clarington, Ontario, Canada, the pair of Austin Cindric and Jade Buford finished second at Lime Rock Park. They too are looking strong heading into Road America.
After collecting the GT350R-C’s first win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Clarington, Ontario, Canada, the pair of Austin Cindric and Jade Buford finished second at Lime Rock Park. They too are looking strong heading into Road America.

“Tracks like Watkins Glen and Mosport, that have more high-speed sections, seem to have favored the GT350R-C,” Austin Cindric said. “I think Road America will be another good addition for the car. We, as a team, just need to keep plugging away and focus forward. We have had a lot of success lately and there’s no reason why that can’t continue this weekend.”

With any luck, one of the drivers will get to celebrate a victory like this again…

The first #GT350R BURNOUT. Celebrating a 1-2 finish @limerockpark for @FordPerformance and @multimaticmotorsports.

A video posted by Billy Johnson (@billyjracing) on

After two practice rounds tomorrow morning, the Shelby GT350R-Cs qualify in the Grand Sport class from 4:40 to 4:55 p.m. Eastern. On Saturday, the race runs from 1:20 to 3:50 p.m. Eastern. You can follow the action live on the IMSA website, and the race replay will air on August 17 at 8 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.

UPDATE: Both teams struggled with issues at Road America, and the pair of Jade Buford and Austin Cindric finished in the seventh position.

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