David Ostella returns to Watkins Glen, this time at the wheel of the #38 Protoype Challenge car from Performance Tech Motorsports.
Maple, Ontario - David Ostella returns to Watkins Glen International ready to find redemption, this time in the No. 38 Prototype Challenge car of Performance Tech Motorsports for Round 7 of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
Ostella, 22, knows that the famed 11-turn, 3.4-mile track suits his driving style. The flowing track, with its famous section "The Boot," mimics the smooth rolling hills of the Finger Lakes of upstate New York where the track is situated.
Ontario native Ostella thinks he has more to prove at The Glen after his ill-fated trip to the historic track in 2013 to compete in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. He was the victim of on-track incidents during his first two starts in the American series and ended up outside the top 10 in both races.
This next chance will give him six hours to prove how well he can handle the difficult track during the Sahlen's Six Hours Of the The Glen, which starts at 11:10 a.m. (ET) Sunday, June 29. He is in a different car this year, too, driving in the Prototype Challenge of the premier TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
"We had a rough time there last year," Ostella said. "On track we didn't have the results we were looking for, and there was a lot of rain that weekend. It was miserable. This time I want the chance to show that this track suits my style. The way the track flows, you can gain momentum if you know how to handle the turns."
Ostella heads into Watkins Glen after finishing ninth June 7 at Kansas Speedway. He was running in the top three during the first half of the split-session race before a flat tire late in the event dropped him in the running order.
"I'll be more confident going into this weekend than going into Kansas," Ostella said. "We finished well in Kansas; the end result of the second race with the tire was unfortunate. But we proved we had a strong car and that we could run with the top guys, so I feel good going to The Glen and back to endurance racing."
Ostella does not discount his experience from his first trip to The Glen. He plans to use that trying weekend to give him an edge on the competition as the PC class did not run at track in 2013.
"Having been there before is always helpful," Ostella said. "I like knowing left or right when you come out of a corner. I'll still be studying video, and like every track, the on-track time in a car will help."
Ostella will travel early to New York to continue his Dash from Breast Cancer campaign. He created the campaign to raise awareness and funding for breast cancer after being inspired by a close family friend who survived the disease twice. For his campaign, Ostella will travel Thursday, June 26 to the Falck Cancer Center in Elmira, New York, and Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls, New York, to talk with doctors and patients. He will visit the Falck Cancer Center from noon-1 p.m. and then visit from the radiology department of Schuyler Hospital from 2-3:30 p.m.. Ostella will give patients and staff at each hospital a number of tickets to Sahlen's Six Hours Of The Glen and pink T-shirts to promote the campaign.
The race weekend for the PC class begins at 12:50 p.m. Friday, June 27 with the first practice session, with qualifying at 4:40 p.m. Saturday, June 28. The Sahlen's Six Hours Of The Glen live broadcast begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 29 on FOX Sports 1.
For more information or to donate to Dash from Breast Cancer, click the following link: davidostella.com/dash-from-breast-cancer/. Keep up with Ostella's on track progress by following him on Twitter at @OstellaCorsa and Facebook. For personal updates from Ostella, follow him on Twitter at @davidostella.
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