Top Five Finish at Watkins Glen for Taylor Hagler
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge field headed to upstate New York for the fifth race of the season at Watkins Glen International. Taylor Hagler and Bryson Morris combined in the No. 77 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR for The Esses 120 at Watkins Glen and captured their best result of the season in fifth.
Hagler was slated for qualifying duties and placed the No. 77 Hyundai sixth on the starting grid. Hagler’s opening stint was marred by full course cautions and full of on-track battles. The two-hour race began under yellow and the field of GS and TCR entries paced the 3.4-mile course for a lap. The field was back to full speed racing after an additional five minutes of caution pace. On Lap 5, the yellow flag reappeared and set Hagler up for the restart three laps later where she gained an on-track position through the opening corners. She would battle throughout the stint for positions within the top five in the TCR class.
The BHA squad utilized the continuing full course cautions to extend the fuel of the No. 77 Hyundai until Hagler pulled into pit lane from second as the green flag flew on Lap 22 for four tires, full tank of fuel and a driver change to Morris. It was a strategy move that would end up paying dividends with on-track position later in the race.
Morris had green flag conditions through the entirety of his stint where he utilized the long, flowing corners of Watkins Glen to make on-track passes and battle for podium finishes in class. An hour and two minutes later, Morris brought the No. 77 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR to the checkered flag in fifth after going to extreme full saving in the last laps of the race. The top five finish is the best result of the year for the Hyundai driver duo.
Taylor Hagler, Driver of the No. 77 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR: “Very happy with a top five result at Watkins Glen! We had a clean, consistent race and that resulted in our best finish of the year. The pace was great in our No. 77 Hyundai and we executed our strategy. We earned some points and will take this momentum with us to CTMP in a few weeks.”