The Doran Racing Nissan 370Z #41 of Nissan GT Academy champions Nic Hammann and Steven Doherty posted the second-fastest lap of the race and battled back from early challenges to finish seventh in a very wet Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge season finale Friday afternoon at Road Atlanta. Unfortunately the team’s #14 Nissan 370Z driven by Brad Jaeger and B.J. Zacharias didn’t finish. It ended up 13th in the Grand Sport class after it sustained damage to its right rear, suspension and exhaust system in an accident with 41 laps complete in what turned out to be a 77-lap race.
The accident occurred when Jaeger got a “wave-around” lap that would have given him much better track position, but he hit some standing water in Turns 10A and 10B while catching the field at speed, hydroplaned and crashed into a concrete barrier. He was able to get back to the pits without the use of a tow truck. The team made some repairs on pit lane and Zacharias got in the cockpit. The Cincinnati-based driver completed a couple more laps before the entry was retired with 45 laps completed.
