While BMW and Corvette have set the pace in GT in recent times, the Porsche pack including Flying Lizard Motorsports have been working hard to try to bridge the gap.

Yesterday, that hard work paid off with Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long returning to victory lane.

“Finally, a flawless race for the No. 45! It’s really good to be back on the podium,” Bergmeister said.

“The team did an incredible job. Patrick made it easy for me: he turned the car over in P1 and I just had to maintain the lead and drive it home. Michelin gave us a great tire – many of the cars had tire issues today and we were able to complete the race on two sets of tires with no problems.”

The result was Bergmeister’s sixth Lime Rock win in seven years and coincided with his 100th race in the American Le Mans Series.

“I feel like a huge weight fell of our backs today,” Long said.

“When there are long gaps between victories it makes a win that much sweeter, and today is no exception. From the drop of the green, everyone on the team hit their marks: that’s tough to do at Lime Rock.

“Our strategist Thomas Blam’s call to pit for fuel only during the early yellow and then run for more than a complete stint on one set of tires proved to be the right call. It was tough to hang on at the end my stint but I was determined to turn it over to Joerg in P1.”