Brabham Scores Fifth Straight IMSA Victory

Geoff Brabham claimed a record fifth straight IMSA Camel GT sports-car racing victory Sunday, teaming with John Morton in a Nissan GTP prototype to win the Camel Continental at Watkins Glen International Circuit.

Brabham and Morton took advantage of a late caution period to overcome a 45-second deficit and won by 21.633 seconds over the Porsche 962 of Chip Robinson of Oldwick, N.J., and Derek Bell of England.

The winners averaged 113.969 m.p.h. and earned $66,000, including a $30,000 Camel Pyramid wild-card bonus. They completed 92 laps around the 3.377-mile road course in 2 hours 43 minutes 33.773 seconds.

Brabham passed Robinson going into turn one on lap 72 and pulled away to a victory which put Brabham into the lead of the Camel GTP driver’s championship point standings. Brabham has 103 points to 96 for John Nielsen of West Germany. Nielsen did not compete in Sunday’s race after both Jaguar XJR-9s retired before he could drive.

Sarel van der Merwe and Elliott Forbes-Robinson finished third in a Corvette GTP, one lap down.