Era Motorsport Navigates Weather and Heat to Secure Fourth at Watkins Glen

After nearly 100 days away, the No. 18 Era Motorsport Oreca 07 LMP2 returned to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship action on Sunday, finishing fourth in the 12-car LMP2 field at Watkins Glen. It marked the class’s first event since March’s Sebring race, and ended with nine cars on the lead lap, separated by just seconds.

Having earned a fourth-place finish at the Rolex 24 at Daytona earlier this year, the trio of Tobias Lütke, David Heinemeier Hansson, and Paul-Loup Chatin arrived at Watkins Glen determined to deliver a strong performance on the 3.4-mile circuit.

The entire Era crew made the most of the time between events, with drivers, mechanics, and engineers all contributing to a focused preparation effort. The team completed multiple tests, explored setup options through research and simulation, expertly prepped the car, and ensured the drivers had as much seat time as possible, both on track and in simulators.

On race weekend, after two free practice sessions, Lütke delivered an outstanding qualifying lap of 1:37.133, to secure fifth on the grid for Sunday’s six-hour main event.

As the green flag flew at 12:10 PM on Sunday to start the race, Lütke took the wheel for the opening stint, but quickly encountered unpredictable weather. A sudden downpour brought heavy rain, marking his first time racing, or even driving, the LMP2 car in wet conditions.

Despite the challenge, Lütke rose to the occasion, keeping the car clean and on the lead lap throughout his stint. He handed it off to Chatin in excellent shape, setting the stage for the remainder of the race.

But while the rain cleared, a new challenge emerged in the form of extreme heat and oppressive humidity. As the sun broke through, temperatures quickly climbed to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. The conditions made driving grueling and unpredictable, but the crew adapted quickly. They fine-tuned the car’s setup to maintain pace, supported the drivers with comfort measures during pit stops, and continued to deliver fast, efficient service, all while dealing with the heat themselves.

Heinemeier Hansson and Chatin’s tenacity, combined with the engineers’ laser-sharp focus, kept the No. 18 charging forward. In the final laps, a late move by Chatin helped secure a strong fourth-place finish for Era Motorsport, helping the team gain three positions in the championship standings.

"I’m very happy with this P4 finish!” Chatin said. “It’s a great result thanks to the hard work from everyone at Era Motorsport. Tobi and David both did a fantastic job, and I know a podium is coming soon. We just need to keep working together in the same direction."

Heinemeier Hansson was equally pleased with his most recent experience at The Glen.

“Watkins Glen is an amazing racetrack, and this was my first time running here in LMP2,” he said. “I think we can be quite proud of finishing fourth. If we’d had just one more lap, maybe we could have been P2 as several cars ahead suffered punctures. Tobi did an incredible job keeping the car in one piece through a very difficult start, and we were right in the mix. That’s all you can really ask for!”

And of course, Lütke was glad to have had such a strong showing in his third-ever LMP2 race.

“It started raining right at the beginning, which caught us off guard since everyone was on slicks,” Lütke said. “The rain came down pretty hard. It was definitely interesting. There was a lot of chaos out there, but I’m glad I was able to keep the car together through the safety car periods. We switched to wets, which was a first for me, so that was a valuable experience too.”

“It wasn’t the cleanest race, but we got the car to the end, and it was a great learning opportunity. Honestly, it was really interesting to go through all of that. We tried to get in as much testing as we could between races, and it made a huge difference. I think I finally have a solid understanding of how this car works, which was especially important today with all the rain and unpredictable conditions.”

Team owner Kyle Tilley was also happy with the result and optimistic about what it signals for the busy LMP2 season ahead.

“It was a very impressive performance from Tobi in probably the most tricky conditions that he could have wanted for LMP2,” he said. “When vastly more experienced LMP2 drivers threw it off the road, he kept it all calm and collected and under control and moving in the right direction. It was an extremely positive weekend, and we’re all looking forward to the next one.”

“Not to forget his outstanding qualifying performance! To pull another P5 starting position out in only his third ever IMSA qualifying performance was remarkable”.

Next up for the Era Motorsport LMP2 team is the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where the LMP2 class will once again headline the event from July 11-13.

About Era Motorsport:

Era Motorsport has deep roots in racing. Founder Kyle Tilley started racing at the age of six, following in the footsteps of his father, and he never looked back. In 2018, Era Motorsport was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana with the idea of providing unmatched excellence in historic racing.

It didn’t take long for Era to expand into the world of professional sportscar racing, and by 2021 the team had won their first of two Rolex 24 at Daytonas and had a full-time entry in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. In 2025 they expanded once again into the world of GT3 racing, entering a Ferrari 296 GT3 in the Creventic 24H Series.

All the while, Era Motorsport continued its pursuit of perfection in the world of historic racing, expanding its presence back into Tilley’s home country of England. Era has made multiple appearances at Goodwood, including last year when they ran seven of the Shadow Can-Am cars as part of the Can-Am Cup Celebration at the 2024 Members’ Meeting, where the team also picked up their first Goodwood win in the Graham Hill Trophy.

Looking to the future, Era continues to expand and grow its reach into the racing world, as it looks to bring in a new era of racing.