Mustang GT4 Earns A Dramatic Victory At Watkins Glen

“The Mustang was just rock solid today,” Dean Martin, KohR Motorsports owner/driver, said. “The balance was just perfect. The aero balance was great. The suspension was fantastic. I can’t say enough about the car.” (Photo Credit: Ford Performance)

It’s been several weeks and one race since the Mustang GT4 won a Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race. After taking top honors at Sebring International Raceway back in March, Dean Martin and Jack Roush Jr. drove their KohR Motorsports racer into the winner’s circle at Watkins Glen International in dramatic fashion.

“Starting the race, I just tried to put the car in as good as position as I could, not take crazy risks,” Jack said. “Me and the No. 76 car just seemed to break away from the field. I could gain a little, and then he’d gain a little bit. I thought we were going to be in a really good position. We came in for rain tires and the red flag came out. That hurt our advantage and I didn’t expect we’d do too well after that, but I have to hand it to Dean. He did an awesome job. I can’t be more proud of Dean and our whole team.”

Dean Martin and co-driver Jack Roush Jr. put the No. 59 NANO ProMT Ford Mustang at the top of the Continental Tire 120 podium at Watkins Glen International.

As the sun emerged and the track dried, there were 12 minutes to go. It was co-pilot Dean Martin who closed out the race, moving up from third to first after one of his competitors spun and the other miscalculated in the track’s Inner Loop.

I took a few chances with him just to let him know I was going to be aggressive. — Dean Martin, KohR Motorsports

“I just kept trying to keep pressure on him,” he said to IMSA. “I took a few chances with him just to let him know I was going to be aggressive. We came onto the last corner. I had a good run. I came up behind him and tried to play a little peek-a-boo with him to distract him going into one. I think it worked. He missed the apex a little bit and went a little wide and I just had a great corner and got myself positioned inside.”

Dean took the checkered flag 5.513 seconds ahead of the second-place car notching his sixth win in IMSA and his first in the Mustang GT4 as a driver.

“One of my best drives to date!” Dean added on social media. “Came back from adversity when a jammed lug nut slowed our pit stop tremendously. I had epic battles with every car ahead of me on my way to the top of the podium; Great racing and tons of respect all around. I hated that Al Carter and I had contact on the last lap of the race. It was going to be a tremendous last-lap battle. Jack drove a spectacular first stint! Great job by all the crew!”

The KohR Motorsports team returns to Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition this weekend, on July 8, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.