In multi-class endurance races at fast tracks like Watkins Glen, saving fuel in the GT pack often matters more than single-lap pace. Round 3 of the 2026 IMSA Esports Global Championship on iRacing was a good example, as Vasilios Beletsiotis and Thibaud Prevot brought the #132 Bleu Mercure Esport Porsche 911 GT3 R home for the team’s second straight GTD win.
While Verstappen Sim Racing’s Enzo Bonito and Sam Kuitert fought the Grid-and-Go Aston Martin Valkyries for the overall GTP victory, the GTD race came down to who could save the most fuel through the draft without losing touch with the lead pack.
How They Won It in the Pits
Through the opening stint, the #132 Porsche stayed right behind the #196 BS+TURNER BMW. Even when passing prototype traffic briefly put Bleu Mercure in front of GTD, they gave the lead right back so they could stay in the tow, lift early into the braking zones, and save fuel.
All of that fuel saved on track meant less time waiting on the fuel hose in the pits. When the final pit stops cycled through, the #132 Porsche needed a shorter fill, came out in the lead, and pulled enough of a gap to break the draft behind them.
Using the Same Approach in Your Own Races
With the #171 BMW M Team MOUZ closing in during the final stint, Prevot and Beletsiotis managed the faster prototype traffic cleanly through the Boot so they never lost exit speed. In any long GT3 race at a draft-heavy track like Watkins Glen, Road America, or Daytona, sitting second in line to save fuel and passing in the pits is hard to beat.
