Corey Lewis, Tyler Gonzalez take top class honors in first GT4 America race of weekend...
Saturday, October 12, 2024
LIVE | Race 1 | Indianapolis | Pirelli GT4 America 2024
Race 1 of Pirelli GT4 America live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on SRO GTWorld. Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish call all the racing action from the broadcast booth, with Amanda Busick reporting from the pit lane.
Pirelli GT4 America: Indianapolis, Race 1
Hello, and welcome, everyone, to the penultimate race of the 2024 season for SRO Pirelli GT4 America here at "The Brickyard", Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is the warmup act, the warmup event, before we see the main race, the Indianapolis 8 Hours endurance finale for the SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge and Fanatec GT World Challenge America championships, for the GT3 cars. We are in the final weekend of the season, and all three classes, based on driver ratings of course, are up for grabs. Our mates Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish in the booth, and Amanda Busick in the pit lane, are ready and willing to call the racing action on SRO GTWorld on YouTube. We have a bumper grid of GT4 cars ready to race.
Two championships are separated by just a handful of points and of course there is a chance to kiss the bricks winning here at Indianapolis. Five and three points respectively separate two of the championships. Pirelli GT4 America teams and drivers have been waiting around for their races. The drivers have been a bit nervous. Stay steady. It is an early start here on Saturday morning. Overcast skies and 59 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperature, 15 degrees Celsius. We are looking now at the green and white #7 Porsche Cayman, one of the championship contenders in the Pro-Am class, the ACI Motorsports car of Curt Swearingin and Kay van Berlo. They are on the outside of the front row and van Berlo starts the race. He has 30 points in hand over his closest rivals, the #24 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 being shared by Roman De Angelis, the Canadian, and American racer Gray Newell.
Look back on row four of the grid. There is another points standings battle we are going to be having a Captain Cook at all race long today and for the season finale race here at "The Brickyard" tomorrow. In the Silver division look at the #97 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 of Kenton Koch and Kevin Boehm, and the #28 RS1 Porsche Cayman of John Capestro-Dubets and Eric Filgueiras. The BMW had a double podium weekend including a win last time out at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. There is an outside shot for the #51 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 (G82) of Zac Anderson and Colin Garrett to go for the crown in the Silver division.
The trouble the Anderson/Garrett duo is going to have is that they suffered an avoidable contact penalty at Barber Motorsports Park and that has put them on the back foot for a wee while as we get into the racing action at Indianapolis. They are starting caboose on the field and need to gain 39 points maximum. In the Am class, Kris Wilson has a three-point lead all by his lonesome over Jaden Lander and Robb Holland. Wilson is sharing the Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 #98 this weekend, with Michael Kanisczak. Nick Shanny who has also had multiple teammates, is 21 points down. Shanny is sharing the #20 Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M4 GT4 (G82) with Chris Walsh. Of course, we have seen Chris Walsh's success in the touring car ranks and now he is breaking into GT4 racing, too.
The cars are out on their two formation laps on this cool morning. Former IndyCar driver Mattheus Leist, the Brazilian, has the pole, aboard the #89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 he shares with Michael Auriemma. We have some drivers joining or rejoining the championship and we'll talk about a lot of the drivers as they compete. Terry Borcheller is back. We have some new names you should keep an eye on as well such as Canadian Cayden Goodridge who joins Danny Dyszelski in the #77 VPX Motorsports Porsche Cayman, and in the first of the two Rotek Racing Porsche Cayman's, the #098 has Isaac Sherman sharing with open wheel racer Myles Rowe. Alex Garcia is also making his first GT4 start. We know Alex Garcia from the touring car ranks in SRO America. Garcia sharing the #16 Skip Barber Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 with Michael Garcia. Not sure if there is a relation there.
The Anderson/Garrett BMW M4 GT4 is starting from pit lane due to the aforementioned penalty. 30 cars starting this race. We will see loads of action as the drivers are working over their Pirelli tires. Try and survive the first turn and then get into a rhythm. There is an interesting mix between drivers in the championship fight and other drivers who want to snag a win at the greatest raceway in the world for pride and for their CV. The two-and-a-half-mile oval at the speedway has been here since 1909. The infield road course debuted here at the speedway in 2000 to host Formula 1. It has been tweaked on in subsequent years. 14 corners and just under two and a half miles. The apex curbs are very usable.
Safety Car lights off. We're set to go for the penultimate GT4 race of SRO America 2024. Former winner of the Indy Lights/Indy Next Freedom 100 here at the speedway, Mattheus Leist, is the pole man. Kay van Berlo, the Dutchman, who is also racing in the Indianapolis 8 Hours later today, on the outside of the front row. Flagman Tom Hansing gives us the green flag! Pirelli GT4 America Indianapolis race one is go! John Capestro-Dubets already poking his nose into the fight in the #28 RS1 Porsche Cayman. Side by side as it's the squeeze, the accordion effect into turn one! Leist leads van Berlo and the rest of the field follows through.
Three cars in a sandwich. Romain De Angelis getting jostled around. Michai Stephens, too, in the JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 is back there. Stephens sharing with Jesse Webb. Garcia in the Skip Barber Racing Aston Martin is shoved off wide into the grass and has to find his footing again. Through turns three and four they go thundering towards the chicane for the first time of asking. JCD in the RS1 Porsche Cayman has a good start while Kevin Boehm in the Random Vandals BMW M4 GT4, one of the two Random Vandals cars in the race, drops back one spot. Kay van Berlo has powered his way to the top of the shop and is being harried by both Mattheus Leist and now, Tyler Gonzalez in the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 he shares with Corey Lewis.
The Supra is all over the back of the red Mercedes and Kay van Berlo in the Porsche Cayman has pushed the bye bye button. He needs a solid race, no win necessary, to sign, seal, and deliver the championship. Mattheus Leist on the defensive. Kay van Berlo going for the Pro-Am championship title. Gonzalez has a head of steam through turn 14 and onto the frontstretch. This is the dyno run back to the first turn while Mattheus Leist is going defensive, definitely. The door is open as I think Gonzalez in the Supra is bringing more power at least briefly. 4-liter turbo V8 in the Mercedes and the Supra is using a BMW derived straight six with a turbo.
Gonzalez to the inside grabbing second from Mattheus Leist! A superb move! This isn't over. Leist not giving up. Here comes Kevin Boehm as he has his eyes on making the pass on Terry Borcheller. GT4 racing is hot, especially Pirelli GT4 America. Great to see Terry Borcheller back racing teamed up in the #07 Precision Racing L.A. Supra alongside Ryan Eversley this weekend for the doubleheader finale in Pirelli GT4 America. Oh dear. We have a car off the pace in the background, look. One of the BMW's is beginning to slow down. The tire temperatures are hot and the grip in the Pirelli P Zeroes is kicking in.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh drat. It's James Clay in the #36 BimmerWorld car he shares with Charlie Postins. They have been unstoppable and champions in the Am class in the past, but they have had a star crossed 2024 Pirelli GT4 America campaign. They were going for a third consecutive title and fortune has not smiled on the two-time defending champions this year. Michai Stephens is the fifth car in line making his return to SRO competition with JMF Motorsports. I think they have dipped their toe into the water in the GT4 ranks in the IMSA championship as well which runs to the same GT4 rules but for longer races and with a different tire brand. Stephens back up to speed after being involved in the contact, the argy bargy, the shemozzle, on the opening lap.
The Porsche excels in the cooler conditions whereas the BMW excels in the heat. John Capestro-Dubets has moved up to sixth place while Kevin Boehm has lost places and is in ninth spot. Kenton Koch too is doing double duty. Track time never hurts and gets drivers into the rhythm. We have a handful of GT4 America drivers who will be stepping up to GT3 for the Indianapolis 8 Hours brought in as third drivers within the 23-car strong GT3 field for the Indianapolis 8 Hours. Don't go far, and grab your snacks, beverages of choice, and so forth because we will have a full eight hours of SRO America and Intercontinental GT Challenge racing coming your way on the blog later on this afternoon and evening.
Anthony Geraci in one of the Toyota Supra's makes a pass on Colin Harrison in one of the two Techsport Nissan Z cars. Geraci at the wheel of the #72 Krugspeed Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO he shares with Lance Bergstein, and the #22 TechSport Racing Nissan Z NISMO GT4 has Colin Harrison sharing alongside Elivan Goulart. Right inbetween these two is the #51 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4, the car we talked about that started this event from the pit lane, being driven by Colin Garrett and Zac Anderson. Colin Garrett, the former NASCAR and stock car racer, and a former track champion at South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Virginia, one of the great short tracks we have around the country.
Yes, we talk about sports car racing here. But, trust me, if you have not been to see races for the stock cars at your local short track, you don't know what you are missing. It's fun. I can attest to that having seen many at my home track of Elko Speedway. Garrett and Anderson have had four podiums and two wins in 2024 and are just 39 points out of the lead. Up front, Gonzalez in the Supra has closed in a little bit on van Berlo. These are two cars from two different classes, again, based on driver rating, with all cars being GT4 spec. This is a battle between Pro-Am and Silver ranked drivers. Kay van Berlo is fighting with other drivers, not Gonzalez.
van Berlo is setting the tone for co-driver Curt Swearingin. There's 50 points on offer this weekend between this race and the Sunday finale. Fastest Lap of the race so far is turned by Tyler Gonzalez in the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota Supra at 1:30.385. Pit stops happen between the 25- and 35-minute mark of this 60-minute race. Before we get back to talking strategy, let's run down the top three in points and do som number crunching.
1. #7 Swearingin/van Berlo ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport 219 points
2. #24 Newell/De Angelis Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 179 points
-40
3. #82 Walker Jr./McQuarrie BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 G82 136 points -83
Think of the big picture. The Aston Martin of Roman De Angelis is just behind. That is the car that is chasing Porsche #7 in the points. Oh dear. Trouble in paradise for Johann Schwartz in the #23, the second of the two TechSport Racing Nissan Z NISMO GT4's and the car he is sharing with Jonathan Neudorf, in the pairing of the Dane and the Canadian. Schwartz is stranded in turn one but now he has is back up and running. No yellow. In this replay, three into one doesn't go and it was not a wise move. I don't think Johann Schwartz saw his rival on the outside. Turn one at Indianapolis on the road course looks inviting but it narrows to nothing very quickly.
Johann Schwartz is in recovery mode, getting drafted into the TechSport Nissan lineup midway through the season. TechSport developing the GT4 version of the Z car as Kay van Berlo stabilizes the gap to Gonzalez and Leist is looking good as well. Terry Borcheller is fifth in the Pro-Am class chasing Isaac Sherman who put together a dominant season in the GT4 section of the GT America division in SRO America. It has been one of the breakout performances we've seen. This is Sherman's first foray into Pirelli GT4 America competition. Sherman sharing with Myles Rowe, the 2023 U.S. Formula 2000 champion making his sports car debut.
Trouble for Damir Hot who ran extremely well in GT America competition on Friday. He is at the wheel of the #5 Flying Lizard Motorsports Nissan Z NISMO GT4. The Canadian is sharing with Brazilian GT racing and SRO veteran Rodrigo Baptista. That was a quick spit and Hot is back underway and looped it out of turn ten. Kay van Berlo has opened a gap to Tyler Gonzalez. It was Michael Garcia, who is indeed Alex Garcia's brother, who tagged Johann Schwartz into a spin. I erroneously blamed Alex Garcia for that incident. I apologize.
Michael Garcia is given a drive through penalty for incident responsibility. Myles Rowe, making his sports car debut, he is getting up to speed. He says it is fun and there is so much about the car to learn but he is having a wonderful time learning as much as possible about a GT4 car. He is adapting to different disciplines outside of the Road to Indy. He is learning the nuances of sports car races and hopes it will help him in the future. He was fourth in class and ninth overall in qualifying for race two tomorrow. He finished 11th in the Indy Next points including fifth here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He is part of NXG Youth Motorsports under racer Rod Reed looking at STEM (Science, Technology, Math etc.), using go karting as part of the initiative under Roger Penske's Race for Equality & Change.
Whoops! We have a spin for the #80 Orlando Motorsports Services McLaren Artura GT4 with Nick Longhi at the wheel of it. Now, that chicane should not be a problem with the grip available in a GT4 car. Apologies again as it was Kaia Teo who started the #80 McLaren, not Nick Longhi. At the front, Tyler Gonzalez can carve thr corners in the Toyota Supra but Kay van Berlo in the Porsche Cayman has more straightaway speed and of course we see Mattheus Leist in the Mercedes back there, too. Robb Holland is tenth overall and top of the shop in the Am class in the sister #099 Rotek Racing Porsche Cayman that he shares with Jaden Lander. They are teammates to the aforementioned #098 entry for Isaac Sherman and Myles Rowe.
Holland is going for an Am class championship in tenth overall. Michael Kanisczak is second in class in the Random Vandals BMW M4 GT4 sharing with Kris Wilson who is part of the championship fight. Right now we see a battle for fourth place in Pro-Am with Isaac Sherman in the Porsche being chased down by Terry Borcheller in the #07 Toyota Supra that he is sharing with Ryan Eversley, the Precision Racing L.A. Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo. Eversley and Borcheller have raced against each other over the years. The Supra can carve the corners but the Porsche Cayman has a wee bit more power and a wee bit more straightaway speed.
Kevin Boehm in the #92 Random Vandals BMW M4 GT4 is inching closer after a qualifying effort that didn't work well for him. We still have 45 minutes to go and yet to see driver changes. No change in position for the lead and Kay van Berlo has his hands full with an ill handling Porsche Cayman and with Tyler Gonzalez pouring on the steam aboard a very competitive Toyota Supra, the #68 Smooge Racing entry. van Berlo, the talented Dutchman, who is also going to be a part of the Indianapolis 8 Hours. van Berlo got a degree from University of Miami in Florida and pursuing a graduate degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He has his hands full right now with Tyler Gonzalez who was the 2023 Toyota GR Cup champion. That one-make championship of course runs under the SRO umbrella.
Gonzalez is strong in sector three. Watch for pushing it down to the inside through the turn so the front tires don't wash away. We are almost 1/3rd of the way through. van Berlo has a chance to inch away with debris offline here. van Berlo nearly slides into the path of another car through traffic! Oy yoy yoy! That was a scary moment! Anthony Geraci in the Krugspeed #72 Toyota Supra thankfully made the turn and now the #51 BMW M4 GT4 of Colin Garrett is a wee bit off the road and Michael Kanisczak is also in this scrap! Kanisczak sharing with Kris Wilson, the Am class points leader.
A driving standards warning issued for Anthony Geraci. The grip level is different offline in all the dust. There is this huge battle from 15th-19th place. So, this battle pack includes Austin Krainz, Anthony Geraci, Michael Kanisczak, Colin Harrison, and Colin Garrett, in 15th-20th. Porsche, Toyota, BMW, Nissan, BMW. All the Toyota Supra's are right in their sweet spot, completely dialed in on handling around the Indianapolis road course. This is what Balance of Performance does to equalize cars over the lap. Robb Holland leads the Am division points standings.
1. #099 Holland/Lander Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport 192 points
2. #98 Wilson/Kanisczak Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 (G82) 185 points -7
3. #98 Paul Sparta Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 (G82) `162 points -30
Of course, Sparta in third, is not driving, so his points total will not change, and he is essentially in the same car driven by Wilson and Kanisczak. So in the Am class it is without doubt a two-horse race. All of the Toyota Supra's though, as we said, they are looking very good through the road course at Indianapolis. That is Balance of Performance, trying to equalize the cars over the lap as they obtain lap time in different ways. Robb Holland is the points leader but we have 40 minutes to go today and a whole hour of racing tomorrow.
Harrison squeezes the inside of Geraci in turn one! Another tight squeeze! Right in front of Kanisczakl well, Michael Kanisczak, Kris Wilson's co-driver, is not fazed at all by this. He goes by and so does Colin Garrett in the #51 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4. Kanisczak wonders, "why me?!" 20 minutes of racing gone by. 1/3rd distance. In four minutes, we will see pit stops for driver changes but of course with stint lengths, no prescribed pit window. Mattheus Leist has reeled the leaders back in, chasing Gonzalez and van Berlo, keeping them honest. Leist would lpve to get back to the front.
Colin Garrett working his way to the front of the pack but these cars ahead have their own battles including Kanisczak and Geraci. Geraci has another Porsche Cayman ahead of him, but I cannot identify who it is or catch the number. Kanisczak is doing well keeping pace with the veteran drivers as he only made his Pirelli GT4 America debut a few short weekends ago in the penultimate rounds of the championship at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a former NASA Spec E46 BMW champion. NASA = National Autosports Association, not to be confused with the space program.
The most places gained so far on Race Vision powered by AWS has Tyler Stone up seven, both Tony Gaples and Anthony Geraci up eight, Sam Craven gaining nine spots, and Colin Garrett at the top having gained a dozen. He came from the pit lane of course. Garrett has a good run onto the frontstretch and his fellow BMW driver, his rival, Kanisczak will not roll over and have his tummy scratched. He is not going to give this up without a fight. He is trying to help his co-driver Kris Wilson to a championship. Wow! A side draft between the two BMW's down the 5/8ths mile front straightaway here at Indianapolis.
This isn't done. Kanisczak hanging tough, as Garrett, the short track stock car ace gives him a wide berth. Anthony Geraci makes a bold move through turn four on Austin Krainz in the #18 RS1 Porsche Cayman which is shared by the father and son team of Austin and Roland Krainz. This is not for class position as Austin Krainz is a Pro-Am car. Last year and much of this year that car was an Am class automobile. Garrett to the inside of Krainz and clears the traffic. Krainz hung out to dry on the wide, dirty part of the road towards turn 12 and he gets eaten up like a piece of cake!
The pit window is open. Colin Garrett brings the #51 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 to pit lane to hand over to Zac Anderson who has quite the mountain to climb in the second half of this motor race. It is not always the leaders who get the first opportunity. Make sure you are not over 35 minutes maximum drive time when you leave the pit lane. Pardon me. That was the sister Auto Technic BMW M4 GT4 in the pit lane, car #53, with Tyler Stone at the controls, who is set to hand over to his co-driver Matt Million. Austin and Roland Krainz making their driver change in the Porsche of Naples Porsche Cayman. Nick Shanny readying for his stint, as Chris Walsh will finish his stint. A long pit lane here at Indianapolis means a long minimum pit stop time of 108 seconds, 1 minute and 48 seconds. It seems like an eternity.
John Capestro-Dubets has finished his driving in GT4. He hands off the #28 RS1 Porsche Cayman to Eric Filgueiras who is seeking his third consecutive SRO America championship. Two years ago, he was the 2022 Pirelli GT4 America champion. Last year in 2023, Filgueiras alongside Stevan McAleer won the GT World Challenge America championship for GT3 cars. Now he is back in GT4, and another championship may beckon for Eric Filgueiras. They are in great position trying to beat the #98 BMW. van Berlo stays on track to maximize his drive time.
Meanwhile, drivers down the order are coming in such as Tyler Gonzalez, Mattheus Leist, Roman De Angelis, Michai Stephens, and more. We will see wholesale driver changes but with the high minimum stop time you are at risk of going a lap down even if you are the leader. Here is the driver change at Smooge Racing. Meanwhile, there is lapped traffic as the battle for the lead is well and truly on between Kay van Berlo in the Porsche and Mattheus Leist in the Mercedes! van Berlo under pressure. This is for the Pro-Am lead and Roman De Angelis has run down these two. Maybe that is the sister car fresh out of the pit lane, the #26 of Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenmeier.
With the Pro-Am driver combinations, they will try keeping their Pro driver out as long as possible and they could be on track for another seven minutes at minimum. Yikes! Traffic merging from pit lane onto the racing line and Kay van Berlo caught it better than Mattheus Leist did. No tire changes in Pirelli GT4 America racing. Kay van Berlo has led from the green flag but it has not come easy. Robb Holland brings the #099 Rotek Racing Porsche Cayman to the pit lane and is ready to hand the car over to Jaden Lander for the rest of the race today. The only penalty we have seen was a drive through for pit lane speeding for either Michael Cooper or Tony Gaples aboard the #9 Blackdog Speed Shop Nissan Z NISMO GT4.
Holland and Lander look to vault into the points lead if they finish well. No tire changes but bleed the air out and keep track of the tire pressures. van Berlo has efficiently cut through traffic with Mattheus Leist trying to follow him through. The cars eat up these curbs. Watch for the big curbs in turn one and two but for the majority of the curbs here at Indianapolis are more usable and flatter. The behavior of the GT3 and GT4 cars are similar over the curbs as far as driving. Maybe there is more spring rate in a GT3 car with more aerodynamics. The leaders should hit pit lane soon and hand over to their respective co-drivers. Curt Swearingin will take over the #7 ACI Motorsports Porsche Cayman. Michael Auriemma will take over the #89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4.
By staying out you have gained a full lap on the field who have made their pit stop. The top five drivers still owe us pit stops yet and everyone from Corey Lewis on back is fine. We await pit stops from Kay van Berlo, Mattheus Leist, Roman De Angelis, Cayden Goodridge, and Matt Bell. Eric Filgueiras and John Capestro-Dubets came into this weekend with a five-point buffer only in the points standings in the Silver division. Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch are now chasing the Filgueiras/Capestro-Dubets Porsche both on the track in the standings. Kenton Koch now looks to make a move on Jesse Webb in order to run down Filgueiras!
Good move down the inside. That was very well controlled as Jesse Webb gives him racing room. Kevin Boehm recognizes the championship is right in front of him. Kenton Koch has taken over from Kevin Boehm and Koch is doing double duty racing in the Indianapolis 8 Hours later on. He will have a great chance at the race in the GT3 BMW M4 GT3 for Random Vandals Racing. With the early start time to this first race on Saturday with cooler weather, the BMW boys realized they would be more vulnerable to the Porsche's. Tomorrow, the season finale and race two of the weekend for Pirelli GT4 America begins at 11:35 A.M. local time, so in the middle of the morning. The BMW's can handle the temperature sensitivities better than the Porsche's.
Just past the halfway mark. 27 minutes to go. Leist and van Berlo run nose to tail and were 3/10ths of a second apart at the start/finish line across the yard of bricks. Roman De Angelis has pitted. We have not yet seen Cayden Goodridge make his pit stop to hand over to Dylan Dyszelski yet. 26 minutes and change on the board as van Berlo and Leist pit. No need to take risks at ACI Motorsports with the championship on the line. It comes down to execution on the driver changes compared to RENNtech and ACI. Curt Swearingin getting into the #7 Porsche Cayman, ready for his stint. Michael Auriemma likewise in the #89 Mercedes. ACI Motorsports had some good finishes but they really just hit their stride last time out at Barber Motorsports Park.
Possible trouble in paradise for Gray Newell and Heart of Racing going for the title because it could be that the pit stop where De Angelis handed the car to Gray Newell, was under the required minimum stop time prescribed by SRO. The minimum is 1:48 and they are well under that, 1.1 seconds down. The trouble is I don't think a penalty can be served until the stewards adjudicate it. This could put Heart of Racing deeper in a hole. Plus, they have smoke coming from the rear of the Aston Martin which looks puzzling to me.
With 24 minutes left on the board, this could hand Swearingin and van Berlo the championship. They are already in the catbird seat as it is. Swearingin leads overall over Michael Auriemma. Corey Lewis in third leading in the Silver class with Eric Filgueiras and Kenton Koch behind as the Silver class championship will come down to the wire. In the Am class, after a great stint from Robb Holland, Jaden Lander has the #099 Rotek Racing Porsche Cayman in the lead and admittedly, there is work to do for Kris Wilson aboard the #98 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4. ACI Motorsports have to be giving Curt Swearingin information on their closest contender, the #24 Heart of Racing Aston Martin.
He is being told on the radio, "no risk. No need to fight." The pit stop, for Heart of Racing had a situation where the valve stem of the Pirelli P Zero stuck open! This is a double whammy for Heart of Racing. I wonder if they didn't bleed down the tire and valve stuck open, and the air came out of the tire. They'll take it on the chin. They are 30 points behind with one race to go. Swearingin doing all he can and he twitched and Auriemma tried chasing the throttle. Mattheus Leist was completely on the sidelines after his IndyCar career fizzled out. Auriemma has had a solid year, and the two of them, won a GT4 race at Sonoma, California, earlier in the year.
Leist had not raced since his IndyCar career hit the skids. If you don't reinvent yourself as a driver if you lose a big opportunity, you can become invisible. 2/3rds of the race almost complete as Corey Lewis now leads in the Silver division over Eric Filgueiras as the two of them run third and fourth in the overall. Lewis is eight and a half seconds ahead and Kenton Koch is in fifth behind Eric Filgueiras. The points lead is increased to eight going into the season finale tomorrow. Lest we forget, the Am class. Robb Holland has been chasing an SRO championship for many years in GT4. In Pirelli GT4 America, he and Jaden Lander have been consistent and picked up a lot of points.
It is a ten-point swing first to third so the advantage on the points table becomes seven going into the finale tomorrow. Keep digging, stay focused. The Heart of Racing have served their drive through penalty so their day has gotten even more pear shaped than it was already. If tye'd been leading or had the advantage over the #7, that was going to be a heartbeaker. Corey Lewis takes second from Michael Auriemma in the overall. Corey Lewis looking for an overall win. Corey Lewis was drafted in at Smooge Racing after John Geesbreght decided to step away from being a driver. He and Tyler Gonzalez have been very close to winning a race and have had several poles.
They are in control, looking for the cherry on the cake, looking for the overall win with 17 minutes left on the board. Swearingin's previous lap was 1:33.7, Lewis at a 1:32.6. Lewis is only 1.8 seconds behind. In the Silver division, Eric Filgueiras has lost a second to Kenton Koch. It is definitely game on in that championship chase. Out of turn six, the Random Vandals BMW s chasing Filgueiras and has to pass to gain points on his rivals. Kenton Koch has had great pace and Kevin Boehm ran well, too. Koch right on Filgueiras' six as Filgueiras protects the line, trying to fight off the challenge. Swearingin leads the motor race and might not put up much of a fight.
Corey Lewis, though, does not quite have the braking performance to match the Porsche. The Porsche has the straightaway speed. Swearingin should let him go. Don't fight it and don't damage the race car going for the title with less than 15 minutes to go. Swearingin does not need to throw himself into a scrap. In the backdrop, look, Filgueiras is keeping Kenton Koch at bay. These two blokes have been sparring all year long as Michael Auriemma allows Chris Walsh by. This is not for position. Filgueiras protecting the inside line through turn 13 in his battle with Kenton Koch.
Koch trying to figure out a solution to Filgueiras' puzzle. The Porsche has good pace. Two of the best in the business in GT4 cars. What will Kenton do? Traffic ahead with Michael Auriemma. With compression in traffic, Kenton Koch will do all he knows to get through the traffic. Eight points in it in the battle in the Silver division, 236 points to 228 points. Into the traffic, Filgueiras moves inside Auriemma and Auriemma blocks Koch. Koch will be aggressive and easily makes the move. Auriemma opened the door and Kenton Koch went right through. John Capestro-Dubets tells us how things are going with the battles between the Porsche and the BMW.
Kevin and Kenton are quite the airing and JCD says the BMW drivers have been keeping the Porsche boys honest. Kenton Koch saw an opportunity, threw it to the inside, after Filgueiras ran wide and dropped the left side wheels and now, Filgueiras keeps the pressure on. The Porsche has the straightaway speed. Keep it tidy because Koch will go on defense down Hulman Boulevard. This is to tbe braking zone in turn seven with traffic ahead. These are the top two in points, just a two-point margin for the #28 over the #97, 233-231. We could see a tie. Filgueiras runs wide through turn ten. Temperatures down in the low 60s with the sun peaking through the clouds.
The teams have to go back on data through previous years to find cold weather data. Koch defending against Filgueiras to turn one and they scrape and lean on each other into the corner! Koch comes out ahead of Filgueiras! Koch is doing all he knows to keep track position. So easy to cut down a tire. Chris Walsh just ahead leading Pro-Am. The Silver class leaders have to contend with traffic. Filgueiras sends it! Turn ten, Filgueiras keeps it together, looking for opportunity through traffic. Koch and Filgueiras, two aces behind the wheel.
Koch inside Walsh who gives him a wide berth. Filgueiras' run is stymied. Swearingin is quick in a straight line and Koch goes ahead. Meanwhile, Jesse Webb has spun and slid across the road! I think that car is dead in the water, the #34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. Corey Lewis is a long way down the road leading overall and in the Silver class. Only two points in it headed for the finale on Sunday. So much clean and fierce racing throughout the Pirelli GT4 America season in 2024. If there's one advantage for the #28 Porsche team it is victories. They have five wins while the #97 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 team of Kenton Koch and Kevin Boehm only have three to their credit.
Six minutes and change left on the board. Kenton Koch knows the Porsche can make a lunge and has the speed. Eric Filgueiras needs the best five minutes of driving in his career to make his move. You know he is going to push, push, push. Back-to-back championships in GT4 and GT3 and wants another GT4 title. Kevin Boehm has multiple touring car championships in SRO, but he has been a quick study in a GT4 car and has a great teacher in the form of Kenton Koch, his co-driver. Filgueiras using all the road. Koch might have too much of a gap.
Curt Swearingin and Kay van Berlo can clinch the Pro-Am title with a victory here today and in Am, Jaden Lander and Robb Holland lead the points and could take the lead over Kris Wilson to settle things on Sunday morning. Swearingin does not want to let the BMW go because he has one hand on the championship trophy already. Koch gained a second on Eric Filgueiras. Swearingin lets Walsh through. Smart move. Only 25 points remaining for the race tomorrow and the points gap in the title fight between ACI Porsche and Heart of Racing Aston Martin remains at 55 points, 219-164.
Curt Swearingin is a former Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Gold class champion in 2020. For Kay van Berlo, he has not won a full season title. He won an Endurance Cup championship in IMSA. but he has not won a full season title yet. He was twice a runner up in Porsche Carrera Cup North America. Swearingin in survival mode. The team at ACI reminds him that the Heart of Racing car he passes is of no consequence but the one they are fighting has had a litany of woes and is out of contention. It is also game on for the Pro-Am class win because Curt Swearingin, while we've been yapping about permutations and points tables, Ryan Eversley in the #07 Precision Racing L.A. Toyota Supra has been reeling in Curt Swearingin hand over fist.
Swearingin looking at the championship but wants a win. Swearingin is shoved wide by Hannah Grisham in the #26 Heart of Racing Aston Martin which opens the door for Ryan Eversley and the Toyota to make a pass! There is a stranded automobile to the inside of the road. No yellow. We stay green with less than two minutes remaining. Eversley to the top of the shop. A massive run for Eversley teaming up with Terry Borcheller for the first time. A surprise to not see a local yellow in that corner. Two laps remaining. Corey Lewis is 6.1 seconds ahead of Kenton Koch.
Ryan Eversley has driven his Toyota Supra to the front for Precision Racing L.A. Toyota could be in a great spot leading all three classes with a Supra in each. Toyota has won the Indianapolis 500 as an engine manufacturer before. 40 seconds to go as Corey Lewis leads and is still pushing hard, braking hard with the ABS kicking in. He might need to do one more lap. It is an elongated victory lap. White flag.
You know what they say about Corey.
Singing.
He's a Smooge operator
Tee hee! (Laughing). That was funny! Calvin and I have been waiting all year to pull that off and of course that is reference to the 1984 hit song by Sade from their bossa nova and smooth jazz record "Diamond Life". Credit to Sade Adu and Ray St. John, the songwriters, for those lyrics. Credit to Calvin, too, for thinking that one up on the fly! That was good! Corey Lewis grew up in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and was helped by the Andretti's trying to break into IndyCars, but has the opportunity for a win on the road course at Indianapolis in a sports car.
We are on the last lap. Onto the south short chute for the last time and through turn 12 back to the infield. Corey Lewis and Tyler Gonzalez started on the front row and seal the deal in race one for Pirelli GT4 America at Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Kenton Koch and Kevin Boehm in the Silver class finish second so the championship battle will come down to the wire. Pro-Am honors go to the #07 Precision Racing L.A. Toyota Supra of Terry Borcheller and Ryan Eversley. Curt Swearingin and Kay van Berlo win the title!
Rotek Racing will have one car on the podium in Pro-Am and Jaden Lander and Robb Holland are going to take control of the championship standings winning in the Am class taking the points lead into the Sunday finale!
Overall/Silver: #68 Lewis/Gonzlez Smooge Racing Toyota Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo
Pro-Am: #07 Borcheller/Eversley Precision Racing L.A. Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo
Am: #099 Holland/Lander Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
Pro-Am class champions: #7 Swearingin/van Berlo
ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
The win for Ryan Eversley was a long time coming. What a place to break through for the win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and it ramps up headed for the finale, tomorrow. We could end up with a tiebreaker in the Silver division for tomorrow's race. Smooge Racing had a wonderful drive today with Tyler Gonzalez and Corey Lewis. They have been on the pace since they began teaming up at Road America back in August. They didn't have the same straightaway speed as the Porsche's but they really didn't need it.
Corey Lewis will be racing the Indianapolis 8 Hours later on this morning. By golly, so do we. So many greats have raced and won at Indianapolis and now Ryan Eversley and Terry Borcheller along with Corey Lewis and Tyler Gonzalez, and Robb Holland and Jaden Lander can all add their names to the roll of honor. Now, we cue the dance music for the results of race one in Pirelli GT4 America. Robb Holland and Jaden Lander will be pushing tomorrow in race two, too. Well done, and comigrations to the winners and the champions elect in Pro-Am. The other two championships will go to the wire tomorrow.
That sets the table for Sunday's finale. Kay van Berlo and Curt Swearingin are the champs! Congratulations! Curt Swearingin is so happy about Kay van Berlo and his team at ACI Motorsports. He has been made a better driver by racing his rivals as well. Kay van Berlo is satisfied with Curt Swearingin's growth as a driver as well. Hey, folks. Don't go anyplace, because we have a full day of racing coming up. We'll see you soon for the Indianapolis 8 Hours. You won't want to miss it. Grab your television, your mobile device, tune in to SRO GTWorld on YouTube, grab some snacks and your beverage of choice, and settle in with us for the Indianapolis 8 Hours!
Trust me. You will not want to miss a moment of it. Take care, everybody. See you soon!
Friday, October 11, 2024
Indianapolis 8 Hours Starting Grid
The official starting grid for the Indianapolis 8 Hours. I have spaced it out to make the print for the document more legible and easier to read.
1. Pro-Am: #10 Niederhauser/Hartog/Au Herberth Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
2. IGTC Pro: #4 Palou/Schiller/Stolz Mercedes-AMG Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
3. FGTWCA Pro: #120 Heinrich/Adelson/Skeer Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
2. IGTC Pro: #4 Palou/Schiller/Stolz Mercedes-AMG Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
3. FGTWCA Pro: #120 Heinrich/Adelson/Skeer Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
4. IGTC Pro: #31 Vanthoor/van der Linde/Weerts Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
5. Pro-Am: #888 Maini/Ibrahim/Love Triple Eight JMR Mercedes-AMG GT3
6. IGTC Pro: #130 Engel/Grenier/Gounon Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
7. FGTWCA Pro: #28 Eng/Choksey/Auberlen ST Racing BMW M4 GT3
8. IGTC Pro: #33 Harper/Farfus/Hesse Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
9. IGTC Pro: #99 De Philippi/Koch/Daly Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3
10. FGTWCA Pro: #85 Hindman/Pedersen/van Berlo RS1 Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
11. Pro-Am: #75 Auer/Ojeda/Habul 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3
12. FGTWCA Pro: #93 Chaves/Mars/Veach Racer's Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 Evo22
13. Pro-Am: #29 Foley/Rothberg/Gallagher Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3
14. Pro-Am: #32 Guven/Washington/Sargent GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
15. FGTWCA Pro: #63 Sims/Udell/Milner DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
16. Pro Am: #38 Verhagen/Tan/Capestro-Dubets ST Racing BMW M4 GT3
17. Pro Am: #88 Agostini/Sbirrazzuoli/Toledo AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3
18. Pro Am: #61 Buus/D'Silva/Leitch EBM Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
19. Pro-Am: #91 Ellis/Seppanen/Burton Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
20. Pro-Am: #21 Mettler/Fontanta/Hash Car Collection Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
21. Pro-Am: #8 Yelloly/Sabo/Lee Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3
22. Pro-Am: #64 Sellers/McDonald/Liddy DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
23. Pro-Am: #163 Vilander/Negri Jr./Schreibman AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3
More IGTC News from Indianapolis
All kinds of news after both pre-qualifying and qualifying for the Indianapolis 8 Hours as we look ahead to tomorrow's big race.
Sofronas: Herberth Tie-Up "First Step" in Au Partnership
If you saw the qualifying show, you know what happened. GruppeM Mercedes are fastest as we head for the pole shootout.
GruppeM Leads Qualifying as Pole Shootout Places Locked In
Also, if you watched the qualifying show, you are well aware of Herberth Motorsports and Porsche taking the pole with the #10 car being driven to the pole lap by Patric Niederhauser.
Niederhauser Claims Indy 8H Pole in Pro-Am Porsche
Indianapolis Friday Notebook
Have a good night, everyone and get some sleep. We've got eight hours of GT3 motor racing at "The Brickyard" ahead of us tomorrow and before that, the first of the two races scheduled for Pirelli GT4 America as well. It's going to be a massive, king size day tomorrow. Join us, please. You won't be disappointed. For now, good night from "The Brickyard", Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Speedway, Indiana.
LIVE | Pole Shootout | Indianapolis 8 Hour (IGTC + Fanatec GT America) 2024
It's time for the pole shootout to determine who starts at the front of the grid for the Indianapolis 8 Hour! SRO GTWorld on YouTube has the coverage with Ryan Myrehn, Calvin Fish, and Kyle Heyer calling the action from the broadcast booth, and Amanda Busick reporting from the pit lane. It is "Happy Hour" at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
TC America: Indianapolis, Race 1
The penultimate race of the 2024 SRO TC America season is about to kick off here at "The Brickyard". It is time to bring the action, touring car style! With every single championship now buttoned up, now signed, sealed, and delivered, drivers and teams from TC America can completely focus on racing here at "The Brickyard" as we have the pleasure of bringing to you, the first of two events to close out the 2024 season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend and to assist with that, we welcome SRO GTWorld and the commentary team of Ryan Myrehn, and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth, with Amanda Busick reporting from the pit lane. The sun is now beginning to set behind the massive grandstand and the temperatures are beginning to come down for the evening. We have the largest grid of touring cars we've had for some time.
It is all about knowing you as a driver and a team can win at Indianapolis, at the most famous raceway in the world. TCX champion Chris Walsh was married in Indianapolis, and it is his wife's birthday! Happy Birthday! We wish you both very well. Awesome! Motor racing in SRO America and especially in touring cars, is a family sport. Chris Walsh will be scrapping hard for a victory with the pole man, Celso Neto, the Brazilian, at the wheel of the #22 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type S. Walsh of course, driving the #104 Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M2 CS (Cup). The Acura has come alive in the second half of the year and Neto has four wins in six races while Walsh has won eight races on the way to a championship.
With that said, Celso Neto has been on a roll, and you cannot forget another Acura driver with Cooper Broll at the wheel of the #19 Skip Barber Racing Acura, a sister car on the team to Celso Neto. There is also the #39 Acura Integra Type S of Chris DeFreitas. DeFreitas though, is on a different team, driving for Racer's Edge Motorsports under team boss Jon Mirachi and the same team who fields the #93 Acura NSX GT3 in Fanatec GT World Challenge America who will be in the Indianapolis 8 Hours, tomorrow. Last time out at Barber Motorsports Park, in the TC class, Jeff Ricca's Hyundai Elantra for his GenRacer team caught fire and he had to use a teammate's race car for the two races in Alabama.
Nonetheless, he won the championship with a borrowed race car! The team has repaired his primary car, and he is ready to race once more here at Indianapolis. However, the bonnet of the Hyundai still has battle scars. It still is singed from the Barber Motorsports Park fire. Finally, after all these years, Jeff Ricca, is a champion. In TCA, it is the swansong of the division. Looking ahead to 2025 in SRO America, TCX and TC touring cars shall be merged into a single class to make things easier for fans to work with and easier for yours truly to blog about these races without getting so confused.
P.J. Groenke, the affable Canadian, is the champion elect. He won the 2017 TCB championship in its final year. He has won at every track except here at Indianapolis and is desperate to kiss the bricks. We have some returning drivers, who have raced earlier in the year, as part of the GenRacer Hyundai team. Connor Attrell from Canada, and American drivers Ron Zaras and Vin Anatra are back to give it another shot here at Indianapolis in the final hurrah for the touring cars today and on Sunday, to cap off the 2024 season. Sally McNulty is here, too.
Celso Neto on the pole as we said. One of the debuting drivers lines up in fifth place. Look out for American racer Cameron Steller at the wheel of the #23 Fast Track Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup) in the TCX class. Ricca is the TC class polesitter. Kris Valdez makes his return to TC America competition driving car #11, the DRS Honda Civic Type R TC. P.J. Groenke has the pole in the penultimate race of the TCA class aboard the #62 MINI JCW Mini Cooper. Mini JCW has reinforcements in this race with Canadian Touring Car Championship veteran racer Alain Lauziere, and Bruce Myrehn, father of our lead play by play man here in SRO America, Ryan Myrehn. We have one more JCW Mini starting caboose on the field, the #65 car in the hands of Andy Sellers.
Sellers is from Indianapolis, a transplant, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sellers had brake trouble during qualifying but those issues on his Mini Cooper are now fixed. Sellers is in his first ever professional race. Watch the TCA battles with the four Mini's and Alex Garcia's Honda. Garcia is making his Pirelli GT4 America debut and on Sunday he will be racing in Pirelli GT4 America, touring cars, and the one make Toyota GR Cup championship. So, he may not be racing in a GT3 car in the 8 hours. But he will still be one very busy driver.
Alright. The safety car has pulled to pit lane. Celso Neto in the Skip Barber liveried Acura has the pole. 40 minutes of racing now on the clock. Here comes the field. Cars beginning to jump out of line. Race Control and the stewards' office will not be happy about that. Green flag! Let's go! Touring car racing is underway at Indianapolis! It's a three abreast drag race in TCX down the front straightaway heading for the first corner. Please, tell me you all know what to do at the first turn! Chris Walsh gets his elbows out early and is making a bid to pass Celso Neto! Walsh nails his colors to the mast and grabs the lead!
Jeff Ricca controls the start in TC. Woohoo! Neto licks the stamp and sends it! He is quite literally pushing the envelope with a bold, bold pass on Chris Walsh! There is a pun that says no matter how far someone pushes the envelope it will still be stationery. Well, well, well. Neto pushed the envelope and then some! Chris Walsh is being monstered on all sides and now Aaron Kaplan wants a bite of the cherry! Kaplan giving the 2024 TCX champion everything he can handle here, early doors. Neto the king of the late brakers doing a Scandinavian flick but keeping the car on the island! Oy yoy yoy! Race Control, unsurprisingly is reviewing that pig's breakfast of a race start we saw.
You are supposed to remain in side by side, Noah's Ark formation until the control line which here at Indianapolis is the yard of bricks. Sally McNulty in the TC class aboard the sister GenRacer Hyundai Elantra N TC to Jeff Ricca, the Borla exhaust systems sponsored racer, she has made it to second in class already. McNulty is having her best season ever in touring cars in SRO America competition in 2024. Her helmet is painted with sparkles and glitter from a first-time helmet designer. Cristian Perocarpi is an Indianapolis native and he wants to win here at home on the most famous racing circuit in the world.
His father has crewed on many an Indianapolis 500 team over the years. P.J. Groenke controlling the TCA class. Alex Garcia in the #14 Skip Barber Racing Honda is in a spot of bother and dropping like a stone through the field. McNulty is third in the points just 15 points behind Cristian Perocarpi who wants to win at his home track at Indianapolis. Again, we see Groenke running well, but Alex Garcia is falling into the clutches of the other Mini's of Andy Sellers and Bruce Myrehn. Kaplan and Broll meanwhile, nearly collide! Oof! That was a close shave! If you run the ideal line through that long radius final turn you can open the door for a competitor to poke their nose in and have a Captain Cook.
Car #23, Cameron Steller is right in the mix with Cooper Broll. Acura vs. BMW. I think Christopher DeFreitas was the chap who jumped out of line on the start. The stewards will tell us. Celso Neto now leads Chris Walsh to the tune of 1.6 seconds. DeFreitas tries lunging from way back and he didn't get a head of steam. What he got was a rude meeting with the inside curb in turn one! DeFreitas' Acura bicycled and looked like it wanted to tip over! It was up on two wheels, like a sprint car, almost! DeFreitas, to add insult to injury, along with Sally McNulty, have been handed drive through penalties for jumping the start, by the SRO stewards.
These drivers will need a reset to get back into contention. Cristian Perocarpi in the Mini was running right behind Sally McNulty. Now, however, he has flown Plummet Airways all the way down to 19th in the running order. Perocarpi is in the pit lane with mechanical problems. This isn't the first time we have seen the Mini in mechanical strife late in the season. LAP Motorsports has six cars in the two touring car races, but they are also running in the Mustang Challenge sanctioned by IMSA which is also here at Indianapolis. Cristian Perocarpi made his Mustang Challenge debut this weekend. There is trouble on the left front in either the braking system or the suspension it appears.
Perocarpi is motivated to race and win here at the speedway. Kaplan, Broll, and Steller continue their fight and Steller is looking "stellar" at this point. Oh, drat. Another pun! Steller is off and running as he makes a move and takes a spot away from Cooper Broll. He is on the racing line and has more grip there as the motor through the chicane. Game over for Cristian Perocarpi, he was yelling to the team, "it is the same problem we had at Barber!" He cannot believe it! It appears to be a vibration somewhere in the car. He had a great battle in the races last year here at Indianapolis with Jeff Ricca and Clay Williams who was the champion in the TC class in 2023.
The sports car racing community are all racing with heavy hearts this weekend as we remember longtime competitor Ramin Abdolvahabi. You saw the obituary about him posted here on the blog some time ago. He raced for LAP Motorsports in Mini's in IMSA. He was a very enthusiastic racer in touring cars and GT4 alike. If you follow my blog, you will know his name for being successful in the GT4 portion, the Grand Sport class in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for several years. Rest In Peace, Ramin Abdolvahabi. You will be missed.
Meanwhile, P.J. Groenke has a 12 and a half second lead in TCA. He wants to win at Indianapolis and has won every weekend this year save for VIR. He has won at VIR. Winning at Indianapolis is probably the most meaningful win a driver can have in their career no matter what car they are driving. We see a good battle brewing for third place. Aaron Kaplan vs. Cameron Steller vs. Cooper Broll, all in TCX. BMW vs. BMW vs. Acura. Kaplan still holds the final step on the podium. Steller hounding Kaplan passing by Broll. Steller makes a move on Kaplan to the inside in turn one! Holy cow! That was a textbook pass!
Now through the esses, the car needs to be well balanaced before turns five and six the little chicane. Now, down the backstretch on Hulman Boulevard for 2,400 feet off the exit of turn six and into the braking zone for turn seven. Kaplan pokes his nose out locking the right front brake trying to get the spot back from Steller! Kaplan uses up all the road and Steller still manages to slam the door in his face! Great racing between these two in identical TCX BMW M2 CS (Cup) automobiles. Turn ten, eat up the curb, straighten out the radius. The braking zone into turn 12 is a tricky one to get right.
Move over to driver's left and then steer the car back to the right while braking. Braking and steering simultaneously is a hard thing to do. Aaron Kaplan's father was a longtime crew member in the CART, Championship Auto Racing Teams, days. He was on the pit crew for 1981 CART championship runner up driver Bill Alsup. Kaplan goes really deep on the brakes back into turn one closing right on the decklid of Steller! Yikes! Steller on debut knows he must execute lap time with a rival pursuing you like mad. He is beginning to gap Kaplan it appears. Aaron Kaplan has three third place finishes in 2024.
Neto and Walsh wrestling for the lead but their lap times are fairly consistent and neither one has uncorked a lap that makes you stand up and go, "oh boy!" So, things are seemingly copacetic at the top of the shop with just 12 minutes of racing elapsed. We are close to the halfway mark in race one for TC America here at Indianapolis. Neto will maintain the balance, the pace of his race car. Chris Walsh on the other hand is playing the long game. 28 minutes left on the board. Oh, my gosh. Kikko Porto who is a driver who is on the Road to Indy ladder system to IndyCar and also has raced in IMSA in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo championship, he is Celso Neto's brother-in-law. Hmmm. Maybe it won't be long before we see those two on some form of a team for an endurance sports car race.
You never know. Walsh straight lining the chicane. That is fine by the rulebook. The curbs here at Indianapolis are usable save for turn one. We hear from Amanda Busick in pit lane that Andy Sellers in the Mini has a left front puncture. Sellers, in a series debut, is not running the best. He has been racing in Spec Miata. Alex Garcia is now second in TCA being chased by both Mini's of Bruce Myrehn and Alain Lauziere. Garcia and Myrehn were tied at the hip for a wee while. But now, Garcia is lowering his best lap as Lauziere gets to the inside of Bruce Myrehn and things are sorted out as Lauziere is on the podium provisionally.
Speaking of final podium places, in the TCX class, Steller continues hanging on over Kaplan. Be disciplined with throttle application as Kaplan is looking for lap time but overdriving the turn. Cooper Broll has dropped back just a wee bit. Kaplan almost loses the back of the BMW. We expect the BMW to get better relative to the Acura. A rear-wheel-drive car vs. a front wheel drive car. Deary me. Bruce Myrehn is now in limp home mode coming to the pit lane. That is very disappointing. He was in a battle for a podium spot. Walsh in the meantime is chasing down Celso Neto. Neto is making a massive statement. He continues to improve as a driver. The pendulum is swinging back in Chris Walsh's favor.
Walsh is trying to find a way around Neto and gave the man a nickname of "The Brazilian Minister of Defense". He is aggressive but clean. At Barber Motorsports Park, I think Neto was in desperation as far as points were concerned and that was controlled aggression. OK. Walsh working the wheel trying not to oversteer through turn 14. The lead has stabilized at 1.3 seconds between Neto and Walsh with Steller in third place. P.J. Groenke in trouble! Left front tire! Groenke wanted to win the race here but he is definitely in trouble. We have seen trouble for the Mini and the Honda but now Alex Garcia leads the TCA division. Garcia has won four races after not racing at Sonoma and joined midway through the Sebring weekend back in May.
Tire trouble in the Mini camp as we hear reports of punctures for both Bruce Myrehn and P.J. Groenke. All on the left front and we saw Andy Sellers with trouble. Mini and Pirelli will have some time to sort the incidents out as the finale is on Sunday with the Indianapolis 8 Hours tomorrow for the GT3 cars. The beneficiary of LAP Motorsports' and Mini's troubles is the Honda Civic of Alex Garcia who runs ahead now of Alain Lauziere at the back of the picture. Lots of load with the clockwise track on the left side tires here at Indianapolis especially with the front wheel drive touring cars.
Celso Neto's advantage is less than a second as Chris Walsh is chasing after the Brazilian. Neto still has the fastest lap to set the grid for race two on Sunday. Car #66, the Mini of Scott Thomson locked up and has smoke coming from the car. Cristian Perocarpi looking ahead to Sunday. He has been extremely busy with Mustang Challenge and touting cars, both. They had an issue crop up from crunching the wall at Barber Motorsports Park last time out and had a vibration. His girlfriend and the family are coming to see him race on Sunday. Everything turns out peachy in Free Practice and qualifying but then in the race, everything turns pear shaped. A peach, or a pear, or a coconut, please.
Perocarpi was limping around after a pickup soccer game a few weekends ago. It is bizarre when you hurt yourself trying to stay fit especially as a race car driver. The lead battle between Neto and Walsh has really been going on since mid-season. Next year with the TCX and TC combination. Sad to see the TCA cars go away but it is time to change the format, and we will have shorter, 25-minute races and on some weekends, two of the seven, there will be three races instead of two. We see SRO following the ethos of touring car races with short, sharp races that will keep fans on the edge of their seats. It should be fun.
Jeff Ricca leading the TC class. He is four and a half seconds ahead of his teammate, Connor Attrell. Ricca has been a dominant force the last few years. Ricca races but is also working on other Hyundai's. He has real passion for this sport. Connor Attrell passes by Alain Lauziere. He has not been racing as much in recent years but might have his last chance to race here in TCA. Meanwhile, Walsh still shadowing Neto through traffic. It is hard to hit the disappear button through traffic. Not much to choose between the TC and TCX cars as Neto passes DeFreitas. DeFretias notices Walsh as as well and cordially moves out of the way.
Walsh is closer to Neto, only 8/10ths of a second behind Neto now. In the meantime, look, Aaron Kaplan is falling well into the clutches of Cooper Broll. Broll part of the Skip Barber Racing School stable along with Neto and Garcia. Broll has had four podiums in 2024. Kaplan has an ill-handling race car under him now and Broll is closing the gap. Broll looking threatening down Hulman Boulevard. Kaplan won't cover it and Broll throws it up the inside and makes the pass or tries too. Kaplan hanging tough on the inside and Broll makes the move. This is for fourth and fifth in TCX. Andy Sellers is traffic, the red Mini. He will point Broll and Kaplan by.
Just over ten minutes on the board. Kaplan trying to regroup. It is harder for him to hold the car through the transitions into the corners. Now Kaplan gets a great run through the esses, and poor old Cooper Broll might be losing steam here. Broll might have missed a shift, or the car is coughing and spluttering. Neto and Walsh are still slicing and dicing at each other, like a couple of swordsmen on horseback here. It is toasty out there this afternoon and these production-based cars have thresholds for temperature that shuts the motor off. The ambient temperatures are in the low 80s Fahrenheit as we see Neto and Walsh continuing to battle and Walsh runs wide through turn four.
These touring cars with the higher ride height and softer suspension than the GT cars, can absorb the shots over the curbs. This 40-minute race is split up like four quarters in a basketball game. Chris Walsh was a college football player up the road in ValparaÃso, Indiana, and of course, Tom Walkinshaw Racing was based there with their Jaguar GTP and World Sports Car program in the late '80s and early '90s in the first iteration of IMSA GTP. Walsh is still looking for a way past Neto. He tried the inside but was not close enough to do a lunge. He has to think this out, keep the pressure on, and don't throw it away.
Neto is determined and knows he is in the fight. A handful of cars ahead are lapped traffic. The gap is still 6/10ths of a second. Nothing to choose between Neto and Walsh. Neto is determined and unflappable at this stage. Ah. Cooper Broll is indeed in trouble with the hood up. Such a shame because he was running fourth scrapping with Aaron Kaplan. Broll's Acura has a misfire. Walsh has a decent run trying to catch and pass Neto. Of course, catching is one thing and passing is different entirely. Neto knows he is there. Walsh goes around the outside or tries to and Neto hangs on as they almost bang doors!
It is so hard to protect your line under braking and they almost ran into each other at the apex. You cannot slow the car down efficiently. Neto has Walsh on his six. Down Hulman Boulevard, Walsh pokes his nose out again. Neto keeps Walsh at bay. Walsh establishes his line as Neto throws it off the road and into the grass! Walsh sees his rival's mistake and takes the lead back! Oh, mama! Walsh, the champion elect, back to the front in TCX with four and a half minutes to go. Walsh wriggles through the final turn and now he is vulnerable to Neto making a move.
These two have been the class of the TCX field. Walsh is the champion, but who will win and kiss the bricks at Indianapolis? They split the Mini of Alain Lauziere, the French-Canadian touring car racer. Walsh slams the door back in Neto's face. Walsh will consolidate his advantage. When you are two or three lanes over you don't know where your competitor is. Neto's dander is up. Walsh is motoring away on the defensive. There is offline debris that Neto goes over. They make contact, door to door at the end of Hulman Boulevard. Neto gets chopped and moves ahead of Neto. Neto fighting back to the inside with the door slammed in his face. Neto shows his nose. Walsh not giving him room under braking.
Two and a half minutes to go, two laps, in the second to last race of the year. Neto again to the inside. No dice. No grip on the inside line. Watch out for turn seven. Keep it clean. Walsh runs wide bounding over the curbs! He is back on track almost right in front of Neto who must take evasive action! Side by side! Neto through the grass! Neto gets his nose chopped again! Neto has clag, grass, and junk all over his tires now. He mowed the lawn, taking care of Roger Penske's well-manicured grass unintentionally. Neto is wrestling with a loose race car. I think this victory is going to be signed, sealed, and delivered, for Walsh.
White flag next time by. Neto, was he inside track limits? We'll have to see. One minute to go. White flag. One lap left. Cooper Broll is just up the road. Neto's car recalcitrant under braking. He backs it into the turn, dancing the Acura on its nose! Cooper Broll and the TCA leader of Alex Garcia up ahead. Neto closes in but cannot attack at the end of Hulman Boulevard. Walsh is balked. Walsh clears Garcia and here comes Neto on the isndie on the south end of the oval! Walsh looking to the outside hits the grass. Two corners remaining. Next the right hander to the frontstretch. Celso Neto wins it! The Brazilian prevails! What a motor race! What a motor race!
Alex Garcia wins in TCA for the first time since Virignia International Raceway back in July. Jeff Ricca will win the TC class in controlling fashion over the sister GenRacer Hyundai's, his customers, including Connor Attrell, Ron Zaras, and Vin Anatra. Cameron Steller at 16 years old in his first race, he scores a podium. The team are working on a plan for 2025. A podium is a great place to start.
Overall/TCX: #22 Celso Neto Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type S
TC: #78 Jeff Ricca Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC
TCA: #14 Alex Garcia Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic Si FE1
Cue the dance music for the results. 6/10ths of a second the margin at the yard of bricks. What a drive for Celso Neto! An incredible battle and Cristian Perocarpi comes in to congratulate Celso Neto. Wow. Great day for the Skip Barber organization and team boss Joe Denitto and the owners of Skip Barber Racing School, Dan and Anthony Demonte. Skip Barber Racing School has big plans in the realm of motor racing. So, that puts race one for TC America in the books. One race remaining in the championship, on Sunday morning. Join us then, to put the cherry on the sundae for the 2024 SRO TC America season. For now, from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, bye bye.
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