The final race of the day one day one of action at Road America, is Pirelli GT4 America. A massive grid of cars is ready to go. The biggest field of the weekend is what we are about to see, separating contenders from pretenders. We join Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth with Shea Adam in the pit lane. Stevan McAleer on pole looking for their eighth win in nine races. Gavin Sanders and Michai Stephens second. We are about to go green. McAleer drops the hammer and it's go! Gavin Sanders under pressure from Kevin Conway in the Toyota Supra. To the third turn, big gap with the top three nfor the rest. Everyone double file through this massive field of GT4. Silver, Pro-Am, and Am driver categories. Sanders protects to the inside of Kevin Conway. Argy bargy and three whide for Johann Schwarz and/or Todd Brown in the Rooster Hall Racing BMW M4 GT4.
Schwarz, Am pole sitter in the fight early doors. The top three are pulling away as we speak and we know Stevan McAleer will do that as Gray Newell goes to the inside of Mike Skeen and Austen Smith is now fourth in the BMW M4 GT4. Edgar Lau totally sideways in the Ford Mustang GT4 looking at the wall in two directions and almost wrecks! Wow! That was bananas! Poor old Mike Skeen in trouble in the G2 Racing G Speed BMW M4 GT4. Tom Capizzi sharing with John Capestro-Dubets, they are having issues as well. A solid start for Gray Newell in The Heart of Racing Aston Martin, car #24 sharing with Ian James. They won race one at Watkins Glen last time out.
Charlie Postins and James Clay are running away with it in the Am class and in Silver we see Stevan McAleer dominating with Eric Filgueiras. Mike Skeen is now back on track. Bryan Putt and Edgar Lau leading Dominic Starkweather in one of the Toyota Supra's and Elias Sabo in the #8 Aston Martin for Flyng Lizard Motorsports. Mike Skeen and company did the ultimate gamble starting on rain tires in the dry! Sheesh! The radar was saying it should be raining as we can see Skeen in the BMW M4 GT4 off the road! Johann Schwarz wants by Tom Capizzi. Controlling the race, though, is Stevan McAleer and Charlie Points in the Am class in the #36 Bimmerworld BMW M4 GT4, he is being hounded by Tom Capizzi and Johann Schwarz.
Kevin Conway now chasing Gavin Sanders. Bill Postins, Charlie's father, buddies with David Hobbs who lives close by Road America. Kevin Conway, former NASCAR Cup Series rookie of the year, who has made the transition to sports cars and he and his co-driver John Geesbreght won the championship last year and moved up to the Silver division for 2022. John "Smooge" Geesbreght loves this track. The handling is great, flat out in The Kink in a GT4 car. Wow! Mike Skeen has been in the lane but is now down the order.
If it rained, he would have been off like a scalded cat. Mike Skeen has amazing pace as a driver. Good battle here between Gray Newell and Scott Noble as well as Adam Adelson. Jason Hart wants to repeat a championship like he had with Matt Travis who is going to get back into SRO. He ran in Am with Alain Stad and now, Adam Adelson makes his move on Scott Noble! Squeaky, squeaky time between the Cayman's and here comes Postins and Johann Schwarz into The Carousel and the Drift King sends it! Car #47 of Noble warned by Race Control moving in response. That is blocking and that is not allowed.
The driver's stewards have to tell the drivers to have more respect so they don't turn these motor races into demolition derbies. Charlie Postins has James Clay as his co-driver. Bryan Putt was passed by Dominic Starkweather. Tim Horrell, racing with hand controls, alongside Raphael Matos. Dominic Starkweather in the Toyota Supra, driving alongside Ryan Dexter. His brother Warren and father Zane help run the team out of Nebraska. Stevan McAleer is having things his own way seven seconds ahead. McAleer's fastest lap is over a second clear of everybody else.
Eric Filgueiras was running laps within tenths of McAleer, his co-driver. Roll off the truck and just dominate. VIR and their pit strategy caught them out. 20 minutes into the race. 1/3rd distance, and the pit window shall open in six or so minutes. In a ten minute window, the driver change must take place. No fueling and no tire changes. Charlie Postins hanging tough, scrapping with Scott Noble. Schwarz looks at Adelson and Adelson late on the brakes through turn five.
James Clay was anticipating racing in GT3 in 2022 but they lost a second car they were going to run in GT3 in preseason testing and so GT4 was the avenue Clay had to take. Through Canada Corner and then up the hill to the final turn. Do not drop a wheel on the access road. Kevin Conway wants past Gavin Sanders, and they are being train linked by McAleer. For the Pro-Am lead, and Adam Adelson wants by. Ian James sharing with Gray Newell. Adelson gets slowed up with Gray Newell reeling him in. Ian James readying to take over the Aston Martin Vantage GT4.
Schwarz late on the brakes, side by side with Adelson and here comes Charlie Postins. Johann Schwarz has the preferred line into turn 14. Adelson balks Postins but he will lose out to both Postins and Scott Noble! Postins is right on Schwarz's six! Adelson holds second in the Porsche over the BMW M4 GT4. Capizzi next up. He pops outside and tries to pass Noble and it's done and dusted. Pit window open next time by as Dominic Starkweather goes off and on. Anthony Geraci is also in the fight and so is Paul Sparta, these are in the Am class. Well, welll, well. Tethered together, Gavin Sanders and Kevin Conway.
Stevan McAleer, driving away, leading by nine seconds. Are they going to put Eric Filgueiras in and a big hit into the pit lane between Kevin Conway and Gavin Sanders! Right front damage to the Toyota Supra! Did Gavin brake and Kevin get caught by surprises? Look at the damage to both cars! Sanders got the worst of it. Change the tire and peel that bodywork away. The Supra team will need bear bond for their damaged right front corner but the Conquest Mercedes, the left reatr of that car will be compromised as Michai Stephens will take over. Busy, busy pit lane as the Smooge Racing ceew is pulling bodywork away. They will be ell over the 91 second mimimum pit stop delta.
Horrell, Matos, and more, have their pit stops in the zone and now, RS1 are in the lane and should really be able to put another great race together today. Erc Filgueiras is a great partner for Stevan McAleer. Ian James is now running ahead of Elliott Skeer. #10 is under the joker time and Tim Horrell and Raphael Matos will have a drive through penalty. That pit stop was too good. Eric Filgueiras will have to check if he has grip. James Clay now at the wheel of the #36 Bimmerworld BMW M4 GT4. We are past the halfway mark. Todd Brown has taken over the Rooster Hall Racing #80 BMW M4 GT4.
Incident between #68 and #34 under review by the stewards. Schwarz is still in the car, not Todd Brown yet. They are keeping their powder dry and making hay while the sun shines. Ian James now being monstered by Elliott Skeer. Premier Racing had some work to do after Free Practice, working on repairs until midnight last night. Elliott Skeer in striking distance of the class lead chasing down Ian James. Charlie Postins says that t was slow to get going, but GT4 America and the drivers are having a great time. Track losing a tad of grip, but Postins is crossing his fingers that James Clay can bring it home. A dry race means less carnage. Johan Schwartz in the lane, handing over to Todd Brown.
Todd Brown back into the race. Rooster Hall retains the lead but Todd Brown needs the pace as we are closing in on the end of the motor race as Eric Filgueiras and RS1 now lead overall with 24 minutes remaining. RS1 continue to be in the sweet spot. Road America has not been kind to previous iterations of the Porsche Cayman. But the new generation car has been a quick one all weekend as John Capestro-Dubets in Pro-Am has a battle on his hands. Ryan Dexter and Andy Lee are in their own battle. Dexter Racing Toyota Supra vs. Flying Lizard Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4. Darren Law, team boss for Flying Lizard and K-PAX, he is spinning a lot of plates right now.
Elliott Skeer cannot make inroads on Ian James and Jason Hart is coming, fast. Jason Hart, applying the pressure to Skeer now. Ian James has his hands full with the handling of the Aston Martin. Skeer wants a bite of the cherry, but no. Raphael Matos serving the drive through penalty for a short pit stop. The three-way battle is for Pro-Am. James, Skeer, Hart. Hart wants it, braking late to turn seven I think. Down through The Carousel. Jason Hart, loose! Keep your foot in it and stay in hot pursuit. Skeer has a chance now. The Aston Martin has shorter gear ratios and maybe the Porsche has a slightly taller gear to get the oomph down the straightaway.
Aaron Telitz, running a GT3 Lexus in another series, but GT4 is more fun to drive in race conditions without aero wash. Todd Brown off the road in Am for Rooster Hall and Al Carter makes the move. Todd Brown has gone down a few places after a spin. James Clay has gone through for the lead of the motor race in class. Brown now being harried by Aaron Povoledo and Aaron Telitz. Todd Coleman also. So, it is the Aaron and Aaron show. Telitz inside of Povoledo. Aaron Telitz is at his home track here at Road America.
Telitz is whistling off into the distance. The other Aaron, Aaron Povoledo, driving with Ross Chouest, has been no slouch either. Matt Travis in the Am class Porsche Cayman trying to get by Devin Jones in the tenth place Pro-Am BMW. Eric Filgueiras now leads by 23 and a half seconds. Andy Lee makes his move on John Capestro-Dubets. Kenton Koch is next up the road in the BSport Racing Aston Martin with just 13 minutes on the clock. Stevan McAleer and Eric Filgueiras, a known commodity for the team and for Stevan McAleer's career while Eric Filgueiras, he has really found his feet in sports car racing this year.
Bad news gets worse at Rooster Hall for a pit lane speed limit violation, and a drive through penalty. Another one of the Am teams also penalized for pit stpeed. John Capestr-Dubets is the fastest car at 154 miles an hour and five BMW's in the fastest top speeds as Bryan Putt has a flat right front tire at BSport. Ian James still in the lead with Skeer and Hart nearby. James Clay in the lead of the Am division. A fifth win in a row for Clay and Postins looks to be on the cards. Side by side for second and Jason Hart makes his move on Elliott Skeer through Billy Mitchell Bend! Ian James is Hart's next target.
Todd Brown serving the penalty, the drive through, for speeding in the lane. A drive through also handed down to John Geesbreght, and a hold in the lane for incident responsibility. With seven minutes remaining, Jason Hart is closing in on Ian James. Hart and Scott Noble have had five top fives and three podiums. Six and a half minutes remaining and now, Scott Noble is right on James' tail. Noble almost literally pushing James down the back straightaway into the Moraine Sweep. Hart can't get the over under done. James is loose, placing the race car in a spot where Hart can't get by.
Ian James and Gray Newell they will gain points as will Jason Hart and Scott Noble no matter what happens. Ian James has to figure all of this out. Hart looks inside Ian James, and Ian James slams the door in his face. In the last hundred yards of the straight the Porsche puts the heat on the Aston but the Aston still has the legs. Jason Hart, glued to the back bumper of the Aston Martin. Ian James issued a warning by the stewards for moving in response to Noble. Canada Corner coming up. Stay on the line. Be proactive and not reactive.
White flag. One lap to go. Four miles of racing left. For the Pro-Am lead. Hart deep on the brakes past James. Hart seals it off and here comes James back at Hart who goes off the road and we go Full Course Yello2! The race will be over and that is a massive crunch for Mike Skeen and Grayson Farischon. Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer win, again. On the road, Ian James, Gray Newell, and Heart of Racing take the win. But as it stands, Heart of Racing is followed by Premier Racing, and guess what? Am has a different winner! It's Random Vandals Racing for Paul Sparta and Al Carter! Wow.
Jason Hart and Scott Noble still hve the championship lead.
Overall/Silver: #18 Filgueiras/McAleer RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
Pro-Am: #24 James/Newell The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4*
Am: #98 Sparta/Carter Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4*
*Results in Pro-Am and Am under review.
Anthony Geraci and Jaden Lander finish second in the second Smooge Racing #72 Toyota Supra. Fastest lap to Terry Borcheller and Nick Shanny in another of the Toyota Supra's, 2:18.251. That is the #21 TGR Accelerating Performance Toyota Supra. Finishing order under review in Pro-Am and Am under review. More racing tomorrow. No time for the stewards to have a beer and a meal at Siebken's tonight, or if they go it will be later on. They've got some work to do.
We have a different winner! It is not Random Vandals. It is the #72 Krugspeed Toyota Supra!
So, ignore these results above. Cross them out. Here's the new winners.
Overall/Silver: #18 Filgueiras/McAleer RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
Pro Am: We shall wait and see.
Am: #72 Geraci/
We have another race tomorrow, earlier in the day tomorrow. It will be at 11:10 A.M. Central Time tomorrow.
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