Monday, August 7, 2023

Winner & Highlights of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Road America 120

Michelin Pilot Challenge is set to race at the newly repaved, 4-mile, "American National Park of Speed", Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  We have both classes back together again with Grand Sport and TCR after the wild and wooly TCR only event at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut, three weeks ago.  We have two hours of production-based sports car racing coming up.  What a gorgeous track this is.  However, as we have seen in the WeatherTech Championship race and other races and sessions across the weekend, the new asphalt laid down here at Road America can definitely bite you if you aren't careful. After an eventful WeatherTech Championship race, we'll see how things turn out for Pilot Challenge.  It should be action-packed.  

Robert Megennis has pole for this race in Grand Sport in the #95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 sharing with Cameron Lawrence, recording a best lap of 2:14.920 and besting the #28 RennSport1 (RS1) Porsche Cayman in the hands of Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer by seven tenths of a second.  Harry Gottsacker has TCR pole in the #33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR alongside teammate Michael Lewis in the sister #1 car for BHA he shares with Taylor Hagler.  Bryan Herta Autosport front row lockout, blah, blah, blah... that sets the scene for today's two-hour production car race at America's National Park of Speed.  

Elkhart Lake Wisconsin, in 1951 hosted races on the roads and the track was opened in 1955.  This track has a brand new repave with billiard table smooth asphalt.  Brian Till and Calvin Fish will take us through the race from the broadcast booth on this gorgeous afternoon and Hannah Newhouse and Matt Yocum will take care of reports from the pit lane.  We have three races to go after this race is over.  290 points separate the Grand Sport top five in the points table.  It is anyone's game.  We have seen Robert Megennis and Cameron Lawrence running very well but they have not been in the fight for a while.  

Remember at Detroit, they crashed, and at Mosport last time out, the team was disqualified in post-race scrutineering.  In TCR the battle is again between the #98 Hyundai and the #33 Hyundai.  They are only ten points, the #98, ahead of the #33.  For BHA they want to get the manufacturers' cup for Hyundai and they are taking a race-by-race approach.  One race at a time.  BHA have both won this year.  Robert Wickens tells us that it is fun, but it is a tie.  This is Harry Gottsacker's home race here at Elkhart Lake.  Wickens and Wilkins are great pals off track but on track they are fierce rivals.  

We are coming to a green flag.  Two by two, Noah's Ark formation.  Grand Sport gong first and a massive jump, look, for Robert Megennis!  He leads the field to turn one as Eric Filguieras goes defensive.  TCR start looks good and pretty clean.  Rory van der Steur in GS slots to P5 but drops a spot through turn three.  This track is billiard table smooth but we have not seen too much racing aside from NASCAR, IndyCar, and the WeatherTech Championship.  Ohhh!  Big pileup in turn five!  McLaren turned around and two cars locked together with big damage and a massive debris field!  Carbon fiber shard all over the shop.  Ramin Abdolavahabi tagged Eric Filsinger and then, the #83 BGB Porsche Cayman was caught wrongfooted and plowed into the Aston Martin, Tom Collingwood at the wheel of it.

There was no violent impact but at least three cars completely written off and they didn't even get a lap in.  What a nightmare!  Ramin Abdolavahabi is safe and sound out of the car.  In replay, defending to the braking zone, a nudge for Filsinger and the #09 car had a head of steam, and... ker-runch!  Poor old Collingwood just cannoned right into the tail of the Aston Martin.  I think Adam Adelson also got a piece of that in the #47 Nolasport Porsche Cayman.  Adelson sharing with Elliott Skeer.  24 Grand Sport entries in the field here at Road America this weekend and the #14 Toyota Supra just barely got through that shemozzle.  

Diego Azar of Argentina is sharing that car this weekend with Marco Galanti of Paraguay.  The IMSA/AMR and Road America safety crews are attending to the stricken cars trying to get them loaded onto the flatbed trucks for a tow to the garage.  The massive debris field is also being cleaned up.  The field in single file formation beetling around behind the safety car currently.  Robert Megennis leading Eric Filgueiras, Ryan Yardley, Sean McAlister, Patrick Gallagher, Rory van der Steur, Kenny Murillo, Hugh Plumb, Sean Quinlan, and Garrett Adams.  BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Porsche, Aston Martin, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Aston Martin, BMW, BMW.

We officially have a 38-car field but of course it is reduced by a handful because of this massive accident.  There is no real villain of the peace on this one I don't think.  Apportioning blame early doors is just not a good idea.  We can see the safety crews continuing the cleanup farther down the road.  The safety car crocodile will be formed up for a wee while now.  I don't think we saw safety car interventions in the WeatherTech Championship event that happened before this one.  A bit of a different schedule at Road America with both major races taking place on Sunday.  By the time you read this report, it will be the wee small hours of Monday morning, however.  

Ryan Yardley in the #56 Murillo Racing Mercedes AMG GT4 is teamed up with Eric Foss as the New Zealander is filling in for the injured Jeff Mosing who is recovering and will be sidelined for this race and the next two.  He will be back for the finale at Road Atlanta but will not race at Virginia International Raceway or Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  We are located an hour or so north of Milwaukee.  It is a long lap over 4 miles with 20 stories of elevation change.  There is a 4,400-foot frontstretch and watch the turn one exit.  Turn five downhill is a tough one.  Downhill to turn eight sets you up through The Carousel.  

Canada Corner a great turn which is much less bumpy than it used to be.  This track is not quite seasoned yet, like me.  In fact, I am over-seasoned!  Green flag and back to the serious stuff as Megennis is being harried by Filgueiras and Yardley, both.  Jeff Mosing actually had a wreck here last weekend in the Porsche Carrera Cup race which was the support event for the NASCAR Xfinity race.  Jeff Mosing is notorious for hurting himself at the start of the year.  We need to get him a hockey goalie's safety gear, so he does not hurt himself.  Adam Adelson seems to be in good shape.

Rory van der Steur chasing down Patrick Gallagher who has been pinged by the stewards for a drive through penalty.  He will have to trundle down pit lane.  Gallagher gave van der Steur a little nudge and now onto the "unseasoned" portion of the track, and he goes for a spin on ye olde whirligig there, look.  An hour and 38 minutes to go.  Get back in the fight with a Full Course Yellow.  A penalty also served for the #1 Hyundai Elantra N TCR and Michael Lewis switched columns and has to cop a penalty, a drive through.  Adelson being harried by Paul Sparta for Random Vandals Racing in the #98 BMW M4 GT4 running a couple of championships.  Sparta sharing with Kenton Koch.  

Adam Adelson is ahead.  We have seen Adelson and Sparta in SRO racing as well who also have GT4 based championships.  Robert Megennis leading.  Tire degradation is always a part of racing at Road America but not now with the new pavement.  We saw it wasn't a factor in the WeatherTech race yesterday (actually, right before this one), and it won't be here in Pilot Challenge either as we continue watching Filgueiras harrying Megennis for the race lead and both of them are drawing a bead on Yardley who is followed immediately by Sean McAllister in the #39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Porsche Cayman.  

Chris Miller in the #17 Unitronic-JDC Miller Motorsports Audi RS3 LMS TCR has gone by Harry Gottsacker for the TCR lead and now Bryan Ortiz in the #91 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for van der Steur Racing is also making inroads.  They climb back uphill onto the frontstretch to complete another lap.  From the shortest track on the circuit to the longest track here at Road America after racing at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut for the all-TCR event last time out.  This new surface as they fly into The Carousel, again, is billiard table smooth.  All the personality, all the character, is still like it was.  If you get off the racing line someone will pull the rug out from under you and you are going for a thrill ride.  

The pavement is so seamless to the curbing though.  That is the best part is the uniformity of the paving job.  Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor have a win and a podium and they could improve again today after having a fraught race at Lime Rock Park.  Trouble, a penalty for a jumped redtart for the #71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R of Robin Liddell and Frank DePew.  Frank DePew the starting driver.  If the green flag has not been displayed, you cannot pass before the final turn but it was not green yet.  

Robert Megennis is doing a great job.  He and Cameron Lawrence have not gone to victory lane yet but they could today at Road America as in second Eric Filgueiras had circled the BMW's as the drivers and teams to be most difficult to beat.  RS1, RennSport1 have won SRO titles and dominated last year in SRO.  They had a GT4 team there in 2022 and GT3 this year.  They are still knocking on the door over here in IMSA in Pilot Challenge.  Eric Filgueiras learning a ton from Stevan McAleer, his co-driver.  It is feast or famine for all the competitors.  Christian Szymczak and Kenny Murillo are the points leaders coming into today's race.  No one has really put together a dominant season.

Ryan Yardley in the sister car is running very well.  Yardley has been racing against Jeff Mosing in Porsche Carrera Cup if you watch that championship on Peacock at all.  A great uphill camera shot into turn six.  The nuances of this track at Road America are bonkers.  The GT4 cars raise up on the suspension cresting the hill.  We have everything.  We have a technical, challenging racecourse, awesome race cars, and great track food.  If I were there in person with everything on their menu, my gosh, I'd have to exercise self-control and walk around the circuit to burn off the calories!  Bratwursts, breakfast food, sandwiches, and more all prepared by local charities.  The best track food anywhere.  

Some of the GS traffic splitting the TCR battle.  Ortiz passes Gottsacker and you have Mason Filippi and Mike LaMarra also back there.  We are also having a Captain Cook at Hugh Plumb in the #46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4 closing in on Kenny Murillo.  Robert Megennis having it all his own way right now.  For Megennis and Turner Motorsports, their speed has been there since they unloaded the cars off the truck.  I agree with NBC Sports' Calvin Fish.  I don't think tire degradation will be a worry.  Fuel is going to be the deal.

I think tacos are on their radar.  Robby Foley is ready to go sharing with Vincent Barletta in the #96, the sister BMW M4 GT4.  Team boss Will Turner says that the team came and tested here on the new track surface and have challenged Vincent Barletta to drive the circuit with his eye closed.  Don't count your tacos just yet.  We will see Robby Foley soon.  Robert Megennis at the top of the shop currently and Cameron Lawrence will be into the #95 BMW.  In TCR, the newer driver combo is Mike LMarra and Ryan Eversley in the Honda Civic.  Bugets are a big deal.  Ryan Eversley says that Mat Pombo has gone over to the sister Honda with William Tally.

Tally had a shock issue and their sister car is out of the motor race.  They are splitting their differences.  The sister car had a shock issue in qualifying yesterday and couldn't event start the race today.  That's a tough break.  Wholesale pit stops past the 40-minute minimum drive time as Vincent Barletta will turn the #96 BMW M4 GT4 to Robby Foley, making the driver change.  Robby Foley was worried because when he went off the road the car plowed like mad.  They have a pair of wins.  If it is not a win, it is 16th average.  That's dreadful.  The #88 Aston Martin has Billy Johnson replacing Todd Coleman for the next stint, the Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

Scott Andrews now aboard the #27 Mercedes AMG GT4 and Kenton Koch taking over the Random Vandals Racing BMW from Paul Sparta, car #92.  The TCR cars will likely get to the halfway mark and can do this race on a one-stop strategy for tires at the least.  Points as they run see Gottsacker and Wickens in the lead.

1. #33 Gottsacker/Wickens    BHA Hyindai Elantra N TCR     2,110 points

2. #98 Wilkins/Filippi            BHA Hyundai Elantra N TCR    2,080 points -30

3. #17 Miller/Taylor               Unitronic/JDC-Miller Motorsports Audi RS3 LMS TCR  2,030 points -70

Whoever finishes in front of the other will turn the tables.  Still an hour and 14 minutes of motor racing left on the board.  Miller is 8/10ths of a second ahead of Gottsacker in TCR. Megennis leads overall by nearly three and a half seconds on Eirc Filgueiras.  Ryan Yardley is also lurking back there.  Mason Filippi passes by Brian Ortiz as well.  Oh no!  Billy Johnson spins the #88 Aston Martin and that is out of The Kink!  Look at the dust cloud!  That could have been a truly scary incident as fast as that turn is and the rescue truck is coming to his aid.  Oh my gosh!  The left front wheel and tire are totally bent.  That is left front suspension breakage.

Now, we don't know if that is from an impact with the barriers or did it fail going into the turn?  That would be nightmare fuel if the part failed steaming into the corner.  Dear oh dear.  We'll have to analyze this and pick the bones out of it and we'll update you ASAP.  Full Course Yellow.  We are under Full Course Yellow now.  Coleman is talking to the safety workers and might be able to get out of that car under his own steam.  We'll have to find out.  So, all this shemozzle has indeed packed the field up.  The onboard was very telling.  

We can hear he loses the car into the corner skittering over the gravel and whacking the wall.  The car was yawing and the tires squealing but the onboard was very telling and something broke on the car.  I really think that's true.  Pit stop time for both BMW #95 and Porsche #28.  Not good yellow timing as Cameron Lawrence takes over from Robert Megennis.  Tire changes and fuel.  The #28 RS1 Porsche has Eric Filgueiras handing off to Stevan McAleer.  This is a race off pit lane and some cars came in for a top up, a splash and a dash.  For Foley, they wrren't grouped right together on the pit stop order or he would have leapfrogged a bunch of cars but has gained track position.

Foley in front of Lawrence now on the road.  We have a shade over an hour to go.  So nearly halfway home.  But we are still under yellow flag conditions.  TCR cars now pitting with just a wee bit of time over an hour.  Robert Wickens is going to finish out the race in the #33 BHA Hyundai.  Tires changed and fuel added.  Same deal for JDC-Miller with Mikey Taylor taking over from Chris Miller.  These are front wheel drive cars and you will generate more tire temperature.  Driver feel is the deal and they are set up pretty loose and have a tendency to understeer.  

We are now at the halfway mark of the race.  The field again ebind the safety car.  Don't forget Gessert's ice cream.  Speaking of great food in Elkhart Lake.  it looks like they have candies or brownies or something on offer, too.  Yum, yum!  The field is now lined up behind the safety car and we can see the Rebel Rock Camaro and the McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4 coming out of pit lane.  That is the #13 car of Jenson Altzman and Chad McCumbee.  Safety car lights out and we are set for a restart.  Fascinating strategy with the Grand Sport cars at the top of the shop, at the head, with Christian Szymczak in P1.

At the back is Chad McCumbee in his Mustang on a different strategy.  Green flag.  Szymczak leading the field to turn one and Elliott Skeer puts the squeeze play on him and poor old Szymczak has to take to the escape road and allows Daniel Morad to go by as well.  Szymczak is the championship leader.  He got the paint taken off the skin there!  Skeer was committed.  he knew he was going to turn in.  I think Szymczak got spooked and off and on goes Robby Foley in the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW with Cameron Lawrence going by.  Robin Liddell at Rebel Rock have won here at Road America before around 2018 or 2019 or something.  Can't remember which year.

Dirt and debris litters The Kink.  Tyler Maxson now has the lead in the #91 van der Steur Racing Hyundai.  Chad McCumbee was a Street Tuner champion in 2014 with Stevan McAleer, the man from Supply, North Carolina.  50 minutes to go and everyone has gotten back together.  Skeer leading Morad, Szymczak, McAleer, Lawrence, Foley, Jeff Westphal, Kenton Koch, Scott Andrews and Gregory Liefooghe.  What a lineup.  Oh dear!  One of the Turner Motorsports BMW's off in the grass!  It is Cameron Lawrence off the road.

Scott Andrews whistles by after Lawrence gets clag on his tires.  Kenton Koch next up in the Random Vandals Racing BMW behind the Stephen Cameron Racing BMW, that is the #43 M4 GT4 with Liefooghe at the wheel of it.  Watch out for that corner as you wash out and run wide if you miss it at turn six.  Andrews has made a major move, look.  Liefooghe moving forward and Elliott Skeer has Daniel Morad right on his six while Christian Szymczak now runs third.  Robert Wickens runs third in TCR behind Mark Wilkins in second and Tyler Maxson in the lead.

Robin Liddell charging to P13 in GS.  48 minutes left on the board.  Harry Gottsacker has a lot of family here at Road America.  His whole family is here to watch him race.  There's smoke out the center of the Hyundai.  It is something that happens on these Elantra's.  It can't be an engine issue.  Something like an overflow and now, Scott Andrews is off the road and the #27 has a flat left rear tire!  Did he have some argy bargy?  Yes.  Could not tell if he got into anyone.  Ah.  Maybe Liefooghe tagged him.  He had to check up I think through the final corner.  Hard to tell from the speed camera angle.  Pit lane not far away.

Get a new tire and top up with fuel.  That uncertainty would be put to bed if there is another yellow and now 45 minutes to go as this race is going down at a tremendous clip.  We saw a caution free race in the WeatherTech Championship event, and this has not been but is still going fast.  Andrews in the lane and gets the tire changed.  Elliott Skeer in the lead of the motor race.  Morad slams the door in Robby Foley's face as the two of them are scrapping over second place and Kenton Koch is right in their wheeltracks allowing Elliott Skeer to get away.  Look at Kenton Koch.  He wants it and is going to grab it with both hands one way or another.

Christian Szymczak was second but has flown Plummet Airways to sixth and these boys at the top of the shop are playing for keeps!  Foley makes a power move and passes Daaniel Morad and Morad says no you don't sunshine.  Kenton Koch still wants it and Cameron Lawrence wants a bite of the cherry.  Into the ABS, Morad comes back.  Poor old Foley is down the order.  Clean racing from Kenton Koch.  Lawrence and Szymczak want this as well, look.  All this card shuffling allows Skeer to get away.  You can throw a blanket over second through fifth place.  40 minutes of racing to go.  

Foley has escaped Morad's grasp.  Christian Szymczak languishing in sixth place.  Big shakeup in TCR as Robert Wickens is dropped down to the fifth spot and the Alfa Romeo of Tim Lewis Jr. really flying.  They got their first win here at Road America two years ago, came to win last year and did so and are going for the hat trick.  Tim Lewis Jr. and Roy Block, a solid duo.  Roy Block is quick but he is also comedy gold.  He is a funny guy.  He'll make us laugh if they win this.  Tyler Maxson leading the race in TCR only just over Robert Wickens into Canada Corner.  In TCR, they will just change front tires because they are turning and getting the traction on getting into the power because of the front wheel drive.  

Moead defending from Cameron Lawrence who bounces onto the grass and now, Morad is going to go for it and so is Koch.  Wilkins has had his hand forced by Taylor and Maxson has them both right on his six.  Lawrence drops from second to fourth.  Tim Lewis passes Wilkins and is monstering Mikey Taylor.  Tyler Maxson and company have built up the van der Steur Racing team up.  They were around a decade ago in the old American Le Mans Series in prototypes.  Tyler Maxson won an SRO TCR championship a few years back.

Elliott Skeer continues to lead over Robby Foley.  Morad tries fighting back.  Morad being told to go into max fuel save and then getting into a fuel number but he was side by side with someone.  Someone needs to take notice of how fast these BMW M4 GT4's are and now Tim Lewis Jr. is catching Tyler Maxson and Mikey Taylor, the South African, is in the TCR lead.  Taylor is clear.  Just over half an hour of racing still remains.  Foley crawling all over the back of Elliott Skeer for the race lead.  Kenton Koch and Cameron Lawrence liner stern behind them.  The BMW brigade all over the back of Elliott Skeer!  Half an hour of racing remaining.  

If Foley goes to one side he will open the door to Kenton Koch.  He wants the maximum points score with Szymczak in sixth.  Skeer is really good through turn six, seven, and eight.  GT4 cars, you can follow more in close proximiity and Tim Lewis Jr. is now chasing Mikey Taylor for TCR.  Tyler Maxson falling into the clutches of Mark Wilkins.  His car is looser literally drifting through The Carousel and The Kink.  Wickens needs to motor and to move ahead of the sister car of Mark Wilkins.  I don't believe they need to save fuel but GS will see a fuel strategy deal in the final moments if we don't see a yellow.

Mark Wilkins is fierce but clean.  He has won races in the old Rolex Sports Car Series and in the WeatherTech Championshp.  Mikey Taylor knows that Tim Lewis is right on his six.  Lewis keeping it tight on the line and clean and someone is off and it looks like Dennis Dupont.  Skeer is in more trouble on getting home on fuel than the other GS contenders.  Dennis Dupont in the #15 Audi RS3 LMS TCR for Rockwell Autosport sharing with Eric Rockwell in the Audi RS3 LMS TCR with the sequential gearbox.  Lawrence deep into the brake zone around Koch in the Random Vandals team.  They don't have the experience prepping these BMW's the way Turner Motorsports does.

Will Cameron Lawrence let Robby Foley work on Elliott Skeer?  Skeer is being very innovative with his racing lines.  Rockwell goess off and back on in turn seven.  Dennis DuPont is totally unfazed here at Road America, America's National Park of speed.  The BMW's are ganging up on Skeer now and going right by him in turn five like he was standing still!  From first down to third he goes.  Foley leading Lawrence and Kenton Koch remains fourth in the Random Vandals BMW.  Lawrence poking his nose around Foley in the scrap between the teammates at Turner Motorsports.

Whenever Turner Motorsports wins they celebrate with tacos.  Elliott Skeer loses bite through the apex and now, Skeer can go nowhere and the BMW brings more power, more punch.  Lawrence is through on Foley.  20 minutes to go.  Lawrence doing no favors for his teammate.  Turner Motorsports wants redemption after losing their victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.  Turner Motorsports will need a splash and a dash.  They are hoping for a yellow for ten seconds worth of gas.  You know a Full Course Yellow could also be imminent.  So, you are damned if you do, damned if you don't.  Nolasport also worried about being short on petrol.  Everyone wants a yellow.  Robin Liddell is in the catbird seat with two more laps worth of fuel in the tank over everybody else.

Liddell could indeed be in fuel save mode.  Is Liddell in fuel save mode?  That is the question.  We go back to the TCR battle as Tim Lewis is nearly back to the flank of Mikey Taylor.  These two are the top contenders in TCR with Mark Wilkins now nearly 6.7 seconds in-arrears.  Lawrence is closing on Foley hand over fist.  Kenton Koch is also back there, lurking.  Well, well, well.  Robby Foley is trying fuel save here but we can see that Lawrence is extremely quick and Kenton Koch has cleared Elliott Skeer.  Tim Lewis Jr. cannot find the solution to Mikey Taylor's riddle.  

Wilkins continues to lead Wickens in the battle of the factory BHA Hyundai's.  Taylor gets stacked up in The Carousel and a squirm there from Caleb Bigham!  Yikes!  Mikey Taylor is focusing forward.  Drive, dude.  Drive.  Don't look in the rearview mirror and there's trouble for the #14 Toyota Supra who has pancaked the wall off Canada Corner, or smashed it in The Kink.  Oof!  That is the exit of The Kink!  We may go yellow.  What do you do.  He is mowing down the WeatherTech signage.  This motorcar is rather secondhand, the Ave Motorsport Toyota Supra.  Flat left rear tire.  

Cameron Lawrence and Robby Foley both have to box and the BMW's are all in the lane.  Oh my!  What about Liddell?  What about McCumbee?  Szymczak has already taken a glug of fuel.  More fuel for the #95 and the #96 beats them out of the lane!  Holy moly Martha!  Random Vandals and Nolasport leapfrog the #95!  Did the other blokes take enough fuel?  Seven minutes and counting.  What a ride off the exit of The Kink for the #14 Ave Motorsports Toyota Supra!  That was ugly!  BMW, Porsche, BMW, BMW.  That is the top four in Grand Sport.  A battle too between Mercedes and Mustang.  That is the Winward Mercedes #57 and the KohR Motorsports Mustang #59.  Now then, Tim Lewis Jr. is closing in on Mikey Taylor in TCR.

He is going to go for the pass and no dice.  Decides discretion is the better part of valor?  Or not?  Not now.  Throw caution to the wind in the dying moments of the motor race.  Can Lewis Jr. find an answert to Mikey Taylor's riddle?  Russell Ward and Daniel Morad, Winward Racing gambling.  Daniel Morad leads the motor race with three and a ahalf minutes to go.  Luca Mars is second ahead of Robin Liddelll, Stevan McAleer, and Jeff Westphal.  No.  Never mind.  The order is shifting with two laps to go.  The TCR is still hot!

Taylor on defense and here comes Tim Lewis Jr. and he knows Taylor is compromised on corner exit.  Under the Sargento cheese bridge with the giant cheese truck.  Lewis Jr.w ants to do the over under in turn five.  Taylor tries the pass.  Lewis is there on the left, sideway,s, threshold braking,a nd makes the pass.  The Alfa and the Audi look even Steven on the straightaway.  White flag for Daniel Morad and he might have to hit fuel reserve to get home.  He has four and a half seconds.  Luca Mars is crawling.  He has to be out of fuel. Robin Liddell has disappeared and Luca Mars is out of fuel.  The Mustang is not galloping.  It is crawling.  Robin Liddell could reel in Morad and one of the Hyundai's is off.  Mark Wilkins in trouble!  What has happened?  White flag for TCR.  

Tim Lewis Jr. looking for the hat trick. Keep an eye on Daniel Morad.  Lewis Jr. has breathing room over Mikey Taylor.  Robin Liddell is closing in and fast on Daniel Morad who is coasting.  Out of Canada Corner it is all uphill.  Robin Liddell has a head of steam.  Who is going to win?  Winward Racing has to get up the hill.  Liddell takes out three seconds.  Not close enough.  Winward Racing win at Road America!  Wow!  Second win of the season.  What a motor race!  What a strategy call!

Bryce Ward and Daniel Morad score their second win of the year having also won on the street course in downtown Detroit back in June.  Where is Mikey Taylor?  He is well behind on fuel save.  Tim Lewis Jr. and Roy Block take the hat trick!  

Overall/Grand Sport: #57 Ward/Morad     Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4

             TCR: #5 Lewis Jr./Block               KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo

                                                                    Giulietta Veloce TCR

Three more races now remain in Michelin Pilot Challenge for 2023.  The next one is at Virginia International Raceway, in Alton, Virginia, and will take place in a bit less than three weeks.  Join us at VIR for more action.  So long for now, everybody.  Take care.




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