The final two events of the SRO TC America 2023 season are upon us, here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. We wrap up the season this weekend. Since 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a fixture of, the home of American motorsport, the racing capitol of the world. Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish call the action from the broadcast booth with D.J. Clark reporting from the pit lane. Colin Garrett is TCX champion while we have two more class titles fiercely contested. In TC it is Jeff Ricca vs. Clay Williams and in TC it will be a battle between Devin Anderson and Jeff Ricca. Dai Yoshihara is on TCX pole in the #99 VGRT Honda Civic Type R TCX. Cristian Perocarpi and Mini who are based here in Indiana, want to win, not just the race but the championship. Perocarpi, a hometown hero, from Brownsburg, Indiana.
Devin Anderson and Spencer Bucknum are even in TCA but both the Honda and the Subaru are on the front row of the grid. Spencer Bucknum has the minor advantage. The field rolling off on their formation laps to generate heat in the tires on a chilly Saturday morning at 45 degrees ambient temperature. It's cold out there, buddy. There is something so special about winning at Indianapolis. Dai Yoshihara is on the overall pole. Cristian Perocarpi on TC class pole as we said. 29 cars starting including Canaidan newcomer Maddie Lemke.
Two and a half miles around, 14 corners. Plenty of room for the TC cars to run side by side. The sun should warm up at least part of the track here. The safety car will peel off and we'll be ready to race. Watch the grip levels into the tricky first turn. Please tell me you know what to do at the first turn. We'll have to keep an eye on the TCX Honda which has had traction trouble. Here we go. One Honda and many BMW's in TCX. Dai Yoshihara to driver's right and Colin Garrett to driver's left. Green flag. Away we go!
Colin Garrett on the grippy part of the road. Into turn one, Garrett tries to clear Yoshihara as Kenny Schmied gives him a bump and there is Adam Gleason's BMW in the "Days of Thunder" move inspired car as we have huge carnage in TCA! Battle for the lead in TC, Celso Neto, the Brazilian, passes Cristian Perocarpi and now it is a scrap between Clay Williams and Jeff Ricca, the two title contenders. Through oval turns one and two. Celso Neto's Honda is hooked up right now and Perocarpi has a spicy pace, wanting to win a race. He has racked up podium after podium, has Celso Neto.
In TCA, it is Spencer Bucknum vs. Will Lambros and something is wrong with Devin Anderson's Subaru! He has dropped like a stone! Devin Anderson, TCA pole man, three points behind. Sally McNulty and Ruben Iglesias were off the road when we started the motor race. Hard to go side by side into the turn, through five and six, the high speed chicane. Anderson ran wide and now he has passed Maddie Lemke. Colin Garrett to the inside and has to give it up. Kenny Schmied off and on and now here comes Adam Gleason. Poor old Garrett has been swamped as Jackson Lee is going for it, the son of IndyCar championship broadcaster Kevin Lee.
Jackson Lee is the teammate to Kenny Schmied at AOA Racing. Colin Garrett is working on Adam Gleason, based off the Mello Yello Days of Thunder NASCAR movie car. He is originally from Indianapolis, now living in Texas, closer to his team at Fast Track Racing. Neto, Perocarpi, Williams, the top three in TC. Jackson Lee makes a bold move on Maddie Aust and Colin Garrett has dropped back. Lee passes Aust. OK. Good fight in TCA between Spencer Bucknum and Will Lambros stymied behind Sally McNulty in her now wounded TC car.
McNulty in a spot of bother. The TC car has gapped the TCA field. Spencer Bucknum will now have a slightly easier time but Will Lambros is going for it. L.A. Honda World vs. Skip Barber Racing School. Ryan Eversley is Spencer Bucknum's driver coach. Ricca is off and on through turn ten. He is struggling for pace, but hanging on by hs fingernails. Dear oh dear. ...And now, look, Perocarpi pulls the draft into turn one while Celso Neto leads, keeping it together. Cristian Perocarpi loves the speedway but has not been happy with his results here.
Half an hour of racing on the board yet. Jeff Ricca lying in the weeds, ready to pounce if he gets a chance. He missed two races at Circuit of the Americas to race with Hyundai at the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring. Neto carving the corners nicely in these cooler conditions with tire degradation not a concern. The Bucknum family has rich history here at Indy. Ronnie, his grandpa started three Indianapolis 500s from 1967-'70 and dad Jeff made two in 2005 and 2006. Anderson has pace. He is starting to make inroads picking off his rivals.
P.J. Groenke, the Canadian is next on his shopping list. The Honda, Mini's, and Hyundai are all locked together. Points as of now 245 for Williams and 221 for Ricca. 24 points the gap. Ricca has to win tomorrow, and Williams must DNF for Ricca to be the champion. Clay Williams just has to sit there and ride all of this out. Dai Yoshihara was under duress earlier in the race but is now clearing away as Jackson Lee is harrying teammate Kenny Schmied. AOA running a second car here at Indianapolis something they have done a handful of times as a huge ride is taken over the curbs at turn 7 by Jeremiah Burton!
Jeremiah Burton is an online presence in the auto industry but learned how to be a racing driver as well. So, Adam Gleason drops to fifth being shadowed by teammate Maddie Aust. The TC and TCX classes are close together and Cristian Perocarpi is giving Celso Neto everything he can handle. Williams might be slowing. In the heat at Sebring, the Mini's were overheating or having turbo trouble. That was at our most recent race. Jeff Ricca losing oodles of time to the Mini under acceleration. Gear ratios, maybe? Celso Neto meanwhile wants his first career win in touring cars in SRO competition.
TCX leaders moving in on TCA. Jackson Lee has his mirrors full of Colin Garrett passing by the Mini, Bruce Myrehn at the wheel of it. Adam Gleason and Maddie Aust going for it. The stock car veteran, former South Boston Speedway track champion in Virginia, passing Jackson Lee. 1:35.577, the CrowdStrike Fast Lap goes to Garrett. Maddie Aust tries a late move. Oy. Almost halfway home. Adam Gleason did not race at Sebring after a massive accident at Road America. Oh no. Neto off the road with damage! He is in the gravel trap between turns three and four on the road course! Full Course Yellow. Maddie Lemke also off the road in the #9 Ascent Racing Honda Civic Si FE1.
The yellow saves the bacon for Devin Anderson. The TechSport Subaru driver is back in the game. A monster hit for Celso Neto with the right front of the automobile all torn up. Jeff Ricca is going to be right on Clay Williams' back bumper. There's still a three-point swing. So, this is manna from heaven for Jeff Ricca. As they run it is a 24-point difference, currently. Halfway home in the second to last event of the year. Clayton Willams at 248 points, Jeff Ricca at 224 points, 24 points apart as they run. Clay Williams could still clinch today.
Mini still has to play catch up in the manufacturers' cup. With Neto out of the motor race this helps Mini. Spencer Bucknum now leads Devin Anderson by only 13 points. 248-235. Devin Anderson has the tiebreaker with six wins on the year. We've seen drama in TCA all year in 2023. This race is getting spicy, like I always say, borrowing that term from SRO broadcaster, Calvin Fish. We remain under safety car conditions. At Rooster Hall Racing, Colin Garrett's BMW M2 CS Racing is set up for the end of the race which is upon us in the final 15 minutes.
Colin Garrett is fine. He has the title in his pocket. He can go for the win. Jackson Lee finished top ten at the Formula Ford Festival in 2020 and finished well in U.S. Formula 2000. He wants to race in open wheel cars but getting experience in tin tops as well. He is an ambassador for his programs and sponsors. Plus, he is a Team USA scholarship winner, run by Jeremy Shaw. He has given lots of drivers an opportunity for American drivers to go to race in Europe. Inside the final 15 minutes of the race.
Dai Yoshihara leading but he could be vulnerable if he isn't careful. What will Perocarpi do with Williams? How can Jeff Ricca minimize the points deficit befoe the finale tomorrow? The same is true with Devin Anderson. He has recovered to third and has to gain a couple more places before the finale tomorrow. The safety car is in the lane. Green flag! Dai Yoshihara, Cristian Perocarpi, Spencer Bucknum, your leaders. Yoshihara has a strong getaway and Ricca gets the jump making a move on both Mini's! Jackson Lee inside of Garrett. Ricca to the front! Holy cow! The snake in the grass was laying back and got the holeshot!
So, the TC championship is changing and in TCX, Kenny Schmied is going for it. Lambros and Anderson battling for second and Spencer Bucknum could be in the pound seats as Schmied is defending from Colin Garrett. Garrett makes the move on Schmied. Schmied pushing hard. Dai Yoshihara can open a gap over these two chaps. Adam Gleason and Madie Aust also scrapping and now we se the TC lead and a touch between Schmied and Garrett! Perocarpi scrapping with Ricca! Williams and Kris Valdez fighting. Ten minutes to go. Ricca fight for his championship life with Perocarpi and Williams.
Jackson Lee still looking for spots. Schmied and Lee pushing hard! Schmied drops a wheel and now is vulnerable. Garrett has blasted away. Gleason and Aust also scrapping for Fast Track. Don't take your teammate out. Someone off in oval turn one. Ricca opens the door for Perocarpi but it could be a fake. Perocarpi in the slipsteam with just over eight minutes left. Perocarpi trying to get to the lead. Ricca tries a Scandinavian flick and Perocarpi blinded. Garrett has the heat on and now Schmied and Lee get together and Schmied spins! Garrett, fastest lap at 1:35.577. He's got the heat turned on!
Williams gets stymied and is now losing ground to Perocarpi and Ricca, both! Ricca was struggling on acceleration. Jackson Lee hits the pit lane. The Hyundai has an extra turn of speed late in the going. There's pace in the Mini for Perocarpi. Catching is one thing and passing completely different. Williams ahead of Ricca in points by only 11, 245-234. The Hyundai and the Mini are evenly matched. Perocarpi rolling speed through turn nine. Ricca the veteran of the duo celebrating a birthday just a few days ago. Perocarpi pushing it.
Devin Anderson has continued to drop like a stone down to fifth place! Bucknum can gain 15 points for an 18 point gap going into the finale tomorrow. Ricca and Perocarpi joined at the hip. Cristian Perocarpi probing, looking for a way by. Spencer Bucknum has to maximize the points. Anderson has pace still. The gap is 18 ppoints. Bucknum at 248 and Anderson at 230. Anderson coming up on Shaoyi Che and P.J. Groenke. Lapped traffic. Ricca can run the regular line. Perocarpi looking to send it but elects to stay in line. Ricca dancing the car on it's nose through the braking zone.
Perocarpi right on Ricca's six. Bicknum continues leading TCA over Lambros. If this changes the gap decreases to 11 points. Bucknum has to hang on and cannot let Lambros pass. Ricca eking out a gap by a car length over Perocarpi. Perocarpi right on his six. We have opportunity for about three laps. This race coming down to the wire. We've still got the Indianapolis 8 Hours. Have to save something in terms of action here, maybe. Ricca has more of a gap and Lambros is passing Bucknum. Bucknum forces Lambros over the curb!
Bucknum going for it thinking big picture. Ryan Eversley on the horn saying "stay cool, mate. Stay cool." Anderson passes Groenke. Bucknum fights with Lambros. Spencer Bucknum has to be careful not to cut down a tire. Lambros going for it. The gap is nine points, 241-232. The switcheroo at Subaru is on as Shaoyi Che lets Devin Anderson by. TechSport Subaru going for it. Right now the rivals would be only six points before the finale tomorrow. Dai Yoshhara leads overall and maybe Clay Williams is off the road. We'll see what is going on.
Perocarpi pouring on the steam. Final lap. Dai Yoshihara wins race one at Indianapolis in TCX! Dai Yoshihara and VGRT win the Brickyard! Jeff Ricca wins TC within a shout of the title. In TCA, Lambros vs. Bucknum. Bucknum makes a late move. Lambros sends it. It's a drag race to the yard of bricks. A dead heat! Unofficial winner by one one thousandth of a second to Bucknum! I though Lambros had it, visually. It's Bucknum! Holy mackerel! For now, Bucknum has it but it will be under review by the stewards.
In TCA it could be Will Lambros, but we don't know just yet.
Overall/TCX: #99 Dai Yoshihara VGRT Honda Civic Type R TCX
TC: #78 Jeff Ricca Genracer/Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TC
TCA: #77 William Lambros Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Si FE1
Clay WIlliams did drop multiple places to sixth in class and Ricca scores maximum points! This is a 17-point swing with a 21-point lead coming in. Four points will be the margin going into the finale tomorrow. Williams can control his destiny. Who will win TCA? Provisional race results at best. Dai Yoshihara wins his first race since NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, Louisiana, back in April. In replay, we see Lambros and Bucknum side by side. Will Lambros has been declared the winner. It sounds like this could be the official result.
A very happy Will Lambros. Cue the dance music for the points. Colin Garrett is TCX champion elect. Lucas Catania is not here at Indianapolis this weekend so he will not score. His dad, Joe Catania, not in these races either. In TC, Clayton Williams just 11 points ahead of Jeff Ricca before the finale tomorrow. Devin Anderson only six points behind in the TCA class. We'll see how things turn out in the finale tomorrow.
What a motor race! What a motor race! We still have to find out the TC and TCA champions and we'll do that tomorrow. For now, bye bye.
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