Hello, and welcome, everybody, to the second race of the weekend for Pirelli GT4 America here at Sonoma Raceway. We raised the curtain yesterday with an absolute barnburner of a race. Today, race two will be just as amazing I am sure, in Sonoma, California, the northern California wine country. Yesterday's race was a classic. I wonder what we will see today. Parker Thompson and Daniel Hanley on pole for today's race in the Toyota Supra GT4 Evo #999 from Hanley Motorsports. We had an action-packed race yesterday and some cars we saw come to the fore yesterday, will be at the back of the pack today. Colin Harrison will start the #22 Nissan Z GT4. 35 minutes maximum drive time in this 60-minute race.
It is a gorgeous day with the track being in great shape this afternoon. The new repave had to be repaired and patched earlier in the weekend. SRO and SMI who owns Sonoma Raceway, they put epoxy sealer on the track and the surface is curing and the speed has been tremendous. We no longer have to worry about a one groove racetrack. Kevin Boehm tells us that after a second-place effort yesterday, everyone enjoyed racing clean and green without any yellows. There is no margin for error. Random Vandals are giving the drivers a great car sponsored by CrowdStrike and AWS. Goal one is to keep clean at the start and go for it as the race presents itself.
Kevin Boehm, a former touring car champion in year two of racing in GT4. Parker Thompson is the pole man today. We have a 28-car field. Happy Birthday to John Capestro-Dubets, (JCD), sharing with Eric Filgueiras. We are ready to go racing in race two for Pirelli GT4 America here at Sonoma Raceway. One hour on the clock. Away we go! Michai Stephens drawing even with Parker Thompson who hangs on as they stack up behind. Everyone is through cleanly. Michai Stephens gets mugged by Mateus Leist. Trouble in paradise for Parker Thompson dropping like a stone just ahead of Kenton Koch.
Mateus Leist fighting with Zac Anderson in the AutoTechnic BMW M4 GT4. Leist in the RENNTech Mercedes-AMG GT4. Leist, the IndyCar exile, under pressure. Kay van Berlo has shot up from ninth to third and Michael Cooper is scrapping with Roman De Angelis. Nissan Z GT4 vs. Aston Martin Vantage GT4. Tyler Gonzalez now fighting with Michai Stephens as well, look. Leist ahead and ahead of Pro-Am. Zac Anderson is ahead in the Silver division. Kay van Berlo, Michai Stephens, Tyler Gonzalez, and Parker Thompson, along with Kenton Koch. Mercedes, Porsche, Nissan, Toyota, Toyota.
Battles all over the shop. Leist defending from Zac Anderson leading in Pro-Am and Silver respectively. Parker Thompson had no acceleration, no grip off turn two. Where on earth did Kay van Berlo come from? Holy smokes! Eirc Filgueiras, Terry Borcheller, Zac Anderson, Matheus Leist, I mean, it is a quality field of drivers this year. Stephens goes by Kay van Berlo. The Porsche Cayman's save for GT America, have been having issues. GT4 America used to be a Porsche playground here at Sonoma, but not with thr repave. The repave has given other brands a chance to shine.
Matheus Leist raced in IndyCar at A.J. Foyt Enterprises with Tony Kanaan. Good to see Leist back in racing. Matt Million racing the other car for Auto Technic Racing, running second overall I believe. Million sharing with Troy Lindstrom. Parker Thompson sideways out of the chicane, with Kenton Koch right behind him. He has a head of steam, but Tom Dyer is also right on his six in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 at Archangel Motorsports with Todd Parriott. Parriott also racing in GT America. Kay van Berlo, the Dutchman, and now, we have mor scrapping and scything in the top five.
Leist, Stephens, van Berlo, and Tyler Gonzalez. The Porsche is not the flavor of the day in terms of performance here in GT4. This is building a buffer for van Berlo's co-driver Curt Swearingin. Many of the Pro drivers will go deep into the stint. Kenton Koch will be racing GT3 teamed with Connor Daly later this year, including the Indianapolis 8 Hours joined by Connor De Philippi. Michai Stephens sets the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap. Tyler Gonzalez is vulnerable to Parker Thompson who takes the spot away. Koch makes a clean pass on Gonzalez.
This gives van Berlo a reprieve. But now, Parker Thompson is beginning to motor. Dan Hanley is a quick study and new to racing, but is indeed on the pace. van Berlo defends, Thompson on the dirt. van Berlo holds on and now, Kenton Koch tries going three wide at the exit of The Carousel! Holy smokes! Through turn seven they go. Thompson can't stick the car down and there goes Tyler Gonzalez! Holy mackerel! This is fun! Tom Dyer now under pressure from Roman De Angelis. Tyler McQuarrie and Michael Cooper are pushing hard. Cooper is back with Tony Gaples running a Nissan Z GT4.
McQuarrie passes Dyer who slams the door in Cooper's face. Michael Cooper has won titles in touring car, GT4, and GT3 in World Challenge and SRO both. Kenton Koch goes inside Tyler Gonzalez. Kay van Berlo too is fighting tooth and nail for fourth spot. Zac Anderson now leads Mattheus Leist for the overall lead of the motor race. Anderson in Silver, paired up with former stock car driver Colin Garrett. Michai Stephens is reeling in Mattheus Leist. Stephens in the Techsport Racing Nissan Z GT4. The Auto Technic team knows the Nissan is very quick. Colin Garrett, a former track champion at South Boston Speedway, not far from Virginia International Raceway.
Race Director Brian Till told the drivers to respect one another. That is very true. Kay van Berlo has moved up five places since the race began. Roman De Angelis scored a podium yesterday along with co-driver Gray Newell who will take over The Heart of Racing Aston Martin in the second half of this race. Parker Thompson is making good his escape over Kay van Berlo. The Toyota Suprea #999 has a paint scheme hearkening back to All American Racers with Dan Gurney who was the team boss in the first iteration of the IMSA GTP class. Daniel Hanley's father raced with Parker Thompson at JDX in Porsche Carrera Cup many moons ago.
Kay van Berlo defends again. We have 40 minutes of racing to go. 1/3rd of the race done and dusted. The pit window is now determined by drive time. van Berlo forces his way to the inside and makes the move. He is the cork in the bottle between Thompson, Koch, and Gonzalez. Timing and scoring is lighting up. Zac Anderson had fastest lap, momentarily, before it was stolen by Michai Stephens. How much will Mattheus Leist fight Zac Anderson? His real competition is van Berlo. 1:41.745, the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap for Michai Stephens. The Am drivers have the table set by the Pro drivers.
How will they deal with the pressure? Colin Harrison goes up over the curb and clonks into James Clay who won Am with Charlie Postins yesterday. Stewards will not like the move. The Flying Lizard Nissan of Stefan Rzadzinski is off the road. He had a moment on the opening lap of Free Practice that caused the team to swap to a spare car. Drive through penalty to Colin Harrison for the incident we saw. There is damage to James Clay's BMW M4 GT4. It is not terminal, but they are out of contention.
Cut and dried, big commitment over the curbs, and... crunch! Kay van Berlo fighting for sixth place, playing defense over Tyler Gonzalez. Michael Cooper pressuring Tom Dyer as well. Matt Million leads the Am division as well. Colin Harrison hands the #22 TechSport Nissan Z GT4 to Eric Powell. We are closing in on halfway. Maybe the penalty can be served during the driver change. Anderson, Leist, Thompson, all uncorking personal best lap times. The battle is now on as Michai Stephens is reeling in Matheus Leist.
Stephens brings the Techsport Racing Nissan going for the undercut and set to hand over to Jonathan Neudorf. No fueling for these pit stops. Just a driver change and adjustments to tire pressures. Bimmerworld also in the lane it looks like. That is the James Walker Jr. and Tyler McQuarrie pairing and Walker Jr. swaps in after McQuarrie's stint. Zac Anderson in the lane now ready to hand off to Colin Garrett at AutoTechnic BMW. There is a battle for position as Leist is leading over van Berlo. Garrett needs to find speed to avoid being harried by Jonathan Neudorf.
This is a stacked field in Pirelli GT4 America indeed. Jonathan Neudorf comes to GT4 after racing in Mazda MX5 Cup for a number of years. 90 seconds pit delta pit in to pit out. If you exit under that time, under one second, whatever that fraction is, it is multiplied by ten and becomes a post-race time penalty. Clear as mud? Clear as mud. Daniel Hanley and John Geesbreght are now in a battle of the Supra's as Michael Auriemma has taken over the RENNtech Mercedes from Matheus Leist. Auriemma needs to know he can let the other two cars go.
Don't fight it. Don't fight it. Auriemma needs to know what on earth is happening. Jonathan Neudorf must pass Colin Garrett and make good his escape by two seconds, at the very least. Auriemma now has good pace, much better than we first thought. Garrett in no man's land with brake lockup on the left front. Neudorf locks the brakes and bounds over the curbs! Holy smokes! He almost rolled the car! I don't believe I have ever seen a GT4 car bicycle like that! 20 minutes of racing to go. Neudorf continues to push. Auriemma covering off Garrett.
When will Colin Garrett use the chrome horn? Don't get impatient and try to do that. He is feeling the heat from Neudorf. Neudorf sends it, but no dice. There's dirt and grime on the road off the fresh asphalt. Under 20 minutes left. We are watching the scrap for first, second, and third in the overall. Pro-Am vs. Silver. Garrett has a run to the inside over Auriemma, and he has a buffer to Neudorf. Jonathan Neudorf follows him through. Michai Stephens believes he and Jonathan Neudorf can overcome this upcoming penalty. Nissan and Techsport are going above and beyond the call of duty. Stephens says they don't know where the smoke we have seen, is coming from.
Jonathan Neudorf is a breaking star in Pirelli GT4 America right now, it seems. I have seen him race in Mazda MX5 Cup, but only a handful of times. Smoke internally coming from the exhaust I think on the Nissan. But it has not slowed the car, or Neudorf, down. 16 and a half minutes left on the board. Colin Garrett is a champion at the touring car level in SRO America. The second Auto Technic BMW of Troy Lindstrom is running well, the car started by Matt Million, leading by six seconds on Random Vandals Racing in their BMW M4 GT4 with Paul Sparta and Kris Wilson. Sparta, the team boss, at the wheel now. Then comes the #26 Heart of Racing Aston Martin of Hannah Greenmeier, Hannah squared, sharing with Hannah Grisham.
The Heart of Racing has their fingers in many pies, and they are moving to the Hypercar ranks in North America and worldwide next year. Game over for Charlie Postins and James Clay. They will score some points. Contact with the BMW by Colin Harrison in the Nissan, and all is apologized for and forgiven between Bimmerworld and one of the Techsport Nissan teams. Michael Auriemma leading Pro-Am and now, Jonathan Neudorf continues smoking, and now, it is game over as he heads for the lane. Dear me. This is a heartbreaker for the Techsport Nissan team. Blackdog Speed Shop and Flying Lizard also running the Nissan Z GT4 platform.
This is a massive boost for Colin Garrett with ten seconds back to the next car and Kevin Boehm in third, 17 seconds down in the Silver class. The engine internally, has gone bang, on the Nissan. That is a tough break. Side by side battle between Gray Newell and James Walker Jr. This is for seventh place, third in the Pro-Am class. Ten minutes to go. Gray Newell might step it up to GT3 next year. He has done some running in GT3 in other championships. Two Toyota Supra's racing each other, Daniel Hanley vs. John Geesbreght. Both were quick with very little experience, one year apart, but they are two talents to keep an eye on.
Eight and a half minutes left on the board. Geesbreght, all arms and elbows staying ahead of the other Toyota. We could have a late safety car. A couple cars tangled up on the circuit. Jaden Lander and Robb Holland in the ROTEK rACING Porsche Cayman has collided with Nick Shanny and Terry Borcheller in the Carus Callas Race Team BMW M4 GT4. Jaden Lander out of the car and OK. He wonders what on earth has just happened to him. Smoke billowing from the front end of the Porsche. Rotek Racing swept the weekend in GT America, but in Pirelli GT4 America, it will be a weekend to forget.
Nick Shanny out of the car and OK, talking things over with Jaden Lander to try and understand what happened. Ooh! Lander came from way back and walloped Shanny in the right front! Ouch! A lot of dust from grinding out the old tarmac it seems. This leaves drivers vulnerable. I think we will finish this race under the safety car and the race order as it is now should be how things are going to end up. Anthony Geraci in the #72 Krugspeed Toyota Supra has copped a penalty at the end of the race. That is the car he shares with Lance Bergstein.
Eric Powell has just scored the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap of the race, but we don't know the exact time. Robb Holland has assessed the replay. Shanny went wide letting cars through, but he went for the apex and slammed into the Porsche. They will be having to get ready for the doubleheader at Long Beach for GT America I believe. We will have the yellow and white flags simultaneously. One lap to go. Colin Garrett is on his way to a victory in his first weekend with AutoTechnic along with Zac Anderson. Kenton Koch and Kevin Boehm will finish runner up and should take the championship lead. GT America is racing at Long Beach in a couple weeks.
RENNtech Motorsports third overall in the Pro-Am lead, for Michael Auriemma and Matheus Leist. Matheus Leist last won at Iowa Speedway on the oval at Iowa Speedway in Indy Lights which is now Indy Next. Checkered flag is out. Colin Garrett and Zac Anderson win Silver. Michael Auriemma and Matheus Leist win in Pro-Am, and in the Am class, the other AutoTechnic BMW, the #53 car of Matt Million and Troy Lindstrom. Cue the dance music for the results.
Overall/Silver: #51 Garrett/Anderson AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4
Pro-Am: #89 Leist/Auriemma RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4
Am: #53 Million/Lindstrom AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4
So, that is a wrap for Pirelli GT4 America at Sonoma Raceway in the northern California wine country. Next up, the fabled and rough concrete runways of Sebring International Raceway in the first weekend in May. Really looking forward to those races. So, we'll see you then. Still one more big race today for GT World Challenge America, in race two. Excited to bring it to you, soon. Stay tuned.
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