Pirelli GT4 America is set to go for their second and final one-hour fling here at Road America in the Kettle Moraine in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Yesterday's race saw a dominant victory for Kenton Koch, Kevin Boehm, and the Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4. This is race two of the doubleheader weekend. It was a wild race with fascinating conditions. Blustery conditions, but no rain forecast as we have the GT4 cars out ready to race again. Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth and D.J. Clark in the pit lane. We had a wild and crazy race one yesterday. On the front row we have Kenton Koch, the winner, and Zac Anderson. The two of them were not happy with each other yesterday, and they were brought to the stewards yesterday, but no action taken. The points championship battle is coming down to the wire.
Eric Filgueiras inside row two and he is the points leader, starting fourth, not third. He will be feeling the heat. He is teamed up with JCD, John Capestro-Dubets. Tyler Gonzalez and co-driver Michael Cooper are very quick. Excuse me. Not Michael Cooper but Corey Lewis. It is Parker Thompson. Also, Paul Sparta and Kris Wilson will not be racing today. They were scuppered yesterday by a pit lane penalty. Curt Swearingin won GT America and Pirelli GT4 America yesterday and Kay van Berlo is co-driving of course. Engines will fire up and 27 cars will move out on their formation lap. 26 with the withdrawal of the one Random Vandals BMW. The penalty from yesterday's crash went to the #82 James Walker Jr. and Tyler McQuarrie driven BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4.
There were many drivers that got caught up in that shemozzle yesterday. Blackdog Speedshop are in their local race based in Chicago with Tony Gaples and Michael Cooper in their Nissan Z NISMO GT4. At one point Michael Cooper won four of five consecutive races. Tyler McQuarrie is 26th and last, starting from pit lane. 14 corners, four miles here at Road America, lots of elevation change and some great corners, wide braking zones, new surface, lots of grip. We should see a dry race on a relatively green track. Racing started here at Elkhart Lake in the village and Cliff Tufte, WW. I. veteran and contractor, he built this place.
Zac Anderson has the field in hand. Green flag. Away we go. The Random Vandals BMW of Kenton Koch wants the place over Zac Anderson. Corey Lewis right in the fight with Eric Filgueiras. Supra vs. Cayman. BMW's 1-2, Porsche, Toyota, and the rest. A very defensive line covering Kenton Koch with Kay van Berlo passing Corey Lewis hugging the inside line. Everyone racing GT4 homologated cars, class differences because of the driver lineups. Zac Anderson is feisty, determined, done wrong yesterday by Kenton Koch. He has the grit, the determination to go for it as Jonathan Neudorf in the first of the TechSport Nissan Z cars with the similar car of Michael Cooper in there.
Her tries passing Corey Lewis in the Toyota, Jonathan Neudorf and don't forget Tom Dyer in the #13 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 for Flying Lizard Motorsports. Deeper in the pack, Jake Cowden in the #34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 pushing hard. Austin Krainz is also back there. Did Anderson get tweaked by Filgueiras? Kay van Berlo coming in a hurry. Filgueiras throws it up the inside of Kenton Koch and cannot make the pass. Koch opens his hands ad gives his rivals a little room. Now, Jonathan Neudorf is all over Kay van Berlo like a cheap suit.
Neudorf is very impressive sharing the car with Johann Schwartz, the Danish veteran driver. He is in Pro-Am teamed with Neudorf. Anderson leading Koch. Koch said to the stewards that he made a pass similarly to how he did it in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge weeks ago, but different rulesets in each series. Neudorf is coming in a massive hurry. Koch has it and Filgueiras shoving Anderson through turn five. van Berlo has a head of steam. Anderson the meat in a Porsche sandiwch, Filgueiras through the grass. Here comes Neudorf!
Now, Copper and Lewis going after it and poor old Eric Filgueiras is getting devoured! Anderson has lost the lead and dropped to fourth place as Kenton Koch is scampering away while his rivals' squabble for position. Great scenario for Kenton Koch and Random Vandals Racing. Anderson, Lewis, Filgueiras, all dropping like stones. Austin Krainz is beginning to move up and run amongst these veterans including Tom Dyer a veteran racer. Still four races remaining after this one at Barber Motorsports Park and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kenton Koch was never able to drive the Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3 yesterday after a wreck, sharing with Madison Snow. They will race later today in GTWC race two.
Charlie Postins, Jaden Lander, and Lee Carpentier all squabbling in the Am class for the lead. The Nolasport Porsche Cayman's are coming to the fore. In Am, Holland and Lander as well as Clay and Postins can catch up to Paul Sparta and Kris Wilson, not racing today. 13 minutes away from the pit window opening. No more mandatory pit windows, replaced by maximum stint times with more wiggle room. Ryan Eversley throws it in and takes a spot over Gray Newell. Eversley sharing with Alexandra Hainer from Toyota GR Cup.
2:16.441 fastest lap of the race so far to Kay van Berlo. Kenton Koch had the best overall time in the middle sector. Koch leads followed by van Berlo and Neudorf followed by Anderson and Lewis in the Pro-Am class podium spots. Nissan #5 is Andy Lee, and he has motored his way up to 14th place sharing with Rodrigo Baptista. Jake Cowden has been tipped into a spin by Tom Dyer in turn 13. That was a late move, and Cowden came a cropper there. Lee has run down the other Nissan from TechSport Racing with Elivan Goulart at the wheel of it. He works his way past Brazilian former IndyCar racer Mattheus Leist.
Leist late on the brakes forcing the Flying Lizard Nissan Z car to the outside in turn five. Leist vs. Lee. Leist raced for A.J. Foyt alongside his countryman Tony Kanaan, years ago. Leist was successful in British F3 and Indy Lights now known as Indy Next, in open wheel cars. Leist is the 2016 British Formula 3 champion racing against such drivers as Lando Norris and Colton Herta. Kay van Berlo has run down Kenton Koch. Meanwhile, Zac Anderson has passed Jonathan Neudorf as Kay van Berlo is fighting Kenton Koch and is all over him like a cheap suit. van Berlo makes the pass at the top of the hill.
van Berlo, a promising young driver from The Netherlands. Kay van Berlo has a degree from the University of Miami in Florida and is doing graduate work at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Corey Lewis settling in with the Smooge Racing Toyota Supra team. Now, Kenton Koch is fighting Kay van Berlo, and the Porsche Cayman might have a speed edge over the BMW M4 GT4. Tom Dyer cops a penalty for incident responsibility getting into Jake Cowden and spinning him around sharing the #34 JMF Mercedes with Demi Chalkias.
Chris Walsh in the Am class is all over Charlie Postins for second place with Lee Carpentier leading in the Am class. Charlie Postins loves this track with local support from the Hobbs family. Walsh sells Postins the dummy and grabs the place. At BimmerWorld, they are not concerned about an overall victory. They want the points for the championship with Random Vandals not racing today. Curt Swearingin is readying for his driving stint in the overall leading #7 ACI Motorsports Porsche Cayman driven now by Kay van Berlo. Colin Garrett is also going for it sharing with Zac Anderson. Anderson will take over their car and Kevin Boehm will take over from Kenton Koch.
The minimum pit stop time is 91 seconds with no joker. van Berlo up five places. Andy Lee charging through the field to inside of the top ten for when co-driver Damir Hot gets into the car. Ryan Eversley moving up and losing a spot to Tyler McQuarrie who started from the pit lane as the pit window will open soon. Good parity, six manufacturers in the top 11 places. Side by side between Carpentier and Eversley. The Toyota Supra dancing around down to the inside on Carpentier in the Porsche and now, Eversley moving in on McQuarrie.
Through The Carousel, a 280-degree downhill corner loading up the left front tire. Alexandra Hainer is Eversley's teammate. Deep on the brakes as the Toyota rides the bump at the end of the curbs. Pit window open. Driver changes coming. Ryan Eversley in, Corey Lewis in, and trouble here for the father and son pairing of Lucas and Joseph Catania with a cut down left front tire shredding the left front of their BMW M4 GT4 and a land rush into the pit lane if the safety car is scrambled. The leaders are still on the road.
Ideally, they want to maximize their drive time, particularly Kay van Berlo. Watch out for the debris field. More bits and bobs of the BMW flying off with Lucas Catania at the controls. He needs to mdoerate his speed more. Everyone sensing a Full Course Yellow, and they are in the lane now for the driver changes. Kenton Koch maybe got stymied by van Berlo's entry speed. Garrett will be all over Kevin Boehm like a rash. Halfway home in race two for GT4 America here at Road America. No tire changes. Just the driver change, and checking or bleeding tire pressure.
Everything cool calm and collected. There is a minimum pit lane transit time including the stop, 91 seconds. Random Vandals give the place up to the Porsche of Curt Swearingin. The safety car is out now. Was the BMW ahead at the time of the safety car? I don't know. There are chunks of bright blue BMW everywhere on the road after Luca Catania's tire delaminated. He spread debris for a solid mile. A fraught race for Lucas and Joseph Catania in the #33 Rigid Speed BMW M4 GT4. Kay van Berlo says he was just playing things safe but in hot pursuit to his rivals. He felt no need for risk but when his rivals began fighting, he found an opportunity.
Pit stops always dramatic and now we are under the safety car. Random Vandals discussing things with the pit marshals, and they are making the case that they made the pass when the safety car came out. Curt Swearingin is booking it in order to catch the safety car crocodile. The pits are closed I believe. Kenton Koch says that Random Vandals' pit strategy was stymied because of the safety car, and they needed to pit earlier than they wanted to as the pit window opened. Thankfully, everything worked out. Random Vandals will get the position.
Kenton Koch will be racing in Fanatec GT World Challenge America at 1:45 this afternoon teamed up in the BMW M4 GT3 with Madison Snow. Lee Carpentier owes us a pit stop, the Am class leader. This does not bode well for Nolasport. The pit window is extended by five minutes but will have to move fast. A few other cars are a lap down, trapped behind the safety car being pointed by. Carpentier about to take it but I think he is ineligible. The two cars ahead are eligible but I don't know who they are. Carpentier leading overall having not pitted yet. He needs to dive to the lane this lap to avoid a penalty based on exceeding maximum stint length.
2/3rds of this race now done and dusted. Word from Race Control, the safety car will remain on track for one lap. Lee Carpentier must dive to the lane now. He has no choice. OK. He will be fine and hand the Nolasport Porsche Cayman to David Peterman. Curt Swearingin leads over Johann Schwartz and watch for other drivers like Tyler Gonzalez and John Capestro-Dubets. Reorder, car #97 ahead of car #7. Random Vandals argued their case and won it with the stewards. In this replay, we see Kevin Boehm needing to fall back in line and Boehm accelerated and nosed ahead right at the yellow flags. He backed off before Curt Swearingin did.
Race Control have redressed that, and Random Vandals and Kevin Boehm could sweep the weekend. Stay tuned for the next 19 minutes. Safety Car lights off. We are truing the field loose again fighting to the finish. Lots of contenders are in the fight in the waning moments. Kevin Boehm has the lead and now, Curt Swearingin draws a bead and Colin Garrett spins Swearingin into the kitty litter! Oh my! Tyler Gonzalez up to second place! Holy cow! Great restart from Gonzalez before dropping a wheel at corner exit of turn three. It is a hornet's nest everywhere here at Road America.
Up to second it is John Capestro-Dubets! Kevin Boehm will be fending off the challenge of RS1 and JCD. Oh, my heavens! Everywhere you look, there is a battle. Alexandra Hainer punted off into the barriers and... crunch! The left rear suspension is broken. Alexandra Hainer and Ryan Eversley, out. Race leader, drive through penalty for a pit lane speed limit violation for Kevin Boehm! This changes everything! The safety car is on the road, 14 minutes on the board. You cannot serve a penalty under yellow. They could get demoted by a time penalty if the yellow stays out. Kenton Koch is gobsmacked!
RS1 and John Capestro-Dubets will assume the lead. Curt Swearingin in the Pro-Am class trundling up the hill to the pit lane and it has all gone pear shaped. Colin Garrett in fourth, he may also have a penalty in his future. Safety Car deployed. Time is of the essence in the final 13 minutes of the race. Garrett inside of Swearingin causing him to spin and then, Hainer was tagged by a BMW, and I think it was the second place Am car of James Clay. Curt Swearingin is sent out of the lane with a new tire and damage repaired. 11 and a half minutes left on the board. Time is of the essence as we said. JCD will have less time to try and run down Kevin Boehm.
Robb Holland and Jaden Lander won Am yesterday and could sweep the weekend in class. Roman De Angelis is fifth overall and in the Pro-Am class lead. Roman De Angelis being harried by Johann Schwartz, Roland Krainz, and Damir Hot. Will James Clay be penalized for tagging Alexandra Hainer? Clay has damage and so that will be a point of contention in the waning moments with eight minutes to go. The worst-case scenario is that we don't restart, and it is time penalties ahoy. Boehm and company want to restart the race. There is no fudge factor with the pit lane speed and the data monitoring as well as the calibration of the pit lane speed limiters.
James Clay pulls off the road and maybe his BMW is overheating as he backs up into a safe haven. BimmerWorld after being on top of the pile the last two years have had rotten luck in 2024. Safety Car lights off and a restart with five minutes to go. Kevin Boehm, the leader, owes a drive through penalty and so John Capestro-Dubets will inheit the lead and Tyler Gonzalez will be mowing him down. Colin Garrett has a penalty ahead of him and there's more. Tony Gaples trying to move and here comes Colin Garrett on Tyler Gonzalez.
Side by side stuff between Garrett and Gonzalez. Car #36, drive through penalty for James Clay. It is a moot point. JCD looking inside Boehm. No contact. It is clean. In the background, look, Colin Garrett passed by the Aston Martin. The battle continues between Boehm, JCD, and now, Tyler Gonzalez making a move. They make contact through The Carousel. Gonzalez is through on JCD! Boehm must hit the lane now. Through The Kink, some argy bargy. A wild final five inutes. Two and a half minutes and a little more, remaining.
Could Tyler Gonzalez and Corey Lewis share a win? Garrett to the lane. Boehm staying out. If there is a yellow and everyone gets bunched up, the time penalty gets worse as they mitigate the time loss. Less than two minutes left. One lap to go. Boehm might incur a time penalty if he wants to come in. Here comes Gonzalez on JCD and some argy bargy! JCD threw it to the inside and Gonzalez all over him! Pro-Am leader right behind, Roman De Angelis. This is the fight. Porsche vs. Toyota. Boehm not running afoul of the rules. Porsche vs. Toyota Supra down to Canada Corner. Gonzalez squirming and sliding to try and move past Capestro-Dubets!
He has gapped Gonzalez. Where is Kevin Boehm? He stays on the road and takes the post-race penalty. Capestro-Dubets wins! He and Eric Filgueiras and RS1 hang on! The Pro-Am win to Roman De Angelis and Gray Newell and Jaden Lander and Robb Holland sweep, the Am division! Filgueiras and JCD increase their lead headed to Barber Motorsports Park. That's it. More post-race stuff to sort through. Random Vandals plummet to 20th place behind Colin Garrett who took a drive through. Holy cow!
A post-race penalty will be more damaging than serving it in the race.
Overall/Silver: #28 Capestro-Dubets/Filgueiras RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
Pro-Am: #24 Newell/De Angelis The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR
GT4
Am: #099 Holland/Lander Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
Clubsport
Cue the dance music for the results, and Heart of Racing ends up with a double podium. What a race in Pirelli GT4 America. We'll have more about it in a few minutes. Stay tuned as race two for GT World Challenge America here at Road America is coming up next. Pirelli GT4 America, we will see them again for the penultimate race weekend of the season, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, coming up in three weeks' time in mid-September. For now, from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, bye bye.
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