Elias Sabo, Andy Lee-driven entry pulls out of second Fanatec GT World Challenge America race of weekend at VIR...
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Capestro-Dubets, Filgueiras Sweep VIR Weekend
RS1 duo take Sunday win at Virginia International Raceway...
https://sportscar365.com/sro/gt4-america/capestro-dubets-filgueiras-sweep-vir-weekend/
Pirelli GT4 America: VIR, Race 2
It is time for race two of the weekend in SRO Pirelli GT4 America here at Virginia International Raceway. It appears the start time for this one is moved up from where yours truly had it originally scheduled which shows the SRO's efficiency with their race scheduling for multiple races during the weekend. This is race eight of the championship on this old-school, high-speed circuit and the championship battle is being turned on as we speak. It is cooler this morning with less humidity. The grass is drying out compared to how damp it was yesterday as we join Kyle Heyer, Calvin Fish, and Amanda Busick. We are going to see a massive battle. Mercedes #89, the team is concerned about an ignition coil problem on the #89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes of Mattheus Leist and Michael Auriemma.
John Capestro-Dubets is hoping to keep the car clean and protect it while doing all they can to win, sharing the #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. Jake Cowden is at Leist's elbow on the outside pole. Jake Cowden is once again driving Marco Solo, so, when the mid-race pit stop happens, he will jump out of the car, run across and tag the pit wall, and run back and jump back into the driving seat. He was on the podium yesterday. He missed out on a second bottle of champagne. The intensity ramps up for race two. Everyone will be pressing hard. The cars roll off the starting grid.
Qualifying two set the grid for this race. The second driver is starting the race. The cars are on their warmup laps. Car #89, we thought there were fuel issues, but it is an electrical issue for the Auriemma and Leist duo. Jake Cowden all by his lonesome on the pole. 27 cars starting. We ran a green flag race yesterday with no yellows. Parker Thompson and Daniel Hanley will be coming from the tail end of the grid sharing in the Hanley Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4. Flying Lizard, Skip Barber, Blackdog Speedshop, all have the new Nissan Z NISMO GT4 and the Nissan dealers in the Alton, Virginia, area, and elsewhere are here to support their teams.
OK. We are formed up for a start. Noah's Ark formation, and here they come. Jake Cowden and Mattheus Leist on the front row. A late green flag, but it does wave, and we are racing at Virginia International Raceway! Some contact between the Smooge Racing Toyota Supra and one of the Auto Technic BMW's. Eric Filgueiras has made a move on Mattheus Leist and the Brazilian is dropping back and one of the Techsport Nissan Z cars has spun. That is the #22 car, Eric Powell at the wheel of it to start the race, sharing with Colin Harrison. The #18 RS1 Porsche Cayman was also caught up in the shemozzle. That's Roland and Austin Krainz sharing that automobile.
There is a bit of damage as he flick spins the car. With the #89 Mercedes, do they have further engine woes? Up Madison Avenue for the first time as Kay van Berlo goes around Mattheus Leist. The #89 Mercedes is losing speed. He has intermittent power loss from the 4-liter V8 motor. Tyler McQuarrie and James Walker Jr. were on the back foot yesterday and so they must capitalize on points opportunities in today's race if they want to stay in the championship picture. Kay van Berlo moving up from the middle of the pack. Jaden Lander is the lead Am class car. Lander in the #099 Rotek Racing Porsche Cayman sharing with Robb Holland the team owner.
Eric Filgueiras feeling the heat from Zac Anderson into South Bend and so, the Porsche driver proceeds to slam the door in the BMW driver's face. Into The Snake they go. Eric Filgueiras is feeling a different dynamic sharing with John Capestro-Dubets and of course, last year, Filgueiras drove a GT3 Porsche 911 GT3R (992) with the Scotsman Stevan McAleer in Fanatec GT World Challenge America. Leading the Am class is Lander who has Charlie Postins and Chris Walsh in the BMW M4 GT4's right behind him. Postins sharing the #36 Bimmerworld BMW M4 GT4 with James Clay while Walsh shares the #20 Carrus Callas Raceteam entry with Nick Shanny.
Trouble for Austin Krainz in the #18 RS1 Porsche Cayman with left front damage and he had more contact with the #22 Nissan Z car. In this replay, let's see what happened. Watch the center of your screen. I think Powell spun all on his own. It was hard to see because he appeared to be the meat in the sandwich and had nowhere to go into the corner. Zac Anderson is monstering Jake Cowden for the lead in the Silver class. The top four cars are Silver rated. Cowden, Anderson, Filgueiras, and Tyler Gonzalez is in fourth in the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota Supra sharing that car with John Geesbreght.
At RENNtech there is a meeting of the minds between the team and the Mercedes-AMG representatives working on an ignition coil issue that is causing a misfire. Speaking of power, Zac Anderson in the #51 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 just blows by Jake Cowden like he was standing still! That was into the apex at turn ten. Tyler Gonzalez moves to the inside of Eric Filgueiras through Oak Tree corner and approaching the dyno run down Madison Avenue. This is getting feisty early doors in GT4 race two at VIR! Michael Cooper in the Blackdog Speedshop Nissan Z, car #9 is also in this scrap. It's a drag race to The Rollercoaster and Eric Filgueiras moves through and makes the pass stick.
Michael Cooper has had a pole and displayed great speed, leading the Pro-Am division coming through the climbing esses. Side by side now through this section of the course as the Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M4 GT4 #20 goes around one of the two Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4's. That is the #24 of Roman De Angelis sharing with Gray Newell, from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He has moved to Phoenix, Arizona to work with the race team. He is also working in the simulator. Roman De Angelis quickest of anyone in sector one and sector three. After his off-course excursion, Eric Powell has the fastest sector time in sector two on the circuit. He will be determined to get back positions lost.
Powell is of course sharing with Colin Harrison. Roman De Angelis now working by Charlie Postins I believe in the #36 Bimmerworld BMW M4 GT4. This is a deep, competitive field in GT4. Filgueiras keeping in touch with Zac Anderson while Michael Cooper has Mike Skeen in the #53 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 right on his six. Skeen sharing that car with Mark Brummond. That is the battle for the Pro-Am class lead. Tyler Gonzalez has fallen to sixth spot in the overall as Skeen now muscles his way by Cooper on the outside! They make contact! Use all of the curb through Oak Tree corner and now they fly their way onto Madison Avenue, the backstretch here at VIR.
Tyler Gonzalez is running in a different class. But that doesn't matter really because he still wants a bite of the cherry. Gonzalez sharing the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota Supra with John Geesbreght. The Supra whistles past the Nissan Z car. This is into The Rollercoaster. Kenton Koch, after running short on fuel in race one yesterday, he has the #97 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 now in seventh place sharing with Kevin Boehm. Eric Filgueiras meanwhile is right at Zac Anderson's back door so to speak. Ten minutes into the race and he wants it.
At Porsche and BMW, they both felt they were in great shape. If it heats up the balance could swing back towards the Porsche's favor. In the heat, the BMW would have the edge. It is milder this morning here in Virginia and so, I think the BMW is running less efficiently than the Porsche at this point. It is all about the performance window, the Balance of Performance. Balance of Performance equalizes lap time. That is what makes sports car racing special. Koch is being harried now by Cooper. BMW vs. Nissan. This is a long backstretch down Madison Avenue as we said.
The Nissan Z car has torque through the middle part of the acceleration range before it runs out of steam towards the end of the straight and Cooper pulls another gear. The Toyota Supra and the BMW M4 GT4 are slightly stronger. Tyler McQuarrie and co-driver James Walker Jr. in the #82 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 need to get back in the fight. In the Silver class here is the points table situation.
1. #28 Filgueiras/Capestro-Dubets RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport 151 points
2. #51 Anderson/Garrett Autotechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82 130 points -21
3. #97 Koch/Boehm Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82 129 points -22
AutoTechnic might be able to eat into the lead if they keep the pace up they have now. Eric Filgueiras is aware to not push too hard to save his tires for JCD to pick up the baton and keep pushing in the second half of the race here this morning. Jake Cowden is managing his tires for himself. It is slightly cooler than earlier in the week. It is hard to get out of the car ad hop right back in already hot. Some drivers are beginning to slice through the field like a hot knife through butter with Kenton Koch picking up eight places from where he started while Parker Thompson has picked up six place and three drivers have each earned five including Mike Skeen, Rodrigo Baptista, and Chris Walsh.
Just 13 minutes on the board in this 60-minute event. Eric Filgueiras is now side by side with Zac Anderson, going for the lead! This is into The Rollercoaster. Anderson and Filgueiras each wriggle their way through The Rollercoaster there, and now, will Jake Cowden have an opportunity for making a move? Filgueiras could go from hunter to hunted. Great to see Mike Skeen in the AutoTechnic Racing BMW. We see some slight damage to the right front corner of the #26 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. That is Hannah Grisham at the wheel of it sharing with Hannah Greenmeier. The Silver class entry.
Eric Powell now turning up the heat on Parker Thompson. We have a great scrap happening in the Am class. Jaden Lander in the Rotek Racing Porsche Cayman over the two BMW M4 GT4's, the Carrus Callas entry of Chris Walsh and the BimmerWorld entry of Charlie Postins. Not too many Am entries because some cars have had derogation changes and have been moved up. This Rotek Racing Porsche Cayman is the same car that Robb Holland took to the summit of Pikes Peak in the annual Pikes Peak Hillclimb. So, we can see the top three running order in the Am class. Let's take a look.
1. #099 Lander/Holland Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
2. #36 Postins/Clay BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 G82
3. #20 Walsh/Shanny Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M4 G82
Kris Wilson is also back there right behind Chris Walsh. With the pit stop strategy, maximize your faster driver's stint time which can last up to 35 minutes. However, if the driver in the car now does not have the pace, maximize the faster driver's stint time and the earliest that can begin happening is when the clock reaches 36 minutes and ten seconds. So, we might see strategy beginning to unfold here in about eight minutes' time. 1/4 of the race done. Jaden Lander leading the Am class. BimmerWorld are righting the ship the best they can as we see Eric Filgueiras taking a lunge at Zac Anderson another time, through NASCAR Bend. Anderson playing defense giving Filgueiras a tough run for his money.
Anderson is slightly vulnerable, and he has his hands full too with Jake Cowden, Mike Skeen, Tyler Gonzalez, and others. Kenton Koch snatches Fastest Lap of the motor race so far at 1:55.122. That was 7/10ths of a second than the overall leader, Zac Anderson. Up Madison Avenue again. Kenton Koch is in full attack mode maximizing for Kevin Boehm's stint. They had a bad race yesterday and Filgueiras and company had a good race on Saturday. Tyler Gonzalez in the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota Supra, the 2023 Toyota GR Cup champion. We are at the halfway mark in the season as Anderson is managing the track position.
If Eric Filgueiras opens the door, you can bet dollars to donuts that Jake Cowden will step right through it. Filgueiras is probing and Zac Anderson is staying solid, right out to the edge of the road through The Rollercoaster. Use the curbs, dropping several stories. The Rollercoaster is a high commitment section of VIR. It is like a runaway train when you tip the car into the corner off the top. It is like a slalom skiier. Anderson right in the middle of the road headed for turn one and I think Filgueiras is loosening him up. He is sneaking to the inside, look. Filgueiras in no man's land with a tighter steering input off the corner. Filgueiras wriggles the Porsche again and Jake Cowden is waiting patiently for these two chaps ahead of him to make a mistake.
1/3rd of the way through this race. Filgueiras is getting antsy because he knows he has the quicker car than these other two blokes he is sandwiched between. On the outside, that is a danger zone where no one wants to give way and we still have 39 minutes left on the board. Live to fight another day. Kenton Koch lost some ground in the exchange with Tyler Gonzalez. Mike Skeen leading the Pro-Am class chasing the Silver ranked entries. Michael Cooper is also back there in the #9 Blackdog Speedshop Nissan Z car he is sharing with Tony Gaples. Back down to The Rollercoaster, Kenton Koch is closing in.
Here is your Am class running order as we watch the lead battle between Jaden Lander and Charlie Postins.
1. #099 Lander/Holland Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
2. #36 Postins/Clay BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 G82
3. #20 Walsh/Shanny Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M4 GT4 G82
4. #98 Wilson/Sparta Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82
5. #52 Carpentier/Peterman NOLASport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
6. #16 Sharinn/Sharinn Skip Barber Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4
7. #72 Geraci/Bergstein KRUGSPEED Toyota Supra GT4 EVO
Robb Holland is sticking with GT4 because he wants to be where the racing is and he is certainly there. They are also very successful in GT America. Some of these teams have talented individuals with great experience in other championships like IndyCar. James Clay must have a lot of family and friends here. Mike Skeen passes Jake Cowden and Kenton Koch has started pishing as we see the Flying Lizard Nissan Z car trailing smoke. Side by side with Kenton Koch and Mike Skeen and now, Jake Cowden becomes the meat in a BMW sandwich.
The safety car has been deployed. We have the #20 Carrus Callas BMW M4 GT4 and the #22 Techsport Nissan Z car tangled up. Both are into the tires at turn three. Walsh and Powell have had a coming together. This is our first Full Course Yellow, right before the pit window and the driver changes which will compress everything. Oh boy. 36 minutes to go. The pit window has just opened. The minimum pit lane delta is 70 seconds line to line. This tangle has occurred in turn 11. The decklid is smashed in so he must have clonked the tire barriers, the #20 car.
We have not seen the #22 Nissan move from the scene of the shunt. Eric Powell is out of the car and so it is damaged, and I believe they are out of it. For now, the pit lane is closed. We'll have to see what the pit sequences will be. The pit window is affected by the safety car scrambles. There is a maximum drive time in 2024 but no mandated pit window in each race like we have seen in the past. It gets really messy if you are pitting under yellow and go a lap ahead of the field. Closing pit lane unless there is emergency service is the logical thing to do.
Co-drivers readying for their stints. The pits are now open, and everyone dives in. It is like Grand Central Station down there. With that said, not coming to pit lane now is a king size mistake. The time loss is a lot less behind the safety car as John Capestro-Dubets is into the #28. Robb Holland into the #099. The minimum stop time still exists. You can be boxed in a bit. Many teams are employing the same strategy. The majority of teams come in. The #28 RS1 Porsche beats the #51 Auto Technic BMW out of the pit lane. Wow.
#28 was just outside the minimum stop time, and it was slower for Colin Garrett who is now in the #51 car. Matt Bell takes over the #43 P1 Groupe Mercedes-AMG GT4 from Alex Vogel. This team led a ton of laps in race one yesterday. The field is stacked up for the restart and now Chris Walsh is back into the pit lane with big damage on the bumper and a small bite taken out of the left front fender just above the headlight. There is significant rear end damage to the #20 car though. 3/4 of that rear tail is stoved in. Walsh came by something on track, and they have put Nick Shanny into the car. No time to fix the damage.
We saw some smoke from one of the Nissan Z cars. Maybe fluid was leaking out of it. Hard to tell. We look at the replay as the cars turn out of Oak Tree and onto Madison Avenue. Panning the camera back to the turn we can see that the #20 has clouted the wall. The #22 sails in late and... bang! The rear of the Nissan clatters into the rear of the BMW and that is where all this damage for the #20 came from. Into the second half of the race. If it is green, your pace is normal. Under safety car, cars that have pitted already can catch the pack and some cars will lose track position. Heart of Racing Aston Martin in the lane and Roman De Angelis finishes his stint and hands the wheel over to Gray Newell for the second half.
Same for the #13 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin with Tom Dyer out and Todd Parriott in. Maybe there was a miscommunication as we thought for a minute that pit lane was initially closed. Well, just hang on for the next 28 minutes and 45 seconds. John Capestro-Dubets is now in the lead of the motor race in the #28 RS1 Porsche Cayman. Mark Brummond is up to third behind Colin Garrett and in fourth place it is Kevin Boehm. James Clay and BimmerWorld have now gone back to the top of the tree in the Am class. The only car running afoul of the minimum stop time was the #68 Toyota Supra for Smooge Racing with Tyler Gonzalez handing off to John Geesbreght. They will have to serve a nine or ten second penalty at the end of the race.
#22 is loaded onto the rollback. The damage pattern was very strange with the rear-to-rear contact. The bumper is supposed to take the force not the boot. Here are the updated points as they run.
1. #28 Filgueiras/Capestro-Dubets RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport 158 points
2. #97 Koch/Boehm Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 (G82) 134 points -24
3. #51 Anderson/Garrett Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 (G82) 123 points -35
The amount of rain in the last 36-48 hours that we have had here at VIR means the grass is slick and you are going for a ride, spearing off into the Armco. If you run wide through turns 11 and 12, you are constantly turning and you get in the gray, you do run off wide. There had to be fluid down when those two cars spun off. The front of the car is loaded, and the rear gets away from you. The sister #23 TechSport Nissan Z NISMO GT4 with Jonathan Neudorf at the wheel of it sharing with Michai Stephens. Neudorf replaces Stephens in the car on the driver change.
Roman De Angelis and the #24 Heart of Racing Aston Martin are battling through an air conditioning issues on that car. They are limiting driver time for Gray Newell. At the same time, the sister #26 Heart of Racing Aston of the two Hannah's, Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenmeier, is also in strife, being pushed down the pit lane. This race has gone pear shaped for Heart of Racing. Roman De Angelis is driving with the door open with the AC unit not working. He is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and getting used to the heat, which is hot though it is dry. It is great for training but do it early in the day.
The #20 BMW left pit lane with the left rear taillight dangling by it's wiring harness. Only one brake light needs to be operative but just make sure the light fixture doesn't fall off. We are still under our first Full Course Yellow. There are new villas being constructed here at VIR. There is a racetrack, but there is so much more to Virginia International Raceway. The villas are a great place to watch the races. They have a go kart track, an industrial center for the race teams including the Skip Barber organization, and much more. Meanwhile, we are about to hear from Chris Walsh and his perspective on this predicament with his race car.
Walsh says they were having a great race and into Oak Tree there was no grip. He was already in the fluid, couldn't slow down, got on the grass, and got hit from behind. Nick Shanny is still out there, and they are just picking up the pieces at this stage. We are back to green! 22 minutes and change left on the board. Jake Cowden takes a lunge into turn one and there's a bump between John Geesbreght and Kevin Boehm. Cowden tries to make a pass on Boehm and cannot. Boehm is rebounding from the contact. Two Silver class cars battling for P3 up through The Snake and the climbing esses.
Kevin Boehm wants by as Marc Brummond is the cork in the bottle in car #53 that was started today by Mike Skeen. A wriggle through Oak Tree for John Geesbreght and now Kevin Boehm can pounce. Running up Madison Avenue this is a messy situation into The Rollercoaster, as Cowden tags the #68 Supra of Geesbreght and slithers off the road and possibly into the barriers! He was turning into the corner, with less grip, the antilock brakes kick in and then you are cannoned straight across the road. So, Colin Garrett is now monstering JCD, John Capestro-Dubets for the overall lead. Will Geesbreght and company escape from turn 14? We could potentially have another yellow.
Cowden has a king size head of steam, and I don't know if he meant to get alongside the Supra, but he sure did, nonetheless. He missed the braking point, swerved to the right and shot like a dart across the track! Oy vey! It is so tricky going side by side if you don't give it up. Not a massive impact but definitely a couple of drivers who got wrongfooted. Cowden is stuck in the tires at Rollercoaster, and we could see another Full Course Yellow. Into the final third of the race. Double yellows are out for the second time. So, we will get another late race restart. Geesbreght has trundled back to the pit lane, and they check the car. The second place Am class BMW of James Clay hits the pit lane.
Nothing on the noticeboard about a penalty but they do have a problem with a flat left rear tire it appears. This is emergency service. Other than yesterday with their victory, BimmerWorld have been suffering these little, tiny setbacks all season. They are coming off back-to-back championships. Time is running out. GT4 cars do not have a single lug nut wheel like the GT3 cars. They still use the old school five lug nut system. Clay is back out and will salvage something surely.
In the Pro-Am class the battle is on between Mark Brummond and Curt Swearingin. #53 AutoTechnic BMW vs. #7 ACI Motorsports Porsche Cayman. Let's take a look at the replay when the Full Course Yellow came out. Aye yaye yaye yaye yaye! The BMW clobbered the #72 Krugspeed Toyota Supra. That was right when the yellow flew! Oh. Oh dear. Looking at that wheel, it is damaged, the left rear tire and it is a testament to the season for BimmerWorld. The Smooge Racing Supra of Tyler Gonzalez and John Geesbreght, the #68 car, was checked over and is back on track too. Everyone slows up ahead, you can't see the corner, you think you have an opening, and... ker-runch! That incident could have been a lot worse, transitioning from local yellow to Full Course Yellow.
Jake Cowden is on the tow truck after being on the Silver podium yesterday, hogging the race car for the entire weekend. Something else is wrong with the #68 Gear Wrench sponsored Supra as it sits forlornly in the grass right before The Snake. Something is broken and John Geesbreght was trying to get to a safe haven. Time is running out, and quickly. This is going to become a real sprint race. Robb Holland and Paul Sparta have daylight between themselves in the Am class, but with the Silver and Pro-Am classes I think we are going to see a hornet's nest in both of them headed for the checkers this morning at VIR. Curt Swearingin must be thinking ACI Motorsports can sweep the weekend, second in Pro-Am and fifth in the overall. Now, we are going to have another look at how the Smooge Racing Supra came to a halt.
The right front wheel is out of square, and the toe link is broken. I see. I see. That is commonplace with the independent suspension systems on these production-based sports cars. Oh jeez! We have to do another summary of the points as they run before this race ends. Here's what we have, albeit in the Am class which I don't think we've covered yet this morning.
1. #98 Wilson/Sparta Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82 162 points
2. #099 Holland/Lander Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport 99 points -63
3. #36 Clay/Postins BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 G82 80 points -82
The toe link, when they break, the sidewalls of the tires grab when they fall off and fail and so does the toe link. Good thing too that it happened under yellow because at full speed, if the toe link snaps, you are going for an almighty slide into no man's land and copping a massive whack into the barriers. We still have almost half the season left to go. Kris Wilson is teamed with Paul Sparta for 2024. Al Carter has been racing with him in the past, but Al was not able to commit to racing a full-season campaign in 2024 so the team brought Wilson in as co-driver.
John Geesbreght is getting back behind the wheel of the Toyota Supra. We are hearing now about the #97 Random Vandals BMW team. No fuel issues and they are in good shape. Of course, there are no fuel pit stops in the GT4 class. Fuel is weight and that compromises the performance of the car, but don't risk running out. John Capestro-Dubets will be scrapping with Colin Garrett but also watch out for Kevin Boehm and the Pro-Am battle between Mark Brummond and Curt Swearingin as well. Swearingin is right in the wheel tracks of Brummond. Safety Car lights still on, so we will take one more pace lap.
We should restart with six minutes left on the clock yielding a three-lap sprint. Will JCD tuck Colin Garrett up like a kipper? Will Colin Garrett find a way to do that to JCD? We're about to find out. There will be drivers in aggressive mode. It is so hard to escape from the grass if you go for a ride with so little time left on the board. Next time by we go green. Three Silver division cars are left in the fight with three more top contenders that headed for the house earlier. Robb Holland will have a buffer of three Pro-Am class cars right behind him and to the next rival, Paul Sparta. David Peterman and Nolasport are also having a solid podium run. Let me correct myself, the car involved with the #36 BimmerWorld BMW was not the #72 Krugspeed Supra, it was the #999 Hanley Motorsports Supra, the Hanley/Thompson car.
They are also out of the motor race. Lance Bergstein is sitting fourth in the Am class in the #72 Krugspeed Supra. They are being supported by Smooge Racing this weekend at VIR. JCD could pull the pin early, but he is slowing it down, getting the Porsche into its sweet spot, and yes, I think he will take Colin Garrett by surprise as they accelerate on the restart. Yes! JCD has tucked Garrett up like a kipper by three car lengths. Swearingin pushes his way past Brummond. Brummond is not rolling over to have his tummy scratched. He is forcing his way to the inside! A late dive into NASCAR Bend does not work out for the BMW driver.
Curt Swearingin takes the class lead and behind these blokes it is all side-by-side stuff, look. Matt Bell lunges past James Walker Jr. Another one of the BimmerWorld BMW's gobbled up by the P1 Groupe Mercedes. Robb Holland doing everything he knows to hang onto the Am victory possibility, but he is swarmed by Pro-Am cars on all sides. Be careful. He does not want to throw away this class lead. Robb Holland trying to stay ahead of Paul Sparta. With that said, Matt Bell will soon be on Holland's six. Holland does the wise thing and let's Bell go.
James Walker Jr. is next behind Jolland. Random Vandals Racing can win in Am today. James Walker Jr. and Tyler McQuarrie finished in the top six yesterday, but they are looking for more as we close in on the finish of race two this morning. They were in the thick of the points lead battle. Also, after starting at the back of the grid, the #07 Precision Racing L.A. Toyota Supra moved up to 14th, with Alexandra Hainer at the wheel of it, sharing with Ryan Eversley. They are sixth or seventh in the Pro-Am class standings. Matt Bell pulls alongside of and passes Mark Brummond in the #53 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4. Can Matt Bell seal the deal? Brummond hanging tough as they make contact through The Horseshoe on corner exit. Bell is hanging tough here. Into NASCAR Bend, Brummond doesn't have enough.
Next corner, Left Hook. Bell on the attack. Brummond is motoring as well. Three and a half minutes on the clock should yield one or two more laps as we see the most places gained in the overall standings led by Matt Bell gaining 21 spots, 12 for Alexandra Hainer, 11 for Kevin Boehm, ten for David Peterman, and eight spot gained from his starting position, for Paul Sparta. The #51 Auto Technic BMW slides through the grass down Madison Avenue! Colin Garrett goes for a ride and fortunately I don't think he hit anything! Phew! A lucky escape!
He survived the wet grass, but it is devastating for that specific car. They came into the weekend in third but will lose spots. Bell has steamed right up behind Pro-Am leader Curt Swearingin. This is going to be a fierce scrap at the top end of town. Not close enough to the leaders, but at least a scrum for the back half of the top five. Bell is flying! Curt Swearingin is defending for his life! He erased that gap in a heartbeat. Curt Swearingin and Kay van Berlo doing everything they know to try and sweep the weekend here at VIR in Pirelli GT4 America. Swearingin chooses the middle of the road and fades to the left. Bell is close behind but gets stymied through turn one.
Bell to the outside. He has not had time to analyze where Swearingin will be vulnerable. Bell opens the door. Will he jog through? Into Left Hook, and Swearingin slams the door in his face. Keep it clean. Swearingin is hanging in there by his fingernails. A minute and a half before this race ends. The penultimate lap through the esses and South Bend. Don't overcharge the corner. Matt Bell sails through Oak Tree corner, trying to find the launch, back to power early as they scream down Madison Avenue for the final time of asking. Bell is in Swearingin's slipstream down Madison Avenue. Into The Rollercoaster is a hint of a passing opportunity but it is tricky.
Bell nudges the Porsche loosening him up. Knock, knock. Hello, mate. I'm still here. White flag this time. Bell running out of opportunities. Swearingin hanging on. How bad does Matt Bell want it? Swearingin is wide and the door opens for Matt Bell. He can't do the over/under yet. Through NASCAR Bend. Bell lining up the pass, trying to force it, tries and gives it up. Crossing over and through The Snake he makes the pass! That was great race craft! Holy moly! Matt Bell and Alex Vogel have moved forward from the back of the pack. Bell has pushed the bye bye button.
Robb Holland and Mark Brummond in a battle, but not for position in the same class. Holland has a Captain Cook at setting up a move on Brummond through The Rollercoaster. For RS1 Porsche and John Capestro-Dubets alongside Eric Filgueiras, they do the double! Break out the broom! It is a sweep! Kenton Koch and Kevin Boehm bring the Random Vandals BMW home in second place and in third, winning in Pro-Am and scoring a podium place it is Matt Bell and Alex Vogel in the #43 Mercedes-AMG GT4 for P1 Groupe! In the Am division it is Robb Holland and Rotek Racing winning! Robb Holland and Jaden Lander will celebrate victory in race two!
Overall/Silver: #28 Filgueiras/Capestro-Dubets RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
Pro-Am: #43 Vogel/Bell P1 Group Mercedes-AMG GT4
Am: #099 Holland/Lander Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
This car for Holland was run up Pikes Peak in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb and now, the same chassis is a race winner here at Virginia International Raceway. Lots of dust and debris being kicked up on the cooldown lap. Cue the dance music for the results. RS1 back on top. Random Vandals improved from yesterday just a bit. P1 Group and Rotek Racing are the other class winners of course. BimerWorld ended up fourth in Am. They will have a tough slog for the rest of the year in the championship fight.
We are into the second half of the championship in Pirelli GT4 America for 2024. ACI Motorsports have the points advantage in Pro-Am and Paul Sparta and Kris Wilson have the Am class points lead. The next Pirelli GT4 America races we will see will be the usual doubleheader and will take place at the 4-mile ribbon of asphalt at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. That race will take place in less than a month. So, join us in dairy country in Wisconsin, with only three rounds remaining. Road America, Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, and the finale at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.
We will see you soon for more Pirelli GT4 America action. But stay tuned. Race two for GT World Challenge America at VIR, is coming up, soon. You will not want to miss it.
TC America: VIR, Race 2
The cars are rolling off for the second and final race of the weekend in TC America. This track is 3.27 miles and was built back in 1957. Kyle Heyer and Calvin Fish are calling the race action with Amanda Busick reporting from pit lane. There are some cool corner names. Oak Tree corner is a great one. The oak tree no longer exists. I thought somebody planted an acorn to grow a new oak tree and water it. But I don't believe that has happened. On the pole, for the race today, Chris Walsh in TCX. Jeff Ricca on pole in the TC class. Alex Garcia has the TCA class pole after winning race one yesterday. Safety Car lights off. Next time by we go racing. Celso Neto must keep in touch with Chris Walsh. Walsh will be poised. The Hyundai has a longer wheelbase than the Mini does. Both have turbocharged 4-cylinder engines. TC America powered by Skip Barber VIR race two is coming up, and it begins, now!
Green flag! Away we go! Split starts for the TCX field as well as the TCA and TC fields. Great launch and now, Celso Neto lunges to the outside with the rubbered in racing line. Jeff Ricca vs. Cristian Perocarpi. Perocarpi is right in the shadow of Ricca as the race begins. Ron Zaras is working his way into touring cars after being a hoonigan drifting racer. The BMW M2 CS is rear-wheel drive while the Acura Integra Type S is a front-wheel drive platform. Katherine Legge took one of these Type S Integra touring cars up the hill at the Pikes Peak Hillclimb.
It is harder for these touring cars to draft in the heat. They will shut down in high heat. But in cooler weather the systems work better. Perocarpi scrapping with Ricca through turns one and two and Ricca tries the over/under and it is very risky! Perocarpi hauling the mail through NASCAR Bend. No love lost between Ricca and Perocarpi. Ricca at the Indianapolis finale last year thought his championship run was thwarted by Perocarpiand the Mini team. We saw Jeff Ricca's car come alive at the mid point of the first race yesterday as Ruben Iglesias Jr. is third in TC in another Hyundai Elantra.
Perocarpi has the lead in the TC class. Ricca will do to Perocarpi what he did yesterday and be the mosquito in Perocarpi's ear. Alex Garcia leading in TCA in the #14 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Si FE1. Perocarpi has scampered off as Ricca is knuckling down and getting with the program. The Mini is hopping it's way through the turns with the short wheelbase as they motor down Madison Avenue. Ruben Iglesias is ready to pick up the pieces of something should happen between Perocarpi and Ricca. The lead between Ricca and Iglesias is eight points, 149-141. Perocarpi is third on 107 points, 42 behind.
This is the battle we thought we'd see, and we are seeing it and will do that for the next 33 minutes. The cars are making speed in different ways, but they are on equal footing. The lap times are developed by each car in a different way. It is for the competition and the show, the spectacle. Into The Rollercoaster, Ricca is crawling all over Perocarpi. Perocarpi's Mini has come alive early. Does the balance on the Mini deteriorate later in the race? The front tires on the Mini are cambered in compared to the Hyundai. It is controlled. You cannot crank two extra degrees of camber into the wheels. If you change too much, the sanctioning body will throw you out and say,"get out of here! Fix it, or don't come back!"
LAP Motorsports and Mini adjusted the dampers. Perocarpi is hungry for the victory. Literal hunger. Eat breakfast late. Maybe just an energy bar and a coffee. OK. The longer wheelbase of the Hyundai could help with stability and with braking. The Mini though, seems to have speed still. It is all about overall lap times. You can only do what you can if your competitors have the edge. Is it easier to lead or chase? Leading works well. But having a great race can expose another drivers' weaknesses and it becomes a chess match. Alex Garcia is being pursued by P.J. Groenke. Honda vs. Mini. Groenke and his team didn't have a great race one.
But now, the battle has resumed. Alan Grossberg in another Mini is third, a long way back. Groenke is enjoying digging deeper and getting the car more dialed in. Through South Bend, Garcia has the rear end walking around on him. The Honda is a front wheel drive car, keep your foot in it. In rear-wheel drive cars, you need to modulate the throttle. Oh no. Trouble indeed, a spin, for Alan Grossberg. He went out wide in the mud and clanged the wall. Chris Walsh takes fastest lap so far at 2:01.320. Walsh leading TCX over the two Acura's of Celso Neto and Cooper Broll. Celso Neto and Skip Barber Racing School won race one yesterday. This team at Skip Barber has a new workshop on the premises here at VIR. Their racing schools are renowned for building drivers' careers or providing bucket list track days for car nuts.
Perocarpi and Ricca in TC are reeling in the aforementioned Cooper Broll in TCX. Up Madison Avenue they drive again. 24 minutes to go. Perocarpi is steadier in his driving now as we are closing in on the second half of the race. Ricca is so close and yet so far trying to find an advantage over Perocarpi and he is outbraking the Mini by two corner markers. Ricca is quicker and can roll the speed more. Meanwhile, Sally McNulty and Scott Thomson are scrapping in the sister Mini #66 and the #780 Ricca Autosport Hyundai. This is for fifth spot. McNulty has had podium finishes but they came at the beginning of the year at Sonoma Raceway in California back in March or April.
Ruben Iglesias Jr. third and Ron Zaras fourth. Zaras in his first weekend in TC. He took a Hyundai Ioniq 5N to the top of Pikes Peak creating a new record for electric crossover vehicles. Perocarpi stays in front of Ricca rolling the speed on the outside. The halfway mark is coming and now, Thomson makes his move on McNulty, and she runs a tad wide through NASCAR Bend! There is a loose piece of plastic trim through The Snake. it appears if it is a wheel arch from one of the Mini's. The Pirelli P Zeros are squealing for mercy through Oak Tree. Perocarpi's car seems OK. The body cladding that came loose is not from his car I don't think although it could be. Maybe another piece of trim fell off.
It didn't. Someone else dispatched that trim and a marshal has gone and picked it up or someone has flipped it off course. Meanwhile, Cooper Broll is keeping his distance ahead of these two blokes. Perocarpi wide through South Bend. Ricca has yet to solve Perocarpi's puzzle and answer his riddle. Sally McNulty has moved back past Scott Thomson. Has Thomson slowed down? Maybe he went off and on. Ron Zaras has had an issue too and is slowing through the climbing esses. McNulty went through the grass, doing the Dale Earnhardt pass in the grass from the 1987 NASCAR All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Normally, if you have track limits issues here at VIR you are off in the Tooley's.
Now, Scott Thomson and Ron Zaras I think are both losing some pace. Maybe Thomson went in deep under braking. Chris Walsh continues to lead down through Hog Pen by seven and a half seconds over Celso Neto. Walsh also has a program with Carrus Callas Raceteam with a Pirelli GT4 America program as well. Ron Zaras is doing a great job for his first-time racing in TC America in the Hyundai Elantra. He is learning because being a drifting racer, it takes more discipline. The grass has been lava here because it is wet and slippery but if he has driven Pikes Peak, he knows what to do. You cannot make a mistake at Pikes Peak or you are falling off a mountain. Pikes Peak is the ultimate in commitment.
Now back to the Scott Thomson and Sally McNulty story. McNulty positioning the car nicely and making her move. Compression through traffic. Scott Thomson wants it, awkwardly passing teammate Alan Grossberg in the #63 Mini. Zaras again has lost power somehow or other. I don't know. Whatever is ailing the #76 must be being caused by clattering over the curbs. Perocarpi leads in TC with 11 minutes left on the board. Ricca's fire has turned down to embers. Ricca might be cooling his tires but time is of the essence. Perocarpi and Ricca have both passed Cooper Broll. Thomson has position but McNulty and Thomson have both gone off the road!
Both of them wash out and going side by side into NASCAR Bend, two into one won't go. Oy yoy yoy yoy yoy! McNulty snags the tire bundles. I wonder if she will be able to find the fire and relight it. Ricca continues chasing Perocarpi. Perocarpi comfortable running the cushion. The safety car is deployed, and we will have a race that is being shortened up. Eight minutes and change left on the board. I don't believe the tires were scattered all over. The tire bundles are wrapped with conveyor belt material. The grass is very muddy so there is little to no grip out there in no man's land. Chris Walsh is looking to extend his points advantage in the TCX class.
Chris Walsh has always had motor racing as his life's passion. You don't do it alone. You need family and connections to help you. There are key people you meet and give you an opportunity and they have the belief to take you to the next level. That is the great thing about the SRO ladder system not just in America but in Europe, Asia, and Australia as well. We will need to restart quickly if we get this race done. There is of course even a ladder system in the touring cars. Safety Car lights off. So, we are going to have a shootout to determine who will take home the trophies.
Through Hog Pen and onto the frontstretch. Green flag! Celso Neto moving past TCA traffic and here comes Ricca past Perocarpi! Ricca wants it. Perocarpi rubbing elbows with Ricca! Using P.J. Groenke as ampick. No dice. Perocarpi clears Garcia in the Honda. This stymies Ricca. Garcia pulls to the right. Maybe the damage has been done already. Celso Neto had to clear the TCA car before trying to run down Chris Walsh and Walsh might have had his bacon saved. Celso Neto is hanging tough. We should see the white flag this time by.
Neto is digging deep. Can he gain ground on Walsh? It is so important to manage the race and use the pace, taking energy out of the tires. You need something left in the race car if there is a reset before the end. Take your competitor by surprise but get the car into the sweet spot with the torque and the gearing. Up to The Rollercoaster for the final time. Walsh has dominated TCX in TC America all year. He did have the start time miscue yesterday but has now rebounded and is back to his winning ways in TCX in race two! In the TC fight it is Cristian Perocarpi and Mini winning! With damage, Alex Garcia sweeps the weekend in TCA.
Overall/TCX: #104 Chris Walsh Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M2 CS (Cup)
TC: #37 Cristian Perocarpi MINI JCW Team MINI JCW TC Pro
TCA: #14 Alex Garcia Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic SI FE1
Cue the dance music for the race results. So, now, we have three rounds of the championship left and the next doubleheader will be around the fabled and awesome 4-mile ribbon of asphalt that is Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Those races will be here before you know it in another month or so, a little less. Join us in the Kettle Moraine at Road America, coming up soon. Plenty more racing today still to come. Again, keep it tuned in to Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog, for more action.
O'Connell Takes Points Lead With VIR Race 2 Win
Johnny O'Connell scores second GT America victory of season in Race 2 at VIR...
https://sportscar365.com/sro/gt-america/oconnell-takes-points-lead-with-vir-race-2-win/
GT America: VIR, Race 2
A very good morning to everyone. Glad to have you with us on this Sunday morning, as we prepare for day two of racing action for SRO America at Virginia International Raceway. GT America is the first category to run their second and final event of the weekend, as always. Grab a cup of coffee and your breakfast food of choice and join us for the action. It is a misty, foggy morning but the skies are clearer than yesterday. We have Kyle Heyer and Calvin Fish ready to call the race from the booth and Amanda Busick in the pit lane. It is foggy and humid this morning with a light breeze as we are set to go racing with SRO3 and GT4 cars. We did have some argy bargy to determine the winner but it was a fun race. We have had cars needing repairs between the races.
Johnny O'Connell is chasing Jason Daskalos for the championship. CRP Racing has done a ton of work after an ABS failure in race one yesterday. Isaac Sherman is the GT4 class polesitter. Did we see smoke out of the #50 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Ross Chouest? I think it was brake lockup. No tire warmers allowed in GT America unlike Fanatec GT World Challenge America. Safety Car lights out. Here we go. It is time to go racing. Green flag! Bring the thunder! We are off and racing! Johnny O'Connell looks like he is going for the lead. No dice for Justin Rothberg to try getting by Jason Bell.
In GT4, Isaac Sherman pokes his nose ahead of Curt Swearingin in these cool conditions. Gray Newell twitches into turn three, and into Left Hook, Damir Hot wants a bite of the cherry. Rothberg makes a move on Jason Bell and now, Johnny O'Connell is feeling the heat from Justin Rothberg. Down Madison Avenue for the first time. Jason Daskalos needs to motor to pad his slim points lead. Daskalos 13 points behind if they finish where they run currently. 169-156. Squealing tires in the background. It sounds like it. Ah. Jean Frederic Laberge has spun the MMG Porsche 911 GT3R (992). At least he stayed on the road and out of the swamp of the wet grass.
Daskalos now chasing Ross Chouest for fourth spot. Mercedes vs. Mercedes. O'Connell pulling a gap on Rothberg, yesterday's winner. His GT World Challenge America BMW M4 GT3, is ready. The car is in a bubble. Justin Rothberg's father tells him, "Son, I want you to be safe." Too true. Rothberg teaming with Robby Foley later. Daskalos passes through Left Hook and into The Snake. Chouest reads the situation and decides discretion is the better part of valor. Oh dear. Kyle Washington goes off and on through Oak Tree corner.
Down through The Rollercoaster and into Hog Pen. Another lap begins. Jason Bell is a nice guy I am sure but behind the wheel of a race car, he is determined to be a winner. Bell slams the door in Jason Daskalos' face. Rothberg edging closer to O'Connell for the race lead. Daskalos flashing the lights, messing with Bell's mind. It's the Jason and Jason show. Daskalos has a head of steam up Madison Avenue out of Oak Tree. Daskalos chops Bell's nose off and he tucks in line. Rothberg runs another best lap of the race, late on the brakes trying the over/under on Johnny O'Connell. Johnny O'Connell has only a single win in 2024 with eight podiums.
He is also the championship leader. The mid-engined Audi vs. the front-mid engined BMW. The esses are an incredible part of this track. Isaac Sherman is motoring in GT4 as well. He is pulling a gap on Curt Swearingin. Swearingin had great races in GT America and GT4 America yesterday as Gray Newell is moving ahead. They are getting ready to campaign the new Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar for next year in both the United States and in Europe. Johnny O'Connell has the track position even though the handling on the Audi has had to be refined.
O'Connell might be in a more defensive mode. Daskalos takes fastest lap so far at 1:48.660. Will he maintain it? Will someone else go quicker? Let's find out. Still 28 minutes left on the board. O'Connell is being disciplined with his lines. Justin Rothberg has a tad more pace. Rothberg knows he needs to make the pass. He knows the pressure is on. Meanwhile, Jason Bell has his hands full with both Ross Chouest in the Mercedes and Kyle Washington in the Porsche. Good GT4 battle too between Nick Shanny in the BMW and Todd Parriott in the Aston Martin. This is for fifth spot in GT4. They are both early in their racing careers.
O'Connell feeling the heat from Rothberg. Jason Daskalos can move towards these two blokes. O'Connell minimizing the damage. Now, we still are having a Captain Cook at the scrap for fourth spot, look, between Bell, Chouest, and Washington. Kyle Washington has calmed down and has great speed. He is making less mistakes. Washington and Tom Sargent won their class in GT World Challenge America. Tim Savage is off the road in the #007 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3. Full Course Yellow, and safety car scramble for clearing up Savage's automobile, the ProSport Competition Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3.
The restart will be fascinating as we have just a wee bit over half the race left to go. We know Jason Daskalos is going to get his elbows out and has four wins on the year, but he wants the championship, and he knows Johnny O'Connell is his biggest competitor. Isaac Sherman has had a drought after winning seven GT4 races on the bounce in GT America GT4. The field weaves behind the Toyota Supra safety car. We should have a quick Full Course Yellow procedure. O'Connell will be looking in the mirror and out the windscreen at the same time. Tim Savage exits the Aston Martin but the car is not able to move under it's own steam.
SKI Autosports are chuckling about something. He was trying to be told his split time and he told the team, "Shut up!" He had a Kimi Raikkonen "leave me alone, I know what I'm doing", moment. Yes, it's rude, but it's true too. Zip it and let me drive. As it stands now O'Connell would have an eight-point advantage over Daskalos 169-161. Now, we are setting up for the restart. Halfway home. Generate tire temperatures by running the brake against the throttle. Ross Chouest was having an issue with warming up the tires. There is some smoke coming out from under the diffuser. It could be some kind of oil leak. Oh dear.
The safety car heads for pit lane, and we have a late restart, O'Connell holding the field back through Hog Pen. Green, green, green. Rothberg sticking like glue to O'Connell. Justin Rothberg does not have Daskalos all over him like a cheap suit yet. Through the climbing esses they go as Jason Bell has Ross Chouest all over him. Elias Sabo is back there too in the Flying Lizard Aston Martin, through Oak Tree. Daskalos is not closing in on the leaders quite yet either. Lots of time left on the board, 16 minutes. The edges of the bonnet on the Mercedes are lifting a bit as Rothberg tries the inside but is on the dirty side of the road.
Rothberg is feeling it. He wants to win this motor race. O'Connell on defense. Now, Daskalos is reeling in both O'Connell and Rothberg. Rothberg seems to have been studying O'Connell's weak spots. The BMW is quicker than the Audi down the straightaway. Down Madison Avenue again. This is a three-player game, a game of 3D chess. O'Connell has a gap on Rothberg with 15 minutes to go. Keep right through the bend in the straightaway. Rothberg late on the brakes again. You can brake later by being defensive. O'Connell is protecting the line on the inside.
Rothberg wants this victory. He really does. His pace is improving but he would be poised and calm in racing battles even earlier in the season as they fly down Madison Avenue and towards The Rollercoaster. Rothberg might even be more comfortable in the GT America BMW than the GTWC America car. Isaac Sherman is pulling away from Curt Swearingin in GT4 after losing two races in a row. His pace has been unreal. Robb Holland, his mentor, is looking on. Jason Daskalos introduced Isaac Sherman to Robb Holland, and they have chemistry between driver and coach/team owner.
They are evenly matched. Rothberg has more in the locker compared to O'Connell, or so I should think, at least right now. Watch out so you don't overheat the tires with the pressure on the nose of the car. Rothberg has the edge in sectors two and three and Daskalos has the advantage through sector one. Track position is everything, and I mean, everything. Many of these drivers have not tested or raced in two months during the summer break. Under ten minutes to go. Johnny O'Connell has defended brilliantly but he knows Rothberg and Daskalos want it. Rothberg tries to tuck O'Connell up like a kipper but fails.
Rothberg is a poised, disciplined driver. He won't make a rash move. Daskalos will force the move. Rothberg is planning his moves, not just leaping down the inside. Three brands in the top three. Three German sports cars. The Audi R8 LMS, the BMW M4 GT3, and the Mercedes-AMG GT3. Memo Gidley, Johnny O'Connell, some drivers have come into GT America with the passion, and they know how to drive and know how to push. Our mate Calvin Fish raced against Johnny O'Connell in Formula Atlantic open wheel cars back in the 1980s.
Rothberg is looking for an opportunity, but he is also watching O'Connell to learn race craft. This is a learning opportunity for younger drivers. Curt Swearingin is running out of time to try and catch Isaac Sherman. Two Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport's. Rotek Racing vs. ACI Motorsports. Third place is Damir Hot, the Canadian, in the Nissan Z NISMO GT4 for Flying Lizard Motorsports. We also have Blackdog Speedshop running this car in Pirelli GT4 America as well. Gray Newell is doing all he knows to reel in Damir Hot. Isaac Sherman on 236 points and Curt Swearingin on 173 points. The difference currently is 63 points.
Rothberg and Swearingin have both cut their personal best laps. Two laps to go I think before the clock runs out. Daskalos has dropped away from O'Connell and Rothberg. Rothberg late and deep on the brakes setting up O'Connell into NASCAR Bend. Joseph Catania chasing Todd Parriott for sixth in GT4. Aston Martin vs, BMW. Joseph Catania has moved up from touring cars to GT4 cars and into GT America. His son Lucas has also been in the touring car ranks. The livery is from Samantha Tan Racing. It is that Van Gogh Starry Night livery.
White flag this time by for O'Connell. O'Connell will take over the championship lead tonight. One lap to go. This is it. 3.27 miles to go. Rothberg closing in towards Oak Tree. I wonder if they will catch the traffic on Madison Avenue or through The Rollercoaster. Go to the right. That was easy. Into The Rollercoaster one last time but he clonks the curb. Rothberg right on his six! Last turn. Who will do it? O'Connell will hang on, just barely! Wow! That was a good one! That was a good one! Second win on the year for SKI Autosport.
For Isaac Sherman, he will be the GT4 winner. He breaks his short winless streak.
Overall/SRO3: #3 Johnny O'Connell SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3
GT4: #098 Isaac Sherman Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
Three more events, six more rounds to go in GT America 2024. The next doubleheader of GT America races will be at the fabled four-mile ribbon of asphalt at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, coming up in a shade less than a month. We look forward to bringing you the action there. For now, so long from VIR. More racing yet to come today. Stay with us.
Turner to Switch Chassis After Race 1-Ending Accident
Turner Motorsports to revert to second BMW M4 GT3 chassis after race-ending accident on Saturday...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)