Racing on TV, June 12-16

All times Eastern; live broadcasts unless noted. Wednesday, June 12 Le Mans practice 1 7:45am Le Mans qualifying 12:45pm Le Mans practice 2 3:45pm Pitt Race 9:00-10:00pm (D) Thursday, June 13 Le Mans practice 3 8:45am Le Mans Hyperpole qualifying …

All times Eastern; live broadcasts unless noted.


Wednesday, June 12

Le Mans
practice 1
7:45am

Le Mans
qualifying
12:45pm

Le Mans
practice 2
3:45pm

Pitt Race 9:00-10:00pm
(D)

Thursday, June 13

Le Mans
practice 3
8:45am

Le Mans
Hyperpole
qualifying
1:45pm

Le Mans
practice 4
3:45pm

Pitt Race 9:00-10:00pm
(D)

Friday, June 14

Iowa
practice
4:30-5:30pm

Iowa
practice
5:30-6:30pm

Iowa 8:00-10:00pm

Saturday, June 15

Le Mans
warmup
5:45am

Le Mans 9:00am-
12:00am

Iowa
qualifying
12:00-1:00pm

Mid-Ohio 12:00-1:00pm
(D)

Mt.
Morris
1:00pm

Iowa
qualifying
1:00-2:00pm

Mid-Ohio 1:00-3:00pm
(D)

Iowa 3:00-3:30pm
pre-race
3:30-6:30pm
race

Brainerd
Race 1
4:00-5:00pm

Sunday, June 16

Le Mans 12:00am-
11:00am

Brainerd
Race 2
4:00-5:00pm

Iowa 6:30-7:00pm
pre-race
7:00-11:00pm
race

Key: SDD: Same day delay; D = delayed; R = Replay

All NTT IndyCar Series stream live on Peacock Premium.

MotoGP is now airing live on TruTV and Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. Check your streaming provider for air times

A variety of motor racing is available for streaming on demand at the following sites:

Larson plays tactics right in Sonoma win

A different pit strategy and having to march through the field were no problem for Kyle Larson at Sonoma Raceway Sunday. Larson cycled out ninth after making his final pit stop – from the lead – with 30 laps to go. When the pit cycle was complete, …

A different pit strategy and having to march through the field were no problem for Kyle Larson at Sonoma Raceway Sunday.

Larson cycled out ninth after making his final pit stop — from the lead — with 30 laps to go. When the pit cycle was complete, Larson was in sixth place and over six seconds behind the race leader.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver made the winning pass with nine laps to go. Larson erased the deficit to Chris Buescher and Martin Truex Jr. and passed Truex a few corners after the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had finally overtaken Buescher.

Larson led 19 laps on his way to his third win of the season in the Toyota/Save Mart 350. It’s his second win at Sonoma Raceway and the 26th of his Cup Series career.

“I didn’t know what we were doing as far as strategy; I was just out there banging laps away,” Larson said. “I don’t know — we study all the strategy, but it’s like doing homework. I don’t really know what I’m looking at. So, I was like, ‘Well, these guys are going to have to pit another time, maybe.’ Then we had to go race and pass those guys. I got a bit nervous; I knew I’d be quick from the get-go, but I thought when the tires would come up to (temperature), it even off too much.

“Thankful that we had enough grip. Thankful, too that those guys got racing and Martin never got clear to where I would get stuck in third, and that really saved the race. I thought, too, once he got the lead that, man, I hope he doesn’t have someone to judge off here into (Turn) 4 and misses his apex, and sure enough, he did, and I had a big run. Just an awesome, awesome race car.”

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Michael McDowell finished second after overtaking Truex on the final lap as Truex ran out of fuel. He’d previously passed Buescher, who faded, potentially with a tire coming apart, in the final laps. Buescher finished third after winning the first stage and led 32 laps.

Chase Elliott finished fourth and Ross Chastain finished fifth. AJ Allmendinger finished sixth, Ryan Blaney finished seventh, Tyler Reddick finished eighth, Christopher Bell finished ninth and Todd Gilliland finished 10th.

Reddick led the most laps (35) and won the first stage, but he could not make his way back through the field like Larson. Both drivers were on similar strategies, but Reddick used up his tires when fighting Larson after making his final pit stop on lap 53.

Polesitter Joey Logano finished 21st. Logano led the first 16 laps and then made a pit stop when the caution came out. The strategy put Logano at the rear of the field, where he was collected in a multi-car incident on lap 19, which damaged his Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

Truex finished 27th. Truex’s Toyota Camry ran out of fuel and slowly coasted to the finish line. He was the last car on the lead lap.

The final stage went caution-free after the first two stages were marred with incidents. There were eight cautions in the first two stages, accounting for 22 laps.

Will Brown finished 31st in his Cup Series debut after battling electrical issues with his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Cam Waters finished 35th in his debut with RFK Racing. Waters was collected in a multi-car incident in Turn 11 when Josh Berry slid into the corner on lap 35.

The first driver out of the race was Denny Hamlin, who finished last. Hamlin blew an engine in his Toyota Camry on lap 3.

There were 11 lead changes among nine drivers throughout Sunday’s race.

 

Logano surges to Sonoma Cup pole

Joey Logano will start from the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Logano earned the top spot with a lap of 97.771mph (73.273s). It is the third pole of the year for Logano, his second at the California road course and the 31st …

Joey Logano will start from the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Logano earned the top spot with a lap of 97.771mph (73.273s). It is the third pole of the year for Logano, his second at the California road course and the 31st of his career.

Tyler Reddick, a California native, will join Logano on the front row. Reddick qualified second at 97.661mph.

Ryan Blaney qualified third at 97.566mph and Chase Elliott qualified fourth at 97.562mph. Kyle Larson completed the top five qualifiers at 97.542mph.

Larson “clipped” the tire barrier, by his description, in Turn 4 during the final round of qualifying. Larson, the 2021 winner at Sonoma Raceway, damaged the left side of his Chevrolet but said his steering wheel was still straight. On his second qualifying attempt, Larson went from the slowest driver of the group to earn a fifth-place starting position.

William Byron qualified sixth at 97.518mph, Daniel Suarez qualified seventh at 97.513mph, and Alex Bowman qualified eighth at 97.420 mph. Ross Chastain qualified ninth at 97.390mph, and Ty Gibbs qualified 10th at 97.113mph.

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Quite a few heavy hitters did not make the final round of qualifying. AJ Allmendinger was the first driver outside the top 10, qualifying 11th.

Michael McDowell qualified 12th and Christopher Bell qualified 15th. Bubba Wallace qualified 18th and Martin Truex Jr. qualified 21st. It’s the third time in the last six races that Truex has qualified 19th or worse. However, Truex has won three of the last five races at Sonoma.

Supercars racer Will Brown qualified 24th for his Cup Series debut. Brown, in a third Richard Childress Racing entry, was third fastest in Friday’s practice session.

Cup Series championship point leader Denny Hamlin qualified 25th. Chris Buescher qualified 26th, Austin Cindric qualified 28th and Kyle Busch qualified 29th.

Cam Waters qualified 31st with RFK Racing. Brad Keselowski, the team co-owner, qualified 35th.

There are 38 drivers who will take the green flag in Sunday’s race. The last driver on the grid will be Erik Jones, who qualified last.

RESULTS

UP NEXT: The Toyota / Save Mart 350 at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX).

Video onboard: Ferrari Challenge at Sonoma

Sonoma Raceway offers the most significant technical challenge for the drivers of the Ferrari Challenge championship. Trofeo Pirelli driver, Manny Franco (Ferrari of Lake Forest) shares with us his approach to attacking the demanding layout and …

Sonoma Raceway offers the most significant technical challenge for the drivers of the Ferrari Challenge championship.  Trofeo Pirelli driver, Manny Franco (Ferrari of Lake Forest) shares with us his approach to attacking the demanding layout and elevation changes in his Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo.

Enfinger in for Gragson at Sonoma Cup race

Legacy Motor Club has announced that Noah Gragson, regular driver of its NASCAR Cup Series No. 42 Sunseeker Chevrolet, will not compete in Sunday’s race at Sonoma Raceway, as he recovers from the effects of his heavy crash in last week’s race at …

Legacy Motor Club has announced that Noah Gragson, regular driver of its NASCAR Cup Series No. 42 Sunseeker Chevrolet, will not compete in Sunday’s race at Sonoma Raceway, as he recovers from the effects of his heavy crash in last week’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway. GMS Racing and NASCAR Truck Series veteran Grant Enfinger (pictured above) will take over the No. 42 this weekend.

Rookie Gragson was evaluated and released from the infield care center following his crash at WWTR. Upon return home to North Carolina, he began to experience concussion-like symptoms mid-week and is seeking treatment.

The Sonoma road race will be the Cup Series debut for Enfinger. The 38-year-old, who was the 2015 ARCA Menards Series champion, is a nine-time winner in the NASCAR Truck Series with two victories this season, including last weekend at WWTR.

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“Noah’s health is the highest of priorities and we commend him for making the decision to sit out this weekend,” said team co-owners Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson. “We are appreciative that Grant was available and willing to step in since the Truck Series is off this weekend.”

“My thoughts are with Noah, I know how much he loves this team and the guys on it,” said Enfinger. “I’m happy to help out Legacy Motor Club and the No. 42 team.”

Trans Am Series Western Championship event preview: Sonoma

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship is back in action this weekend for Round 2 of the 2023 season with the Mission Foods Sonoma SpeedTour at Sonoma Raceway. Sunday’s race kicks off back-to-back California weekends for the …

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship is back in action this weekend for Round 2 of the 2023 season with the Mission Foods Sonoma SpeedTour at Sonoma Raceway. Sunday’s race kicks off back-to-back California weekends for the Western Championship. With 28 cars currently on the entry list, the field is sure to be packed with tough competition and tight battles.

23 of the cars in this weekend’s race are Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series entries, setting a new record for the most cars in that class in a single Western Championship event. The previous record of 20 was established at Sonoma in 2021. To show how much growth TA2 has seen on the West Coast, 23 is the total number of Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series participants entered the entire first season of Western Championship competition in 2017.

Mission Foods Sonoma SpeedTour
Sonoma Raceway
Track Facts:
Opened: 1968
Length: 2.52 Miles
Layout: 12-Turn Road Course
Entry List: View
Practice:
Saturday, April 29
11:40 a.m.-12:05 p.m. PT
Qualifying:
Saturday, April 29
5:10-5:35 p.m. PT
Race:
Sunday, April 30
1:40-2:55 p.m. PT
Race Length: 40 Laps/75 Minutes

Golden Gate Challenge
This weekend at Sonoma Raceway kicks off the inaugural Golden Gate Challenge, a two-event points race in which the competitor who tallies the most points will be awarded a special custom trophy. The challenge will conclude next weekend following the checkered flag at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

A few drivers typically competing in the National Championship have made the trek west to compete in the challenge, including Jack Wood (No. 8 SLR-M1 Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro), Brad McAllister (No. 24 Straumann and Zimbis Ford Mustang), and Barry Boes (No. 32 Accio Data Ford Mustang), as well as the entire TeamSLR fleet.

TeamSLR crossing the country
One team which does not typically compete in the Western Championship is TeamSLR, but the St. Augustine, Florida-based organization owned by Scott Lagasse Sr. and Scott Lagasse Jr. is bringing three cars across the country to field Sammy Smith, Sean Hingorani and Jack Wood.

18-year-old Smith, who has competed in nine NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2023, got his first-career NASCAR win at Phoenix Raceway in March. Smith has made two previous Trans Am starts with a best finish of second, which he scored at Road America last year.

Sean Hingorani, who is 16 years old, is making his Trans Am debut this weekend.

22-year-old Wood has made seven Trans Am starts since 2021, and has one start at Sonoma Raceway, where he finished 16th last year.

Wine Country winners
Only two drivers in this Sunday’s field have previous Western Championship victories at Sonoma Raceway, and neither of those drivers have won in the same class as they are competing in this weekend.

TA2
Joe Bogetich, No. 65 Westover Controls Chevrolet Camaro (GT, 2020)

XGT
Chris Evans, No. 92 Central Welding Supply Ford Mustang (SGT, 2022)

California drivers dominate entry list
Exactly half of the drivers entered in this weekend’s race are from the state of California. Tim Lynn’s hometown of Kentfield, California is the closest to the 2.52-mile track in wine country, just 45 minutes away from Sonoma. Jack Wood, Greg Tolson, Bob Accardo Jr., Michael Fine and Roy Fulmer IV are all from within two hours of the track.

In addition to those below, Michelle Nagai in the No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro considers Havasu City, Arizona to be her hometown, but grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, attending high school in San Rafael, just 15 minutes from Sonoma Raceway. In those days, Nagai was a pro Jet Ski racer and trained under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz, making the Golden Gate Challenge particularly close to her heart. Nagai was the Western Championship TA Rookie of the Year in 2019 and is competing full-time for the first time since that season.

GT
JC Meynet, No. 28 Killer Shrimp Racing Chevrolet Corvette (Woodland Hills)
Kevin Michaels, No. 98 Killer Shrimp Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette (Malibu)

TA2
Sean Hingorani, No. 7 SLR-M1 Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro (Newport Beach)
Jack Wood, No. 8 SLR-M1 Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro (Loomis)
Tim Lynn, No. 17 RoofOptions Ford Mustang (Kentfield)
Mitch Marvosh, No. 29 Wolf Entertainment RAWsport Motors Mustang (Santa Barbara)
Michael LaPaglia, No. 31 Papini’s Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto Ford Mustang (Murrieta)
Greg Tolson, No. 38 GT Auto Lounge Chevrolet Camaro (Rancho Cordova)
Bob Accardo Jr., No. 39 Accurate Arms/Race Marketing Chevrolet Camaro (Livermore)
Tim Carroll, No. 46 Carroll Racing Development Dodge Challenger (Santa Ana)
Michael Fine, No. 66 Architectural Glass Systems Inc. Chevrolet Camaro (Orangevale)
Kyle Kelley, No. 80 UPR.com/PK&K Chevrolet Camaro (Huntington Beach)
Roy Fulmer IV, No. 86 Fulmer’s Auto Body/Caulk Lok Chevrolet Camaro (Placerville)
Ricky Leigh, No. 09 1909 Gastropub Temecula CA Chevrolet Camaro (Murrieta)

News & notes
Two drivers will be making their Trans Am Series debuts this weekend at Sonoma Raceway: Sean Hingorani in No. 7 SLR-M1 Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro in the TA2 class, and Will Rodgers in the No. 42 Central Welding Supply Ford Mustang in the XGT class.

A few drivers are also returning to the series for the first time this year, including Tom Klauer in the No. 25 I Pull U Pull/Garage Row Racing Mustang, past IndyCar winner Jim Guthrie in the No. 27 Guthrie’s Garage Mustang, Bob Accardo Jr. in the No. 39 Accurate Arms/Race Marketing Camaro, 2022 TA2 Western Championship runner up Ken Sutherland in the No. 68 Kallberg Racing Camaro, two-time 2022 Western Championship race winner Brody Goble in the No. 69 Brown Bros. Ford/Cortex Performance Mustang and Kyle Kelley in the No. 80 UPR.com/PK&K Camaro. 2022 SGT Western Champion Chris Evans in the No. 92 Central Welding Supply Mustang will also be making his first Western Championship start of the season, but has already competed in two races on the National circuit.

Past Sonoma winner Joe Bogetich in the No. 65 Westover Controls Chevrolet Camaro has been working with 2022 Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series Champion Thomas Merrill to prep for this weekend’s race, testing at the track this week. Merrill has also been working with Ricky Leigh in the No. 09 1909 Gastropub Temecula CA Chevrolet Camaro.

Previous race recap
The 2023 season opener for the Western Championship was an exciting and surprising way to kick off the series’ seventh season of competition.

In the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series, it appeared that Roy Fulmer IV had the car to beat at Thunderhill Raceway Park, as he dominated the first 23 laps much like he had the year before when he claimed the victory in his series debut. However, a mechanical issue caused Fulmer to fade, allowing a steadfast Greg Tolson, who finished second to Fulmer at Thunderhill last year, to take over the lead and claim his first-career victory.

JC Meynet, who was the top GT qualifier in his No. 28 Killer Shrimp Racing Corvette, was challenged early by Xuanqian Wang. With Wang in the lead, Meynet came to pit road during a rainy extended caution period for additional fuel, putting him last of the GT competitors at the back of the pack for the restart. After the field went green, Wang made contact with another car that spun on the restart, damaging his car’s splitter. Meanwhile, Meynet showed notable speed as he drove through the field and took over the lead on lap 21, holding onto it through the final laps and claiming the class victory.

Steve Goldman, the only competitor in the TA class, drove up from a 13th-place starting position to finish ninth and capture the class victory.

1. Steve Goldman (50)
1. Greg Tolson (107)
2. Michael Fine (98)
3. Bobby Hodges (93)
4. Mitch Marvosh (88)
5. Michelle Nagai (84)
1. JC Meynet (80)
2. David Hampton (64)
3. Xuanqian Wang (59)
Complete Standings: View

 

Bartone wins SRO3 for Mercedes; Aston Martin Dominates in GT4 with Branam victorious

The GT America Powered by AWS field returned to the track early Sunday morning for Race Two in the GT Sonoma protected by CrowdStrike weekend at Sonoma Raceway. The 40-minute race was marked by dominance and drama, serving up performances across the …

The GT America Powered by AWS field returned to the track early Sunday morning for Race Two in the GT Sonoma protected by CrowdStrike weekend at Sonoma Raceway. The 40-minute race was marked by dominance and drama, serving up performances across the field that were nothing short of enthralling and jaw-dropping.

Pole sitter Adam Adelson lost no time in his No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.ii) as the green flag waved. The rookie pulled away from the field and never looked back until the checked flag, crossing the finish line to claim his first victory in the series. Drama punctuated the GT4 Class, but Jon Brenam ultimately prevailed in his No. 77 TR3 Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 after pulling off a remarkable comeback drive.

SRO3 Class

Yesterday’s second-place finisher, Adam Adelson, lined up first on the grid followed by the No.04 Crowdstrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 of George Kurtz and Race One winner Memo Gidley in his No. 101 TKO Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. The trio treated the crowds to an intense showdown yesterday, and spectators could expect more of the same from them today.

In the opening laps, Kurtz challenged Adelson for first place as Jason Daskalos in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 was pressuring Gidley for a spot in the Top 3. Race One winner Gidley was able to brilliantly defend his position, scoring the fastest lap of the race. While constantly looking in his mirrors, Gidley didn’t neglect the battle upfront as he was closing in on Kurtz.

The No. 427 RealTime Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Anthony Bartone came in hot into the mix as the ex-GT4 driver made his way from fifth to second place in an impressive manner. The crowd was treated to thrilling on-track battles between Bartone, Jason Daskalos and Kurtz. Bartone made a spectacular overtake on Gidley for third place with 20 minutes to go, and closed the gap on Kurtz to 0.6 tenths in the last stage of the race. End of race shuffling saw the No. 427 RealTime Racing Mercedes-AMG make the final pass for second where the car would remain with the race ending under caution.

Adelson crossed the line in first place, but got moved to last classified finisher due to a technical infraction. Anthony Bartone thus claimed his first win, followed by George Kurtz and Race-One winner Memo Gidley rounding off the podium.

GT4 Class

Robb Holland, who was victorious in Saturday’s outing, started Race Two on pole position in his No. 099 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. He had a great start off the line and sped over the rolling hills at Sonoma as a battle for second began to shape up behind him.

Ross Chouest, despite his best efforts in the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4, quickly came under pressure from Todd Coleman approaching rapidly in the No. 69 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. Coleman went for the move and made it stick with 32 minutes remaining, and set his sights on Holland up ahead.

However, the fruits of their labors would both go unrewarded as the two collided, resulting in Coleman clipping Holland’s front tire, dropping him far down the running order. From there, the new leader was able to pull a 2-second gap to Jason Bell who was charging ahead in his No. 2 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. Coleman was ultimately handed a drive-through penalty, which he served with 15 minutes left on the clock. This incident had massive repercussions on the outcome of the race, with both frontrunners taken out of contention, leaving the winning opportunity wide open and up for grabs.

Meanwhile, Jon Branam in the No. 77 TR3 Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 was flying through the field after starting the race in last, blasting past Bell into the lead, with Elias Sabo hot in pursuit in third place on board the No. 8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. The drama only continued to heat up as Bell unexpectedly crashed into the barriers, bringing out a full course caution with 6 minutes remaining in the race.

The race ended behind the safety car, with Branam safely cruising into victory, followed by Sabo and Chouest. It was a sheer display of dominance across the board in the GT4 class for Aston Martin, with the top five finishers all from the same manufacturer.

“I was just trying to keep it clean and bring home the car in one piece,” explained race winner Jon Branam. “We managed to stay out of trouble and keep out of everyone’s way. This was a last minute switch, Paul Keibler had a family emergency, and our thoughts and prayers are with him. I can’t say enough about this TR3 Racing team, I’ve been friends with Greg Romanelli for 10 years and we know each other very well, and to have the opportunity to drive for him is a dream come true.”

UP NEXT: The GT America field will be back in action at NOLA Motorsports Park April 28th to the 30th.

RESULTS

Gidley wins Sonoma GT America SRO3 opener; Holland wins GT4

The GT America Powered by AWS took to the grid Saturday afternoon for the first of two races at Sonoma Raceway. As always, the drivers split into the SRO3 and GT4 classes gave quite a show in the GT America season opener during the GT Sonoma …

The GT America Powered by AWS took to the grid Saturday afternoon for the first of two races at Sonoma Raceway. As always, the drivers split into the SRO3 and GT4 classes gave quite a show in the GT America season opener during the GT Sonoma protected by Crowdstrike weekend.

The 2.52-mile road course, featuring 12 turns with 160 ft of total elevation change, welcomed 21 drivers across all classes. The No. 101 TKO Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Memo Gidley claimed top honors in the SRO3 class, with Robb Holland in the No. 099 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport winning in GT4.

SRO3
Adam Adelson started on pole in his first-ever SRO race on board the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3-R (991.ii), which is no small feat, especially for a GT3 newcomer. However, it was Gidley that got the better start as the green flag waved, with the driver of the No. 101 TKO Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 managing to squeeze past into the lead. From there, it became a game of cat and mouse between the leaders, with the gap growing and diminishing over the course of the 40-minute race. At times, it appeared as though Gidley was untouchable, only for Adelson to put in a storming lap and inch closer again.

With 25 minutes remaining in the race, George Kurtz began to put the pressure on. Sitting in third in the No. 04 Crowdstrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3, it seemed as though it was only a matter of time before he was ready to pounce and make a move for second. Adelson, on the other hand, was not ready to let that happen, and set the fastest lap on the race at the 23-minute mark.

Gidley began to pull a significant gap, but tire degradation and traffic would soon come into play and shake things up. As the clock ticked down, Adelson made up some ground on the Mercedes-AMG GT3. In the final laps, the pair were nearly driving bumper to bumper as they weaved through traffic around tight corners, and although the other surrounding cars could have played a main role in the outcome of this race, the TKO Motorsports driver remained cool and composed, charging his way to the checkered flag, never letting the win out of his sights.

“This is unbelievably special,” said Gidley. “TKO Motorsports and David Traitel did an excellent job at putting this program together and have been instrumental in helping me live my dream and race in my prime. It feels good to bring home the win, especially as this is the first race that my 2-year-old daughter has been able to attend. This is where I come from, and it’s simply unreal to be in victory lane in front of local fan and friends at my home track. Thank you very much to the team!”

Gidley will be starting in second position on the grid for Sunday’s Race 2.

Adelson’s first SRO race ended on a high note with a second-place finish. George Kurtz, the 2022 GT America champion, rounded off the podium in third.

GT4
The GT4 drivers put on a show of their own during the 40-minute race. Polesitter Robb Holland commanded his No. 099 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport to the win and never looked back.

The action was taking place behind him for the second and third places on the podium. Although the No. 69 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 of Todd Coleman lost no time in trying to chase down Holland, pressure came from behind with the likes of Jason Bell and Ross Chouest.

The No. 2 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 of Bell gained important ground in the opening stage of the race, passing the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4, then eventually getting within reach of Coleman.

Coleman soon came under threat from Chouest, who eventually took third place away from him with 10 minutes remaining on the clock. As the front of the GT4 field settled with a few minutes left in the race, the No. 253 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 of Rob Walker was under the constant pressure of Gray Newell in his No. 25 The Hearth of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 and Nicholas Shanny in his No. 21 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4. Eventually, Walker had to capitulate, with Newell and Shanny making a late pass for sixth and seventh places.

In the end, Holland’s perfect race was translated into a solid win, with Jason Bell and Ross Chouest completing the podium.

Race 2 is set for Sunday, April 2, at 8:55am PT.

RESULTS

Preview: GT World Challenge ready to launch at Sonoma

The 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS season goes green at Sonoma Raceway Friday, March 31, with two 90-minute feature races on tap with the latest GT3 machinery. The 18-car entry list reads as a who’s who list of drivers and …

The 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS season goes green at Sonoma Raceway Friday, March 31, with two 90-minute feature races on tap with the latest GT3 machinery. The 18-car entry list reads as a who’s who list of drivers and manufacturers. Bill Auberlen and BMW, Alessandro Balzan and Ferrari and Colin Braun with Mercedes-AMG are just a few on the list.

The 2.505-mile, 12-turn Sonoma Raceway has long been a staple of SRO Motorsports America calendar, making the season opener a level playing field for competitors. With multiple 2022 class champions and seven manufacturers returning, the racing will be exhilarating.

PRO class pass
The PRO class lineup is not for the faint of heart. Each of the five entries can win and is wheeled by drivers with championship titles. The new Ferrari 296 GT3 will make its series debut in the hands of Conquest Racing’s Alessandro Balzan and Manny Franco, going toe to toe against Mario Farnbacher and Ashton Harrison in the Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 EVO22.

The 2022 PRO-AM champions take on Bill Auberlen comfortably at home in the BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT3 with Chandler Hull. Porsche ace Trenton Estep pairs with Seth Lucas in the MDK Motorsports Porsche GT3 R. They’ll prove themselves against the successful duo of Eric Filqueiras and Steven McAleer in the RS1 Porsche GT3 R who make the step up after winning the Pirelli GT4 America Silver Cup a season ago. The PRO Class battles will keep fans on the edge of their seats.

PRO-AM jam
A GT3 car sounds just as sweet regardless of driver pairing. The AM status may have some wondering, but these driver pairings are fiery and competitive. Five Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries enter the chat, with four different teams championing the entries.

Two pairings represent DXDT Racing. The No. 08 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Scott Smith and Bryan Sellers, also Jeff Burton and Corey Lewis in the No. 91. CrowdStrike by Riley has George Kurtz back with Colin Braun. TR3 Racing elected Ziad Ghandour and Daniel Morad for the 2023 campaign. Announced earlier this year, Esses Racing with Mercedes-Benz of Austin is running Will Hardeman with Adam Carroll. Andy Pilgrim and Anthony Bartone will run the Mercedes-AMG in the AM Class with RealTime Racing.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R is the selected instrument for three entries. Wright Motorsports has two, with Adam Adelson racing alongside Elliot Skeer and Charlie Luck back with Jan Heylen. Pedro Torres and Spencer Pumpelly run ACI Motorsport’s banner.

The lone PRO-AM BMW M4 GT3 entry is that of ST Racing with Samantha Tan herself paired with BMW factory driver John Edwards. The Ferrari 296 GT3 of Triarsi Competizione enters the duo of Justin Wetherill and Ryan Dalziel.

James Sofronas and GMG Racing bring in the aid of Tom Dyer to run the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVOII. Finally, the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 is run by the legendary Aston Martin Racing-TRG with Derek DeBoer and factory ace Ross Gunn.

Schedule
Practice begins the weekend for the Fanatec GT World Challenge America on Friday, March 31. Race 1 goes green Saturday, April 1, at 3:05pm PT and the weekend comes to a close with Race 2, which begins at 2:15pm.

Fans can enjoy the sights and sounds at Sonoma Raceway and our open paddock to get up close with the stars and cars across the five SRO America championships competing. Don’t miss the popular autograph sessions or Sunday’s Grid Walk. Kids 12 and under are free with paying adult tickets. Grab your ticket today at https://am.ticketmaster.com/sonoma/gt.

If you can’t make it to Sonoma, be sure to tune in to SRO’s free live streams all weekend long on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports). Of course, follow all the action through our social media channels and the event hashtag #GTSonoma.

Entry List | Full Timetable | Event Tickets

Daniel Suárez destroying a taco piñata and 6 other awesome celebratory moments after 1st NASCAR Cup win

“This is the first one of many.”

Daniel Suárez made NASCAR history Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, and he celebrated in spectacular fashion. Not only did Suárez win his first career NASCAR Cup Series race, but he also became the first Mexican-born driver to win at NASCAR’s highest level.

The No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet driver led a race-high of 47 laps during the 110-lap California road course race before taking the checkered flag in his 195th career start in the Cup Series. It was his third top-5 finish of the season and fifth top 10.

With the checkered flag, the 30-year-old driver from Monterrey, Mexico is the 12th different winner in the 2022 season and the fourth first-time victor. He’s also now the fifth Cup winner from outside the U.S., joining Mario Andretti (Italy), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia), Marcos Ambrose (Australia) and Earl Ross (Canada).

Here’s a look at his winning moment as he crossed the finish line:

And how it was called on FOX Deportes:

“It has cost me a lot to get to this point,” Suárez said in his post-race press conference. “A lot of people doesn’t know that, but it has cost me a lot to get to this country, first 10 years ago, and to get to this point, fighting. I come from a very humble family. Every step of my life has cost me a lot. I knew that it’s important to remember that if I was able to come all the way here, I wasn’t going to give up here.”

Obviously, Suárez was overjoyed to finally break through and win his first Cup race, and he celebrated with his team, with homages to Mexico and, as is tradition at Sonoma, with a giant goblet of wine.

Here are his seven best celebratory moments from his Sonoma victory.