Virginia International Raceway – Syndication Server

Menard storms to sixth Trans Am win, heartbreak for Dyson at VIR

Chris Dyson needed to have the perfect race at VIRginia International Raceway to have a shot at claiming his fourth consecutive title in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s TA class. He started the weekend on the right foot by securing the pole in Saturday’s qualifying session, but he was plagued by issues from the moment the green flag waved. After Paul Menard claimed the lead from him on the initial start, Dyson experienced a mechanical failure on lap seven, forcing him to retire early and allowing Menard to cruise to his sixth victory of the 2024 season.

Rolling to the starting line in the first position in his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang, Dyson’s troubles began when the green flag waved and he spun his tires on the start, allowing Menard to capitalize and take the lead in his No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang. Dyson rallied after the start and defended the second position against Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette) and Keith Grant (No. 40 Drissi Motorsports/Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro) behind him. Dyson chased Menard for the next few circuits, but on the final turn of lap seven, the back end of Dyson’s car stepped out on him, causing him to skid off the racing surface. After limping to the paddock, the CD Racing team determined that Dyson’s machine had a broken shock absorber, forcing him to retire from the race and relegating him to a seventh-place finish in the class.

A lap 12 restart gave second-place Grant an opportunity to challenge Menard for the lead, but he was unable to complete the pass, opening the door for Ruman to get past him for second. Behind him, Grant was joined by Tomy Drissi in the No. 8 Drissi Motorsports/Lucas/Mission Chevrolet Camaro, who had raced his way through the field after a pre-race penalty forced him to start the race from the back.

While Menard handily led, the action continued behind him. On lap 19, Grant was able to get back past Ruman. A lap later, with Drissi on her rear end, Ruman spun, bringing both herself and Drissi to a temporary stop on the racetrack. Drissi was the first to recover, and he took over the third position while Ruman chased him. As the laps ticked by, the two were able to catch up to Grant, and the three were nose to tail in the closing laps. Unfortunately, after taking the white flag, Grant had an issue on the racetrack, allowing both Drissi and Ruman to pass him. Menard took the checkered flag, and Drissi and Ruman followed him across the line for podium positions. Grant was fourth, and his father, Richard Grant in the No. 30 Grant Racing Chevrolet Camaro, was fifth.

“We had a great race,” said Menard in GYM WEED Winners Circle. “I hate that Chris [Dyson] had his issues. We got a good launch at the start. Chris is notorious for low air pressure, kind of sluggish starts at the beginning, but then he comes on hard at the end, so I was trying to build a gap to conserve the lead for when the tires fall off. These guys built the car twice this weekend. We just had a couple of little gremlins, and they fixed it for qualifying. The car went from uncomfortable to OK to ‘now we can go race’ after qualifying. It was really solid all day. We played with the sway bars just to try stuff, but really didn’t have to adjust the car at all from the inside. I can rest a little bit easier going into COTA now with points, but we’re still going to COTA to win.”

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Brian Lock in the No. 68 Helium Mobile/JDI/Blockjoy Porsche GT3 R led the XGT class to green in his Trans Am debut and never looked back once the action started. He carried incredible speed, leading every lap on his way to his first-career Trans Am victory. He was followed across the finish line by Danny Lowry (No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3) and Billy Griffin (No. 43 BridgeHaul/Bennett/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3), who ran second and third, respectively, for the entirety of the race.

The SGT class race was a competitive one, with multiple lap leaders and a very late-race pass for the victory. Eric Foss, who was making his Trans Am debut in the No. 54 South Dallas Turf Chevrolet Corvette, started the race from the point position and led nearly the entire race, only briefly acquiescing the lead to Josh Carlson in the No. 36 Enseva/TC Fab/Diercks Ltd. Ford Mustang late in the event. Foss was back in control by the restart on lap 28, followed by Carlson and Kaylee Bryson in the No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette. The restart was a wild one, and Bryson was able to pass Carlson after the green flag to secure second. One lap later, she was able to hunt down Foss, making the pass to score the victory and claim the 2024 SGT National Championship title.

“You know, it’s my first time at VIR, and I definitely rank this one at the top of my list,” said Bryson. “That was the race of my life right there; I never gave up. We started third and really, really had to chase down the guys. I think once we got the fuel load off, the car really came to life at the end. I can’t thank my fellow competitors enough for racing me clean. We were side by side and never touching, having to run qualifying laps every single lap, and that was really awesome. It’s cool to be a champion in this series. This whole LSI, Logical Systems Inc. team does so much to make this possible. Thank you to Sam Pierce Chevrolet, AP driver Development, RE Enterprises. There are so many people who make this Corvette fast and I can’t thank them enough.”

Chris Coffey in the No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4 took the green flag first in class and maintained that lead for nearly the entire race. A late-race restart bunched up the field enough to allow Michael Saia (No. 13 KMC/Rapid Performance Management/Motul Porsche 997.1 GT3 Cup) to make the pass on Coffey with one lap remaining, but the two fought hard for the position. Coffey and Saia ultimately made contact, which dropped Saia back to the fourth position and allowed Coffey to take the victory. He was followed across the finish line by Remy Faird (No. 53 KMC/Rabid Wraps Porsche 718 GT4 Clubsport MR), who earned his first-career podium, and Colin Cohen in the No. 38 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4.

“Unfortunately, me and Michael [Saia] came together and we had a little conversation about that,” said Coffey. “I feel terrible that it happened, but we’ll talk about it. We’ll talk our way through it and see what happens. I want to thank Colin Cohen here first. Without him, I couldn’t be here. My crew, Xavier and Alex. My shop, Norwood Auto Italia. My wife, Morgan, and my son, Sam. Thank you.”

The highlight show of Sunday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The Trans Am Series will next hit the track for the season finale at Circuit of The Americas, November 1-3.

RESULTS

Dyson secures fourth Trans Am pole of 2024 at VIR

Chris Dyson earned his fourth Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli pole of the season at the VIR SpeedTour at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) by laying down a lap of 1m42.509s in his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang. Newcomer Brian Lock in the No. …

Newcomer Brian Lock in the No. 68 Helium Mobile/JDI/Blockjoy Porsche GT3 R was quickest in XGT, while Eric Foss in the No. 54 South Dallas Turf Chevrolet Corvette topped SGT in his first-career start. Chris Coffey was fastest in the GT class.

“The car’s been fantastic since we got here,” said Dyson. “We were here back in August and did some testing, and we found some performance and we’ve been able to hold onto it through the last couple of race weekends. I think it’s carried through here in Virginia. I’m really pleased with the speed we’ve shown all year with the GYM WEED car, and it’s always fantastic to come to the big, fast, dramatic tracks and underline performance. I think it’s a big boost in the arm for everybody on the team. It’s been a tough season in a lot of ways, certainly from a scoring standpoint. So, at this point, we’re trying to finish this season strong and head into 2025 with the wind at our back.”

The TA/XGT/SGT/GT race will be contested Sunday at 1:20pm ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV and streamed live here. The highlights show of the race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 9:00pm ET.

RESULTS

Annunziata charges to first TA2 win of 2024, flag-to-flag at VIR

Thomas Annunziata finally earned his first win of the 2024 season after an up-and-down year of bad luck and frustrating finishes. With blazing speed, Annunziata defended the point position through multiple restarts, leading every lap of the CUBE 3 …

Annunziata led the field to green in his No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage Funding/Chriswell Ford Mustang, holding off a challenge from second-place starter Jake Drew (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro) and settling comfortably into the first position. Followed closely by Thomas Merrill in the No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang, the top three remained the same through two early yellow flags. When racing resumed from the second caution period on lap 12, Drew challenged Annunziata on the inside of Turn 1, but Annunziata defended, opening the door for Merrill to pass Drew on the outside for the second spot.

A double yellow was displayed just one lap later for a two-car crash in Turn 14, resulting in a lengthy cleanup. When the green flag waved on lap 19, Annunziata, Merrill and Drew were followed by young newcomer Tristan McKee (No. 28 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro), who had broken into the top five following an impressive early pass on Rafa Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), and Connor Zilisch (No. 57 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro), who drove through the field from the last position after missing the weekend’s practice session. One lap later, Zilisch took over the fourth spot, and Matos found his way back around McKee for fifth.

The field finally got a long green-flag run, allowing Annunziata to stretch out a dominating lead over Merrill. Behind Merrill, Zilisch was working to pick off Drew for third, but Zilisch spun on lap 23, dropping out of the top five. As the laps wound down, Drew had a slight off after going too wide into a turn on lap 27, allowing Matos to get right to his rear bumper and attempt to claim the final podium spot. Drew held him off, and on the final lap, McKee took the fourth position from Matos. When the checkered flag waved, Annunziata crossed the finish line with a nearly 9s gap over Merrill.

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“This feels great,” said Annunziata. “These Nitro Motorsports guys deserve at least a few wins this year. We’ve had that speed all year, but silly things happened; that’s racing. It’s a bit emotional. I got my first win with Nick Tucker being my crew chief. I’ve been with Nick and Nitro for a while. I grew up karting with them and came up the ranks and developed with them into cars. We have a cool program going on, so it’s definitely a little emotional. Ronnie and Mike deserved it as well. We’ve been working so hard. Everyone’s super happy. I’m super happy to have Bayshore Mortgage Funding, Chriswell Ford, Chipoys and Eat Clean Bro all on the race car this weekend as well. The car’s beautiful. Congratulations to Thomas Merrill and Jake Drew and thanks to all the fans here. You guys are awesome.”

In Pro/Am Challenge, Barry Boes started the race from the top spot in his No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang, but an early mistake on lap four put him in the back of the field, forcing him to battle through Pro/Am and Pro drivers alike. Initially, it appeared that Cale Phillips would earn his first Pro/Am victory in his No. 99 Mincey’s Graphics/SNP Inc. Ford Mustang, but with seven laps remaining, Boes reclaimed the lead. Phillips held on for second and Keith Prociuk finished third in his No. 9 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang.

“I made a mistake kind of early in the race, went to the back of the pack, and it reminded me how incredibly good every driver in this field is,” said Boes. “From the back, from the very first pass, you’ve got to work for it, and it just gets harder and harder as you go up, but I was able to make my way back up and it feels fantastic.”

The highlight show of Saturday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, October 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series returns to the track for the season finale at Circuit of The Americas on November 1-3.

RESULTS

PMR, Korthoff Preston celebrate firsts in IMSA GT Challenge at VIR

Two first-time winners celebrated jubilantly on the top step of the podium in the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR. The ninth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the 2h40m GT-only event at VIRginia International Raceway, saw the first victory for Paul Miller Racing since moving to GTD PRO, and the first GTD win for Korthoff Preston Motorsport in its third full season.

Madison Snow led from pole in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 and then went long in the first stint before handing over to Bryan Sellers. Stopping for fuel and tires much earlier, Alex Riberas handed the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo over to Ross Gunn in position to take the lead once the first round of stops was done, thanks to the undercut. However, Sellers’ short stint in the middle meant a shorter fuel time, and he returned the car to Snow, and Snow returned the car to the track in front, a lead he would never relinquish. The victory came at the same track the pair scored their last GTD triumph as they sailed to the championship in 2023.

“It’s an overall win in GT at VIR. It’s pretty spectacular, so it’s going to take a while to sink in, but I’m glad I was able to do it with my best friend Bryan,” said an emotional Snow before the podium celebrations began.

The No. 23 had a drive-through penalty for not meeting minimum refuel time on their final stop that dropped Gunn and Alex Riberas to third. That left the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 of Harry Tincknell and Mike Rockenfeller in second, the Mustang’s first podium finish.

Snow had scored the pole position with a new GTD PRO track record. The No. 1 was the last car to pit in the first round of stops. The No. 23, having pitted early in the first stop, needed fuel with an hour to go. PMR followed a lap later, but having gone only a little over 40m in the stint, the team was able to fill the car, give it fresh Michelins and install Snow back in the car in a shorter time.

After Heart of Racing served its penalty, Snow had a 15s lead over Rockenfeller in the No. 64 Mustang, but that lead was erased by the race’s only full-course caution with 35m to go, brought out by the No. 70 Inception McLaren losing its engine in spectacular fashion. Snow steadily pulled away from Rockenfeller after the restart, finishing with a 3.368s margin of victory. GTD PRO had been a tough transition for the team, but as they adapted to a new style of racing, the results kept improving.

“I think you just have to have resilience,” said Sellers. “You have to have fight. I think that’s what we’ve had so far up until this point. You’ve got to ride the waves, the ups and downs, and you’ve got to be able to take advantage of wins when they’re presented to you. What you saw from the team today was just that. Madison delivered a great performance all weekend, and I’m just super proud of everyone at Paul Miller Racing.”

Dirk Mueller brought the No. 65 FMM Mustang that was started by Joey Hand fourth to make it both GTD PRO Mustangs in the top five. Oliver Jarvis and Marvin Kirchhofer were fifth in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

It was a rough day for championship leader Laurin Heinrich. An early black flag for tire pressures outside the limit put the AO Racing squad onto a three-stop strategy. Then, after taking over from Klaus Bachler, Heinrich had contact with Jack Hawksworth’s No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, spinning it and earning himself a drive-through penalty. All that led to a seventh-place finish for Heinrich and Bachler.

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That tightened up the GTD PRO points considerably. The third-place finish for Heart of Racing means Gunn now has only a 17-point deficit to Heinrich’s 2519 total. Snow and Sellers moved past Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat, who finished sixth, into third in the points at 2408, 111 points out of the championship lead.

As bad a day as Heinrich had, it was worse for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports. A power steering issue for the No. 3 Z06 GT3.R saw the car need a full reset on track before it went behind the wall for repairs. Alexander Sims would later have an off-track excursion, ending the No. 3’s day with a broken suspension. The No. 4 had a starter issue on its final pit stop, putting it out of contention and into an eventual eighth-place finish.

Kenton Koch took the GTD lead from second place at the start and, saving fuel through two stints before handing the No. 32 Mercedes AMG GT3 over to Mikael Grenier, helped deliver Korthoff Preston Motorsports its first victory in IMSA competition. It was Grenier’s first as well, and Koch’s first WeatherTech Championship win since 2016 when he took the Rolex 24 at Daytona victory in the Prototype Challenge category. Koch and Grenier have been partners for only two races – Koch was the endurance addition to Grenier and Mike Skeen in the No. 32, but took the full-time seat at Road America as Skeen moved to strategist.

“Man, that feels good,” declared Koch “I knew we had a good car, and I knew it was going to be tough, but it was just all down to strategy and me saving some fuel at the beginning that gave us the track position to be able to stay ahead of the guys behind.

“It feels really good to give a win to these guys and Mik did a phenomenal job at the end. We’ve got a good little Korthoff PrestonAMG GT3 race car here. Hopefully we can do better and keep improving, and continue this momentum into Indy and Road Atlanta.”

Grenier was aided through the restart and final run to the checker by having Jarvis in the Pfaff McLaren between him and fellow Canadian Roman De Angelis in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. De Angelis got alongside Jarvis on the restart, but couldn’t make the pass stick. That left him with no chance to attack Grenier for the lead, and De Angelis and Zacharie Robichon finished second, 0.897s behind the No. 32 Mercedes AMG.

Loris Spinelli made a late-race charge in the No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2 to go from seventh to the podium and landing a third-place finish for himself and Misha Goikhberg.

Winward Racing was looking like it was going to leave VIR with a smaller lead in the GTD points until late in the race, as the No. 57 Mercedes AMG moved steadily up. Philip Ellis made a late-race move to pass Robby Foley in the No. 96 Tuner Motorsport BMW and score a fourth-place finish for him and Russell Ward. That allowed the Winward pair to put another 20 points between them and Turner’s Foley and Patrick Gallagher. The 2698-point total for Ellis and Ward has them 284 points ahead of Foley and Gallagher with two races left. Grenier moved into third in the points, another 236 back from the Turner pair, and 74 points ahead of Vasser Sullivan Racing’s Parker Thompson.

The polesitting No. 55 Proton Competition Mustang of Giammarco Levorato and Corey Lewis looked to be headed for a podium in GTD, but the full-course caution brought their pursuers close. Lewis first got passed by Foley, and then had a tank-slapper at the exit of Turn 4 and dropped down the order, eventually finishing eighth.

Attention now turns to the final two races of the season where all four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes will again be featured, the six-hour Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

RESULTS

Fletcher sweeps MX-5 Cup at VIR with a photo finish

After a thrilling drive from last to first in Saturday’s Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race at VIR, Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) followed it up with a photo-finish win on Sunday. Fletcher was joined on the podium by his teammate Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) in second, while Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) climbed from last on the grid to third at the checker.

Unlike Saturday’s race, Fletcher’s race started just as strong as it finished. He was able to hook up with his MMR teammates Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Wagner and the trio worked together to pull away from the rest of the field. They had a 6s gap to the rest of the field when a full-course caution came out for a car stopped on course, which erased their advantage.

“I was super thankful for the guys,” Fletcher said. “I think we all worked pretty good together and created that gap. We knew we had pace. The caution was kind of heartbreaking, but kind of expected in these races with how tight it is. I was still confident. I knew my car had pace. I knew we had pace as a team, and I figured we could conquer everyone else as a team and get it done.”

While they were unable to replicate their break away, especially with a second full-course caution coming shortly thereafter, the MMR teammates continued to be a force at the front of the field. It wasn’t until three laps to go that two non-MMR cars pushed each other to the front.

Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) briefly took the lead with help from Thomas, who then passed Workman for the lead in Turn 1 with two laps to go.

“On the last lap, at the end of the back straight away, I think Jared [Thomas] saw us all kind of fighting, so he didn’t decide to stack it up,” Fletcher said. “We get onto the front straight and luckily Gresham [Wagner] decided to push me.”

Wagner pushed his teammate past Thomas for the victory. Fletcher took his second Mazda MX-5 Cup win by 0.061s.

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“I’m super thankful for that [push from Wagner] and came away with the win,” Fletcher said. I think I’m starting to like VIR a little more than I have in the past! The McCumbee McAleer guys, Flis Performance, Mazda MX-5 Cup, the Home Store, Home Decor and More, Home Restoration Exchange; all these people do so much for me, and I’m so thankful that I get to bring home some hardware.”

Thomas may have been bummed to not get the win, but considering that he started from last, in a backup car, a runner-up finish felt like a win.

“It was just about trying not to get in a wreck in the first turn, because it’s always hectic here at VIR, and then just try to methodically work my way through the pack,” Thomas said. “I knew it could be done. Jeremy [Fletcher] did it yesterday, so I just kind of put my head down and went to work. The car was great. The team stayed up really late last night preparing a backup car for me, and I had confidence that it was going to be a good car. We just did our job and it worked out well.”

Wagner may have finished third in Saturday and Sunday’s races, but his willingness to be a team player certainly helped Fletcher get the two VIR race wins.

“We didn’t have the car to win today,” Wagner said. “Jeremy [Fletcher] had the car to win, which is why he won. So, I was happy to work with him and still get a result that I deserved. The whole team deserved more though.”

Workman just missed the podium, but was the highest finishing rookie, strengthening his lead in the Rookie of the Year Championship, which comes with a $80,000 check at the end of the season.

Although he led seven laps of the race and was a winner at VIR last year, Cicero had to settle for a fifth-place finish, making it three MMR cars in the top five.

Fletcher has provisionally taken over the lead in the championship points followed by Thomas and Wagner. The top five are covered by 220 points as the series heads to the final two races of the season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, October 9 – 11, where the 2024 champion will receive $250,000.

But first, MX-5 Cup teams head to Martinsville Speedway on Monday, August 26, for an open test ahead of the series’ oval track debut on October 26.

Tire management key to mastering VIRginia International Raceway

Tire management will be key in Michelin GT Challenge IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race Tire degradation has been a hot topic at VIRginia International Raceway among IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors. The clear belief is …

Tire management will be key in Michelin GT Challenge IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race

Tire degradation has been a hot topic at VIRginia International Raceway among IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors. The clear belief is that tire management will play a primary role in the 2h40m Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.

Both GTD PRO and GTD have six sets of Michelin Pilot Sport Pro H1 tires for the entire weekend. Much of the practice sessions for most teams was spent trying to figure out how to make those tires last for the roughly hour-long stint that the fuel allows rather than focusing on outright pace. As a result, quick times were usually set early in a session, and in qualifying, drivers had only about a two-lap window where the tires were happy and fast.

“It’s nice to know that we have the outright pace for qualifying. It’s definitely been tough for us compared to some of the PRO cars recently,” said Madison Snow, who put the Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 that he shares with Bryan Sellers on pole. “But the outright pace isn’t going to help you a whole lot [in the race] with as much tire deg as we have going on. And so I think we’ve focused on that all we can.

“I hope we’ve focused on that enough. I think we’re coming into this the best we can, so I think we actually have a good shot at tomorrow, but it’s going to be a long hot race, so we’ll see.”

Harry Tincknell is enjoying the challenge of VIRginia International Raceway. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

VIR rookies…

It’s hard to believe the number of drivers who are new to VIRginia International Raceway. The 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit on the border of Virginia and North Carolina has been a fixture on the IMSA calendar for years.

But for some drivers racing their first season in IMSA, or those whose careers have had them racing prototypes in recent years, VIR is a new experience. That includes GTD polesitter Giammarco Levorato and Ford Multimatic Motorsports’ Harry Tincknell.

“It’s absolutely awesome,” declared Tincknell. “It’s kind of like a mini Nürburgring in some respects, and I think probably one of the most challenging tracks I’ve ever been to in my life. I think we see that with the amount of cars in the grass, going off.

“I had a little spin [Friday] as well. So it’s really fun. It’s not often these days, as someone that’s been racing cars for 16 years and motorsport for like 25, you go to a new track. So it’s really awesome to get that experience. A lot of new tracks these days, they are essentially big car parks with white lines and this is far, far from that. It’s really fun. I think it’s going to provide some great racing.”

…Vs. Experience

Conversely, there are drivers who have already raced at VIR this year, and some drivers and teams that also race in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge and thus raced here yesterday. Stevan McAleer and Robby Foley raced Saturday in IMPC, as did Foley’s team, Turner Motorsport, and Winward Racing.

But Foley, Bryan Sellers, Tommy Milner and Philip Ellis raced at VIR earlier this year in Fanatec GT World Challenge America. But it’s Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer who have the most direct experience from that race, racing together for the same team, Wright Motorsports and the same car, the Porsche 911 GT3 R – albeit on different tires and in a shorter race.

Wright Motorsports’ Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer are among the more experienced drivers in the field..Richard Dole/Motorsport Images

“The actual numbers go to the nerds to see what they might see from all the data. But ultimately, for the driver, we’re looking for a very similar feel,” explained Skeer after setting the quick time in the second practice session. “Obviously there are some core differences in the tire, and that is the common denominator connecting you to the track.

“So you’re never going to get a feeling exactly the same; but, ultimately, at a place like this, where the margins are so tight, you’re just looking for consistency and predictability in the car. And we’re pretty happy with where we have her right now.”

Skeer qualified the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche third in GTD.

First worldwide pole

The still-new Ford Mustang GT3 is currently competing in the World Endurance Championship, GT World Challenge Europe, and in both GTD classes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Yet Giammarco Levorato’s GTD pole yesterday in the No. 55 Proton Competition Mustang is the first pole for the car in any series.

Drive Time

Minimum drive time for GTD PRO is 10 minutes of the 2h40m race. GTD drivers must complete at least 45 minutes each.

How to watch and listen

The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR race will be carried live on USA Network and streamed on Peacock beginning at noon Eastern, as well as on IMSA.tv and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will have commentary during the race on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com, and SiriusXM live race coverage begins at noon (XM 206, Web/App 996)….

Fletcher makes epic comeback to win MX-5 Cup at VIR

Showing flashes of pace and continued improvement of his racecraft, Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) has been on the cusp of a Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race win all season. After one corner of Saturday’s race at VIRginia International Raceway, it looked as though he’d have to keep waiting, but a stunning comeback finally put Fletcher on the top step of the podium for the very first time. He was joined by young rookie Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) and 2021 series champion Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing).

Starting second, Fletcher had the outside lane going into Turn 1. He dropped a wheel and that was all it took for physics to pull him off the track and through the grass. He came to a stop just before the tire wall and was able to continue, albeit at the back of the field.

“It was driver error,” Fletcher said. “I apologize to the team for making them stress out. I knew I had to put my head down and really get back after it. I knew the McCumbee McAleer guys provided me with a great race car.”

Fortunately for him, a full-course caution was issued only a few moments later when three cars tangled in Turn 10. On the restart, Fletcher was able to pick up six positions in one lap to kick start his comeback. He was into the top 10 by lap six.

The top 10 cars were glued nose to tail and it took everything Fletcher had to find his way through the pack, especially without another full-course caution for the rest of the 45-minute race.

In a series where the draft is a huge factor and the winning pass is often made on the final lap, Fletcher made the surprise decision to execute a three-wide pass for the lead in Turn 1 with more than six minutes left on the clock.

“Honestly, I haven’t really led much this year so far,” Fletcher explained. “So, I was really excited to get out there. I just wanted to stay consistent, and I was pretty confident I could do it from the front.”

He was right. Even with heavy pressure from two-time series champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) for the final four laps, Fletcher stayed out front and finally got his first MX-5 Cup win.

“You’ve just got to get them on your bumper and make it happen,” Fletcher said. “The Home Restoration Store, Home Decor and More, McCumbee McAleer machine got it done today and I’m so thankful for everyone.”

Finishing second by 0.070s, Workman also had a lot of work to do, to make the podium. The rookie started seventh on the grid but made a skillful restart after the full-course caution and was into second by lap six.

“I think I was just able to get a good run on all the straightaways and was able to make up some time on the cars in front of me throughout that lap,” Workman said. “I was able to get to second. I stayed in second for a while, pushing whoever was leading me. It [the leader] was kind of flip flopping around a lot and I was always the second car in line, either pushing Gresham [Wagner] or Jared [Thomas]. Then, I finally went for the lead, and I was just managing the gap behind me.”

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Managing was hard work when the top eight were still nose-to-tail through the fast and technical circuit.

“It’s a lot of trusting the drivers around you,” Workman said. “I’ve been racing with these guys all year, so I kind of know their driving styles and where they’re gonna brake and things like that. I was in second for so long, just to get to know the drivers around me. During that time that I was in second, I was able to find that breaking point and break there every single lap to manage the gap in front of me.”

Starting from pole, Wagner led early, but lost pace in the closing stages of the race and even fell out of the top five with four laps to go.

“It’s tough to push non-stop just because the temperatures get so high, so it incentivizes passing and getting some clean air every couple laps,” Wagner said. “At some point, I just shuffled back and then tried to work my way back. The car wasn’t 100 percent. I didn’t have the running in the first practice, so the setup was just a tick from where I’d want it. I just tried to set myself up to always move forward the last 10 minutes and take advantage of the racing ahead of me.”

Exiting the final corner, Wagner was fourth, but prepared for the long drag race to the finish line.

“Fourth place is a tough spot, because you’re at the whim of what happens in front,” Wagner said. “But thankfully a lane opened up and I pushed Weston through to second and also my teammate to his first win. So, all things considered, I’m pretty happy with it.”

Thomas was seemingly in the wrong lane at the finish and didn’t have anyone to give him a push, so he crossed the finish line in fourth.

Jonathan Neudorf (No. 55 BSI Racing) had one of the best races of his MX-5 Cup career and secured a personal best of fifth place.

The point leader coming into VIR, Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) finished seventh, right behind Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) who came into the weekend second in points.

Round 12 of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin goes green Sunday at 9:45 a.m. ET with live streaming on the RACER and IMSA YouTube Channels.

BGB Porsche grabs MPC win at VIR after early RS1 performance

Round eight of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge was a tale of two races for the Grand Sport (GS) class. The opening act of Saturday’s Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix was all about RS1’s No. 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, as Motul …

Round eight of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge was a tale of two races for the Grand Sport (GS) class.

The opening act of Saturday’s Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix was all about RS1’s No. 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, as Motul Pole winner Stevan McAleer showed a clean pair of heels – make that a clean rear diffuser – to the field. But when a full-course yellow halfway through the two-hour race interrupted matters amid a round of pit stops and driver exchanges, the No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche emerged in the lead, with Spencer Pumpelly having taken over from Thomas Collingwood. Although Trent Hindman matched teammate McAleer’s earlier form in the No. 28, Pumpelly never left a glimmer of an opening over the closing hour and came home 0.373s clear of Hindman to win the race.

In addition to the efforts of the BGB driving tandem, the win owed as much to pit stop strategy that saw the Porsche stretch its fuel mileage and Michelin tires until lap 27, even as the balance of the GS field (including McAleer) stopped several laps earlier. That proved crucial when the full-course caution on lap 29 brought the early stoppers back to top off on fuel and removed any doubt as to whether Pumpelly had enough fuel to go the remaining distance.

“Thanks to good position and good strategy and a little bit of luck, we cycled to the front of the field,” said Pumpelly. “These BGB guys have worked so hard these past couple of weeks to get this car back into competitive form. For the last hour, I had one of the best in the business (Hindman) in one of the best cars pounding on me, and I didn’t want to let our guys down by making a mistake. We were a little close on fuel but after that (second) full-course yellow (with 45 minutes left), we were fine.”

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Not only did that second caution ease Pumpelly’s fuel concerns, it gave Hindman extra incentive to focus on collecting points rather than making any do-or-die efforts for the win. That’s because that second caution knocked both Team TGM’s class-leading No. 46 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 and van der Steur Racing’s No. 19 Aston Martin (third in the GS standings at the time) down the order, opening the door for a big points day for Hindman, McAleer and the No. 28 RS1 Porsche.

“I have a ton of respect for Spencer and the BGB team,” Hindman said. “They’ve been quick all year and haven’t had too much luck, so I’m happy for them. Obviously, we wanted the win, but knowing where our two closest championship rivals were, there wasn’t any point in taking further risk. Just stay behind and do what we needed to do. But to be honest, they were super quick and it was going to be hard to get by.”

The No. 59 KohR Motorsport Ford Mustang GT4 of Luca Mars (GSX class winner in the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge earlier in the day) and Bob Michaelian came home third, with the No. 91 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche of Riley Dickinson and Michael McCarthy in fourth, the top four finishers blanketed by 1.487s.

The results tightened the GS standings considerably, with Matt Plumb and the No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin leading Hindman, McAleer and the No. 28 Porsche by just 10 points heading into the final two rounds of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Wittmer’s wily pass puts Honda in TCR Victory Lane for first time in ‘24

For Karl Wittmer, it was a case of the student becoming the teacher. Wittmer completed a brilliant outside-inside pass of Tyler Gonzalez for the lead with 3.5m to go and drove away to claim the Touring Car (TCR) class win in the No. 93 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR that he shares with Dai Yoshihara.

It marked the first win of the season for Honda, which became the 17th of the 18 IMSA manufacturers to earn a victory in 2024. It’s also the first win for the Civic FL5 model.

Gonzalez, in the No. 99 Victor Gonzalez Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR, was hounded by Wittmer in the No. 93 Honda over the final 30 minutes of the race. Wittmer made numerous overtake attempts on the VIR backstretch and heading into Turn 1 but was rebuffed by Gonzalez each and every time.

Until, that is, Wittmer moved to the outside as they approached Turn 1 on lap 55. When Gonzalez faded his Hyundai outside to block, Wittmer darted back inside as they entered the turn and exited with the lead. He went on to win by 1.299s.

WE HAVE A BATTLE!@VIRNow pic.twitter.com/zKqSQB1LQR

— IMSA (@IMSA) August 24, 2024

Afterward, Wittmer credited Matt Campbell – the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) driver for Porsche Penske Motorsport in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – for using the same maneuver to pass Wittmer in the Bathurst 12 Hour race.

“He did that and he taught me a lesson that day,” Wittmer said with a smile. “I was pumped to try it and it worked.

“It was a really good battle with the Hyundai,” he added. “He wasn’t making it easy but he was very clean. I had to sort of pick and choose my strengths versus his weaknesses, and then I just committed to it.”

While disappointed not to win, Gonzalez was pleased with the second-place result for him and co-driver Morgan Burkhard – by far the best for the No. 99 this season.

“I got the lead, had a little breakaway, but every lap I looked in my mirrors I saw that Honda coming,” Gonzalez said. “I knew it was going to get there eventually, and I could tell he was just kind of waiting. They just outpaced us, for sure. I tried to hold him off as long as I could, but at the end of it they just had more than us.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good, hard race like that in TCR. It’s very refreshing and, yeah, it was a lot of fun.”

TCR points leaders Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor finished seventh in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR after sustaining damage just six laps into the race when Miller slid into the Turn 11 tire barrier. They saw their lead trimmed to 170 points over Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker, who finished third in the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR.

The Michelin Pilot Challenge is back in action on Sept. 21 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120.

RESULTS

Jones nabs sixth VP Challenge win of the year at VIR

Jagger Jones carried his torrid form in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge to VIRginia International Raceway. The 22-year-old grandson of motorsports legend Parnelli Jones claimed his sixth win in seven starts in …

Jones’ No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08 emerged unscathed from a mid-race bump that sent two Grand Sport X (GSX) competitors spinning. That near miss allowed P3 championship leader Steve Aghakhani (No. 6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320) to briefly challenge Jones for the lead as they continued to navigate through lapped GSX traffic.

But Jones recovered from the scare and rebuilt the 1.5s buffer over Aghakhani that he enjoyed through the event’s first 20 minutes. Mindful of his comfortable championship lead, Aghakhani eased off in the closing laps and finished 4.55s behind Jones. Miguel Villagomez claimed third place and Bronze Cup driver honors in the No. 23 Escuderia ABRO Ligier.

“With the track temps, it was super-hot and super-slick and there were a lot of marbles,” Jones said. “I think we were all kind of sliding around a bit and that’s what made the race so exciting there.

“It’s a bit tricky with the traffic. Between Turn 3 and all the way up through the Esses, it’s really difficult to get by the GT4s. I was held up there, and then Steven and I almost went side-by-side for the lead through the Esses. It was hectic, but I’m just happy to bring the car home clean and get another win.”

Aghakhani leads the P3 standings by 560 points over Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier), who finished fifth on Saturday. Jones is 570 points off the lead, his deficit due to not competing in the opening two races of the championship at Daytona International Speedway.

Mars blasts off to GSX win in No. 59 KohR Ford Mustang

Luca Mars could have been disappointed when a brief full-course caution negated the 9s GSX lead he earned in the first 10 minutes of Saturday’s race.

Instead, Mars went back to work. He pushed the No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 to a 45s margin over the GSX field, with the timing of the finish scoring him a full lap ahead of Mark Brummond (No. 25 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4), who earned GSX Bronze Cup driver honors.

Mars entered the weekend leading Jesse Lazare by 190 points in the GSX standings. The victory nearly tripled the 18-year-old Pennsylvanian’s points advantage, after Lazare crashed the No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4 in practice on Friday and did not start Saturday’s race.

Mars now has a 520-point advantage over Patrick Wilmot, who finished third Saturday in the No. 88 Split Decision Motorsports BMW. Lazare is 540 points back.

“Today really helped us pull away in the championship lead,” Mars said. “The car was really fast. The KohR Motorsports guys had this Ford Mustang on rails. It was pretty loose out there with the sun, and the track got kind of greasy.

“So, I had to hold on there. But I was able to get that big lead from the beginning and just work on pulling away to try to get the win.”

Mars admitted that having a huge lead can in some ways be more difficult than being embroiled in a tight battle.

“I was kind of moseying off and I had to get my attention back,” he said. “Usually, you have people all around you and you have to focus in on getting by the person in front of you. When there’s nobody in front of you, you don’t slack off, but you don’t have the same kind of concentration.”

Sunday’s race starts at 8:40 a.m. ET with a livestream on Peacock in the U.S. as well as IMSA.tv and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial outside the U.S.

RESULTS

Snow, Mustang secure respective maiden IMSA poles at VIR

It wasn’t rain, but Snow on the GTD PRO parade for everyone except Paul Miller Racing. At the track where he and Bryan Sellers captured their most recent victory, Madison Snow seized his first pole position since PMR moved to GTD PRO, as well as a new track record in qualifying for Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, the final sprint race and the lone GT-only race of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Snow’s 1m43.206s lap around the 3.27-mile, 17-turn VIRginia International Raceway in the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 was good for an average of 114.06mph, and beat the GTD PRO record as well as the quicker GTD record, which still stands for Ross Gunn. Snow turned his best time, good for his 13th pole position, on his fourth lap, which seemed to be the sweet spot for most competitors, although a few went faster on their fifth.

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” said Snow. “[It’s] the best we’ve done. We were on the podium last race, get the pole here…. We definitely have the right momentum headed towards the end of the season.”

The Ford Mustang GT3 had its best day in its inaugural season, with Giammarco Levorato capturing the GTD pole and sixth starting spot overall in the No. 55 Proton Competition Mustang GT3 with a 1m43.900s lap. Not only that, but it will be an all-Ford Multimatic Motorsports second row with Mustang GT3s qualifying second and third.

“It’s super satisfying, because we are working really a lot with with Ford, with Proton, with my teammate Corey [Lewis], also with my teammate Ryan [Hardwick] for the endurance races,” Levorato said. “We know how much work there is on this car, so this is the perfect start of the weekend, for sure.”

Antonio Garcia put the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R on the outside of the first row with a 1m43.346s lap, ahead of the two GTD PRO Mustangs. Harry Tincknell, who like Levorato is racing at VIR for the first time, qualified third in the No. 64 with a 1m43.630, 0.099s better than Joey Hand in the No. 65. Tommy Milner was the last GTD PRO car ahead of Levorato, and will start the No. 4 Corvette inside the GTD polesitter on the third row.

Kenton Koch held the GTD pole briefly, but after setting a 1m44.106s time on his fourth lap, he couldn’t push the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT3 any faster on the fifth, while Levorato did. The No. 32 will line up second in GTD, on the inside of the fourth row. Outside Koch will be the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R after Elliott Skeer, who held the top time in Saturday morning’s practice, turned a 1m44.118s.

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It will be two GTD PRO cars on the fifth row. Vasser Sullivan Racing held Jack Hawksworth in the pits at the beginning of qualifying, hoping he’d have a clearer lap on a more-rubbered-in track later, but the strategy didn’t pan out and the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 will start ninth. The No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren 720S Evo will be alongside courtesy of VIR rookie Oliver Jarvis.

Zacharie Robichon (No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) and Patrick Gallager (No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3) qualified fourth and fifth in GTD and will make up the sixth row at the start.

It was a rough day for the championship leaders in both classes. The No. 77 AO Racing Porsche of GTD PRO championship leader Laurin Heinrich will start deep in the field, as Klaus Bachler could do no better than 13th overall and eighth in GTD PRO. If there’s a bright spot, Heinrich’s closest rival in the championship, Ross Gunn, will have a challenging race as the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin starts alongside Bachler. Russell Ward had a rough qualifying session in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3, and he and partner Philip Ellis will have need to move up as they try to keep their healthy margin in the GTD championship over Gallagher and Robby Foley.

The 2h40m Michelin GT Challenge will get under way 12:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, with live coverage on USA Network and Peacock.

RESULTS