Virginia International Raceway – Page 2

Neto, Ricca, Garcia win TC America Race 1 at VIR in tricky weather

With mixed conditions providing a challenge for TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School’s race one at VIRginia International Raceway, Celso Neto secured his first victory of the season with a composed drive in the TCX class in the No. 22 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type S. In TC and TCA, Jeff Ricca and Alex Garcia added to their growing number of victories in their respective No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC and No. 14 Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic Si FE1.

TCX

It was a difficult start to the race for pole sitter Chris Walsh as he experienced an issue in his No. 104 Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M2 CS (Cup), which dropped him to the back of the field. Neto was promoted to first overall in the No. 22 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type S, but Walsh had begun his comeback drive and was driving hard through the field.

Walsh made steady progress to reduce the gap to the frontrunner, but a late stage safety car in the final five minutes of the race ultimately brought his charge to a halt.

Neto went on to take the checkered flag and earned his first victory of the season in the process after completing a strong and confident drive. Walsh made a valiant effort to come back through traffic to secure second place, with the podium completed by Cooper Broll in third place in the No. 19 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type S.

“When I saw that Chris had an issue, the plan was to save as much of my tires as possible because I knew I needed it in the event that I had to defend,” explained Neto. “I didn’t overdrive the car, and the other traffic played into our hands as well. I want to thank the whole Skip Barber Racing team, all the sponsors, and everyone who supports me. I really appreciate it. I’d also like to dedicate this win to my dad for his birthday today, this is for him and everything he does for me. Thank you everyone for all the support. It’s been amazing!”

Ricca moved up to first in class in his No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC ahead of TC pole sitter Cristian Perocarpi in the No. 37 MINI JCW Team MINI JCW TC Pro, but the two remained neck and neck throughout the entirety of the race with no room for error.

The two were separated by less than half a second lap after lap, with Perocarpi eagerly waiting for an opportunity to overtake. However, the battle came to a close as a full course caution emerged.

Ricca went on to clinch his fifth victory of the season, with Perocarpi following closely behind in second. The top three was rounded off by Ruben Iglesias Jr. in third in the No. 77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC.

“I was looking in my mirrors the entire time,” Ricca said. “I was on the edge and my adrenaline was rising, but I was also trying to remain as calm as possible. I’d like to thank the crew that stayed up late last night working on all our cars, as well as Hyundai USA and Hyundai Korea.”

TCA

Garcia saw an early opportunity to strike in his No. 14 Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic Si FE1, engaging in a thrilling battle with PJ Groenke in the No. 62 MINI JCW Team MINI JCW for several laps before moving ahead into the lead and pulling a gap.

With just under ten minutes remaining in the race, Groenke made an unforeseen trip down pit lane and ultimately had to retire from the race as a result of a mechanical failure.

Garcia went on to secure his third victory of the season, saying that, “I had a couple of mechanical failures in earlier sessions this week, so I wasn’t expecting too much. I knew PJ Groenke had some good pace here, so I was just keeping my head down trying to find the pace that we know we have. I have a great team, great teammates, and I have good experiences here from last year, so I just kept my head down and focused on what was in front of me.”

The TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School will return Sunday, July 21st for race two at 9:50 a.m. ET.

RESULTS

Rothberg takes maiden SRO3 win, Swearingin prevails in GT4

Heavy rain came down over VIRginia International Raceway as race one for the GT America powered by AWS championship commenced, with the opening 25m being spent behind the safety car. Justin Rothberg led from start to finish in his No. 29 Turner …

Heavy rain came down over VIRginia International Raceway as race one for the GT America powered by AWS championship commenced, with the opening 25m being spent behind the safety car.

Justin Rothberg led from start to finish in his No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3, claiming important championship points in the process. It was a tight battle in the GT4 class, but Curt Swearingin prevailed in his No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

SRO3

Rothberg started from pole position and set sail until the checkered flag. However, it was not a smooth ride as the wet conditions were an added challenge. Championship leader Jason Daskalos was trying to apply pressure for first place, but he spun out and went off track into the tire-barriers, damaging the front end of his No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and bringing out a short full course caution.

As the race progressed, it was looking less and less easy for Rothberg to take the win, as Johnny O’Connell closed in on him in the last few laps. As the No. 3 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 was about to make an attempt to pass for the lead, Rothberg and O’Connell made contact, sending the latter into the grass. This incident promoted the No. 2 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO of Jason Bell into second place, with O’Connell rounding off the top three.

When discussing the tricky conditions, Rothberg noted that, “It was difficult on the safety car laps, there was a lot of standing water. Once you figured out which places to avoid, we were good to go.”

GT4

The on-track battles in the GT4 class got underway as soon as the green flag running kicked off, with Damir Hot and Isaac Sherman going wheel to wheel in their respective No. 05 Flying Lizard Motorsports Nissan Z NISMO GT4 and No. 098 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

Sherman was able to muscle past with just under eight minutes remaining, setting his sights on Curt Swearingin up ahead in the No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

The two were running nose to tail throughout each and every corner, with Sherman looking for any opportunity or slip up in order to steal away the lead. However, Swearingin remained calm and collected, fending off the attack and going on to take the checkered flag and his second consecutive victory of the season. Sherman crossed the finish line just behind in second, with Damir Hot closing out race one in third.

“It was tough and it is wet out here,” said Swearingin. “That was a fun race. I just knew it was going to be hard for Isaac to pass, so I just had to make sure to not make mistakes. Even if it was a bit slower, it’s so hard to pass here, especially in the wet, so that’s how we got it done.”

The GT America Powered by AWS field will return to the track for race two on Sunday, July 21st at 8:45 a.m. ET.

RESULTS

RS1, ACI, BimmerWorld win GT4 America Race 1 at VIR

RS1 led the way from start to finish in Pirelli GT4 America as John Capestro-Dubets and Eric Filgueiras completed a dominant drive to take home the overall win. In Pro-Am, it was a battle to the line as Kay van Berlo completed a race-winning pass on the final lap for ACI Motorsports and Curt Swearingin. BimmerWorld felt the hometown glory as James Clay and Charlie Postins took the top step of the podium in the Am class.

Silver

Overall pole sitter John Capestro-Dubets retained the lead off the start in his No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport as the green flag waved, but Jake Cowden and Colin Garrett were in hot pursuit in the opening laps on board their respective No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 and No. 51 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82.

Dubets fended off the mounting pressure from Cowden before coming down pit lane to hand the car over to teammate Eric Filgueiras with just under 35m remaining, maintaining first place in the process.

Following the pit stop sequence, Zac Anderson was up to second in the AutoTechnic Racing BMW, with Kenton Koch gaining momentum in the No. 97 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82. It was a battle of the BMWs as the two went wheel to wheel as the clock ticked away, giving each other just enough room throughout each corner. The fight came to a heartbreaking end as Koch’s car began to slow drastically in the final three minutes.

Meanwhile, it was smooth sailing for Eric Filgueiras as he crossed the finish line with an impressive 5s lead to scoop up RS1’s third win of the season, ahead of AutoTechnic Racing in second, and JMF Motorsports in third.

“This is just such a tough field to win in,” said Eric Filgueiras. “RS1 had a dominant year in GT4 in 2022 and we won the GT3 championship last year, but this is so rewarding because there’s so much talent in the field. The team gave us a really great car, and JCD did a phenomenal job, he gave me what I needed to finish the race.”

“We had a really fast race car early in the race but as it gets towards the end, it’s really difficult for us to maintain that pace,” explained John Capestro-Dubets. “Eric was working hard out there and I’m super proud of him for bringing home this win.”

Pro-Am

The top three in the Pro-Am class were all running in unison, with Matt Bell leading the way in the No. 43 P1 Groupe Mercedes-AMG GT4, followed by Michael Auriemme in the No. 89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4, and Curt Swearingin in the No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

As driver changes unfolded near the halfway mark of the race, it was RENNtech Motorsports who gained an advantage, with Matheus Leist making up a position to move into the class lead just ahead of ACI Motorsports’ Kay van Berlo.

The two were separated by a mere half a second as the closing stage of the race loomed over them, with Kay van Berlo looking for any opportunity to inch ahead. With just one lap remaining, the Dutchman found the time to strike, storming past into first place to clinch the win.

RENNtech Motorsports had to settle for second place, with Damir Hot earning his second podium finish of the day alongside Rodrigo Baptista in the No. 5 Flying Lizard Motorsports Nissan Z NISMO GT4 after previously finishing in third in the GT America powered by AWS race.

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Touching on the final lap move for the win, van Berlo explained that, “Honestly speaking, we started to have issues with four laps to go, but I saw that Matheus had issues as well. I started closing the gap and had to think about how much risk I was going to take. I had massive vibrations on the back straight and was able to cross the finish line. The team executed perfectly, Curt did an awesome job all day, and we’ll move forward from here.”

Swearingin, who took home his second win of the day after his earlier victory in GT America, echoed that “It’s been a great day, can’t complain. I had us in third so we were in a pretty good spot, and I know if you give Kay a car somewhere close to the front, he’s going to find a way to get there like he always does.”

James Clay put in a stellar opening stint on board the No. 36 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 G82, running in 5th overall for the majority of his time on track while managing pressure from Silver class competitor John Geesbreght in the No. 68 Smooge Racing Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO.

As Charlie Postins took over for the second half of the race, he held a healthy buffer between himself and the next closest Am class driver, Jaden Lander in the No. 099 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

Lander ran into some trouble as he had an off-track moment, which brought the fight for P2 even closer as Anthony Geraci loomed nearer in the No. 72 KRUGSPEED Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO.

However, Geraci soon came under pressure from Kris Wilson in the No. 98 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82, who made the move into third shortly thereafter.

Postins went on to secure the first win of the season for the BimmerWorld pairing, accompanied on the podium by Rotek Racing’s Jaden Lander and Robb Holland, completed by Random Vandals Racing’s Kris Wilson and Paul Sparta in third.

“It’s a home track, and it was mixed conditions, and I know this track very well and it paid off,” said James Clay before presenting his dog Charlie, named after his co-driver.

When asked if a repeat performance was in the cards for tomorrow, Postins went on to say that, “We’re going to do our very best. This is our home track, I’ve learned a lot from him here. We think it’s a good opportunity for us, but with this weather, you never know. We’re going to give it a go!”

The Pirelli GT4 America field will return for race two on Sunday, July 21st at 10:55 a.m. ET.

RESULTS

DXDT wins GTWC Pro again, GMG takes maiden Pro-Am win at VIR

DXDT Racing stood out above the rest in Fanatec GT World Challenge America’s first race at VIRginia International Raceway as their Pro class lineup of Alec Udell and Tommy Milner secured the team’s third consecutive overall victory in the No. 63 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. In Pro-Am, the spotlight was on GMG Racing as Tom Sargent and Kyle Washington fought tooth and nail to clinch their first Pro-Am victory.

Pro

The Pro class field wasted no time making moves, as Bill Auberlen in the No. 28 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3 moved ahead of Alec Udell in the No. 63 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R on the opening lap.

The margins remained very tight, with a three-car battle unfolding for third between Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 85 RS1 Porsche 992 GT3 R, Luca Mars in the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 EVO22, and Adam Adelson in the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 992 GT3 R.

Pit stops and driver changes began to unfold with 50m remaining. As Tommy Milner took over from Udell, they regained the overall lead, with Elliott Skeer just behind in the Wright Motorsports machine, followed by RS1’s Trent Hindman.

Milner focused on the road ahead, expertly navigating through multiple race restarts to retain the lead all the way to the line. As he took the checkered flag, he secured DXDT Racing’s third consecutive win of the season following their back-to-back victories on debut in the previous rounds at COTA.

The Wright Motorsports team was handed a 1.085s post-race time penalty for a short pit stop, but built enough of a gap to secure a second-place finish over RS1 in third.

When talking about the challenges of the track conditions, Alec Udell explained: “I think the stress always comes in these situations from not knowing what the weather conditions are going to be like. But I have a lot of confidence in the DXDT Racing team, Team Chevy, and of course in my co-driver Tommy.”

“The team is working very well together,” added Tommy Milner. “All of these guys have a lot of experience, but this shows what this team and this car is capable of. Alec is doing a fantastic job as well. We’re just firing on all cylinders right now, so we’ll ride this wave as long as we can.”

Pro-Am

Phillip Ellis, the overall pole sitter, took off in his No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 as soon as the green flag waved and focused on building a gap to the cars behind. However, a series of back-to-back full course cautions packed the field up, much to his disadvantage as the team opted for an alternative strategy approach.

Ellis handed his machine over to teammate Jeff Burton with just under 40m remaining during a full course caution, returning to the track third in class.

Consequently, Neil Verhagen was the new class leader in the No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3, but got involved in some argy-bargy with Robby Foley in the No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3, which sent the latter off-track. The incident resulted in a drive-through penalty for the ST Racing driver.

As Verhagen came down pit lane to serve the penalty, Tom Sargent was promoted to the Pro-Am lead with the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R in the final 20m of the race. The battle for first continued all the way to the line, with the two going nose-to-tail in the final laps with no room for error on either side. Sargent was able to fend off the attack from Verhagen to clinch GMG Racing’s maiden win in the series, with ST Racing finishing second, followed by Regulator Racing in third.

“Hectic is what I describe it as,” expressed Tom Sargent. “Neil Verhagen didn’t make it easy for me, and was able to get back right on my tail for the last lap. It was very close, and it was great to race with him. I knew just how important this win was for the team, this has been a long time coming. The teams work so hard and big hats off to Kyle, he drove amazing all day.”

“VIR is such a tough track, with or without rain,” added Kyle Washington. “It was great to watch Tom bring it home, I’m obviously very excited. This is amazing, we have an all star team with GMG Racing and we’re stoked for the rest of the season.”

The Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS field will return for race two on Sunday, July 21st at 2:15 p.m. ET.

RESULTS

Taylor wins dramatic USF Juniors opener at VIR

Max Taylor began the Continental Tire VIR Grand Prix triple-header Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought victory for VRD Racing after an action filled 15-lap race. The teenager from Hoboken, N.J., has been on a roll in recent weeks, securing a pair of victories in his parallel USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire program. But Saturday represented his first win of the season in USF Juniors, and allowed him to close to within 14 points of the championship lead.

Augusto Soto-Schirripa, from Miami, Fla., claimed his third successive podium finish for the InterMS team, while Jack Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport), from San Antonio, Texas, was credited with third after Soto-Schirripa’s teammate, Israel’s Ariel Elkin, was penalized five positions following contact earlier in the race with another title contender, England’s Liam McNeilly.

Brazil’s Bruno Ribeiro this morning continued the good form he displayed in testing for DEForce Racing by earning his first Continental Tire Pole Award during the first of two qualifying sessions. The pair of InterMS cars lined up next on the grid with Elkin ahead of Soto-Schirripa.

Ribeiro continued to lead the way when the initial three laps were completed largely behind the pace car following an incident on the opening lap, although a subsequent error at Turn 17 on the first lap of green-flag racing saw him tumble down the order.

Elkin took over the lead but remained under pressure from a long string of cars as the infamous draft on the 3.27-mile VIRginia International Raceway’s long straightaways made it virtually impossible to eke out any appreciable advantage.

After setting the pace in all three test sessions on Friday, McNeilly, from Brentwood, England, was disappointed to qualify his Jay Howard Driver Development car only seventh on the grid. He didn’t stay there for long. McNeilly quickly worked his way through the pack, moving up into second place soon after half distance and immediately challenging Elkin for the lead.

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Unfortunately, McNeilly’s attempt to repeat an earlier outside-line maneuver at Turn One ended badly when he found himself out on the grass and losing places quickly.

Championship leader Sebastien Wheldon (VRD Racing), from Coral Gables, Fla., was next to challenge Elkin’s superiority, whereupon some more contact at the top of the Roller Coaster, Turn 13, on the 11th lap enabled teammate Taylor, who had been running fourth, to leapfrog his way into the lead.

Next time around, Wheldon’s hopes of victory also were erased when a broken nose-wing caused him to understeer wide at the exit of Turn 5 and slide into the tire barrier.

Another couple of incidents in the late stages ensured the race would finish under yellow, with Taylor securing the victory over Soto-Schirripa and Elkin. Jeffers crossed the line in fourth, but with Elkin’s penalty was elevated to third ahead of a pair of Jay Howard Driver Development-run Californians G3 Argyros and Timothy Carel, who had also been among the thick of the race-long battle for the lead.

“It was a really strong race for the VRD car,” Taylor said. “I used a lot of patience and maturity throughout the entire race. Ultimately, it let me get the win. It was all about letting the race come to me. The VRD team is really on a roll here. We are really picking up some stride and I am really happy with that.”

Remarkably, Ribeiro managed to climb from 16th following his earlier mistake to finish in sixth, just ahead of a similarly recovering McNeilly.

Taylor’s rise from sixth on the grid to the race win also earned him the Tilton Hard Charger Award, plus another PFC Award for VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell as the winning car owner.

The weekend will round out with another pair of races on Sunday. The first one, slated to start at 10:00 a.m., will see new points leader Elkin start from pole position by virtue of posting the fastest time during the second of two qualifying sessions today.

RESULTS

Zilisch makes history with Trans Am/TA2 sweep at VIR

17-year-old Connor Zilisch accomplished something at VIRginia International Raceway that no driver in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli has done before, winning two races in different classes in a single weekend. Zilisch started today’s Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series race from the pole and dominated, leading every lap and holding off 2022 champion Thomas Merrill to earn his fifth TA2 win of the season. Zilisch did the same yesterday, winning the TA race from the pole in his very first start in the class.

Zilisch led the field to green in his No. 7 Silver Hare Racing/Carter Bank Chevrolet Camaro, getting a clean start and pulling ahead of second-place starter Jade Buford (No. 48 Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers Ford Mustang) and third-place starter Brent Crews (No. 70 Franklin Road/Mobil 1/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang). After just seconds of competition, championship contender Rafa Matos in the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang experienced trouble, making contact with two competitors when they spun ahead of him in Turn 1. With severe damage to his vehicle, the Brazilian was forced to retire early, finishing 33rd. The drama continued on lap three when points leader Crews cut down a tire, sending him off the racing surface and hard into the tire barrier, bringing out the first full-course caution of the day. With crippling damage to his car, Crews was forced into the garage for nearly the entire race, but returned to the track one last time at the very end to gain a position over Matos, ultimately finishing 32nd.

Racing resumed on lap eight, and once again Zilisch took off with the lead, this time with Buford and Thomas Merrill (No. 26 Bennett/HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang) in tow. Almost immediately, Buford was tagged by another driver and spun off the track surface. He was able to continue, but lost several positions as a result. This allowed Nathan Herne (No. 29 CUBE 3/Berryman Ford Mustang) to take over the third position. Zilisch was able to work his way up to a 2.9s lead over Merrill by lap 11, but the double yellow was displayed once again for a crash, closing up the field.

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When competition resumed on lap 14, the race remained green for nine laps, and Zilisch again showed his speed by garnering a 6.8s advantage over Merrill. Merrill was being hunted by Herne, but the Australian was unable to get past Merrill before the full-course yellow. Racing resumed for the final time on lap 25, and a clean start by Zilisch allowed him to protect his lead. Merrill stalked him in the final five laps, getting closer to his Camaro’s bumper than he had all day, but it wasn’t enough. Zilisch crossed the finish line and claimed the victory, followed by Merrill and Herne. Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) and Dillon Machavern (No. 17 Heritage AG/UniFirst/SLR-M1 Ford Mustang) rounded out the top five. Connor Mosack (No. 8 SherryStrong/M1 Race Cars/Team SLR Chevrolet Camaro) returned to the series for the third time this season and started from the back of the field after missing yesterday’s qualifying while competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Taking the green from the 33rd position, he fought his way through the field to finish sixth, earning him the Cool Shirt Cool Move of the Race.

“Thank you to my whole entire team, Silver Hare Racing; they’ve worked so hard to give me fast cars every week that we come to the track, and it’s shown,” said Zilisch from atop the podium for the second time this weekend. “It means a lot to be able to race for this team. Maurice and Laura Hull gave me this opportunity to come out here and race. Thank you to my family for giving me this chance, and my mom and dad for always supporting me the most they can. Thank you to Carter Bank and Trust for coming on the car this weekend. They’re a local company helping us get to the track. It just means a lot to be standing here for the fifth time this year. It’s pretty special to have this good of a season and end the year the way we have. Now we go to COTA with a chance to win. We’re out of the championship hunt, but there is still a race to be won, so we will go there with that goal. I can’t ask for a much better weekend, winning both features and poles. Thank you to everyone, I’ll see you at COTA.”

The re-broadcast of Sunday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, October 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series returns to the track for the season finale at Circuit of The Americas on November 2-5.

RESULTS

Becklin, Lacey nab first FR Americas and F4 US wins at VIR

After 13 podium finishes this season, Cooper Becklin finally broke through to earn his first-career win in Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda (FR Americas) on Sunday morning. At the same track as his FR Americas debut two years ago, Becklin climbed from a fourth-place grid position to climb atop the podium after one runner-up and 12 third-place finishes this season. Callum Hedge had the opportunity to clinch the 2023 Drivers Championship title in Sunday’s race, but an on-track incident eliminated him from contention and ensured the championship battle would carry forward to the season finale at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

Becklin lined up fourth on the grid, but moved into third after Westling went off track in Turn 1. From there, he set his sights on Shehan. Right on Shehan’s gearbox as they completed the first lap, Becklin drove in deep as they entered Turn 4 on the second lap to overtake the second position. Meanwhile, Hedge had opened up more than a two-second lead.

With 19 minutes left on the clock, smoke appeared out the back of Hedge’s car as he exited Oak Tree Bend, and by the time he got to the top of the Roller Coaster, he made contact with the tire barrier. A full-course caution ensued before Hedge made his way back down pit road to the attention of his crew. With a broken front wing and rear suspension damage, it appeared that a slight off at Oak Tree caused the terminal damage that forced Hedge to retire from the event. The misfortune allowed Becklin to inherit the lead, and Shehan to move back into second.

With green flag conditions returning just a few minutes later, Becklin sailed on to the checkered flag with Shehan in tow. Westling and Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 Save 22 Ligier JS F3) once again duked it out for the third position. After contact between the two derailed their efforts in race one of the weekend, Bowlsbey came out ahead in a clean battle in today’s race to claim his first-career FR Americas podium. Westling settled for fourth and Nicole Havrda (No. 6 Valley Kitchens / Farrow / Colonial Countertops / Hardwoods / Road to Racing / Fast Time Ligier JS F3) rounded out the top five.

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After earning his first win in 39 FR Americas starts, Becklin was awarded the Omologato Perfectly Timed Move of The Race and was presented with a bespoke timepiece.

“This feels amazing,” said Becklin after climbing from the car. “We worked all season. We’ve been fast enough almost every weekend, and it’s finally worked out in our favor. We saved a set of tires, and the team worked really hard to get this car working to race pace. It worked out great, and now we’re on the top step.”

FR Americas will decide its champion next month in the season finale at Circuit of The Americas, November 2-4.

Jesse Lacey earns first-career F4 U.S. win at VIR

Jesse Lacey ran away from the field to claim his first-career win in Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) competition on Sunday morning at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). After setting the fast lap in race two, the Australian paced the field from lights out all the way to the checkered flag.

Lacey had opened up a 3.269s gap by the completion of the first lap, while Patrick Woods-Toth found himself in an intense battle with Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4), Alex Berg (No. 08 MySim.ca / Rohde & Liesenfeld / Easy Drift / Penn Elcom Online / Dae Systems Ligier JS F4) and Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N.E. Where Transport Ligier JS F4). Costello was the first one to make it around Woods-Toth, taking the second position from the Canadian in Turn 3 on the second lap; then, just one lap later, Berg took the third position while entering Turn 1, and Hauanio moved into fourth while racing through Turn 4—all leaving Woods-Toth back in the fifth position. Just like Berg’s pass on Woods-Toth in Turn 1, he looked to make a similar move on Costello the following lap, but the two locked wheels, eliminating both drivers from contention.

As the clock ticked down, Lacey continued to pace the field while Hauanio followed in second after inheriting the position following Berg and Costello’s misfortune, but Woods-Toth was never far behind in third. As the race neared its halfway point, Woods-Toth was finally close enough to make a run at Hauanio’s New’T Racing machine. Making a run on his Hankook Tires on the inside as they raced toward Turn 1, the points leader completed the pass. The two continued to race nose to tail until Hauanio had another chance to make a run at Woods-Toth—this time in the Uphill Esses with just seven minutes left on the clock.

Overtaking second, Hauanio was starting to take a look at the leader when a late-race full-course caution slowed his forward progression. When the checkered flag waved, Lacey led the field across the line, followed by Hauanio in second and Woods-Toth in third.

“I had a good start,” said Lacey after climbing from the car. “My main goal was just to try to keep the gap and make as few mistakes as possible. It was getting quite close at the end, but I was lucky that I was able to hold them off.”

F4 U.S. will also decide its champion next month in the season finale at Circuit of The Americas, November 2-4.

FR AMERICAS RESULTS

F4 US RESULTS

Soto-Schirripa wins two F4 US races in a row at VIR

Augie Soto-Schirripa earned his second-career win in Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.), leading the field to the checkered flag at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) on Saturday morning. Wet track conditions made for a challenging first race for the Andy Scriven Memorial at the VIR SpeedTour, but Soto-Schirripa raced from his fourth-place grid position to take the lead after a restart on lap five and never looked back.

Rain plagued the morning as much of the field fought reduced visibility due to spray. A full-course caution led to a restart on lap five, allowing Soto-Schirripa to make a run at the lead. Applying pressure, Soto-Schirripa capitalized when Costello went wide through the Horseshoe and drove off into the grass. Meanwhile, a rough restart for Patrick Woods-Toth moved him from third all the way back to the eighth position.

With the race back under green-flag conditions, battles ensued throughout the field. Alex Berg (No. 08 MySim.ca / Rohde & Liesenfeld / Easy Drift / Penn Elcom Online / Dae Systems Ligier JS F4), Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) and Luciano Martinez (No. 91 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F3) all had strong restarts to inherit the second, third and fourth positions, respectively. Martinez, however, was looking for even more forward progress, first overtaking Sherlock before setting his sights on Berg. A touch of the rumble strips by Sherlock sent the No. 31 spinning in Snake, while Woods-Toth quietly slid into fourth, overtaking both Sherlock and Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Ligier JS F4) within a matter of seconds. While they jockeyed for the fourth position, Martinez and Berg were racing side-by-side for second through the Uphill Esses. Tight racing in close quarters resulted in Martinez spinning through the grass while Berg continued forward. The full-course caution was once again displayed, slowing the field and causing the clock to run out while under safety.

Soto-Schirripa took the win, followed by Berg in second and Woods-Toth completed the podium in third.

“The team gave me a great car,” said Soto-Schirripa in Winner’s Circle. “I felt confident with what I had, and knew that the key to this was to be consistent and to be smooth and to not get crazy. Even if you lost a little bit of time on some parts of the track, it was better to keep it on four wheels. We did that and we took home the W. I’m really happy.”

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Soto-Schirripa continued his perfect day at VIR, going two-for-two in F4 U.S. competition. In his third F4 U.S. race weekend, the 23-year-old has now secured three wins and four podiums in just eight starts.

Woods-Toth lead early, followed by Berg and Soto-Schirripa for nearly the first half of the race. Berg attempted a pass for the lead entering Turn 1 with 17 minutes left on the clock, but contact left him spinning through the grass and removed him from contention for the win. With Berg out of the picture, Soto-Schirripa picked up a half second to close within 0.3s of Woods-Toth before the full-course caution was displayed.

With just two minutes left on the clock, the race restarted, leading to a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Woods-Toth rolled off first with Soto-Schirripa filling his mirrors. Staying tight on his gearbox, Soto-Schirripa made one last run at the lead, drafting down the backstretch and completing the pass as they entered the Roller Coaster for the last time. With a clean pass, Soto-Schirripa sailed away to his second victory of the day in the Andy Scriven Memorial at the VIR SpeedTour.

As they crossed the line, Soto-Schirripa led Woods-Toth and Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Ligier JS F4). Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) and Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N.E Where Transport Ligier JS F4) rounded out the top five.

“Oh, wow,” Soto-Schirripa exclaimed as he got out the car. “I had to be patient; I knew the last lap was when to make it happen. I didn’t send it in Turn 1, knowing that he was going to block. So, I tried to keep everyone behind me, knowing that my main goal was [Woods-Toth]. We got it done. I’m super happy for me, for the team—we put together a great car. We went out on used tires. It’s awesome—we’re dialed in. I thought I loved Mid-Ohio, but I think I love VIR more now.”

A series of post-race stewards’ decisions resulted in a 30s penalty for Woods-Toth, as well as a 10s penalty for Costello. The appeal period remains open until 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 8, after which any appeals will be heard and final results will be determined.

F4 U.S. will be back on track Sunday to contest their final race of the weekend. Lights out for race three is scheduled for 9:35 a.m. ET. For updates, follow the F4 U.S. on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or use the Race Monitor app for live timing and scoring. The race will be live streamed on the SpeedTour TV YouTube Channel.

RACE ONE RESULTS

RACE TWO RESULTS

Hedge wins first two FR Americas races at VIR

Callum Hedge went from a spin to a win in a thrilling opening race of the weekend for Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda (FR Americas) at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). The New Zealander is in a heated battle for the championship title with Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport teammate Ryan Shehan, and the two kept the drama set to “high” from start to finish in race one of the Andy Scriven Memorial at the VIR SpeedTour weekend.

Drama on the initial start happened between Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 Save 22 Ligier JS F3) and Oliver Westling (No. 1 JENSEN Ligier JS F3). Bowlsbey rolled off the grid in third with Westling a row behind him in sixth, but by the time they made it to Turn 1, the two were side by side. Westling looked to pull ahead of Bowlsbey, but misjudged his clearance and the two made contact with their Hankook tires. Still in a heated battle, Bowlsbey stayed immediately on Westling’s gearbox until the two once again made contact in Turn 4 and Westling got turned around.

Shehan stayed tight on Hedge’s gearbox, patiently waiting for an opportunity to take the lead. Filling Hedge’s mirrors, the gap between the top two remained less than half a second apart for the first 12 minutes of the race. Shehan finally got his shot at the point position as Hedge locked up entering Oak Tree and spun through the grass. The mistake took Shehan from 0.2s behind the leader to nearly a 7s advantage. However, just as quickly as Shehan gained his advantage, it was all erased when a full-course caution slowed the field.

With just over 12 minutes left on the clock, Shehan led the field to green as the race resumed. Despite pressure from Hedge, Shehan initially pulled ahead in his No. 66 machine, but an off in Oak Tree dropped him to third in the running order, as Hedge inherited the lead. Left to fight his way back through the field, Shehan pulled tight on Bowlsbey’s gearbox and was able to overtake the position with a pass on the backstretch with just under seven minutes left on the clock.

Another full-course caution with just five minutes to go meant a one-lap shootout to the finish. Hedge held off the competition through one final restart to lead the field to the checkered flag. As they crossed the line, Hedge led Shehan, followed by Bowlsbey in third and Becklin in fourth.

A post-race Stewards Decision stemming from the lap-one incident between Bowlsbey and Westling led to a 30s penalty, which dropped Bowlsbey from third to eighth in the official results.

“It’s probably safe to say that I didn’t deserve to win today,” Hedge explained on the podium. “I haven’t made too many mistakes this year. I was going to go for fastest lap that lap, but I went a couple meters too deep, got halfway through the corner and realized I was facing backwards.”

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Hedge earned his 11th FR Americas victory at VIR on Saturday afternoon. Holding the point position from lights to checkers, the New Zealander extended his points lead, allowing him to possibly clinch the 2023 Championship title in Sunday’s race.

Oliver Westling (No. 1 JENSEN Ligier JS F3) had a great jump from his fifth-place starting position to move into third by the time the field reached the first corner. Third-place starter Cooper Becklin (No. 19 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) remained close behind, waiting for an opportunity to move back into the final podium position. With 10 minutes remaining on the clock, Becklin was able to make his way back around Westling and cruised on to the checkered flag.

After 30-minutes of green flag racing, Hedge led Shehan and Becklin to the checkered flag.

“This afternoon we made a few changes; had a few issues to fix in between the races,” explained Hedge. “We had a crack in the valve housing that we had to fix up during the break. The car felt really good from lap one. I finally made a good start—which was nice—and I never really looked back. I just want to say a big thank you to the Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport for the good car, and the people that make it happen for me—Giltrap Group, Tony Quinn Foundation and Tasman Motorsports Group.”

FR Americas will contest one more round this weekend with lights out for race three scheduled at 11:50 a.m. ET Sunday. It will stream live on the SpeedTour TV YouTube Channel. Fans can follow @FRAmericas on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates, and use the Race Monitor app for live timing and scoring.

RACE ONE RESULTS

RACE TWO RESULTS

Zilisch sweeps poles at VIR with fastest time in TA2 after TA win

Practice and qualifying are complete for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series at VIRginia International Raceway. After earning the Motul Pole Award in TA Friday and winning the race Saturday in his first-career TA class start, Connor Zilisch backed up his speed by winning the TA2 pole, sweeping the weekend’s qualifying sessions. If he were to win the race tomorrow, he would be the first in Trans Am history to win both of the weekend’s races.

“This sport is a game of momentum, and when stuff starts going well, like it has been for this TA2 program the last five or six races, you build on that,” said Zilisch. “Bottom line is, we’ve had fast cars lately. To come to Silver Hare Racing’s home track, get the TA win and then back that up with a TA2 pole means a lot to me and all the guys as well. They supported me in my TA race, so to come back here to this TA2 car and give them my all in qualifying is important. Hopefully we’ll be able to seal the deal tomorrow, sweep the weekend and close off this home race on a positive note. We’ve got the best starting spot in the house, and all I have to do is execute from here.”

The race will be contested Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast live on MAVTV and can be streamed live here.

The re-broadcast of the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, October 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

RESULTS