Weekend Recap: IMSA Action at Road America
Catch up on the IMSA Fastlane Sportscar Weekend at Road America...
Albuquerque, Taylor Take Mixed Condition Road America Win
A gutsy late-race pass from Filipe Albuquerque has given Wayne Taylor Racing victory in Sunday’s IMSA Fastlane Sportscar Weekend at Road America, which has seen the No. 10 Acura team retake the DPi championship lead at the same time.
Albuquerque and co-driver Ricky Taylor notched their fourth IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship victory of the season following a duel with fellow Acura DPi runner Oliver Jarvis.
Jarvis, who jumped from fourth into the lead in the final round of pit stops during the race’s third full course caution, lost the top spot to the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 with 24 minutes to go with a battle through traffic.
The Portuguese ace would go onto take the win over the No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac of Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn after Jarvis suffered an accident at The Kink with eight minutes to go.
It brought out the race’s fourth full course caution, which saw the two-hour and 40-minute race end under caution.
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Hawksworth: First Lexus GTD Pro Win a “Monkey Off Our Back”
Jack Hawksworth has described Lexus’ first GTD Pro win as a “monkey off our back” following a controlling race for the Vasser Sullivan entry in Sunday’s IMSA Fastlane Sportscar Weekend at Road America.
Hawksworth and co-driver Ben Barnicoat overcame the challenge of the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R to take their No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 to victory lane for the first time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s new-for-2022 class.
Having started on class pole, Hawksworth and Barnicoat combined to lead 48 of the 61 laps in class, with Barnicoat ultimately having to fuel save during his stint after opting to go on a two-stop strategy.
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Koch Muscles Way to Pilot Challenge Victory in Late Battle
Kenton Koch muscled his way to victory in Saturday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge round at Road America, getting around Alec Udell for the lead with less than five minutes to remaining in the Road America 240.
Koch, in the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, scored the team’s third win of the season, helping put co-driver Eric Foss closer in the GS class championship fight with two rounds to go.
A late-race yellow, prolonged by a spin from Scott Andrew’s Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 which lost a wheel while under caution, set up a 11-minute shootout with the No. 66 Kelly-Moss Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Udell out front.
Udell, who was stretching the fuel in his Porsche, dropped to third after side-by-side contact involving Koch with two laps to go.
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Spinelli, Taurino Sweep Lamborghini Super Trofeo NA Weekend
Loris Spinelli and Giano Taurino claimed victory in a chaotic, rain and red flag-impacted final race of the weekend in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Series at Road America.
While Nelson Piquet Jr. crossed the line first in his No. 30 ANSA Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2, he was handed a hefty time penalty for failing to make his mandatory pit stop during the 50-minute contest.
This awarded Spinelli and Taurino their second win of the weekend at Road America. Spinelli crossed the line with a narrow 0.757-second gap, as he held off firm pressure from the No. 11 Flying Lizard Motorsports Lamborghini of Joel Miller on the last lap.
Having started the race in ninth, Spinelli carved his way through the field after a late red flag restart, making his way all from 11th to second in the final 17 minutes.
The red was brought out while the field was under its second full course caution, as marshals worked to extract multiple cars from gravel traps and tire barriers.
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Estep Wins Porsche Carrera Cup Race 2
Trenton Estep claimed his third Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by The Cayman Islands victory following a rain-impacted second race of the weekend at Road America.
The MDK Motorsports driver finished 3.657 seconds ahead of the pole-sitting No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Parker Thompson in the 40-minute contest that saw the championship leader Kay van Berlo retire.
Estep got around Thompson for the lead on Lap 4 in a brave move around the Canadian in Turn 3 while in challenging conditions.
He extended the advantage prior to the first of two full course cautions when the Pro-Am class No. 99 Kelly-Moss Porsche of Alan Metni found himself in the gravel.
A second yellow came out just six minutes after the restart when van Berlo also beached after Leh Keen tagged Riley Dickinson, who then in turn got into the Dutchman entering Turn 5.
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