MICHELIN GT CHALLENGE AT VIR

Three Takeaways: Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

Penalties and Podiums; History Repeating; Bob Akin Award Ascendancy 


 

August 26, 2025

By David Phillips

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Each and every season the Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway is the chance for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) competitors to strut their stuff in the spotlight. They seldom disappoint, and this year was no exception.  


 

Not only were the identities of the victors in both categories in some doubt right up until the checkered flag, so were the identities of the rest of the podium finishers. The top three in GTD PRO were covered by five seconds while the GTD podium was blanketed by 2.7 seconds.  


 

Penalties and Podiums


 

It was made apparent to drivers at VIR that after the incident-heavy Motul SportsCar Grand Prix at Road America earlier in August, aggressive driving would be penalized early, often and strictly. Three early race penalties followed in short order as part of six total assessed for driving standards; the final penalty assessed took the No. 78 Forte Racing Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 from second to 12th in GTD owing to blocking.


 

While some cars may have got the short end of the stick, others recovered nicely if the penalties affected them early. Triarsi Competizione, for instance, rebounded from an incident responsibility for contact with the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 just after the start to parlay an off-sequence strategy and great passing maneuvers to finish second in GTD with Kenton Koch and Onofrio Triarsi in the No. 021 Triarsi Ferrari. 

“It was unfortunate we got a penalty at the beginning,” Koch explained. “I’ll have to look at it. That said, I’m glad they did crack down a lot of stuff. It was aggressive and getting a bit out of hand.


 

“Because they were cracking down, the (No. 78 car) was kind of moving under braking a bit. The only way I could get by was to get close enough to make something happen. Then they got the penalty. Based on where we had our penalty at the beginning, our guys made a great call to pit early, and the yellow came out at a perfect time where we could jump a lot of guys.” 


 

With the final green-flag stanza of Sunday’s race occurring with less than 20 minutes left, the risk of an encore of Road America’s incident-heavy race existed. However, it appeared most drivers chose discretion as the better part of valor in the waning stages as a late-race penalty would leave little or no time to recover.


 

History Repeats Itself


 

Corvette and Mercedes-AMG further enhanced their histories of impressive performances at VIR. The GTD PRO win by Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R was the seventh class win at VIR (and 117th IMSA class win overall) for Corvette Racing. 


 

Garcia, meanwhile, earned his fifth class win in 16 starts at VIR, the most of any IMSA driver. As well, the win - the first of the season for the No. 3 Corvette - staked Garcia, Sims and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports to a 53-point lead in the drivers and team championships over VIR runner-up Albert Costa and DragonSpeed, while Corvette now enjoys an 81-point lead over Ferrari in the race for manufacturers championship.


 

Over in GTD, the win by Russell Ward, Philip Ellis and the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 marked the second straight win at VIR for Mercedes in the wake of last year’s 1-3 finish in GTD for the No. 32 Korthoff team and Winward Racing, a podium finish for Winward in 2023 and another win by Ellis, Ward and Winward in 2022. The win leaves the No. 57 pair 171 points ahead of Casper Stevenson and the Heart of Racing Team, after the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO came home third at VIR, while Mercedes-AMG leads Ferrari by 186 points in the manufacturer standings.


 

Early-race promise for the two Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVOs went awry with a mechanical issue for the No. 48 BMW, which inadvertently took the No. 1 BMW out of lead contention. Madison Snow hadn’t pitted from the lead before the subsequent caution and the flip in field order dropped the Snow/Neil Verhagen car to sixth. 


 

Ferrari didn’t win either class but factored in both. DragonSpeed’s full weekend pace was on display in GTD PRO ending with another podium finish in second and Triarsi, as noted above, went from an early-race penalty back to second at the end in GTD.


 

Another marker of Ferrari’s strength at VIR? The four fastest laps of the race were turned in by Ferrari drivers, namely Frederik Schandorff 1:46.205 (No. 70 Inception Racing), Daniel Serra 1:46.546 (No. 34 Conquest Racing), Kenton Koch 1:46.588 (No. 021 Triarsi Competizione) and Albert Costa 1:46.592 (No. 81 DragonSpeed).  


 

Bob Akin Award Ascendancy

The contest for the Bob Akin Award as the top-rated “Bronze” driver in WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition - and an automatic invitation to the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class - is a two-horse race between Inception Racing’s Brendon Iribe and AWA’s Orey Fidani. Both are previous winners, with Iribe taking the title in 2023 and Fidani winning the Bob Akin Award last year. 


 

Heading to VIR the twosome was tied with 2,260 points, but the race results pushed Fidani into a narrow lead thanks to his eighth place finish with Matt Bell in the No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Iribe and co-driver Frederik Schandorff came home 11th in the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, although was on course for a fifth place finish before a blocking penalty was assessed. 


 

Still, with the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks and the Motul Petit Le Mans remaining on the schedule, the “rubber” match between Iribe and Fidani for a second Bob Akin Award – particularly with extra Bronze-rated entries anticipated in GTD at both races – is likely destined to go down to the 10th and final hour at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.  

Corvette Affirms Lead Status with VIR Win

Championship Leaders Capture Both Classes of Michelin GT Challenge


 

August 24, 2025

By John Oreovicz and Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results

 

ALTON, Va. - Heading to VIRginia International Raceway for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, it had been a relatively quiet season by the usual standards of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports. Yet Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia led the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) standings of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R on the strength of a trio of second-place finishes.


 

The one thing missing from their season to date was a race win – Corvette’s last win came in July 2024 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - and Garcia and Sims ticked that box by taking the checkered flag at VIR 1.070 seconds ahead of Albert Costa and Giacomo Altoč in the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3. Unofficially, Sims and Garcia now lead Costa by 53 points with two races remaining in the campaign. 


 

It was the 117th IMSA win for Corvette Racing, with three of the last six coming at VIR.


 

VIR has always been a happy hunting ground for Garcia, and he credited the Corvette by Pratt Miller team for crafting an undercut strategy that helped him claim his fifth victory at the challenging 3.27-mile road course in southern Virginia. Garcia now owns 31 wins in IMSA competition.


 

“Qualifying showed we didn’t have the ultimate pace, but it seems like VIR is always good to us,” said Garcia, who started the race from fourth place. “But we definitely had the race pace, and that maybe let us roll the dice a little bit on strategy. It really paid off, we jumped them in the pits, and then we extended the advantage.


 

“I think we’ve been doing this all year long, but everything didn’t fall into place as it should,” he added. “But today was a flawless race, 100 percent. I think we’re in a really good position towards the end of the season.”


 

Costa in the Motul Pole Award-winning Ferrari overtook Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette for second place with a little more than 20 minutes remaining in the two-hour, 40-minute race. He kept the pressure on Sims but was never close enough to attempt a pass. Milner and Nicky Catsburg ultimately finished third in the No. 4 Corvette, 5.036 seconds behind their teammates.


 

“Costa was behind me pushing every single lap, and that was about as hectic as it gets,” said Sims, who now owns eight IMSA wins. “The Corvette was on rails, really working well, and we were able to keep the Michelin tires underneath us for the stint on a hot day. Fantastic strategy by Pratt Miller to aggressive on the first stop and then try to make something happen. And we did, honestly. We were able to control the race from the front.”


 

When he passed Milner for second, Costa briefly thought he had a chance to attack for the win. But he found the No. 3 Corvette was a tougher foe.


 

“When I passed the first Corvette, I thought, ‘Let’s go for the second one,’” he said. “But he was quicker than us. I’m happy because I gave my best, that was the maximum, and I’m happy about the clean and respectful race with Tommy. I’m proud of my team and I’m proud of Giacomo putting the car on pole position. We’re still in the fight with two more rounds.”


 

Klaus Bachler and Laurin Heinrich finished fifth Sunday in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) to remain third in the GTD PRO standings, unofficially 191 points behind Sims and Garcia.


 

“It’s lovely to get the wins, but our focus is on the championship,” said Sims. That’s the main aim, so we’ll enjoy the moment now and start to focus on the next one.”


 

GTD: Winward Delivers Recovery Drive to Third Win of 2025

Winward Racing’s mettle was tested early in Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge. But the defending IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) champions took a great step towards a second straight title with a combination of a recovery drive and excellent pit work to secure their third win of the 2025 season.


 

Russell Ward started second in the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 but fell to seventh just after the start, as the combined GTD PRO and GTD-only field enjoyed an intense start battling for position while close together under the green flag.


 

By halfway in the two-hour, 40-minute race and with the “money” stop remaining – the second and final one – Ellis had driven back to second after taking over just after 45 minutes were complete.


 

The Winward team pitted with just over an hour remaining and used a successful stop and undercut to move ahead of the leading No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2. The race’s second full-course caution flipped the order roughly in half between those who had stopped prior to the yellow and those who hadn’t.


 

Once the order reset after everyone had completed their last stops, Ellis was at the head of the GTD queue ahead of Mario Farnbacher in the No. 78 Lamborghini, the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 and the No. 021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3. The Triarsi Ferrari had made a comeback after being one of several cars assessed a drive-through earlier in the race for incident responsibility.


 

Ellis held form ahead of Farnbacher while Kenton Koch aboard the No. 021 Triarsi Ferrari gained two spots on the restart. He closed enough within Farnbacher for race control to assess a penalty to the No. 78 Lamborghini for blocking, which was declared inside the final two minutes.


 

Ellis enjoyed a clear win to the flag by 1.078 seconds, with Koch up to second in the car he shared with Onofrio Triarsi and the No. 27 Aston Martin of Tom Gamble and Casper Stevenson completing the podium in third.


 

Winward’s winning pair noted the collective team effort to deliver the comeback en route to its 11th IMSA win for all of Ward, Ellis and the team, as they extended their championship lead to an unofficial gap of 171 points with two remaining races left on the schedule. Mercedes-AMG also goes back-to-back in GTD at VIR after the No. 32 Korthoff team won in 2024.


 

“I felt like I got a pretty good jump, but the inside lane got a much better jump,” Ward said. “What we did from there was impressive. I mean, we really needed that, and, now we've given ourselves a bit of a buffer.”


 

Ellis added, “I was just lucky that the guys behind me were fighting so hard. You know, it worked out on strategy, but because we played it right early.”


 

Koch noted on his own team’s recovery drive: “The only way I could really get by was hopefully trying to get close enough to make something happen. It wasn't a bad weekend for us. Based on where we had the penalty at the beginning, the guys made a good call to stop a bit early, and then when the yellow came out, it came out at the perfect time, and we were able to jump enough guys.”


 

The No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO was fourth ahead of Gradient Racing’s No. 66 Ford Mustang GT3 of Robert Megennis and Jenson Altzman, posting a season-best result in their last scheduled WeatherTech Championship start of 2025.


 

There was one other late-race penalty that affected the finishing order. While running fifth, the No. 70 Inception Ferrari was also dinged for blocking, which promoted the No. 13 AWA Corvette to the best finishing Bob Akin Award entry of the race in eighth with the Inception Ferrari in 11th.


 

All four WeatherTech Championship classes are back in action with the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks on Sunday, Sept. 21, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is also the fourth round of the five-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup season.

 

Corvette Finally Breaks Through for First GTD PRO Win of 2025 at VIR

Winward Mercedes-AMG Adds Third GTD Win of 2025


 

August 24, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Unofficial Race Results

 

ALTON, Va. - The season-long wait for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports to break through for its first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win of 2025 finally ended in Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway. 


 

The Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) championship-leading pairing of Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims broke their yearlong duck in their No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R to end a winless run that dated to July 2024 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. 


 

The pair had four podium finishes in the first five races of the season, but GTD PRO championship rivals from DragonSpeed and AO Racing have pursued the No. 3 Corvette atop the standings since. Indeed, Garcia and Sims entered VIR with only a 30-point lead ahead of Albert Costa in the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3.


 

DragonSpeed enjoyed an excellent VIR weekend, pacing both practice sessions with Costa’s teammate Giacomo Altoč securing the Motul Pole Award and leading most of the race. 


 

But with the two-hour, 40-minute race nearing its conclusion, strategic vibes entered the fray as Costa fought back to get within a second of Sims inside the final 15 minutes. 


 

Sims held off Costa’s charge to return Corvette Racing to VIR victory lane for the seventh time in the team’s history. Garcia and Jordan Taylor won Corvette’s most recent IMSA race at the track in 2023.


 

It’s also the 25th different year that Pratt Miller Motorsports has earned at least one win.


 

Adding to the great day for Corvette Racing, the sister No. 4 car with Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg finished third on the podium.


 

Continuing the theme of championship leaders winning races, Winward Racing followed form in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class with its third win of the season. 


 

Russell Ward and Philip Ellis started second in their No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3, fell down the order at the start, but methodically moved forward.


 

The key move came in the final pit stop sequence with the No. 57 car jumping the No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 before the final yellow. 


 

Ellis was poised to lead Mario Farnbacher home in the No. 78 Lamborghini. But that didn’t hold with race officials assessing a drive-through penalty for blocking to Farnbacher inside the final two minutes.


 

That promoted Road America GTD winners Kenton Koch and Onofrio Triarsi to second in the No. 021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3, followed by the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo of Casper Stevenson and Tom Gamble.

 

VIR Third Race Positions VP Racing Challenge Leaders Towards Titles

Catalano, Walker and Porto Win CTMP Race 2 Makeup at VIR


 

August 24, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

CTMP Race 2 Makeup Results


 

ALTON, Va. – IMSA officials added the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Race 2 makeup event to the VIRginia International Raceway schedule to create a tripleheader for the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. After the third race of the weekend, all three class leaders leave VIR on the doorstep of wrapping up their respective class championships with one full race weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta remaining in the 2025 season.


 

Valentino Catalano (No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08), Adam Adelson (No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R) and Kiko Porto (No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) punctuated their potential title-winning seasons with strong results in Sunday morning’s 45-minute race at VIR.


 

So long as Catalano, Adelson and Porto start Race 1 at Michelin Raceway, they’ll all unofficially wrap their titles.


 

Catalano and Jake Walker (No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3) completed three-race sweeps of the VIR weekend, while Porto won his second race of the weekend.


 

Catalano led closest championship rival Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320) in Sunday’s race by 29.269 seconds to score his seventh Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) victory of the season after leading the race flag-to-flag from pole. As he leaves VIR, Catalano’s lead over Thienes is unofficially 370 points after he began the weekend ahead by 240 points.


 

“My first time winning three races in the same weekend!” Catalano laughed. “Perfect weekend, I would say. Clean sweep, really happy about the results, especially with the title fight and now just with the last race in Atlanta coming up, I'm really happy about that. The team did a perfect job, so I’m really grateful for everything.”

In Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX), Adelson had only a 20-point lead over AJ Muss entering the weekend. Alas with Muss’ absence and with Jake Walker making up 90 points across the three races, Adelson departs VIR with a much wider unofficial 210-point lead over Walker.


 

Adelson finished second in all three races this weekend behind Walker, who did everything he could to try to overcome a 300-point deficit heading into the weekend.


 

Today’s battle between the two included several intense moments. Adelson passed Walker for the lead on the opening lap, Walker passed him back into the esses on Lap 6, Adelson passed him back once more when Walker went off course at Turn 12 on Lap 11, and finally Walker got Adelson back into Turn 13 two laps later. Walker won by 7.258 seconds over Adelson.


 

“Adam and I had a great battle,” Walker reflected. “I got him a little bit out of sequence in Turns 3, 4 and 5. I was able to get him going up the esses and I created a bit of a gap. Then I made a mistake in Oak Tree and just pushing a little bit too hard. I worked hard and I got the position back. The car was great, even with having to work the tire a little bit harder to get around Adam and to defend.”


 

Adelson added of the battle, “I think Jake and I are very neck-and-neck competitors. It was really great battling with him. He's a great driver and it's fun racing wheel-to-wheel with someone like that. And yeah, again, I’m proud of our Wright Motorsports team performance and we showed everything we could out there.”

Grand Sport X (GSX) saw Porto come into VIR up 340 points over Steven Clemons in the No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2. He leaves it with an unofficial 440-point lead over Clemons, with Porter a further 40 points behind. Porto enjoyed a trouble-free ride to the victory on Sunday, winning by 31.123 seconds over Porter.


 

“Man, it was good,” Porto said. “Today, we finally went a step ahead that I wanted in terms of balance on the car. Even though we got the win yesterday, I was not completely happy with what we had in terms of pace. And today, finally, I think we made the right adjustments in the right direction. It's good to learn also a little bit more and this weekend was a good teaching moment.”


 

Also of note, Matthew Dicken (No. 36 RAFA Racing Ligier JS P320) and Justin Di Benedetto (No. 4 Di Benedetto Racing Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS) scored their best finishes of the season with third place in their respective classes in P3 and GSX.


 

The season concludes at Michelin Raceway with a doubleheader on Thursday, Oct. 9 and Friday, Oct. 10.

 

Unofficial Results, Points & Post-Race Nuggets | WeatherTech Championship

Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

VIRginia International Raceway - Sunday, August 24, 2025

Once available, unofficial race results will be on results.imsa.com.


 

Unofficial points will be available at pitnotes.org/points.

GTD PRO


No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports

  • 117th IMSA class win
  • Last win was at 2024 Mosport GTD PRO with car No. 3, 11 races between
  • Fifth IMSA class win in GTD PRO
  • Seventh IMSA class win at VIR, most of all teams all-time
  • Last win at VIR was in 2023 GTD PRO with car No. 3
  • Three of their last six wins have come at VIR (2021, 2023, 2025)
  • First IMSA class win in 2025
  • 25th different year that Pratt Miller Motorsports has earned at least one win
  • Sixth consecutive season with a win

 


 

Antonio Garcia

  • 45 years old from Madrid, Spain
  • 31st IMSA class win in 212th start
  • Last win was at 2024 Mosport in GTD PRO, 11 starts between
  • Fifth win at VIR in 16th start, most of all drivers all-time
  • Last win at VIR was in 2023 in GTD PRO, 1 track starts between
  • First win in 2025 season in eighth start
  • Previous best finish in 2025 was second (3 times) last at Watkins Glen in GTD PRO
  • Ties Andy Wallace and Timo Bernhard on the all-time wins list at 31 wins

 


 

Alexander Sims

  • 37 years old from London, England, United Kingdom
  • Eighth IMSA class win in 52nd start
  • Last win was at 2024 Mosport in GTDPRO, 11 starts between
  • Second win at VIR in fourth start
  • Last win at VIR was in 2018 in GTLM, 1 track starts between
  • First win in 2025 season in eighth start
  • Previous best finish in 2025 was second (3 times) last at Watkins Glen in GTD PRO

 


 

GTD

No. 57 Winward Racing

  • 11th IMSA class win, all in GTD
  • Last win was at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca this year
  • Second IMSA class win at VIR
  • Last win at VIR was in 2022 in GTD
  • Third IMSA class win in 2025 (Won at Sebring, Laguna Seca)


 

Russell Ward

  • 36 years old from Seabrook, TX
  • 11th IMSA class win in 43rd start
  • Last win was at 2025 Laguna Seca in GTD, 3 starts between
  • Second win at VIR in fourth start
  • Last win at VIR was in 2022 in GTD, 2 track starts between
  • Third win in 2025 season in eighth start


 

Philip Ellis

  • 33 years old from Munich, Bavaria, Germany; British nationality
  • 11th IMSA class win in 42nd start
  • Last win was at 2025 Laguna Seca in GTD, 3 starts between
  • Second win at VIR in fourth start
  • Last win at VIR was in 2022 in GTD, 2 track starts between
  • Third win in 2025 season in eighth start

 

RS1 Porsche Races Back to Michelin Pilot Challenge Win at VIR

RVA Graphics by Speed Syndicate Audi Delivers Late-Race Thriller in TCR


 

August 23, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race Results

 

ALTON, Va. – VIRginia International Raceway’s propensity for chaotic IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge races continued with the 2025 edition of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix under sunny skies but not scorching temperatures, where a great crowd was treated to another wild two-hour affair.


 

RS1 got its Grand Sport (GS) championship charge back on course after two tough races for Jan Heylen and Luca Mars aboard their No. 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS with their class-leading third win of the season.


 

Meanwhile the RVA Graphics Motorsports by Speed Syndicate team got both itself and Audi on the board in Touring Car (TCR) in 2025 with the first Michelin Pilot Challenge wins for Jaden Conwright, IMSA’s first 3D Scholarship recipient, and Luke Rumberg aboard the team’s No. 31 Audi RS3 LMS TCR.


 

Both races relied on strategic gambits that changed hands as a pair of first-hour cautions shifted when teams opted to pit. However, the on-track battles inside the final 15 minutes following the third and final full-course caution of the race saw both class leads change. The GS battle in particular saw the two primary title combatants at the front of the field, albeit on two different strategies.


 

The No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with Aerosport Ford Mustang GT4, after achieving its fourth straight Motul Pole Award and third straight by Nate Cicero, led the full first hour after eschewing a stop within that time, which the bulk of the GS field did not. But an apparent mechanical issue on its first stop sent them down the order.


 

On an off-sequence strategy, Turner Motorsport’s Francis Selldorff was thrust into a similar position in the No. 95 BMW M4 GT4 EVO as at the O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio earlier this year where he needed to defend against far more experienced shoes. But Heylen was on a charge in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche – which itself was making a comeback.


 

Earlier in the race, contact between the No. 57 car and the No. 28 at the end of the backstraight pushed Mars off the road, down to 15th place from 11th. Mars, however, recovered from 15th to sixth in his own stint before handing off to Heylen. Heylen then closed the gap on Selldorff from six seconds to within one second before the third and final full-course caution came out.


 

Post the restart, Heylen made an immediate pass on Selldorff into Turn 1 to put the No. 28 Porsche back up front. He then played defense against a pair of KOHR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4s, led by the new-for-this-race pairing of Sam Paley and Nick Persing in the team’s No. 60 Ford, by just 0.658 of a second. The second KOHR Ford, the No. 59 entry of Billy Johnson and Robert Michaelian, completed the podium with Selldorff and Machavern fourth. It’s Heylen’s sixth (and second at VIR, GS 2021) and Mars’ third series wins.


 

“The lap it went yellow I was prepping for it,” Heylen laughed. “But we still had enough time to get by after. We needed a good result and we got it. It’s good to have a fast car. But you still have to execute it. It’s one of those days with the speed and everyone executed. Luca was in not such an easy spot, pitting early, but it all worked out.”


 

“After I got pushed off I slowly worked my way back up to push as far as we could; then Jan made the pass for the lead,” Mars added. “Jan is such a great driver. We wouldn’t be here without him.


 

Cicero and Altzman ended 11th, falling from 90 championship points behind entering VIR to unofficially 240 behind Heylen and Mars leaving. Altzman is tied with the No. 39 CarBahn by Peregrine racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Jeff Westphal and Sean McAlister, who finished eighth on Saturday.

 

TCR: Conwright, Rumberg and Speed Syndicate Audi Squad Breaks Through

Jaden Conwright and Luke Rumberg scored their first series wins in the No. 31 RVA Graphics Motorsports by Speed Syndicate Audi RS3 LMS TCR, as Conwright carved past a pair of Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR cars in the waning stages of the race to break through for an elusive first IMSA victory. Speed Syndicate’s Audi has won in IMSA before, most recently in 2020 at Mid-Ohio in TCR and also at VIR in 2019, under different branded team names and earlier generation chassis.


 

Similar to GS, the TCR title contenders went through the wringer in a rough-and-tumble race. Entering the race, Harry Gottsacker’s No. 98 BHA Hyundai led Preston Brown and Denis Dupont’s No. 76 BHA Hyundai by 20 points with LP Montour and Karl Wittmer third in the No. 93 Montreal Motorsports Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR third, 90 in arrears.


 

Early on, the No. 76 BHA Hyundai was assessed a drive-through penalty for contacting the No. 52 Baker Racing Audi RS3 LMS TCR at Turn 3, which forced Brown and Dupont into a need to recover the rest of the race.


 

Then the No. 93 MMG Honda – the hottest car in class entering the weekend with two wins and four podiums in the last four races – fell back after being assessed a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility with the No. 71 car exiting Turn 12 at the one-hour mark, which negated a potential lead.


 

Finally, the No. 98 BHA Hyundai started by Mason Filippi and finished by Gottsacker, fell out of podium contention when contact occurred between it and the eventual winning No. 31 Audi. Race control reviewed the No. 31 and No. 98 incident with no further action taken.


 

Conwright made it past another BHA Hyundai – the polesitting No. 33 entry qualified by Bryson Morris and finished by Mark Wilkins – after the final restart. He went on to take the checkered flag by 2.838 seconds over Wilkins.


 

“The contact with the GS cars kind of backed us up; I had a good run and had great straight line speed with the Audi on the Hyundais, especially with a good exit,” Conwright said. “I pretty much towed up, popped out and was next to him under braking in the Roller Coaster. I was pretty much on the dirt on the curb on the left, so I was pretty sure I didn’t do anything wrong. They came back no-call and that kept it up right mentally.”


 

Three cars from three manufacturers fought over the final podium spot. In the end, Eddie Gou’s last lap pass of the recovering Wittmer, who’d made it back to third with an earlier pass of Ryan Eversley, netted Gou and father Eduardo Gou a third-place finish aboard the No. 55 Gou Racing Cupra Leon VZ TCR. Wittmer and Montour finished fourth with Eversley and this year’s IMSA 3D Scholarship recipient, Celso Neto, finishing fifth in the No. 7 Precision Racing LA Audi RS3 LMS TCR on Neto’s birthday weekend.


 

The chaotic TCR race has jumbled the standings significantly. Brown and Dupont, who recovered to seventh in their No. 76 Hyundai, unofficially lead Gottsacker in the No. 98 Hyundai by 20 points. That car finished 11th. Wittmer and Montour still gained the most ground with their P4 finish and are now 30 points back.


 

The Michelin Pilot Challenge has two races remaining with the next roun

 

DragonSpeed Ferrari Keeps Pace Up and Pressure On in VIR GTD PRO Qualifying

 Vasser Sullivan Lexus Leaps to Michelin GT Challenge GTD Pole


 

August 23, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Qualifying Results

 

ALTON, Va. - Giacomo Altoč is doing his part to support Albert Costa’s run for the title in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

 

Altoč earned the Motul Pole Award on Saturday in GTD PRO for Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway in the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3.

 

It was his third pole of the 2025 campaign (WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Road America) and the fourth for the No. 81 car (Costa at Sebring International Raceway).

 

Costa entered the weekend 30 points behind class leaders Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims (No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R). With Garcia qualifying fourth, the No. 81 Ferrari will gain seven championship points on the No. 3 Corvette heading into Sunday’s race.

 

Altoč has been the most frequent co-driver alongside Costa this year, and their efforts have put Costa in position to challenge for the GTD PRO crown. Davide Rigon and three other drivers have also shared the No. 81 at various stages.

 

Neil Verhagen (No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO) swapped the top spot with Altoč no fewer than five times in the 15-minute qualifying session. Altoč’s pole lap was timed at 1 minute, 44.433 seconds for an average speed of 112.722 miles per hour, while Verhagen was a fraction slower at 1:44.478 (112.674 mph).

 

Perhaps surprisingly, Altoč was unaware of his position as he turned a series of ever-faster laps culminating in the pole effort with just under four minutes remaining.

 

“I was absolutely alone in the car, just focusing on myself and on my delta in every corner,” Altoč said. “We built up the qualifying like that. I knew I could improve, so I stayed out and kept pushing. The lap came together, and it was a really nice lap on the limit.”

 

Because Altoč has competed in only four of the seven prior GTD PRO races in 2025, he’s not in contention like Costa for the driver’s championship. But he’s proud of his contribution to DragonSpeed and Ferrari’s strong performance in the team and manufacturer’s championships.

 

“The championship fight for me is the team championship; this is our goal, and I am focusing on that,” he added. “We have been working so hard, and every small detail makes the difference because the gaps are always so tight. This was the first goal of the weekend, and we achieved it. Staring on pole will make the race a little bit easier. We need points for the championship.”

 

Paul Miller Racing BMWs took second and third, with Verhagen second in the No. 1 car and Dan Harper inside of the second row in the No. 48 entry. Verhagen’s co-driver, Madison Snow, has won at VIR the last two years – once apiece in GTD in 2023 and GTD PRO and overall in 2024. The two Pratt Miller Corvettes rounded out the top five, with Garcia in the No. 3 topping Nicky Catsburg in the No. 4.

 

GTD: Lexus Looks Good In Pursuit of First 2025 Win

Jack Hawksworth believes Vasser Sullivan’s Lexus RC F GT3s aren’t the fastest cars at VIRginia International Raceway. But he still drove the No. 12 entry to the Motul Pole Award for the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class of the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.

 

Hawksworth and Parker Thompson arrived at VIR facing a 112-point deficit in the championship points standings to Russell Ward and Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Hawksworth’s qualifying effort reduced that gap, but by just three points because Ward qualified second fastest in class.

 

Ward held the top spot for about 10 seconds during the 15-minute session, but Hawksworth almost immediately restored the No. 12 Lexus to the top of the order. Hawksworth’s best lap was timed at 1:44.860 (112.263 mph), while Ward clocked 1:44.998 (112.116 mph).

 

“I’m happy with the pole,” Hawksworth said. “This has been a good place for us, qualifying-wise. It’s a lot of fun to drive around this track, especially when you’re qualifying and you’ve got new sticker tires and low fuel and the car is handling well.

 

“We know we’re a little bit up against it pace-wise this weekend, but here we are on the front row,” he added. “We’re just going to keep digging, keep giving it to ‘em and see what happens. We’re in the best position to start from, this team gives us a great car, and we’re going to keep fighting.”

 

There’s a slight chance of rain during the latter stages of Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute race. Hawksworth believes that would work to Lexus’ advantage.

 

“We’d like some rain tomorrow, because we know we don’t have quite the pace in the dry,” he said.

 

The No. 021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 qualified by Onofrio Triarsi was third ahead of the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo qualified by Casper Stevenson. So all three GTD title contenders, with Triarsi’s teammate and defending VIR GTD winner Kenton Koch lurking in fourth should any of them run aground of issues, start in the top four on Sunday.

 

Coverage of the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR can be found on USA from 2-5 p.m. ET, and also streams on Peacock in the U.S. International viewers can follow the action via IMSA.TV and IMSA’s official YouTube channel.

 

Qualifying Results | WeatherTech Championship

Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

VIRginia International Raceway - Saturday, August 23, 2025

Qualifying Results


 

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

 

Catalano Leads the Way Again in VP Racing Challenge Saturday VIR Race

Walker Doubles Up in GTDX; Porto Regains Top Spot in GSX


 

August 23, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race 2 Results


 

ALTON, Va. – IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge competitors turned in their second caution-free 45-minute race of the three-race weekend at VIRginia International Raceway. Two of Friday’s first race winners followed up with their second wins of the weekend, while the third class winner re-emerged on top after missing out on Friday.


 

Valentino Catalano (Le Mans Prototype 3, P3), Jake Walker (Grand Touring Daytona X, GTDX) and Kiko Porto (Grand Sport X, GSX) all claimed their sixth wins of their seasons in their respective classes.


 

Catalano’s P3 drive in his No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 was nearly a mirror image of Friday. The Italian driver led flag-to-flag from pole in a 1-2 finish for the Gebhardt team, again ahead of Alexzander Kristiansson. Kristiansson pushed Catalano early in the race and came within a few tenths, but a brief off at Turn 11 halted his charge. Catalano ultimately leapt out to the win by 42.439 seconds.


 

“We did some slight changes on the car to change a bit of balance of the car,” Catalano said. “It was tricky today because it was way warmer so the grip was way lower. In traffic, I was behind some GT4 cars and I thought I was losing so much time. But we kept pushing. It was a nice race; I’m really happy about that and extended my championship lead again.”

Walker’s drive in GTDX also matched his Friday effort. Wheeling the No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3, Walker reprised his Friday move of a pass on a P3 car through the climbing esses to get a quick and early jump on his competition. He controlled the pace from there to match his car number with his sixth win of 2025 and continue closing on championship leader Adam Adelson, who again finished second in the No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), 4.879 seconds in arrears.


 

“I saw the opportunity again, and luckily the P3 car saw me pretty early on and kind of let me go,” Walker explained. “That kind of gave me some momentum to continue to work my gap. And, you know, managing the GT4 (GSX) traffic is tough, but the other drivers made it easy. We made some adjustments to the car to help with the long run, and I think the track conditions also were a little bit gentler.”

The Toyota battle atop GSX this time went Porto’s way after a dynamic battle he’d had with Steven Clemons on Friday. From pole, Porto led flag-to-flag in the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, but not without Clemons again shading him for a majority of the race aboard the No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota. Porto extended the gap to a winning margin of 2.299 seconds, noting his RAFA Racing team fixed most of whatever he thought ailed him on Friday.


 

“We fixed that major problem, but we’re still suffering with the minor problem that we had,” Porto said. “We roughly gained a second. I’ve been experienced on the Michelin tires, so I know they can last long. I knew Steven was able to brake much deeper than me, so that was the biggest challenge for me. I pushed the limits as much as I could and that helped me for sure.”


 

Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320, P3) and Ian Porter (No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, GSX) repeated their Friday Bronze Cup wins on Saturday while Vin Barletta secured the Bronze Cup win in GTDX in the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3. As on Friday, each of the Bronze Cup winners finished third in their respective classes.


 

VP Racing Challenge competitors who were set to race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s second race are eligible to race in the third race of the VIR weekend on Sunday. The CTMP Race 2 Makeup goes green at 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday, with coverage via Peacock, IMSA.TV and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.

 

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

VIRginia International Raceway - Saturday, August 23, 2025

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

 

 

Catalano, Walker, Clemons Capture VP Racing Challenge VIR Race 1 Wins

P3 and GTDX Winners Go Flag-to-Flag; Clemons Passes Pair of Cars to Claim GSX

 

Race 1 Results


 

ALTON, Va. – The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge’s opening race in its three-race event at VIRginia International Raceway served up a tasty appetizer of weekend action among its three classes, with familiar race winners in a caution-free 45-minute race.


 

Valentino Catalano (Le Mans Prototype 3, P3) and Jake Walker (Grand Touring Daytona X, GTDX) continued their recent run of form throughout the 2025 season. Both drivers won their fifth race in eight rounds this season.


 

There was a newer winner in Grand Sport X (GSX), with Steven Clemons surpassing a pair of RAFA Racing teammates to propel his singular No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 to that win. Clemons won his second race of the season, and first since the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June. 


 

Most of the P3 battle was settled at the start, with Catalano (No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08) launching away from pole position and quickly building his lead north of 10 seconds. He maintained the gap from there over the 45-minute race, leading flag-to-flag to win by 21.115 seconds over new teammate Alexzander Kristiansson (No. 31 Gebhardt Duqueine) in his series debut.


 

“This track is my one of my favorites,” Catalano said after his first day at the 3.27-mile VIR circuit. “This track is just amazing. It's so different compared to Europe and the Esses section is amazing. You go flat out with the car and you don't have any runoff, just grass and water. It's just an amazing experience here in Virginia.”

GTDX saw a similar start-to-finish run from the pole to win from Walker (No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3). With his fifth win in the last six races, Walker continued his methodical closing on championship leader Adam Adelson (No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R) with a win by 7.531 seconds.


 

“We had a really good start and I made a pretty good pass on a P3 car going up the Esses, which helped create a gap. From there we just kept clicking off consistent laps,” Walker said. “We’re making a bit of progress (in the championship). We’ve just got to keep our head down and hope for some luck.”


 

The GSX battle stood out as the most intense, action-packed racing of the day among three Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2s – Clemons’ No. 76 BSI Toyota entry against Kiko Porto in the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota and Ian Porter in the No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota.


 

Porto led from pole for the first 15 laps, but Clemons asserted his potential with a pass on Porter for second on Lap 10. He started around the outside of Turn 1, then moved into the inside of Turn 3 to complete the move.


 

With that move in the bank, Clemons pulled off a near identical pass for the lead on Porto six laps later on Lap 16. He’d tried on Lap 14, running side-by-side with Porto to almost get the lead, but was unable to pass the rapid Brazilian driver. However, two laps later he got the lead, making a similar over-under move on Porto into Turn 3. From there he extended the gap to a winning margin of 4.998 seconds.

The two combatants described their battle:


 

“I was able to just sit back, just let them do their moves, show their cards and be able to just make moves and see what stuck and just looked at where I could attack,” Clemons said. “I know we went side-by-side a couple times. I tried on the outside once. I figured if I could get on the inside, I figured that was the lane with rubber.”


 

Porto added from his viewpoint: “I felt the tires were pretty slick, and I thought it was just something related to temperature. But in the third lap, I saw my tire pressure was already on the limit. So, in that moment, I realized we might have a problem for the long runs. And I started a second and a half slower in my own pace, then two seconds, then three seconds. When I got to three seconds, I was already defending Ian (Porter) first.


 

“Then once Clemons got behind me, it was just a matter of like how much time it can stay defending. But at one point it was almost risky. I tried to carry the same speed. And basically, when he had the inside of Turn 3, I tried to carry a little bit outside, just to stay on the outside and try something into Turn 4 and I almost spun. And in that moment, I realized, okay, this is my limit. It's better to bring points home than put everything in the walls.”


 

“It was great to see that level of clean and close racing. Yeah, we were in the limit, but never passing those limits, you know? So, it was it was very good to watch, definitely. And I would enjoy seeing this replay after!”


 

Each Bronze Cup winner in their respective classes finished third, with Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320, P3), Samantha Tan (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3, GTDX) and Porter (No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, GSX) having clean days.


 

Saturday's second VP Racing Challenge race of the weekend is at 12:25 p.m. ET and local time, streaming on Peacock, IMSA.TV and IMSA's Official YouTube channel.

 

Costa Flies Early in DragonSpeed Ferrari on Friday at VIR

Winward Mercedes-AMG Tops GTD and Posts Second Overall Time


 

August 22, 2025

By John Oreovicz and Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Practice 1 Results


 

ALTON, Va. – Benchmark times were set at the very start of Friday’s 90-minute practice session for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors in preparation for Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway.  


 

Albert Costa continued DragonSpeed’s strong showing in the No. 81 Ferrari 296 GT3 with a quick lap precisely half a second better than the next Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class entry. Second fastest overall and leading the GTD class was points leader Russell Ward in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.


 

Both Costa and Ward set their times on their fifth lap, about 13 minutes into the session and just prior to a brief red flag for debris.


 

The rest of the session ran uninterrupted, but nobody came close to matching the leaders’ initial pace. Costa’s fastest lap was timed at 1 minute, 45.032 seconds (112.079 mph) around the 17-corner, 3.27-mile VIR layout.


 

Costa and co-driver Giacomo Altoč have notched four podium finishes in the last five races, including a victory six weeks ago at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Costa ranks second in the GTD PRO championship points standings, entering the weekend 30 points behind leaders Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.


 

DragonSpeed was not one of the teams that used a private test day at VIR. In fact, Costa revealed that most of his preparation for Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute race came on the iRacing simulator.


 

“To be honest, the Ferrari is very similar on iRacing and in real life – it’s no joke,” Costa said. “We completed the first laps and straight away the car was on the pace. 


 

“The key to having a good car straight away is the chats with the engineers before this week,” he added. “Already on Monday after Road America we were talking. They gave me the car I want. I’m very happy with the job the team has been doing at home and I’m proud of them. So far so good.”


 

Andrea Caldarelli made it a 1-2 for the Italian manufacturers in GTD PRO by setting the second fastest time of 1:45.532 (111.548 mph) in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, with Neil Verhagen third at 1:45.604 (111.472 mph) in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Championship leader Sims was sixth in class.


 

Continuing a year-long trend, the Winward Mercedes-AMG shared by Ward and Philip Ellis bested many of the GTD PRO runners. But qualifying, the race start, and restarts will all be split by class. 


 

Ward’s 1 minute, 45.471-second (111.613 mph) lap was 0.169-seconds better than the 1:45.640 (111.434 mph) effort produced by Frederik Schandorff in the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. Daniel Serra was third in another Ferrari, the No. 34 prepared by Conquest Racing.


 

Winward – who has a 112-point lead in the GTD standings – was another team that did not use a private test day at VIR.


 

“We rolled this thing out of the trailer, and that’s what it’s got,” said Ward, who has two victories so far in 2025 (Sebring International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca). “It feels great. We’ve got a really fast machine here. I love this track, I love this facility and the fans here, so really looking forward to qualifying and the race.”


 

Ward noted that the basic setup of the Mercedes-AMG had not significantly changed since the last race at Road America.


 

“They’re pretty similar tracks in a way - both high-speed,” he said. “Really from Road America onward, it changes very little.”


 

WeatherTech Championship competitors will take part in another 90-minute practice session Saturday morning before wrapping up the day’s activities with qualifying, which can be streamed on Peacock and IMSA.tv (in the U.S.) and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel (outside the U.S.) from 4:50-5:35 p.m. ET.


 

Ford Brings Special Liveries, Mustang GTD Safety Car, Liquid Carbon Display Car To VIR

It’s a big weekend for Ford at this weekend’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway, with its Mustang model active across three different specifications (GT3, GT4 and Dark Horse R) and in three different series (IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and Mustang Challenge). 


 

They’re also switching up the looks of their factory-entered cars in the WeatherTech Championship Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. The pair of Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3s in GTD PRO will run a special livery this weekend, revealed formally on Friday morning.


 

In addition, Ford has brought two other special vehicles to VIR. The 2025 Ford Mustang GTD will pace the field as the Official Safety Car. Additionally, Ford is displaying a special edition Liquid Carbon Display Mustang GTD for fans at the track. With the similar liveries, Ford will drive awareness to Mustang’s achievements on both the road and racetrack.


 

The Ford Mustang GTD, the safety car, is a Shadow Black Carbon Series with Performance Pack vehicle. The 815-horsepower beast is equipped with Brembo anti-lock brakes and runs on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. 


 

It proved its track prowess as the first car from an American brand to complete a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in under seven minutes. It was also recently was featured in a Ford Performance video with automotive journalist Chris Harris interviewing four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen, who noted a desire to one day race in iconic IMSA endurance sports car racing events such as the Rolex 24 At Daytona. 


 

The first Ford Mustang GTD Liquid Carbon Display Car figures to be one of the most captured vehicles on the VIR grounds, and is present outside the TMI shop in the paddock. It debuted earlier this month at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion as part of Monterey Car Week, and features a clear-coated, high-quality, bare carbon weave without a visit to the paint shop.

 

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

VIRginia International Raceway - Friday, August 22, 2025

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

What to Watch For: Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

Setting the Stage; Hot to Trot; Last Races for Now


 

August 21, 2025

By David Phillips

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Since its rebirth in Y2K, VIRginia International Raceway has set the standard for amenities for spectators and competitors alike. Fans enjoy wandering the meticulously groomed lawns of the 3.27-mile, 17-turn facility, with countless A+ viewpoints, virtually unlimited access to the paddock and garage area, and some of the best track food this side of the Circuit de la Sarthe … why there’s even a tavern and restaurant on site. Competitors embrace the challenges of some of the most demanding and iconic sections of racetrack in North America with names like Horse Shoe, NASCAR Bend, Left Hook, Snake, the Climbing Esses, Oak Tree Curve, Roller Coaster and Hog Pen. 

 

Where better to showcase the drivers, teams and manufacturers of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s two GT categories, aka Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)?

 

Setting the Stage

 

As has been typical since VIR has enjoyed its late-August date on the IMSA calendar, the Michelin GT Challenge will set the stage for the final chapters of the WeatherTech Championship in both GT classes. Heading into this weekend’s trip to extremely southern Virginia (so far south the most traveled route to the track goes through North Carolina), most if not all bets are off with regards to the drivers, teams and manufacturers titles in both categories. 

 

In the GTD PRO driver and team standings, Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R enjoy a slim 30-point lead over Albert Costa in the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3. Defending class champion Laurin Heinrich, together with co-driver Klaus Bachler, are a further 67 points back in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (aka Rexy) – so 97 in arrears of the lead. Things are even closer on the manufacturers side as Chevrolet (2,330) leads BMW (2,313) by just 17 points. Ferrari is just 56 back in third, with Ford 82 back in fourth.

 

It’s a similar story in GTD as Philip Ellis, Russell Ward and the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 stand atop the drivers and team standings with 2,147 points, 112 to the good of Jack Hawksworth, Parker Thompson and the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 with Cooper Stevenson and the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo just five points further behind. On the other hand, whereas the GTD PRO manufacturers race is a near dead-heat between Chevrolet and BMW, GTD sees Mercedes-AMG (2,361) with a substantial - but by no means secure - advantage over Ferrari (2,207) with Lexus (2,168) third.

 

Who’s Hot?

If history is any indication, Corvette and BMW are going to take some beating this weekend. After all, Corvette finished one-two in 2021 in the final GT Le Mans year, then second in 2022 with a win again in 2023 in GTD PRO. They did not figure last year in the Z06 GT3.R’s debut campaign. The ultra-consistent Garcia and Sims are still looking for their first win of the 2025 season, and VIR could well be just what the doctor ordered. 

 

Meanwhile, Paul Miller Racing’s BMW M4 GT3 took top GTD PRO honors at VIR last year in the hands of Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers, just a year after PMR and Turner Motorsport combined to earn a one-two finish for BMW in GTD. Snow is back in the No. 1 PMR BMW this season with co-driver Neil Verhagen and the pairing is coming off their first win of the campaign at Road America.

 

Nor is Mercedes-AMG a stranger to success at VIR, witness the fact that they have been a fixture on the podium of late with last year’s one-three finish in GTD by Korthoff/Preston Motorsports and Winward Racing. Winward was also third in 2023.

 

And lest we forget Ford Multimatic Motorsports, which last year achieved something of a breakthrough at VIR in the Mustang GT3’s debut season, capturing the Motul Pole Award in the GTD class and finishing second and fourth in GTD PRO. Sebastian Priaulx, Mike Rockefeller and the No. 64 Mustang currently stand fourth in the GTD PRO standings, and few would be surprised if they – or teammates Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch in the No. 65 Mustang – were to stand on or near the top step of the VIR podium come Sunday afternoon. 

 

Last Time Around

VIR will also be the last time around this season for two GTD teams’ sprint-race specific lineups. The Michelin GT Challenge is the final non-endurance race of the campaign, given the upcoming six-hour TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

 

Drivers Jenson Altzman and Robert Megennis in the No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3 will look to improve upon their best outing of 10th at Long Beach in their debut. Both drivers also race in Saturday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race, making for their last “double-double” of the year. 

 

Similarly, Robert Wickens’ remarkable if all-too-concentrated run in this year’s slate of WeatherTech Championship standard-length races concludes this weekend. Together with co-drivers Tommy Milner and Alec Udell, the Canadian has shown plenty of pace at the helm of the hand-controlled No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette. 

 

To date, however, he has yet to finish on the podium, although he and Udell came agonizingly close with a fourth-place finish in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and a near-miss last time out at Road America when Udell lost the lead inside the final eight minutes. 

 

Both of these lineups have shown pace and form at times but haven’t yet had the results to match – and either or both entry standing on the podium would be a welcome end before their IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup lineups return at Indianapolis.

 

Be sure to catch all the Michelin GT Challenge action from VIR this weekend on USA at 2 p.m. ET, with streaming on Peacock, IMSA.TV and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.

 

 

 

Entry List Notebook – IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at VIR

Tripleheader Set at VIRginia International Raceway with CTMP Race 2 Added to Schedule


 

August 19, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (VIR)

Entry List (CTMP Makeup)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The late Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks’ famous quote of “let’s play two” is accurate for every IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge race weekend, as two 45-minute races are the norm. However, “Mr. Cub’s” quote will need to be modified for the series’ trip to VIRginia International Raceway this weekend.


 

While “let’s play two” is still true, the usual doubleheader expands to a tripleheader at VIR after Race 2 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in July was first delayed due to weather, then postponed, following a careful evaluation of team logistics – including international travel and border-crossing requirements.


 

IMSA officials have worked to integrate the third race into a revised weekend schedule, of which the VP Racing Challenge is the only one of five IMSA-sanctioned series racing featuring prototype action on the Michelin GT Challenge event program. 


 

With the new schedule, the third race of the weekend – the CTMP Race 2 postponement – has been added to Sunday at 9:35 a.m. ET. The two VP Racing Challenge races originally set for VIR take place Friday at 4:55 p.m. and Saturday at 12:25 p.m. 


 

In Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3), Valentino Catalano (No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08) leads Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320) by 240 points (2,260 to 2,020). Catalano will have a new teammate this weekend with Swedish driver Alexzander Kristiansson in the No. 31 Gebhardt Duqueine. 


 

The Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) remains the closest championship battle. Adam Adelson in his No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) leads AJ Muss in the No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 by just 20 points (2,220 to 2,200). However, with Muss absent from the entry list this weekend, four-time GTDX winner Jake Walker may continue making inroads.


 

After trailing Adelson by 480 points after barely getting to race at Daytona – a wreck during qualifying caused enough damage to the No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 that Walker was unable to start Race 1 and had to retire after completing just four laps in Race 2 – Walker has closed 180 points with four wins in the last five races. At 300 points behind, two or three more wins this weekend could enhance his chance at the season finale weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.


 

Grand Sport X (GSX) remains the domain of RAFA Racing, with Kiko Porto scoring his fifth win in seven races in the  No. 8 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 at CTMP and extending his championship lead to 340 points – nearly a full race win – ahead of second-placed Steven Clemons in BSI Racing’s No. 76 Toyota. Porto’s RAFA teammate Ian Porter (No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) sits third, 40 behind Clemons. 


 

Bronze Cup leaders in two of the three classes hold healthy leads. Thienes has a 900-point gap in P3 and Samantha Tan (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3) leads by 190 in GTDX. In GSX, Porter leads by 40 points ahead of Chris Walsh (No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS).


 

VP Racing Challenge teams will practice and qualify Friday before their first race later Friday afternoon. Streaming coverage airs via NBC Sports’ Peacock in the U.S. and on IMSA.TV and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel outside the U.S.


 

Fast Facts

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

VIRginia International Raceway – Alton, Virginia

August 22-24, 2025


 

Race Days/Times: Friday, Aug. 22, 4:55 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 23, 12:25 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 24, 9:35 a.m.

Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 4:50 p.m. Friday, 12:20 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday (available outside the U.S. on IMSA.tv and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel)

Circuit Type: 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course

Classes Competing: Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3), Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX), Grand Sport X (GSX)

Race Lengths: 45 minutes


 

VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Track Records

  • P3: Jagger Jones, Duqueine D08, 1:41.198 / 116.326 mph, August 2024 (Qualifying)
  • GSX: Luca Mars, Ford Mustang GT4, 1:53.143 / 104.045 mph, August 2024 (Qualifying)


 

2024 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 1 Winners:

  • P3: Jagger Jones, No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08
  • GSX: Luca Mars, No. 59 KOHR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4


 

2024 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 2 Winners:

  • P3: Jagger Jones, No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08
  • GSX: Luca Mars, No. 59 KOHR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4

 

 

VIR Could Be Key to GTD Championship 

Three Realistic Contenders with Three WeatherTech Championship Races to Go


 

August 19, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The production car-based GT classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship have three upcoming races to settle their 2025 title tilts, starting this weekend with the Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway.


 

It’s the only race on the WeatherTech Championship calendar featuring Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) and GTD PRO as the headline draw. Cars built to FIA GT3 specification are an ideal match for the rough and rustic road course nestled in the heart of stock car country near the North Carolina border. 


 

VIR packs 17 corners into 3.27 up-and-down miles – one sequence of corners is literally called Roller Coaster – and with little to nothing in the way of track limits, it’s a circuit that requires a combination of commitment, bravery, and precision like no other track in America.


 

This is sports car racing in its purest form, featuring the ultimate factory race-prepared versions of iconic street machines including the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Ferrari 296 GT3, Ford Mustang GT3, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, Lexus RC F GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).


 

“VIR is one of my favorite racetracks,” said Russell Ward, who along with Philip Ellis leads the GTD championship in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. “It’s just a super technical and committed racetrack. Those are my favorite kind of racetracks – the ones with a ‘National Park’ kind of environment, with older surfaces that give you quite a bit of tire wear. And no runoffs – there are no track limits or anything like that. I can’t wait to get out there.”

The battle for the GTD championship features a likely three-way fight between defending champions Ellis and Ward, who lead Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson (No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3) by 112 points, with Casper Stevenson another five points back in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo he most often shares with Tom Gamble. 


 

The Winward Mercedes duo rose to the top of the points table with a pair of early race wins at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the TireRack.com Monterey SportsCar Championship. At that point, they held a 124-point cushion over Thompson and Hawksworth, with the No. 27 Aston at a 267-point deficit in fourth.


 

The turning point of the season came at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Ward was swept into a collision between three Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) cars on the rain-slicked track, necessitating a 36-minute pit stop that dropped the No. 57 to a 16th-place finish. 


 

Meanwhile, the No. 12 Lexus appeared to be on the way to the GTD class victory until Hawksworth ran out of fuel on the last lap and dropped to 11th. The fortuitous winner was the No. 27 Aston Martin, which vaulted to within 60 points of Ward and Ellis. It also dropped the No. 12 Lexus 76 points behind, instead of vaulting them to the lead. 


 

Hawksworth called the sudden turn of fortune “a heartbreaker…maybe the worst day in the history of this team, in terms of the way it ended.”


 

Added Thompson: “It was a championship day for five hours and 58 minutes of the Watkins Glen Six Hours. It’s only halfway (of the season) and let’s give it everything we have for the rest of the championship.”


 

The three key GTD contenders have pretty much held serve over the most recent two races – the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the Motul SportsCar Grand Prix at Road America.


 

Ward and Ellis rebounded to claim second place at CTMP, where they were joined on the podium by Hawksworth and Thompson, who finished third. Stevenson, paired on this occasion with Aston Martin Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) driver Roman De Angelis, took fifth.

There was little to choose from just looking at the results at Road America, where all three were clustered between ninth and 11th. But the intensity of the championship battle was clearly ramping up, because Ellis was assigned incident responsibility in a clash with Gamble in the No. 27 Aston Martin. Later in the race, Ellis got together with Hawksworth in another bumping match, this time with Hawksworth being assigned incident responsibility.


 

The ninth-place finish at Road America was particularly disappointing for the Aston Martin team, as Stevenson had qualified an IMSA career-best second and Gamble was running second when the entry took damage from a spinning car.


 

“From there, it was just kind of damage limitation with the performance we had,” Gamble said. “A bit of a shame, but looking at the positives, we gained points on our championship rivals."


 

With a standard-length race at VIR, a six-hour skirmish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and the 10-hour finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the GTD championship is up for grabs.


 

“I’m kind of surprised we haven’t gotten a win yet, but podiums are points, and points are prizes,” said Thompson. “We’re locked in on the championship. You know when you start the season that it’s going to Petit Le Mans. Jack and I are not surprised that it’s this tight. We knew it was going to be this tough. That’s what makes this championship so amazing and that’s what makes Petit Le Mans, as a finale, just probably the best race of the season.”


 

“I think the Lexus – the 12 car – and us, we both experienced our bad luck at Watkins Glen,” noted Ward. “We’ve had a year and a half of incident-free racing, so you knew you were due for something at some point.


 

“Hopefully that’s out of the way now.”


 

The three-way title fight isn’t all to watch in GTD. Mercedes-AMG holds a 154-point lead over Ferrari in the Manufacturer’s Championship. The Bob Akin Award, awarded to the top Bronze-rated driver in class, is in a dead heat with Brendan Iribe and Orey Fidani both on 2,260 points – meaning whichever of the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 or No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R finishes ahead takes the lead.


 

Live coverage of the 2-hour, 40-minute Michelin GT Challenge at VIR can be found from 2-5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 24 on USA and Peacock. International viewers can stream via IMSA.tv and IMSA’s official YouTube channel.

 

 

Entry List Notebook – Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix

Wild Michelin Pilot Challenge Races Have Occurred the Last Three Years at VIR


 

August 18, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix at VIRginia International Raceway isn’t the deciding race of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season. But for the last three years, it’s been one of the wildest races on the calendar.


 

A thoroughly epic scrap took place in Touring Car (TCR) in 2024 between Karl Wittmer and Tyler Gonzalez, ending with Wittmer’s No. 93 Montreal Motorsports Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR just ahead of Gonzalez’s No. 99 Victor Gonzalez Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR following a brilliant outside-inside pass of the 20-year-old. Grand Sport (GS) was a fuel-mileage affair captured by BGB Motorsports’ Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS. 


 

A year earlier in 2023, a GS dice went front-and-center with a three-car, one-lap dash that ended with a clash. Robin Liddell’s No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R took the win with Frank DePew, ultimately the last for that car before the team switched to Aston Martin ahead of the 2024 Michelin Pilot Challenge season. TCR saw the Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR win ahead of the Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian Hyundai armada, led by Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker. 


 

And in 2022, to keep up the craziness, Joey Hand made a last lap pass for the win in GS after then-leader, Scott Andrews, ran out of fuel on the final lap. Hand did so despite braking issues in his No. 40 PF Racing Ford Mustang GT4. Eventual champions Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis won in TCR for their first win of the season. 


 

The post-script for the 2023 and 2024 VIR wins was fascinating in the following races. 


 

The MMG Honda win in 2024 was the last for the brand in TCR before Hyundai reeled off six straight TCR wins – two to end 2024 and the first four of 2025 – until the No. 93 Honda recaptured the checked flag at this year’s LP Building Solutions 120 at Watkins Glen International. 


 

Drama from the Liddell battle with the two other cars at VIR wound up biting them at the 2023 season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, with one of its VIR rivals pitting on the final lap to lose enough positions that allowed the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 to leapfrog the No. 71 car to take the GS championship by 10 points – or one position. 


 

With the last several years as a backdrop and VIR clearly a fascinating stop for the series as the third-to-last round of the season, will the wildness continue or will a calmer, cooler race prevail? Leaving Road America, the championship battles have intensified.


 

In GS, RS1’s pair of Jan Heylen and Luca Mars in the No. 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS have seen their once-unassailable 340-point lead leaving Round 5 at Watkins Glen reduce to 90 leaving Round 7 at Road America. They’re still in a good spot and head to a track where Porsche won last year with BGB Motorsports. However, back-to-back finishes off the podium have opened the door for closest rival Jenson Altzman, who along with Nate Cicero won the most recent race at Road America in the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with Aerosport Ford Mustang GT4. The No. 13 car also has three straight GS poles.


 

BMW M4 GT4 EVO entries from CarBahn by Peregrine racing, Auto Technic Racing and Turner Motorsport completed the top five at Road America, and BMW’s run of form has also brought it to a tie with Porsche atop the GS Manufacturer Championship standings with just three races to go.


 

The TCR title battle remains a neck-and-neck competition between the two BHA teammates in the Nos. 98 and 76 Hyundais, with the No. 93 MMG Honda of Wittmer and LP Montour surging. The No. 98 Hyundai of Harry Gottsacker leads the No. 76 Hyundai of Denis Dupont and Preston Brown by just 20 points, while after four straight podium finishes, Wittmer and LP Montour are just 90 points back in third place. The top-ranked Audi from Precision Racing LA sits fifth in points, but 300 points back of the lead.


 

Among the 40 cars on the entry list split between 24 GS and 16 TCR, there’s a handful of changes. KOHR Motorsports’ second Ford Mustang GT4 for Nick Persing and Sam Paley returns, while past TCR entrants Copeland Motorsports make their GS season debut with a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2. Stephen Cameron Racing also returns with a new chassis after its Road America incident, adorned in the same full livery of names as its primary chassis. Three Audis are back in TCR (for a total of six), including Baker Racing also with a fresh chassis and a motivated James Vance and Sam Baker in their No. 52 Audi RS3 LMS TCR, one of two team cars. Rockwell Autosport Development also returns. 


 

Michelin Pilot Challenge teams have two one-hour practice sessions on Friday and qualify Saturday morning. Saturday’s Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix, Round 8 of the 2025 season, rolls off at 2:20 p.m. ET and local time. It will stream live on Peacock and globally, ad-free, courtesy of Michelin on IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.


 

Fast Facts

Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix

VIRginia International Raceway – Alton, Virginia 

Aug. 22-23, 2024


 

Race Day/Time: Saturday, Aug. 23, 2:20 p.m. ET

Live Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 2:15 p.m., Peacock in the U.S., globally on IMSA YouTube ad-free courtesy of Michelin

Circuit Type: 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course

Classes Competing: Grand Sport (GS), Touring Car (TCR)

Race Length: Two hours


 

Michelin Pilot Challenge Track Records

  • GS: Stevan McAleer, Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS, 1:52.627 / 104.521 mph, August 2024 (Qualifying)
  •  TCR: Bryson Morris, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 1:55.230 / 102.160 mph, August 2024 (Qualifying) 


 

2024 Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix Winners

  • GS: Spencer Pumpelly/Thomas Collingwood, No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS
  • TCR: Dai Yoshihara/Karl Wittmer, No. 93 Montreal Motorsports Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR


 

Storylines

  • GS Title Battle Tightens: Last year RS1 was the chaser in GS; this year; they’re being chased. With a. 340-point gap leaving Watkins Glen, RS1’s lead has now been cut to 90 entering VIR. Jan Heylen and Luca Mars are still well-positioned in their No. 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS, but the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with Aerosport Ford Mustang GT4 and pair of BMW M4 GT4 EVOs from CarBahn and Auto Technic Racing are lurking. Additionally, Porsche and BMW are tied for the GS Manufacturer Championship lead at 2,200 points apiece. 
  • Can Herta Hyundais Hold Off Honda?: The Nos. 98 and 76 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR cars have been the measure of the TCR field all season. But the run of form from the No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 TCR has made this a battle, within 90 points.


 

Who’s Hot?

  • No. 27 Auto Technic Racing and No. 39 CarBahn by Peregrine racing BMW M4 GT4 EVOs: No one’s hotter in GS than Stevan McAleer and Austin Krainz in the No. 27 Auto Technic BMW, who together have scored six straight top-six finishes including two podiums. CarBahn’s pairing of Jeff Westphal and Sean McAlister in the No. 39 BMW is also on a roll with three straight top-fives, and five in the last six races.
  • No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 TCR: Four straight podiums, two wins and three poles for the LP Montour and Karl Wittmer pairing in their No. 93 Honda have brought them to within 90 points of the TCR championship lead. 


 

Who’s Good Here?

  • UniTronic in Odd Years: The 2024 TCR champions, Mikey Taylor and Chris Miller, have had their best VIR success in odd-numbered years with wins in 2021 and 2023. Now in GS, the pair seeks to extend this “odd” trend in their No. 17 UniTronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS. 
  • The Plumb Brothers: On three different occasions, brothers Matt and Hugh Plumb have won driving together at VIR. They’re split in 2025, but still have win hopes in the Nos. 46 and 64 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evos, respectively. 


 

Previous Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix Winners in 2025 Field (13)

  • Ryan Eversley (3): ST – 2010, 2011, 2016
  • Hugh Plumb (3): ST – 2006; GS – 2008, 2015
  • Matt Plumb (3): ST – 2006; GS – 2008, 2015
  • Chris Miller (2): TCR – 2021, 2023 
  • Mikey Taylor (2): TCR – 2021, 2023
  • Frank DePew (1): GS – 2023 
  • Mason Filippi (1): TCR – 2020
  • Robby Foley (1): GS – 2019 
  • Jan Heylen (1): GS - 2021
  • Billy Johnson (1): GS - 2011
  • Robin Liddell (1): GS – 2023 
  • Dillon Machavern (1): GS – 2017 
  • Karl Wittmer (1): TCR – 2024 


 

Previous Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix Pole Winners in 2025 Field (7)

  • Tyler Gonzalez (1): TCR – 2022 
  • Harry Gottsacker (1): TCR – 2021 
  • Paul Holton (1): GS – 2018 
  • Dillon Machavern (1): GS – 2021 
  • Stevan McAleer (1): GS – 2024 
  • Chris Miller (1): TCR – 2023 
  • Bryson Morris (1): TCR - 2024

 

Previous Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix Winning Teams in 2025 Field (8)

  • Turner Motorsport (3): GS – 2007, 2010, 2020 
  • Bryan Herta Autosport (2): TCR – 2020, 2022 
  • JDC-Miller MotorSports (2): TCR – 2021, 2023 
  • RS1 (2): ST – 2015; GS – 2017 
  • KohR Motorsports (1): GS – 2019 
  • Montreal Motorsports Group (1): TCR – 2024 
  • Rebel Rock Racing (1): GS – 2023 
  • Team TGM (1): GS – 2018 


 

Previous Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix Winning Manufacturers in 2025 Field (9)

  • Porsche – 15
  • Ford – 7
  • Audi – 5
  • BMW – 5 
  • Honda – 5 
  • Chevrolet – 4
  • Hyundai – 2 
  • Aston Martin – 1 
  • Mercedes-AMG – 1