GT America at COTA this Weekend

[teamzr1]

GT America powered by AWS continues its busy stretch of racing this weekend at Circuit of the Americas, for Rounds 5 and 6 of the season.
SRO America’s sprint race GT series has a total of 14 cars on the entry list, including 11 cars listed to do battle in the top SRO3 class for GT3 machinery.

It comes just two weeks after the series’ trip to the streets of Long Beach, as part of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach event that saw Justin Rothberg sweep the weekend.
The Turner Motorsport driver holds a nine-point lead over GMG Racing’s Kyle Washington in the championship standings, in what’s shaping up to be a season-long duel between the two drivers.

SKI Autosports, which won the drivers’ championship last year with Johnny O’Connell, is set for its first start of the season with new driver Memo Gidley aboard its Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.
While Blake McDonald and Ross Chouest return with their Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, along with the Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Elias Sabo, there are several new additions to the grid for the Texan round.

It includes an Esses Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R for Joel Cortes, a FAST MD Racing with Remstar’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 for Farhan Siddiqi, as well as Jon Manship in a Wright Motorsports-entered Porsche.

Marc Muzzo, who skipped the Long Beach round, meanwhile, returns in his R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3.
While on the entry list, Mirco Schultis is not expected to be present with his Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R due to overseas obligations.
Three cars are set to do battle in the GT4 class, including Sonoma class winners Anthony McIntosh and Max Hewitt, driving for JTR Motorsports Engineering and Van der Steur Racing, respectively.
The class is rounded out with a Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for Michael Auriemma.

GT America competitors will have the opportunity to test on Thursday, with two practice sessions set for Friday, followed by qualifying on Saturday morning. Race 1 gets underway Saturday at 11:20 a.m. CST, with Race 2 on tap for Sunday at 10:05 a.m. CST.

Both races will be streamed live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel and on Twitch.

GT America powered by AWS is charging out of the streets of Long Beach and into the wide-open expanse of Texas for rounds five and six of the season. Circuit of the Americas, the world-renowned facility nestled in the heart of Austin, is set to host another unforgettable weekend of high-stakes racing. Momentum from the California coast is colliding with fresh ambitions, as returning favorites face off against hungry challengers.

As a cornerstone stop on the calendar and a home race for SRO America, this year’s event from April 25th to 27th promises nonstop action
With over 120 cars competing across six different series, fans can expect even more excitement, electric energy, and world-class GT racing at every turn.

Aston Martin

Max Hewitt had an excellent start to his season by claiming a win and podium finish in his first outing in the series, and now the Houston native will brave the Texas heat in search of more hardware at his home event.

• No. 39 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO – Max Hewitt

Audi

Audi is extremely well represented for this event, with multi-time series champion Memo Gidley returning to the competition, this time with SKI Autosports, who claimed a championship of their own the season prior. Farhan Siddiqi and FASTMD Racing with Remstar are also back on the grid after competing in select events last year.

• No. 56 SKI Autosports Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVOII – Memo Gidley
• No. 95 FASTMD Racing with Remstar Audi R8 LMS GT3 – Farhan Siddiqi

BMW

The Grand Prix of Long Beach came with a great deal of success for BMW, with double victories for Justin Rothberg, as well as podium finish for Elias Sabo, proving they have what it takes to master narrow street circuits and high-speed road courses alike.

• No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO – Justin Rothberg
• No. 80 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 EVO – Elias Sabo

Corvette

Ross Chouest had two consecutive top 5 finishes in the third and fourth rounds of the season at Long Beach as he continued to learn more about his new Corvette. Meanwhile, Mirco Schultis and Blake McDonald had some challenges on the street track and are looking for a reset at Circuit of the Americas.

• No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R – Blake McDonald
• No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R – Ross Chouest
• No. 70 MISHUMOTORS Callaway Corvette Z06R GT3 – Mirco Schultis

Ferrari

At Sonoma Raceway, the Ferrari 296 GT3 of Marc Muzzo finished just shy of a podium result in the opening race of the season, but COTA presents another opportunity for the Italian manufacturer to prevail.

• No. 13 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3 – Marc Muzzo

Porsche

Porsche boasts the most entries on the grid, featuring race winners and newcomers alike. After claiming his first victory in the championship at Sonoma Raceway, Kyle Washington followed it up with two second-place finishes in the streets of Long Beach, demonstrating his consistency. Meanwhile, the remaining three entries are all new additions for these rounds, but all come from highly reputable teams.

• No. 19 Esses Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R – Joel Cortes
• No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R – Kyle Washington
• No. 47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport – Michael Auriemma
• No. 216 Wright Motorsports Porsche 992 GT3 R – Jon Manship

Toyota

Anthony McIntosh made a statement in his series debut at Sonoma Raceway, scoring a victory on day one and backing it up with a second-place finish the next. Now, as the championship heads to the wide-open straights and technical corners of Circuit of The Americas, he’ll be aiming to keep that momentum rolling in Texas.

• No. 69 JTR Motorsports Engineering Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO2 – Anthony McIntosh

All Eyes on COTA

Circuit of the Americas is sure to be a can’t-miss event, featuring an open paddock atmosphere, autograph sessions across all series, fan zones and local vendors, and unparalleled access to the most impressive GT machinery in the world. For those who can’t make it trackside, watch all the action live on RACER TV, the GTWorld YouTube channel, and SRO Motorsports Twitch.

Stay up to date on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the GT America powered by AWS showdown at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), set for this weekend. As the championship rolls into Austin for one of its most anticipated stops of the year, the stakes are sky-high, the grid is stacked, and the fans are in for quite a show.

The Track: A Modern Classic

COTA is more than just a racing circuit, it’s a proving ground. With its blend of high-speed straights, technical sectors, and an elevation-change-heavy Turn 1 that separates the bold from the cautious, the 3.41-mile, 20-turn layout demands precision, guts, and tire management. This is where teams show their full potential, or come undone trying.

Championship Implications

The series is entering the third event of the season, and every point counts. Expect the championship contenders to bring maximum aggression in both the SRO3 and GT4 categories, where the title battles remain razor-thin.

Weather or Not…

Texas weather can be moody in April. We’ve seen everything from blazing sun to sudden rain showers in past years, and mixed conditions could make for unpredictable strategies and wild moments. At this time, the radars show a little bit of rain, which would surely make things interesting.

 

[teamzr1]

Race Schedule

 

[teamzr1]

Tom Sargent topped the time charts in the opening GT World Challenge America powered by AWS practice at Circuit of the Americas.

The newly minted Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver reeled off a chart-topping 2:03.430 lap time in his No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R to go quickest in the 60-minute session.

Sargent’s time was 0.084 seconds quicker than the No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Matt Bell, with Kyle Marcelli third quickest in the No. 92 LAB Motorsport by GT Racing Porsche.

Darren Turner and Robby Foley completed the top-five for Heart of Racing Team and Turner Motorsport, respectively, which were all Pro-Am class cars.

The No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Mikael Grenier was quickest of the Pro class competitors in sixth, while Ozz Negri topped the Am class in the No. 163 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, in a class that features two cars this weekend.

The session came to an early end with seven minutes to go for an incident by Grenier’s co-driver Michai Stephens in the JMF Mercedes-AMG that resulted in a red flag.

The No. 88 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 of Todd Coleman, meanwhile, was handed a five-minute stop-and-hold penalty at the start of the session for incident responsibility from an incident in Thursday’s Paid Bronze Test session.

It set the 11th quickest time overall in the hands of co-driver Aaron Telitz.

The second and final practice of the day is scheduled for 3:20 p.m. CST.

RESULTS: Practice 1

 

[teamzr1]

• Chevrolet Sets Early Pace in SRO3
• Aston Martin Narrowly Ahead of Toyota in GT4
• Practice 1 Results

It was a foggy morning at Circuit of the Americas as the GT America powered by AWS field set off for their first official practice session of the weekend. The competitors had an early start to their day, with 30 minutes on the clock to get more and more familiarized with the high-speed track.

Young talents Blake McDonald and Max Hewitt were the standouts in Practice 1, going quickest in their respective SRO3 and GT4 classes.

SRO3 Class

Memo Gidley set the pace early in the session in the No. 56 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVOII, consistently topping the charts for much of the running, showcasing his championship-winning expertise as he adjusts to new machinery this year.
However, Blake McDonald steadily found his rhythm behind the wheel of the No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, gradually getting more comfortable as the session progressed. McDonald eventually climbed to the top of the timesheets, taking over as the fastest in the session with a lap time of 2:05.170.

In the closing ten minutes, Elias Sabo made a late charge in the No. 80 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 EVO, delivering a strong lap that vaulted him into second place, pushing Gidley down to third. As the session drew to a close, Ross Chouest secured the fourth-fastest time with a solid final effort in his No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, narrowly ahead of Justin Rothberg, who rounded out the top five with his No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

GT4 Class

In the GT4 category, the No. 69 JTR Motorsports Engineering Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 of Anthony McIntosh emerged as the one to catch for the opening half of the session, with local driver Max Hewitt, a Houston native, being McIntosh’s closest rival. The two went back and forth throughout Practice 1.

In the end, it was the Texan in the No. 39 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO who had the final say at his home circuit, clocking in a class-leading lap time of 2:14.486. Michael Auriemma delivered a consistent showing to complete the top three in GT4 in his No. 47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, securing a solid position heading into the rest of the weekend’s action.

Let’s Get Racing

The GT America powered by AWS will return to the track for Practice 2 on Friday afternoon, April 25th at 1:30 PM CT.
If you can’t make it to Circuit of the Americas, be sure to tune-in to SRO’s free live streams all weekend long on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports) and follow all the action through our social media channels and the event hashtag #GTCOTA.

 

[teamzr1]

Second Practice

Elias Sabo rose to the top of the time charts in the second and final GT America powered by AWS practice session prior to qualifying for this weekend’s races at Circuit of the Americas.

Sabo, in the No. 8 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 EVO, reeled off a best time of 2:05.599 to edge out the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Kyle Washington by 0.532 seconds.

Blake McDonald, who was quickest in opening practice in his No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, was third, followed by the No. 13 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3 of Marc Muzzo and Justin Rothberg’s No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW.

The GT4 class was led by the No. 39 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 EVO of Max Hewitt, ahead of Anthony McIntosh’s No. 69 JTR Motorsports Engineering Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2.

Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 a.m. CST

 

[teamzr1]

Blake McDonald stormed to pole position for the first GT America powered by AWS race of the weekend at Circuit of the Americas.
The DXDT Racing driver drove his No. 11 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R to a best lap of 2:04.532 to edge out the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Kyle Washington by 0.209 seconds.

It marked McDonald’s second consecutive pole after taking top qualifying honors for Race 2 on the streets of Long Beach.’
Elias Sabo is set to roll off third on the grid for this morning’s race in his No. 80 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 EVO, with Memo Gidley and Justin Rothberg completing the top-five for SKI Autosports and Turner Motorsport, respectively.

GT4 pole honors went to the No. 39 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo of Max Hewitt.
Hewitt’s 2:14.539 lap time was three-tenths quicker than the No. 69 JTR Motorsports Engineering Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 of Anthony McIntosh.

Michael Auriemma is set to start third in class in his No. 47 Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
Race 1 of the weekend gets underway at 11:20 a.m. CST, with live coverage on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel and on Twitch.

 

[teamzr1]

Kyle Washington claimed a controlling victory in the opening GT America powered by AWS race of the weekend at Circuit of the Americas.
The GMG Racing driver, who started on pole, took his No. 32 Porsche 911 GT3 R to a 3.545-second win over the No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 Evo of Justin Rothberg in Saturday’s 40-minute contest.

It marked Washington’s second victory of the season and saw him close the gap to SRO3 class point's leader Rothberg, who swept the weekend last time out at Long Beach.

Runner-up finisher Rothberg carved his way through the field, having taken second place from Memo Gidley’s No. 56 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II on Lap 6.
He also inherited a position after an early race penalty for a competitor.

Elias Sabo, who took the green flag in second alongside Washington, dropped the running order after being assessed a drive-through penalty for a start procedure infraction. Sabo ended up finishing seventh.

2023 series champion Gidley, in his series return, completed the podium in third, ahead of Ross Chouest and Marc Muzzo for Chouest Povoledo Racing and R. Ferri Motorsport, respectively.
It came despite an intense challenge from Chouest on Gidley for the final podium position in the closing laps.

Anthony McIntosh made a last-lap move on Max Hewitt for the win in the GT4 class in his No. 69 JTR Motorsports Engineering Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2.
McIntosh claimed the hard-fought race by a mere 0.135 seconds at the line over the Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 EVO.

The No. 188 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Denny Stripling completed the class podium in third.

Race 2 gets underway Sunday at 10:05 a.m. CST, with live coverage on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel and on Twitch.

RESULTS: Race 1

 

[teamzr1]

Race two of COTA Race, today, Sunday, 11 AM EDT

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[teamzr1]

Justin Rothberg came out on top following a race-long duel with Kyle Washington for top honors in the second GT America powered by AWS race of the weekend at Circuit of the Americas.

The Turner Motorsport driver steered his pole-sitting No. 29 BMW M4 GT3 EVO to a 1.927-second win over Washington’s No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, which won Saturday’s opening race of the event.
The two cars fought tooth-and-nail for the majority of the 40-minute contest, which saw multiple lead changes.
It marked Rothberg’s third win of the season and saw him solidify his points lead in the SRO3 class.

The No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Ross Chouest completed the class podium in third, having set the race’s fastest lap.

Memo Gidley and Marc Muzzo completed the top-five in their SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II and R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3 entries, respectively.
It was reported that Gidley was nursing clutch issues at the start of the race.

The GT4 results were reversed from Saturday, with Max Hewitt coming out on top in his No. 39 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo, ahead of Race 1 winner Anthony McIntosh in the No. 69 JTR Motorsports Engineering Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2.
McIntosh nursed a broken rear diffuser on his Toyota, which appeared to have affected his car’s performance.

Denny Stripling was third in the No. 188 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO, despite having a spin near the halfway mark of the race.
A total of ten cars started the race following the mid-event withdrawal of the No. 80 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW of Elias Sabo due to a business commitment.

The No. 47 Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Michael Auriemma also did not start Sunday morning’s race.

 

[teamzr1]

DXDT Racing became the latest team to score victory with the Chevy Corvette Z06 GT3.R in 2025 with a victory in the first of two GT World Challenge America races at Circuit of the Americas.

Blake McDonald and Matt Bell took first in the Pro-Am class with DXDT’s No. 11 Corvette, which finished third overall in the 90-minute, two-driver race.
The team debuted the Corvette GT3 a year ago and swept both rounds at COTA to start an eight-race win streak in the championship.

Bell set the fastest lap of Race One, and McDonald was the quickest Bronze-rated driver in the race. McDonald drove the opening 40 minutes from his third-place starting spot in the class, and Bell overtook the class leader running on a different strategy with 25 minutes to go. The pair also finished third in Pro-Am on Sunday at the end of the weekend’s second race.

In its second session, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R already has won races in four different championships. Bell was part of the GTD-winning lineup for AWA at the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the team is preparing for its first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – also in a Corvette.

TF Sport won the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Qatar and leads the LM GT3 Drivers and Team championships after two rounds. Johor Motorsports Racing claimed a victory and third-place Pro-Am finish in the opening GT World Challenge Asia event the team’s first race with the Corvette at Sepang The early-season strength of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R platform also is evident in other championships. Steller Motorsport recorded a runner-up, Silver-class finish with its No. 24 Corvette in the opening round of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurace Cup at Paul Ricard earlier in the month. The Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports squad also finished second in GTD PRO at the Rolex 24.

Chouest Povoledo Racing’s Ross Chouest claimed his first GT3 podium finish at COTA on Sunday with a third-place result in the second of two 40-minute GT America races.

MATT BELL, NO. 11 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“We’ve just really clicked as a team and pairing. Blake did a great job from the start. He was the one who handed me effectively an 11-second lead, and I just had to maintain it. It’s hard racing and I came under some pressure for the No. 29 guys. But thanks to everyone at DXDT Racing, Blake… it was an awesome team job and team win.”

BLAKE McDONALD, NO. 11 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“That had to be the longest 40 minutes our life! We were all biting our nails a little bit. But I couldn’t be happier. We were worked so hard from this. To bounce back from the Sonoma weekend, it’s the best.”

GT World Challenge Races 1 and 2

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[teamzr1]

Race 2
Pro Class

Mikaël Grenier wasted no time at the start, moving the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 past the Pro-Am No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R of Tom Sargent and gaining overall positions in the opening laps.

The Pro class action quickly turned chaotic as both Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3 entries found trouble. Varun Choksey and Connor De Phillippi made contact, with De Phillippi’s No. 99 sustaining minor right-front damage but able to continue. Choksey’s No. 51 battled electrical issues as a result of the incident, though he too remained in the race. The No. 99 was later given a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility.

The drama didn’t stop there. Contact between the Pro-Am No. 88 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO and the Pro No. 18 RS1 Porsche 992 GT3 R of Jan Heylen left the McLaren with a puncture, while the No. 18 was handed a drive-through penalty of its own.

JMF Motorsports executed a perfectly timed driver change, swapping Grenier for Michai Stephens just before a full-course yellow was triggered. Aaron Povoledo’s Pro-Am No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R came to a halt at the final corner with 43 minutes remaining, bringing the field under caution. With the top six cars yet to complete their pit stops, the caution period shuffled the running order and allowed Stephens to remain in the lead.

On the restart, Alex Sedgwick in the No. 18 RS1 Porsche lined up directly behind Stephens, the full-course caution erasing the time lost from his teammate’s earlier penalty. Despite a late overall pass by Philip Ellis, which dropped Stephens from the outright race lead, it had no impact on the Pro class standings.

Michai Stephens powered home to secure the Pro class victory for JMF Motorsports, with RS1 finishing second and the No. 51 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3, driven by Bill Auberlen and Varun Choksey, rounding out the podium.

“ There are tremendous individuals behind the wheel, and I'm just in a fortunate place to be able to try and soak in that knowledge as quickly as possible,” said Michai Stephens. “There are formidable teams in this Pro class.”

“It’s not going to be easy,” stated Mikael Grenier regarding the championship fight. “RS1 and Random Vandals Racing are very good teams. We need to be consistent and try to win as many races as possible because that's where we can build the biggest gap for points.”

Pro-Am Class

The Pro-Am class delivered action from the opening lap, as Tom Sargent in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R was run wide by Mikaël Grenier into Turn 1. Michael Cooper, driving the No. 2 Racers Edge Motorsports Aston Martin AMR Vantage GT3, seized the opportunity to move ahead of Sargent. However, Sargent quickly regrouped, reclaiming the position from Cooper and setting his sights on Grenier again, with the goal of chasing down Robby Foley in the No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW for the Pro-Am class lead.

With 50 minutes remaining, Jeff Burton handed over the No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 over to his teammate, and Philip Ellis set off to begin chasing down the frontrunners.

A full course yellow emerged shortly after after the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Corvette came to a halt on track, which dramatically reshuffled the running order as the pit stop window had opened. Several teams and drivers, including Sargent and Foley, were caught out by the timing of their pit stops, losing ground as others benefitted from having pitted just before the caution. The Turner Motorsport BMW team suffered an additional setback during their stop, with a slow tire change caused by an air gun issue, dropping Justin Rothberg significantly down the order as he took to the track for his stint.

Jason Daskalos, who had earlier seen his teammate Isaac Sherman momentarily stopped on track in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, found himself leading the Pro-Am class thanks to the pit cycle. Ellis slotted into second place, while Jason Bell spun his No. 2 Aston Martin after exiting pit lane on cold tires, allowing Blake McDonald to move into third aboard the No. 11 DXDT Racing Corvette.

On the restart, Ellis wasted no time getting past Daskalos to take over the class lead. Behind them, a fierce battle broke out for a spot in the top five, with Rothberg and Todd Coleman in the No. 88 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO going wheel-to-wheel, resulting in Rothberg emerging ahead. Jean-Frédéric Laberge in the No. 92 LAB Motorsport by GT Racing Porsche and Gray Newell in the No. 24 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin soon joined the fray, trading positions with Coleman in a heated fight for sixth place.

In the end, Philip Ellis cruised to the Pro-Am class victory and crossed the finish line first overall. Jason Daskalos held off a hard-charging Blake McDonald to secure second, with McDonald rounding out the podium for DXDT Racing.

“ It's just amazing,” expressed Philip Ellis. “The field is bigger and more competitive than last year. Jeff did an amazing job today, it was an incredible performance from him. We were a little lucky with the timing of the full course yellow because we took a gamble on the pit stop, but it came back to us.”

“The Regulator Racing crew are working super hard,” added Jeff Burton. “It’s not just about how good Philip and I are doing. We get the upfront action, but it's the guys behind the wall that are the unsung heroes. Living the dream!”