James wins PWC GTS at COTA as Dollahite DQ'd

On Saturday evening at Circuit of the Americas, Scott Dollahite’s GTS Round 15 race-winning Lotus Evora failed Pirelli World Challenge technical inspection and was provisionally disqualified from the 50-minute event held Saturday afternoon at the 3.247-mile, 20-turn road course southeast of Austin.

With the amended results Saturday, Ian James was provisionally awarded the GTS Round 15 victory in the No. 50 Team Panoz Racing Panoz Avezzano GT sports car. It was James’ fifth win of the 2017 in the GTS division. Dollahite, who started sixth, had carefully picked his way to the front of the field and had taken the checkered flag in a 3.150-second victory.

Now taking second is 16-year-old Parker Chase in the No. 19 Performance Motorsports Group Ginetta G55 followed by Rodrigo Baptista in the No. 3 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, Harry Gottsacker in the No. 69 Performance Motorsports Group Ginetta G55 and two-time GTS champion Lawson Aschenbach in the No. 10 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R.

Final results will be posted after all stewards’ review and technical inspection is complete.

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James started from the pole in the No. 50 Team Panoz Racing Panoz Avezzano GT sports car and led for many laps early in the event. A four-time race winner this year, James currently holds down second place in the GTS point standings behind leader and two-time GTS champion Lawson Aschenbach.

"This is good racing - 50 minute, flat-out, no cautions - that's how we like our racing," James said after the race. "This place is a bit more forgiving and you can definitely get to the limit and if you step slightly over it, it costs you lap time but it doesn't end up with you in the wall - typically. I'm very fortunate to have the team. We've been able to take something that was a pile of tubes back in February and put it together and turn it into a racy new car."

Chase came from the back of the field due to a technical infraction after qualifications. Parker and young Rodrigo Baptista put a spirited battle for third late in the contest before Chase grabbed the position.

"I got sick earlier this week and skipped testing," said Chase. "I stayed home and slept. By Thursday morning, I felt 100% so I was ready to go. I wanted to thank my whole team. Even though Harry and I had to start at the back of the pack. Turn 15 is my signature and nobody saw it coming. I've been here a few times and I think I know a few things about the track that some people don't know."

Taking the GTS Am category for an eighth time in 2017 was entrepreneur George Kurtz in a strong drive in the No. 04 Crowdstrike/GMG McLaren 570S sports car. Kurtz currently leads the GTS Am point standings with three rounds remaining in the Pirelli World Challenge campaign.

"We didn't have a great qualifying and the car is not particularly suited to this track," said Kurtz. "Unfortunately, at the end of the race the car went out and just shut off in the quad and I actually had to roll it through the quad over the finish line. I was ready to 'Fred Flintstone' it but it fortunately all worked out. I really have to give credit to the GMG boys. They consistently develop the car. It's a little bit finicky so we kept chipping away at each race. We just kept getting better and better and persistence pays off."

Following Kurtz in the GTS Am category Saturday at COTA was veteran Tony Gaples in the popular No. 11 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R and Carter Yeung in the No. 7 GMG/HK Battery Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR.

GTS Round 16 is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. CT Sunday at COTA oand will be live-streamed for free at World-Challenge.com and MotorTrendOnDemand.com.