Regulator Racing wins weather-shortened GT World Challenge America Race 1

The opening race of the weekend for the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS at Road America delivered a healthy dose of drama as weather shaped the outcome in unpredictable ways. What began as a high-paced showdown quickly turned into a test of patience as two full course yellows and ultimately severe weather brought the contest to a premature close. After initially braving the elements, thunder and lightning forced officials to end the race under red flag conditions.

Regulator Racing took the overall and Pro-Am class honors, with Random Vandals Racing making excellent use of the limited green flag running to vault themselves into first in the Pro category.

Pro class

The Pro field wasted no time heating things up. Michai Stephens showcased strong pace and composure in the opening laps on board the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3, but Kenton Koch, at the wheel of the No. 99 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3, made it clear he wasn’t going to let Stephens escape. Koch hounded the rear bumper of the Mercedes-AMG, keeping the pressure high until the field was slowed by the first lengthy caution.

When the green flag waved again, Koch immediately went on the attack. With bold precision, he muscled past Stephens to snatch the class lead, setting off in pursuit of overall leader Philip Ellis. Meanwhile, Stephens’ challenge continued as Varun Choksey, in the sister No. 51 Random Vandals BMW, worked his way forward and executed a clean move for position. Further back, Alex Sedgwick’s charge in the No. 18 RS1 Porsche 992 GT3 R kept the battle for the final podium spot alive. At the conclusion of the weather-shortened race, Stephens held firm to take third place in class, while Koch slotted into second behind Ellis’ overall-leading effort.

Pro-Am class

Pro-Am action delivered a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Blake McDonald, piloting the No. 11 DXDT Corvette Z06 GT3.R, made his presence felt early, piling pressure on Todd Coleman in the No. 88 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3. McDonald made a determined pass to take over third in class, but moments later Coleman’s day unraveled in dramatic fashion. Attempting to avoid the Am-class Ford Mustang of Scott Dollahite, Coleman made contact with the barrier, bringing out the first full course yellow.

McDonald continued to push forward in pursuit of Justin Rothberg’s No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3. At the front, overall polesitter Philip Ellis set a blistering pace in the No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, building a cushion over the rest of the field.

The race, however, belonged to Mother Nature. Thunderstorms rolled into the area, forcing officials to throw the red flag. With conditions unsafe to resume, Ellis and co-driver Jeff Burton were declared overall and Pro-Am winners. Rothberg and Robby Foley secured second place in class after their spirited effort, while McDonald and Matt Bell claimed the final podium step for DXDT Racing.

However, due to the suspension of the race, car No. 9 was unable to serve the sporting penalty as defined by the regulations. According to Article 16.9, Should any penalty that cannot be imposed for any operation reason, the penalty may be converted to a time penalty which will be added to the overall elapsed time of the car concerned. Turner Motorsport was therefore handed post-race 5s time penalty, dropping the team to seventh in class and promoting DXDT Racing to second place, and the No. 16 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 of Christian and Marcelo Hahn to third.

Am class

In Am, heartbreak came early as the No. 6 Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang GT3 of Scott Dollahite was eliminated in the opening 10 minutes following a collision. With their primary competitor sidelined, the No. 163 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 pairing of Jay Schreibman and Oswaldo Negri Jr. were left unchallenged at the head of the field. The duo maintained steady pace until the red flag brought the race to an end, notching a decisive and uncontested class victory.

RESULTS

The GT World Challenge America powered by AWS series will return for Race 2 on Sunday at 2:45pm local time. The race will air on RACER Network, with the rest of Sunday's SRO America action airing on the RACER+ App.