Mercedes Masterclass from Regulator Racing and JMF Motorsports in Race 2

If ever a race proved that timing is everything, it was this weekend’s GT World Challenge America powered by AWS Race 2 showdown. With non-stop action from the drop of the green flag, the Pro, Pro-Am, and Am classes saw relentless battles and a constant shuffle of positions.

A mid-race full course caution and the ensuing pit stop sequence dramatically altered the complexity of the race. From perfectly executed strategy calls to last-lap scraps for podium positions, the event served up a thrilling reminder that in this championship, nothing is settled until the final lap

In the end, it was Regulator Racing, JMF Motorsports, and Dollahite Racing who conquered COTA and claimed the final wins of the weekend.

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!” 

Am Class

Scott Dollahite, behind the wheel of the No. 6 Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang GT3, was handed a drive-through penalty for a start procedure violation in the opening laps. Undeterred, he charged back through the field, reeling in Jay Schreibman in the No. 163 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 to take over the class lead. Anthony Lazzaro ultimately brought the Ford Mustang GT3 across the line in first place in class, with Oswaldo Negri securing second.

“I am very fortunate,” stated Scott Dollahite. “Anthony did a great job. I can't say enough about the team. They were here until one o'clock in the morning fixing the car from yesterday. I can't ask for anything better.” 

“It's been a long time,” said Anthony Lazzaro. “Thank you to the Dollahite guys for giving me this opportunity. I raced for this man in 1998, he's put me in some really badass cars over the years! The crew did a great job getting the car back together.” 

Results are HERE