JMF Motorsports, DXDT Racing, and Dollahite Racing Victorious in Action-Packed Barber Race 2

The curtain came down on the UAB Medicine GT World Alabama benefiting Teal Wings of Hope weekend with a thrilling Race 2 for GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. The last race at Barber Motorsports Park delivered a dramatic showcase of speed, wheel to wheel fights, and last-lap fireworks as teams in the Pro, Pro-Am, and Am classes battled for crucial championship points in Alabama before focus shifts to Indianapolis.

Pro Class

JMF Motorsports stamped their authority on the Pro class with a commanding drive from the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 pairing of Mikaël Grenier and Michai Stephens. Grenier made an excellent start and quickly established a gap over Jan Heylen in the No. 18 RS1 Porsche 992 GT3 R. Behind them, Random Vandals Racing encountered early fuel issues. First Connor De Phillippi was forced to pit in the No. 99 BMW M4 GT3, followed by teammate Varun Choksey in the No. 51 entry. Both cars slipped down the order, though the No. 99 managed to rejoin in podium contention.

Grenier handed the car to Stephens with 50 minutes to go, RS1 responding shortly after with a driver swap to Alex Sedgwick. Once pit stops cycled through, Stephens stretched a commanding lead, crossing the finish line with a 28-second margin to secure JMF’s emphatic victory. Sedgwick brought RS1 home second, while Kenton Koch powered the recovering No. 99 Random Vandals BMW to third in class.

“I think we will have a good car in Indy,” said Mikaël Grenier following the victory. “We have a good crew and a good third driver that will join us as well. I think the team is ready. We’ve had a strong season so far, I think today was our best race overall. We started from the lead and Michai was super quick as well. I believe we're ready to bring the fight for the last race of the season in Indy.”

“It was a first time experience to have the privilege to be so far ahead,” added Michai Stephens. “Credit to this team and credit to the stint that Mik put up in the first go. 
It means a lot when you are up against such worthy competitors. We have a great deal of respect for everybody who's involved, but for myself, it was certainly a race against the inner me. I’m looking forward to what's coming in the future.” 

Pro-Am Class

The Pro-Am field produced the day’s most dramatic moments. Early on, Tom Sargent in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R fought hard with the Pro class’ Connor De Phillippi, as well as Aaron Telitz before handing off his machine to Kyle Washington. That’s when Blake McDonald began his charge in the No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

After carving his way up the order, McDonald seized the advantage with just under 30 minutes remaining, first passing Todd Coleman’s No. 88 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 for second place. From there, he continued to push, eventually closing down and overtaking leader Washington with eight minutes to go. Matt Bell and Blake McDonald delivered a brilliant drive, clawing through the field to take the Pro-Am class win for DXDT Racing.

Behind them, the action was relentless for the third spot on the podium. Philip Ellis charged the No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 into contention while Jason Daskalos in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes fought fiercely to keep him at bay. Rothberg and Coleman’s late clash added further drama, and on the final lap, Ellis tangled with Daskalos, capping off a chaotic end to a thrilling class battle. Although Ellis could have crossed the finish line ahead of Daskalos, the Regulator Racing Mercedes stopped to let Daskalos get back on track and claim the third place that had been his. 

“Myself and Blake put in a fantastic performance today,” expressed Matt Bell. “It was a brilliant drive from Blake, one of the best I've seen him do all season. He’s been growing all the way through the season and really getting to grips with Corvette, and we're both really clicking at the right part of the season. To finish it off this weekend with a win is a testament to the team and a never say never attitude.” 

Am Class

The Am class saw Dollahite Racing’s No. 6 Ford Mustang GT3 dominate the category. Eric Powell built a strong cushion in the opening stint before handing the reins to Scott Dollahite, who kept the car clear of trouble to seal the win. The No. 163 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 duo of Jay Schreibman and Oswaldo Negri Jr. finished second, rounding out the podium.

“This was definitely the goal,” exclaimed Scott Dollahite at the podium. “We have the best team on the planet to help us get this thing done, and now we get to go into Indy with the championship lead, which we're very proud of.”

“The highlight this weekend was definitely getting Scott back in the championship lead,” echoed Eric Powell. “I’m super happy to be a part of it. 
That was a fun race, and I got to make up a lot of positions at the start.”