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Photo: Perry Nelson/IMSA For IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competitors, particularly those with California ties, this year’s trip to Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will mean more. The series schedule will shift away from the West Coast, as a return to Lime Rock Park in September means Laguna Seca will drop off the Pilot Challenge calendar after this season. That adds extra incentive for those California drivers and teams to make this year’s race in Monterey memorable. There are 13 Californian drivers, all in GS, and three California-based teams among the 45 cars (31 in GS, 14 in TCR) on the entry list. One entry off to a strong start is the lone GS entry featuring two California residents on a California-based team, which features primarily California crew members. Sonoma, Calif.-based Stephen Cameron Racing’s No. 19 Ford Mustang GT4 of Palo Alto’s Sean Quinlan and San Francisco’s Gregory Liefooghe is keen to improve on some strong early-season results. The No. 19...

Source: Sports Car 365

Photo: Gruppe C Photography Mercedes-AMG driver Maro Engel is the early DTM championship leader after taking a win and a third place during the season-opening weekend at the Red Bull Ring. The Winward Racing driver had started the first contest from pole and proceeded to lead the first portion of the race, but a slow tire change at his pit stop proved costly and ultimately left him finishing third in the No. 80 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo racer Thomas Preining was able to capitalize on Engel’s misfortune to take the honors, helped by jumping into second spot at the first corner. The 2023 DTM champion was chased by Jules Gounon in the latter stages until his Winward Mercedes-AMG picked up rear damage and was forced into retirement. This promoted the Landgraf-run Mercedes-AMG of Lucas Auer to second and meant Austrian drivers finished 1-2 on their home turf. Behind Engel, Auer’s rookie team-mate Tom Kalender and the lead BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Marco Wittmann co...

Source: Sports Car 365

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO Wright Motorsports scored a surprise overall win for one of its Pro-Am class Porsche 911 GT3 R Evos in Sunday’s GT World Challenge America powered by AWS race at Circuit of The Americas following a pair of late-race penalties for the dominant JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver Ryan Yardley claimed victory in the No. 31 Porsche that he shared with Dave Musial Jr., with a third place overall, and second-in-class, for the sister No. 242 entry of Thomas Merrill and Therese Lahlough marking a 1-2 class finish for the Ohio-based squad. It came after the overall and Pro class pole-sitting No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG, which dominated the first three-fourths of the race, was handed two penalties in the final 40 minutes. Mikael Grenier, who was out front by nearly 25 seconds, first served a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility with the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo of ...

Photo: TGRNA Spike Kohlbecker held off Max Schweid for victory in the second Toyota GR Cup North America race of the weekend at Circuit of The Americas after Jeremy Fletcher was handed a total of 13 seconds of post-race time penalties for track limits violations. The Copeland Motorsports driver, who led every lap in Sunday’s race, crossed the line more than eight seconds ahead of Kohlbecker, although was demoted to third in the results. At the time of his first three-second penalty, Fletcher held a narrow 1.5 second lead, although an intense battle between Kohlbecker and the No. 2 RVA Graphics Motorsports by Speed Syndicate Toyota of Max Schweid for second stretched his lead. He appeared to be set to overcome the initial penalty to take the win, but race control handed Fletcher an additional ten second penalty for repeated track limits offenses. Schweid finished second, just 0.182 seconds behind the TechSport driver, who claimed his fourth win of the season and sees his champion...

Photo: Trevor Travis/TGRNA Westin Workman has claimed pole for this evening’s third annual Lone Star Enduro at Circuit of The Americas, in a qualifying session that ended early due to an accident by Jack Parriott. Workman, in the Pirelli GT4 America Silver class points-leading No. 68 RAFA Racing Team Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, reeled off a chart-topping 2:15.475 lap time prior to a red flag for Parriott’s accident in the Esses with eight minutes to go. The session did not restart, although Parriott climbed from his No. 73 Kellymoss Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport under his own power. The No. 39 Dome Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Allen Patten will line up alongside Workman on the front row, claiming Pro-Am class pole in the process. Chris Spada qualified third overall in the No. 812 RAFA Toyota, with Kris Wilson taking the No. 413 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 EVO to Am class pole honors in fourth overall. Loni Unser, meanwhile, will start fifth overall. The majority...