Noaker Clinches Title With Rain-Soaked COTA Race 2 Win

Photo: Wes Duenkel/Ford

Robert Noaker clinched the Mustang Challenge Dark Horse championship with a rain-soaked victory in Race 2 at Circuit of The Americas.

Noaker maintained his undefeated streak in points-paying races in another flag-to-flag run in his No. 13 Robert Noaker Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse R, finishing 9.765 seconds ahead of the No. 26 entry of Sam Paley.

It came amid a start behind the safety car and two full-course cautions for accidents in treacherous conditions.

The No. 91 RNR Mustang of Britt Casey Jr. made heavy contact with Turn 11 barriers on the first lap of green flag action, which was followed by a separate accident by Dark Horse Legends points leader Alex Bachoura in the No. 33 Spark Performance entry.

With all 16 Mustangs starting on wet-weather Michelin tires, racing action resumed with 31 minutes to go but went under a second yellow after Joseph Dederichs’ RNR entry went straight into the Turn 12 barriers.

It set up a 12-minute shootout to the finish, which saw Noaker build his lead over fellow Ford Racing Junior Team driver Paley for the win.

Devin Anderson, who was one of three drivers to start from the pit lane due to delays in changing to rain tires, completed the DH podium after a late-race charge.

Anderson got around the No. 18 McCumbee McAleer Racing Mustang of Marcos Vento, who took the final restart in third.

Vento faded to a sixth place finish, behind the No. 7 RNR entry of Sandy Satullo and the No. 34 Paley Motorsport entry of Will Lucas, who made a last-lap pass on the MMR driver.

An incident involving Vento and Lucas, however, is under investigation per race control.

Zachry Lee, meanwhile, picked up Dark Horse Legends race honors after late-race drama for the second-placed No. 15 TechSport entry of Alfonso Diaz, who spun into the Turn 19 barriers while battling for the class lead with less than seven minutes to go.

Lee, in the No. 48 MMR Mustang, and Diaz were in a hard-fought battle for the win prior to Diaz’s incident, which forced the TechSport entry into the pits with wheel damage.

Competition Motors’ Tom Tait finished second in class, with newlywed Paolo Salvatore completing the class podium.

With Bachoura retiring early in the race, he and Race 2 class winner Lee will head into next month’s season finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval tied for the DHL points lead.

Source: Sports Car 365