Ellis, Ward Win at Watkins Glen After Late CarBahn Drama

Photo: Winward Racing

Philip Ellis and Bryce Ward grabbed Winward Racing’s first Michelin Pilot Challenge win since 2023 after a left rear puncture struck the leading No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO with 18 minutes to go in Saturday’s LP Building Solutions 120 At The Glen.

Ellis survived a late race restart with five minutes to go after Caleb Bacon stopped his No. 21 Victor Gonzalez Racing CUPRA Leon VZ TCR on-track with 12 minutes to go.

The race ended under caution after a piece of curb broke loose in the inner loop brought out another yellow.

It marked Ward’s third Pilot Challenge win and his first since Indianapolis in 2023. Ellis, meanwhile, was subbing in for Daan Arrow who is competing this weekend at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

The CarBahn BMW of Jeff Westphal led from the first round of pit stops after pulling off the overcut from second. Hannah Grisham put her Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo on pole with the GS track record on Friday, but the car fell back to finish sixth.

Ellis charged in the second stint to close the gap to Westphal, but Winward’s final pit stop was six seconds longer than CarBahn’s. The No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT4 inherited the lead after Westphal’s puncture.

Nate Cicero and Robert Noaker finished second for McCumbee McAleer Racing, while the No. 60 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 of Evan Slater and Mike Skeen completed the GS podium.

Dillon Machavern and Luca Mars in the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW clawed up into the top four on the final restart after starting in 15th. But the GS points leaders were one of numerous entries caught out by punctures, likely from the Bus Stop curbing.

The No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Honda Civic FL5 TCR of Rocco Pasquarella and Tim Lewis secured the win in TCR. Lewis took the class lead from the No. 89 HART Honda Civic of Chad Gilsinger with 32 minutes remaining.

Mechanical problems retired the pole-sitting No. 93 MMG entry of LP Montour 15 minutes in. Tyler Chambers inherited the lead in the No. 89 Honda, but Gilsinger had to conserve fuel in the final stint and relinquished the lead.

Celso Neto charged to the front with 20 minutes left in the No. 77 Stallion Motorsports with GOU CUPRA, but also had to manage his fuel near the end. His car finished eighth following the chaotic finish.

Eduardo and Eddie Gou rallied from a seventh-place start to finish second in class.

Bryson Morris and Mason Filippi extended their class points lead with a third-place result in the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR.

RESULTS: LP Building Solutions At The Glen 120

Source: Sports Car 365