Multiple Sprint Challenge Drivers Double Up at Road America
Photo: Porsche
Road America produced a wave of dominant performances across Sprint Challenge North America, with Danny Dyszelski, Mark Boden, Anna Cecchi and William Peluchiwski each sweeping their classes as championship battles continued to take shape ahead of the season finale.
Road America and its 4.048 miles of twists and turns played host to the penultimate Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama event of the year, alongside sister series Sprint Challenge USA West and the third of four rounds for Endurance Challenge North America.
Dyszelski, Boden Both Sweep GT3 Cup Competition
After joining the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America GT3 Cup field two events ago, Danny Dyszelski (Topp Racing) quickly emerged as a challenger to Pro-Am championship leader Karel Staut (Kellymoss). At Road America, Dyszelski finally turned that pace into results, sweeping both races after finishing second to Staut three times across the previous four contests.
Staut still finished on the podium in both races, taking second on Friday and third on Saturday to maintain a sizeable championship advantage. Through 6 rounds, only once this season has the Belgian driver finished outside the top three.
Meanwhile, Porsche Junior Program driver Riley Giacomazzi (Competition Motorsports) matched his best performance of the season in Race 2, passing Staut on the penultimate lap for second place. The young driver also completed the podium in Race 1 with a third-place finish.
In the GT3 Cup Masters class, Road America may prove to be a turning point for Mark Boden (Fall-Line Motorsports) and his championship efforts. Boden entered the weekend holding a slim nine-point advantage over Alain Scalzo (Scalzo Autosport), but departed Wisconsin with a pair of victories and additional breathing room heading into the final two races of the year.
Four different drivers occupied the remaining podium positions across the weekend. Keith McGovern (Kellymoss) and Todd Treffert (CRP Racing) finished second and third, respectively, in Race 1 after several competitors ahead ran off course and out of contention.
In Race 2, Scalzo rebounded from a difficult Friday to finish second and collect valuable championship points, while Matt Smith (ACI Motorsports) secured a podium finish on the final lap.
Cecchi, Peluchiwski keep action in rearview en route to double Cayman victories.
Anna Cecchi and William Peluchiwski left little doubt in the Cayman categories, each sweeping the weekend in Pro-Am and Masters competition, respectively.
Both drivers led flag-to-flag in each race at the fan-favorite Wisconsin circuit, extending impressive runs of form heading into the season finale. For Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program driver Cecchi (CHR), the victories marked three consecutive wins, while Peluchiwski (Kellymoss) added a third victory in four races.
Cecchi kept the Grant brothers (Grant Motorsports) behind her at the start of Friday’s race. While David Grant faded backward early, Keith Grant secured second place ahead of Cody Knight (TOPP Racing) in third.
Keith Grant appeared headed for another runner-up result on Saturday before being called to pit lane during a late restart. David Grant inherited second place, while Todd Ruttura (HM Road Racing) held onto third despite late pressure from Griff Asplundh. A post-race penalty ultimately kept Asplundh fourth in the final results.
With two more victories, Cecchi’s narrow championship lead over Keith Grant expanded to 14 points entering the final event of the season.
Peluchiwski also gained ground in the Cayman Masters title fight. Entering Road America 11 points behind championship leader Greg Cecchi, the Kellymoss driver capitalized on a near-perfect weekend to close the gap.
Greg Cecchi (CHR) finished third behind Tom Rogers (Tatum Racing) in Race 1 before being caught up in an incident on Saturday. Rogers added another runner-up finish in Race 2, while Brent Asplundh (Kellymoss) completed the podium.
Greg Herback (ACI Motorsports) initially appeared headed for third after a last-lap pass on Dominique Lequeux (Goldcrest Motorsports), but a post-race penalty reshuffled the order. Lequeux then spun in the final corners, elevating Asplundh onto the podium.
From Road America to Road Atlanta, the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama season will conclude in Braselton, Ga. Round 7, scheduled for Sept. 11-13 brings the 13th and 14th races of the year that began the first week of March and has taken the series from coast-to-coast.
RESULTS: Race 1 GT3 Cup/Race 2 GT3 Cup
RESULTS: Race 1 Cayman/Race 2 Cayman
Photo: Porsche
Hankins, Pratt split Sprint Challenge USA West wins in Dual
The Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama season begins to wind down, but the competition is not letting up.
Road America hosted the penultimate event for four classes – two featuring the Porsche GT3 Cup (Type 992.1) and two featuring the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. The series welcomed additional drivers between the two races, as numerous entries were onsite for the joint weekend with Porsche Sprint & Endurance Challenge North America by Yokohama.
GT3 Cup leader Hankins Endures Challenge from Pratt for Win, Runner-up Finish
Brannan Hankins has all but secured the GT3 Cup Pro-Am championship with two races remaining in the season, but the Loftus Motorsports driver could not fully capitalize his point opportunities after a weekend-long challenge from Alex Pratt.
Pratt (ACI Motorsports) started both GT3 Cup races from the pole position, but succumbed early to Hankins in Race 1. It would be Hankins’ eighth win of the year, further extending his title advantage over Marc Crigler in second place, who forwent the rounds this weekend.
Yet Pratt learned from his missteps and built a strong gap at the start of Race 2, earning the win and keeping Hankins in second at the checkered flag by more than 13 seconds. Pratt previously joined the field at Circuit of The Americas in May, so is therefore not in championship contention.
The GT3 Cup Masters class wins were also split between Laura Ely on Saturday and Matt Smith on Sunday. Ely (Black Sheep Racing) was in a similar position to Hankins, where her championship lead ballooned following second-place Manuel Gil Del Real not traveling to Road America.
Despite her Race 1 win, Ely gave way to Smith (ACI Motorsports) in Race 2, the latter of whom joined the class after previous runs this year in Porsche Sprint & Endurance Challenge North America. Henry Marshall (HM Road Racing) completed the class podiums both days.
Bradford, Herback Lead the Way in Cayman Competition
While the GT3 Cup victories were up for grabs, the fight for 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport success clearly laid with Zach Bradford in the Pro-Am field and Greg Herback in the Masters field.
Following his fifth and six wins of the season, Bradford (ZRB Motorsports) is all-but the decided class champion prior to the final two races of the season. However in the Masters class, Herback’s double victory inches him closer to title frontrunner Justin Lewis (Lewis Racing).
Lewis captured two runner-up finishes at Road America to manage his gap over Herback, but the season-long battle between the two will come down to the final races of the year.
The pair were joined by series newcomer John Mollenkopf (Loftus Motorsports), who finished third in both rounds and showed improvement over the weekend in Wisconsin while learning the Cayman race car.
In fitting fashion, Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West will conclude its season in California over Labor Day weekend, visiting Laguna Seca for the first time in 2026.
Drivers will take on the historic track – and world renowned Corkscrew Turn – alongside the IndyCar Monterey Grand Prix for the final two races that will determine this year’s championship winners.
Source: Sports Car 365