IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge: VIRginia International Raceway Recap
The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge kicked off its three-race event at VIRginia International Raceway with a thrilling opening race, marked by a 45-minute caution-free contest across three classes. Well-established competitors once again claimed top honors, showcasing their form in an action-packed weekend.
Race Highlights:
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Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3): Valentino Catalano secured a dominant victory, his fifth win in eight rounds this season. Starting from pole position in the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, Catalano raced unchallenged, finishing 21.115 seconds ahead of teammate Alexzander Kristiansson, who was making his series debut.
Catalano commented on his performance: "This track is amazing… It’s so different compared to Europe… just an amazing experience here in Virginia."
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Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX): Jake Walker continued his successful streak, also clinching his fifth victory in the last six races. Piloting the No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3, he took the win by 7.531 seconds over championship leader Adam Adelson in the No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Walker stated, "We had a really good start… We’re making progress in the championship. We just need to keep our head down."
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Grand Sport X (GSX): Steven Clemons earned his second victory of the season driving the No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, marking his first win since June. After a fierce battle for the lead, which included overtaking Kiko Porto, Clemons built a winning margin of 4.998 seconds.
"I was able to let them show their cards… if I could get on the inside, I figured that was the lane with rubber," Clemons noted after the race.
Porto, who initially led the race, faced tire pressure issues mid-race: "I started a second and a half slower… It’s better to bring points home than put everything in the walls," he reflected on the challenges he encountered.
Bronze Cup Winners:
The Bronze Cup winners in each class finished third: Brian Thienes (P3), Samantha Tan (GTDX), and Ian Porter (GSX) all had clean races.
The next race is scheduled for Saturday at 12:25 p.m. ET, streaming on Peacock, IMSA.TV, and IMSA’s official YouTube channel.
