IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge: Lewis Claims First Victory at Mid-Ohio
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, May 20, 2023 — Corey Lewis stepped into the No. 36 RAFA Racing Ligier JS P320 as a substitute for the injured Matthew Dicken and delivered a stellar performance, clinching his first victory in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class during the first of two 45-minute races in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. Despite finishing second on track to Oscar Tunjo in the No. 31 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, Lewis was declared the winner following a post-race 10-second penalty assessed to Tunjo for a false start.
"It was a case of making our way through the day over the long run," Lewis commented. "Just grateful to be in the No. 36; this one goes out to Matt Dicken."
Valentino Catalano, who started from pole in the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, initially dominated, leading the first 19 laps before mechanical issues compromised his race. He eventually finished eighth overall and fourth in P3, behind Bronze Cup winner Brian Thienes from Forte Racing.
In the Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) category, Jake Walker executed a flawless race strategy, leading from pole with the No. 6 Turner BMW M4 GT3 for his third consecutive GTDX victory. He outpaced points leader AJ Muss in the No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 by 3.661 seconds.
“I tried to make the most out of creating a gap,” Walker said. “I can’t thank BMW and Turner enough for just a fantastic car again.”
Third place went to Adam Adelson in the No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, followed by Bronze Cup winner Vin Barletta in the No. 95 Turner BMW.
In Grand Sport X (GSX), Steven Clemons secured his inaugural win of the season in the No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, overcoming fast qualifier Kiko Porto, who had to start from the back due to a post-qualifying infraction. Porto made an impressive recovery, finishing just 1.124 seconds behind Clemons after battling through the field.
Clemons expressed satisfaction with his performance: “I was glad to run it home, flag-to-flag… The team set up a really good car.”
Porto reflected on his comeback: “It was definitely a blast coming from the back. I destroyed the tires.”
The second race of the weekend, the sixth of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season, is scheduled to start on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. ET. Coverage will be available on Peacock and IMSA’s official YouTube channel.
Results Summary:
P3 Class:
- Corey Lewis (RAFA Racing)
- Oscar Tunjo (Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports)
- Brian Thienes (Forte Racing)
GTDX Class:
- Jake Walker (Turner Motorsport)
- AJ Muss (Af Corse)
- Adam Adelson (Wright Motorsports)
GSX Class:
- Steven Clemons (BSI Racing)
- Kiko Porto (RAFA Racing)
- Ian Porter (RAFA Racing)
