IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta: Race Summary
Road Atlanta, GA—The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge concluded its final sprint race before transitioning to an endurance format in 2027, delivering an intense 45-minute race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Friday morning.
Race Highlights:
- Jules Caranta and Westin Workman each secured weekend sweeps, demonstrating impressive skill despite already having clinched their respective championships in the previous day’s races.
LMP3 Category:
Caranta, piloting the #18 Forbush Performance Duqueine D09, started from pole and faced formidable competition from seasoned champion Óscar Tunjo, who drove the #1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA Duqueine. After a late-race restart, Caranta extended his lead to finish 2.031 seconds ahead of Tunjo, with Danny Soufi rounding out the podium in third place with the #11 Pinaxis-Zone 4 Racing Duqueine.
Caranta reflected on his triumph, stating, “It was an amazing weekend. I’m super happy to win both races. I hope to come back more in the U.S. next season.” Tunjo acknowledged his team’s achievements, noting, “Two championships in a row for the team… we fought until the end for the win.”
The Bronze Cup battle in LMP3 concluded dramatically. Travis Hill (#2 Shopify Racing Ligier JS P325) led Brian Thienes (#77 Forte Racing Ligier) by just 30 points heading into the final minutes. A late caution altered their fates; Hill managed to secure a fourth-place finish and his seventh Bronze Cup win of the year, ensuring his title with a pivotal 60-point swing in positions.
Hill remarked, “I hoped for a bobble on the concrete… but Brian’s been a heck of a competitor all year. He ran it clean.” Thienes added, “I tried to push as hard as I could… but he did a great job.”
GSX Category:
Westin Workman continued his dominance in the GSX division, claiming his 11th victory of the season in the #8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, finishing 9.424 seconds ahead of Courtney Crone (#35 CarBahn Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 EVO). Workman noted the challenges of the cooler, misty conditions, remarking, “I set different goals for myself… it’s been a great season.”
Adding to the accolades, Angus Rogers captured the GSX Bronze Cup win in his #5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, marking a successful return to IMSA. “I had a great race today… it was fun to come back and finish with a win,” said Rogers.
Looking Ahead:
The new-look IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge will kick off its endurance format with a two-hour race at Sebring International Raceway from February 26-28, 2027.
Results:
-
LMP3:
- Jules Caranta (Forbush Performance Duqueine)
- Óscar Tunjo (Gebhardt Motorsport USA Duqueine)
- Danny Soufi (Pinaxis-Zone 4 Racing Duqueine)
-
GSX:
- Westin Workman (RAFA Racing Toyota)
- Courtney Crone (CarBahn Motorsports BMW)
- Angus Rogers (KMW Motorsports Porsche)
Conclusion
With the sprint format concluded, attention now turns to the upcoming endurance races, where teams will adapt to a new set of challenges in pursuit of the championship title.
