Catalano Leads The Way In First Two VIR Races

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge: VIRginia International Raceway Summary

The opening race of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway featured a competitive 45-minute contest across three classes with notable performances and a caution-free environment.

Race Highlights:

Prototype 3 (P3): Valentino Catalano claimed victory in the #30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, leading from pole to finish. Catalano opened a substantial gap, ultimately winning by 21.115 seconds over teammate Alexzander Kristiansson, who secured second in his series debut. "This track is one of my favorites… it’s just an amazing experience here in Virginia," said Catalano.
Grand Touring DX (GTDX): Jake Walker dominated the GTDX category, taking his fifth victory of the season in the #6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3. Walker finished 7.531 seconds ahead of the championship leader, Adam Adelson (#24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R). “We had a really good start… from there we just kept clicking off consistent laps,” Walker remarked.
Grand Sport X (GSX): Steven Clemons in the #76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 was the standout, claiming his second win of the season. After a mid-race battle, he successfully overtook Kiko Porto to secure a 4.998-second win. “I was able to just sit back and see where I could attack,” said Clemons regarding his race strategy.

Key Findings:

Each class featured a Bronze Cup winner: Brian Thienes (#77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320) in P3, Samantha Tan (#38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3) in GTDX, and Ian Porter (#68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) in GSX.

Race 2 Highlights:
Two race winners repeated their successes: Catalano and Walker both captured their sixth wins of the season. Porto led GSX from pole to finish, threading through challenges from Clemons to win by 2.299 seconds, acknowledging the improvements made by his RAFA Racing team post-Friday’s race.

Data Overview: