WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Pfaff Lamborghini and Winward Mercedes Prevail at VIR

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Pfaff Lamborghini and Winward Mercedes Prevail at VIR

The Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway featured the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT-only showcase. The 2-hour and 40-minute contest tested tyre degradation and traffic management across both GTD PRO and GTD classes.

Event Overview

  • Event: Michelin GT Challenge at VIR
  • Track: VIRginia International Raceway (3.27-mile road course)
  • Series: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
  • Distance: 2 Hours 40 Minutes (84 Laps)

Class Winners

  • GTD PRO: #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3 - Andrea Caldarelli and Sandy Mitchell
  • GTD: #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 - Russell Ward and Philip Ellis

Highlights

  • Pfaff Controls GTD PRO: Andrea Caldarelli converted his pole position into an immediate lead before handing off to Sandy Mitchell. The #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3 led 69 of 84 laps to claim back-to-back victories following their win at Road America. Ford Racing filled out the class podium with the #64 and #65 Mustang GT3s finishing 2nd and 3rd.
  • Winward's Late Pass & Points Lead: Philip Ellis executed a dive pass on Tom Gamble into Turn 3 with seven minutes remaining to take the GTD class win for the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. The victory marks Winward's third straight GTD win, vaulting Ellis and Russell Ward into the GTD championship lead by 36 points.
  • Late-Race GTD Penalty: Following the pass for the lead, Heart of Racing's #27 Aston Martin attempted a counter-attack into Turn 4, resulting in contact and a subsequent drive-through penalty for incident responsibility. Turner Motorsport (#96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO) and Inception Racing (#70 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO) inherited 2nd and 3rd in GTD.