In a race filled with twists and turns even before it began, the No. 7 Penske Porsche, helmed by Nasr and Campbell, emerged victorious. The action started with the No. 31 Action Express Cadillac, initially on pole position, being relegated to the back of the grid due to a morning warmup incident.
During the pace lap, another GTP faced difficulties as the No. 25 Team RLL BMW, driven by Connor De Phillippi, skidded off the track. The ensuing cleanup forced the race to commence behind the safety car.
When the race eventually started, Campbell masterfully retained the lead in his No. 7 Penske Porsche. Unfortunately, a full-course yellow was soon necessitated as De Phillippi’s attempt to recover ground ended in a collision with a concrete wall, a significant setback for the No. 25 team.
A subsequent incident saw the JDC Miller Porsche of Mike Rockenfeller nudging Philipp Eng of Team RLL BMW off track and into the dirt at Turn 5. The No. 24 BMW suffered additional troubles later, falling back due to a mechanical issue and losing several laps.
In the GTD category, the No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Alex Riberas led the Pro drivers, while Madison Snow in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW was at the front of the non-pro field.
Meanwhile, Russell Ward managed to recover after spinning his No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3, avoiding a full course yellow by limping back to the pits.
The initial phase of the race saw the No. 23 Aston Martin lose some ground during the first pit stop, with the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 of Daniel Juncadella and Jordan Taylor in the No. 3 Corvette Racing machine overtaking.
The lower prototype classes had a relatively peaceful race, with the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen F1 Flows ORECA and the No. 33 Sean Creech F1 Flow Ligier dominating in LMP2 and LMP3 respectively.
Returning to the GTP, Campbell entered the pit road with a little over 90 minutes left, switching with co-driver Nasr, who kept the car in the lead by over ten seconds.
Alexander Sims’ problematic day worsened as he spun his No. 31 Action Express Cadillac once more. In the GTD Pro category, Juncadella was the first leader to pit a second time, giving way to Jules Gounon.
The race lead saw a fierce contest between the No. 3 Corvette’s Antonio Garcia and the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston’s Ross Gunn. However, the Corvette team received a drive-through penalty for not adhering to minimum refueling time, effectively ending their battle.
In a thrilling moment, Josh Burdon in the championship-leading No. 74 LMP3 Riley Liger went off-course at high speed, but impressively managed to keep the car on track.
With 20 minutes remaining, Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura reduced Nasr’s lead to a mere five seconds, and managed to reduce it further to two seconds. However, his attempt to clinch the lead faltered, leaving the No. 7 Porsche to secure the win.
The No. 60 Meyer Shank Acura had to settle for second place, while the No. 10 Acura finished a distant third.
The No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen F1 Flows ORECA, with Ben Keating and Paul-Loup Chatin, triumphed in the LMP2 class. Despite a mid-race setback, the No. 74 Riley Liger driven by Burdon and Gar Robinson secured the win in the LMP3 category.
In GTD Pro, the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, with Gunn and Riberas, achieved consecutive victories. The non-pro GTD class saw the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW, with Snow and Bryan Sellers, extending their points lead with a win.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about IMSA Road America Race
Who won the IMSA Road America race?
The IMSA Road America race was won by the No. 7 Penske Porsche driven by Nasr and Campbell.
Which car was initially at pole position and why did it start from the back?
The No. 31 Action Express Cadillac was initially at the pole position. However, due to an incident during the morning warmup, it was forced to start from the back.
Who led the race in the GTD category?
In the GTD category, the No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Alex Riberas led the Pro drivers, and Madison Snow in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW led the non-pro drivers.
Who won in the LMP2 and LMP3 categories?
The No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen F1 Flows ORECA, driven by Ben Keating and Paul-Loup Chatin, won in the LMP2 category. The No. 74 Riley Liger, driven by Burdon and Gar Robinson, took the win in the LMP3 category.
Which team received a drive-through penalty, and why?
The No. 3 Corvette team received a drive-through penalty. The penalty was given because the team failed to adhere to the minimum refueling time during a pit stop.
More about IMSA Road America Race
- IMSA Official Site
- Penske Racing Official Site
- Road America Official Site
- PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Official Site
- Riley Motorsports Official Site
- Heart of Racing Team Official Site
- Paul Miller Racing Official Site
7 comments
heart of racing aston is on a roll! back to back wins, way to go guys!!
Corvette team must be gutted. Those penalties can really hurt!
gotta say the recovery from no.74 Riley Liger was something else. Thats racing at its finest!
What a drive from Nasr and Campbell, Total domination!
That race was something else… can’t wait for the next one. Gotta love motorsport!
can’t believe what happened to the no.31 Cadillac, so unlucky starting from the back 🙁
Woah! That race was intense! penske porsche really showing their worth!