Former Pirelli World Challenge GT champion Alvaro Parente scored a dominant victory today at Road America, his 12th in the series, and 50th for K-PAX Racing, in the first combined race of the weekend for the GT and GTA classes which included the GTS and GTSA GT4 runners.
Parente, the 2016 GT series champion, grabbed the lead on Lap 2 at the restart in the #9 Bentley Continental GT3 and was untouchable for the remaining 18 laps of the race, continuing his winning form from the last PWC GT race at CTMP in which he won Race 2.
“There’s a mix of emotions here,” said Parente. “It was really good to win here in the Bentley at a track that I really like. For the past two years I was here with a different car (McLaren) with not so good top speed. So, getting the win here is great. I’m also proud to be winning the 50th race for the guys at K-PAX Racing.
“The start was quite good. I was following the #31 Ferrari (Mancinelli) in turn one and then Hargrove had a good launch on the outside. He got by me there. I tried to get him back in turn two, but it wasn’t possible. Around the back after the next hairpin, #31 and Hargrove got together and that allowed me to get up to 2nd.
“On the restart, Mancinelli was sleeping or something and hesitated a little bit. I timed it just right and managed to get ahead of him there on the straight. The timing went well. I got the timing just right, and managed to get by him there. After that it was just trying to manage the pace.”
Parente finished 1.313 seconds in front of current GT Overall points leader Toni Vilander in the #61 R.Ferri Ferrari 488, and 2.3 seconds clear of GT Sprint points leader Scott Hargrove’s #96 Pfaff Motorsports/Castrol Porsche 911 GT3 R which completed the overal podium.
The Bentley victory was the third GT triumph in the last four years at the famed Road America road circuit after Chris Dyson in 2015 and Adderly Fong in 2017.
Off the podium, completing the top five in the overall order was the #31 TR3 Racing Ferrari of pole-sitter Daniel Mancinelli and Le Mans GTE Pro winner Michael Christensen, who finished just 4.3 seconds behind Parente in the #24 Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, coming home fifth.
In the GTA class, Martin Fuentes emerged victorious, steering his Squadra Corse Garage Italia Ferrari to eighth overall, but to the win in his class, after a thrilling tussle with the #19 TruSpeed Audi of Parker Chase.
During the race, the duo ran close, and traded places for the class lead three times in the closing laps of the race, Fuentes crossing the line first, with Chase settling for second. Third in GTA went to Anthony Imperato’s #91 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“The race was very complicated for me,” said Fuentes. “The yellow flag periods were not helping us to get out on a lead, and then (Chase’s) car is very good on torque and brakes. On the brakes, he was dive-bombing and, then in turn 5, he dove inside and I was wondering if I should just stay there. I just let him go and he flew off, so I just went over/under, and he did that four or five times. So, it’s great to be back up here in first place. This is the first time I’ve won here at Road America. Last time, we had an incident and just had to settle for points.”
And in the GTS and GTSA ranks for GT4 runners, Ian James finished up first in the #50 Team Panoz Racing Avezzano GT4. While James led the race from the green flag onwards, he was challenged by James Sofronas’ GMG Racing Audi R8 GT4, who caught up wth James and finished half a tenth behind. Third went to 18-year-old Harry Gottsacker in the #69 Racers Edge Motorsports SIN R1 GT4.
The result makred James’ third consecutive GTS win at Road America in the Team Panoz Racing sports car after winning both GTS main events in 2017 at the Wisconsin-based circuit.
“Like any driver, there’s always a lucky track or favorite track,” said James. “Fortunately, Road America is one of those tracks for me. The Panoz has always historically done well here. The basic architecture of the car suits the track layout. The race was going great but we kept having yellow flags, so every time I got a little bit of a gap, the yellow would come out and the field would be on my tail again. And then the #14 Audi (James Sofronas) was just flying at the end. Probably one more lap and he would have had me. All in all, it was a great race and great to have Panoz back in the Winner’s Circle.”
Klenin, driving the all-new #62 KPR McLaren 570S, battled James early in the GTS overall standings, but ended up finishing fourth, winning the GTSA class for the second time this season in the process.
James Clay crossed the line second in GTSA in the #83 Bimmerworld BMW M4 GT4 ahead of the #77 VOLT Racing Ford Mustang of Alan Brynjolfsson which completed the class podium.
“The qualifying today was the best I’ve ever done,” said Klenin. “I was pleasantly surprised. When you do everything correctly it all comes into place. My team guys did a stellar job setting up the car. It was a nice surprise. It’s great to win my second race of the year. Now, we are ready for Sunday’s event.”
Pirelli World Challenge GT and GTS action Sunday at Road America will get underway at 14:45 local time.
Photo courtesy of PWC
