Jason Daskalos won Race 1 of the GT America powered by AWS at Sonoma Raceway, for his second win of the season. His vintage first-generation #27 Audi R8 LMS Ultra withstood constant pressure from the likes of Jason Harward in the #88 Zelus Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 and George Kurtz in the #04 CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3, in what was an eventful race that began under the Safety Car on a wet track, and finished with sunny skies and a dry track.
After a lengthy Safety Car caused by Sean Whalen’s #888 Zelus Motorsports Vantage GT4 uncharacteristically skidding to the left and crashing into the tyre barriers (Whalen was uninjured), Daskalos was ahead of Harward in second and Kurtz in third with just five minutes left. Kurtz was able to grab second place from Harward on the penultimate lap, but couldn’t make the pass for the lead.
The leading SRO3 class trio were covered by just 0.576 seconds over the line, with Daskalos edging out Kurtz by 0.152 seconds.
Mirko Shultis was fourth in his #70 MISHUMotors Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R, ahead of Jeff Burton in the #191 Zelus Lamborghini, who was one of three drivers that either spun off or stopped during the formation lap, but recovered to finish fifth. Kyle Washington (#032 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R) was sixth, and Justin Wetherill (#37 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3) completed the SRO3 running order in seventh.
In the GT4 class, the #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 of Ross Chouest spent half the race tying to get past Robb Holland’s #99 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, but he was able to make the move at turn eight before the halfway mark of the 40 minute sprint race to take the lead.
Povoledo was able to break away, but as conditions improved, second-generation driver Hunter McKenna in the #30 Wright Motorsports Cayman launched an all-out volley for the lead on track.
But after the race, both the provisional winner and runner-up Povoledo were given post-race time penalties for a jump start violation, taking them down from first and second to fifth and sixth in the official results!
Steve Dinan in the #930 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Audi R8 LMS GT4, who originally finished third on the road, was therefore promoted to winner of the GT4 class.
The official margin of victory was 8.675 seconds to the #69 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra of Todd Coleman, who was promoted to second, and team mate Jose DaSilva in the #67 GR Supra completed the new podium.
Gray Newell (#25 Heart of Racing Vantage) moved up to fourth, cleared of any wrongdoing for his collision with the #2 GMG Racing Vantage of Jason Bell earlier in the race, ahead of Povoledo, McKenna, and then Holland, who was also given a penalty for a yellow flag infringement and moved down to seventh.
Behind them, Elias Sabo in the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Vantage recovered from a spin to finish eighth in class, with Chris Cagnazzi (#39 Cameron Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4) and Adam Adelson (#120 Premier Racing Cayman) in tenth and Mirko Radisic (#22 SRQ Motorsports BMW M4 GT4) 11th after having an issue on the formation lap.
Image © Brian Cleary, Fabian Lagunas / SRO
