A post-race penalty given to Adam Adelson after GT America powered by AWS Race 2 at Sonoma Raceway gave Anthony Bartone his first SRO3 class victory on Sunday.
Adelson in the #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.2) led the race from pole position until a late Safety Car intervention neutralised the final six minutes of Sunday’s 40-minute race. He took the chequered flag on the road, but his Porsche failed post-race technical inspection and he was demoted to last place of all 20 runners.
Just before the Safety Car came out, Bartone – who started fifth – made a lunge up the inside of the #04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 of George Kurtz for second position. There was some debate over whether or not Bartone had made his move before the yellow flag was displayed, and indeed, Race Control did ask for the #427 RealTime Racing Mercedes of Bartone to drop behind Kurtz.
After further review, however, Bartone was able to reassume his position ahead of Kurtz at the chequered flag: His pass for position was valid, and it would become the winning manoeuvre after Adelson’s effective disqualification.
2022 series champion Kurtz would be promoted to second in the SRO3 class, and Race 1 winner Memo Gidley would inherit third in his #101 TKO Motorsports Mercedes, followed by Jason Daskalos’ #27 CRP Racing Mercedes in fourth. Fifth-place Kyle Washington in the #32 GMG Racing Porsche 991.2 had the highest-finishing car that wasn’t a Mercedes-AMG.
Through four races, Gidley leads the SRO3 drivers’ standings by 19 points over Daskalos, and Bartone’s victory moves him to third place.
A surprise winner emerged in the GT4 class, as stunt driver Jon Branam took victory in his #77 TR3 Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4.
Early on, polesitter Robb Holland was hit by second-place Todd Coleman, who couldn’t keep his #69 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin under control in the braking zone at the hairpin turn 11. The lateral contact gave Holland’s #099 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport a puncture on his left-rear tyre, and Coleman was later given a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact.
As Coleman served his penalty, Branam had overtaken Jason Bell’s #2 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin for the lead of the race, with Bell’s team-mate Elias Sabo in third in the #8 Aston Martin. With six minutes to go, Bell spun out exiting turn six and crashed into the barriers, causing the Safety Car intervention which secured Branam’s maiden GT4 class win.
Despite Bell’s accident, Aston Martin still locked out the top five in GT4 – with Sabo second, defending series champion Ross Chouest third, the #008 TRG Aston Martin of Tim Savage in fourth, and Gray Newell in fifth.
Bell will also maintain his lead in the GT4 championship table, but is only four points ahead of Chouest, and five points ahead of Newell.
Images © Brian Cleary / SRO Motorsports America
