- Audi Captures SRO3
- Toyota Delivers Again in GT4
- Provisional Results Race 1
Both GT America powered by AWS classes featured early-race passes and late-race drama, but both dominant race leaders secured their victories at Sebring International Raceway. The returning Memo Gidley made it back to victory lane in SRO3, with Anthony McIntosh’s weekend of form in GT4 continuing for the class win there.
SRO3 Class
The class complexion changed from Qualifying to Race 1 with practice pacesetter and fastest qualifier Blake McDonald withdrawing after qualifying to focus primarily on his GT World Challenge powered by AWS commitments. That promoted Justin Rothberg, in his No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO to pole ahead of Memo Gidley commanding the No. 56 SKI Autosports Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVOII for the start of the race.
Gidley started strongly with an outside-inside, over-under move from the exit of Sebring’s sweeping and fast left-hand Turn 1, and took the lead moments later and quickly started building a very important gap. Indeed, race officials assessed a five-second post-race time penalty for improper pre-race procedures, this gap was about to be crucial in the last minutes of the race.
The call to push unleashed Gidley to another level for the remainder of the 40-minute race, as he methodically but efficiently extended the gap past the five-second threshold to ensure he had enough time in hand to offset the penalty and keep a win on the road. Such was his focus that at one point, the race broadcast reported that Gidley politely told his crew to be quiet on the radio.
The push worked and Gidley won by 5.364 seconds on the road, which became a margin of victory of just 0.364 of a second once the time penalty was applied.
“We had a great start, and that was awesome. I went around the outside and the inside, and Justin was great to race with because he left me room,” Memo Gidley said. “About halfway through, I found out we had a five-second penalty. We had a couple of seconds lead at that point, so I knew we just had to keep pushing, and we barely made it. The gap was something like six-tenths of a second! The SKI Autosports guys did a fantastic job, and the car was incredible. It just feels amazing. This is a dream come true.”
Rothberg finished second, stopping the on-form efforts of Kyle Washington in his No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R. Washington has been a regular winner or second-place finisher in GT America powered by AWS competition this season, but he still set the fastest lap of the race at 2:02.863.
Mirco Schultis in his No. 70 MISHUMOTORS Callaway Corvette Z06R GT3 and Ross Chouest in his No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R completed the top five, with Chouest recovering despite a mid-race spin.
GT4 Class
Anthony McIntosh’s weekend of pace and performance continued in GT4 in his No. 69 JTR Motorsports Engineering Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO2, but he had to work for it slightly after a brief lead change from the start.
Michael Fitzpatrick in his No. 89 89x Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 got around McIntosh on the opening lap and held McIntosh at bay for several laps. But ultimately the Toyota driver got past and resumed the point, moving on to an eventual margin of victory of 2.249 seconds.
“Honestly, I’m from Wisconsin, so I’m really not used to this heat, it’s extra spicy for me,” Anthony McIntosh laughed. “We did Asian Le Mans, and that was pretty wild. Sitting in a car for two hours with no AC definitely prepared me for racing in Florida. So, by comparison, this actually feels pretty decent.”
Let’s Get Racing
The GT America powered by AWS will return to the track for Race 2 on Sunday morning, May 18th at 9:05 AM ET.
If you can’t make it to Sebring International Raceway, be sure to tune-in to SRO’s free live streams all weekend long on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports) and follow all the action through our social media channels and the event hashtag #GTSebring.