The driver Tom Dillmann sealed a story of redemption at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Sunday, delivering the Inter Europol Competition team a resounding victory in the Chevrolet Grand Prix, just a year after suffering a serious step back on the track that resulted in a fractured spine.
This was the first Canadian race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and consisted of a competition lasting two hours and 40 minutes in which the LMP2 class was the highlight.
The Inter Europol team’s weekend started strong on Saturday when Bronze-grade driver Jeremy Clarke set a new LMP2 lap record, breaking a seven-year mark to achieve pole position aboard the #43 ORECA 07 Gibson.
Clarke maintained his pace during the first section of the race, leading the first 34 laps cleanly, skillfully managing traffic and fuel targets. Dillmann, in turn, entered the track aiming to consolidate his lead once he took over.
During the race, two brief interruptions for safety car altered the team’s initial strategy, causing them to momentarily lose the lead to drivers who opted for an alternative pit cycle. Nevertheless, Dillmann showed great speed and managed to regain the lead with a clean pass on Alex Quinn.
The final hour of the competition passed without further interruptions. With a full adrenaline rush, the top three finishers, Dillmann, Quinn, and Dane Cameron’s #99 AO Racing, had to make urgent fuel stops at the end of the race.
Despite this situation, the efficiency of the Inter Europol team in their last stop meant Dillmann crossed the finish line with a comfortable advantage of 9.796 seconds over Quinn, completing a dominant performance in which the #43 led 93 of the 127 laps contested.
This victory adds to a remarkable 2026 campaign for the Inter Europol organization, which has already achieved success in various competitions, including wins in the Asian Le Mans, the European Le Mans, and the FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as a victory in the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
Moreover, this triumph contrasts with what happened in 2025 when a mechanical failure caused the throttle to open fully while he was in the lead, resulting in a high-speed crash that led to Dillmann fracturing two vertebrae.
Despite everything, Dillmann assured that his mindset was the same before the race, and now, with the victory in hand, he describes his experience as a ‘story to remember’.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
