Sandy Mitchell and Andrea Caldarelli have clinched victory for Pfaff Motorsports at the Michelin GT Challenge held at Virginia International Raceway. Mitchell, who took over for the final stint from the pole position achieved by Caldarelli, crossed the finish line with a margin of 1.517 seconds on a natural track of 3.27 miles and 18 corners.
This is the second consecutive victory for Caldarelli and his team. Ford Racing took second place with Ben Barker and Dennis Olson, while their teammates, Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch, finished in third position.
In the GTD Pro category, competition has intensified, as Paul Miller Racing drivers Neil Verhagen and Connor De Phillippi maintain a narrow lead of just 23 points over the Corvette Racing duo of Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner. Meanwhile, Caldarelli and Mitchell are 56 points behind the leaders.
Competition in the GTD class had a dramatic finish. Tom Gamble from Heart of Racing and Philip Ellis from Winward Racing collided on the finishing straight, resulting in a drive-through penalty for Gamble, which benefited Ellis, who claimed victory. Second place went to Turner Motorsport with Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher finishing 6.413 seconds behind the winners.
Race Development
The race started with Caldarelli (Pfaff Motorsports) leading the field, quickly establishing an advantage. However, an incident involving Alexander Sims from Corvette Racing and Harry King from AO Racing resulted in a penalty that caused Sims to end up against the tire barriers.
After a pit stop, Caldarelli maintained control but had to make a strategic stop with less than two hours of racing. Notably, another incident affected Lorenzo Patrese from Conquest Racing, who received a penalty for a collision before the yellow flag, allowing Danny Formal (Wayne Taylor Racing) to lead the GTD class.
With one hour under control, Mitchell and Caldarelli made a driver change that put them back in a winning position. All this while, classified as leader, King managed his pit stops, sequencing the competition.
Tension and Final Penalties
As the race progressed, nerves overtook the participants. Tandy, at the wheel of the AO Racing Porsche, engaged in a risky maneuver that resulted in a collision penalty, this ruling changed the dynamics of the competition once again.
With just over 36 minutes of racing left, Mitchell dominated with a 4-second lead. Gamer, maintaining intense competition with Ellis, was penalized, giving Ellis the opportunity to take the lead in his class.
In the end, Mitchell and Caldarelli secured victory in GTD Pro, while Ellis emerged triumphant in the GTD category once Gamble served his penalty. The intensity of the race showcased the competitiveness of the IMSA and set the stage for exciting upcoming competitions.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
