2022
News
10/9/22 - RS1, Chouest Povoledo, and Auto Technic Racing Score the Final Wins of the Year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with RS1, Nolasport, and BimmerWorld Taking the Championships
10/9/22 - RS1 Wins Race 2 as Noble, Hart Claim Pro-Am Championship
10/9/22 - Eric Filguerias, Stevan McAleer Score 11th Win in Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Season Finale
10/8/22 - Flying Lizard, RS1, and Carrus Callas Win Race 1 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
10/7/22 - RS1, Heart of Racing and Conquest Racing Ready For the Final Showdown in Pirelli GT4 America Qualifying
10/7/22 - McAleer, Telitz Claim GT4 Poles at Indianapolis
10/2/22 - Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Teams Deliver IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Manufacturer Championship to Mercedes-AMG at Season-Ending Race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
9/25/22 - Stevan McAleer, Eric Filguerias Destroy Field in Sebring Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race No. 2
9/24/22 - Double Sebring Pole For Filgueiras & McAleer
8/24/22 - IMSA’s Man Of Many Talents, McAleer Loves The Pace
8/21/22 - RS1 Cruises To Race 1 Victory, Premier Racing Takes Dramatic Pro-Am Class Win
8/20/22 - Dramatic End in Race 1 at Road America; RS1 Wins in Silver, Premier Racing First in Pro-Am and Maiden Win for KRUGSPEED
8/20/22 - RS1 Continues GT4 Qualifying Mastery At Road America
8/19/22 - Telitz Quickest Overall in the Second Practice Session at Road America; McAleer and Borcheller first in Pro-Am and Am classes
7/25/22 - RS1, Filgueiras & McAleer Sweep Watkins Glen Weekend
7/24/22 - RS1 Porsche Dominates Silver Class from start to finish for sixth win of the season
7/24/22 - RS1 Porsche delivers yet another dominant performance at the Glen
7/24/22 - Eric Filguerias, Stevan McAleer Claim 7th Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Win of 2022
7/23/22 - Stevan McAleer, Eric Filguerias Remain Tough Out, Win Watkins Glen GT4 America Race No. 1
7/22/22 - McAleer Puts RS1 Porsche On Top In GT4 America Practice
7/22/22 - McAleer Lays Down the Fastest Lap Time in Silver, Telitz Sets the Pace in Pro-Am and Clay Quickest in Am
7/17/22 - Korthoff Motorsports and Driver Stevan McAleer Build IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTD Championship Lead with Fourth-Place Finish
6/26/22 - IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) Championship Leaders Team Korthoff Motorsports and Stevan McAleer Secure First Career Pole Saturday in Qualifying for Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen
6/23/22 - McAleer Paces Opening Watkins Glen Practice
6/19/22 - Eric Filguerias, Stevan McAleer Claim 5th Straight GT4 America Win
6/18/22 - RS1 Remains Perfect Amidst Carnage-Filled Race 1 At VIR
6/17/22 - McAleer Charges Ahead in Silver, Davis Tops Pro-Am, Borcheller Sits Atop Am in Pirelli GT4 America Practice 1 at VIR
6/5/22 - Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Team Extends IMSA WeatherTech GTD Points Lead Across Two Championships with Fifth-Place Finish at the Detroit Grand Prix Saturday
5/22/22 - RS1 Maintains Winning Streak with Sweep of Pirelli GT4 America Podium at NOLA
5/21/22 - Stevan McAleer, Eric Filguerias Win Rain-Marred NOLA GT4 Race No. 1
5/21/22 - McAleer Leads in Silver, Skeer Takes Top of Pro-Am and Borcheller Grabs Lead in Am
5/20/22 - McAleer Charges Ahead in Silver, Pro-Am Sees Tight Times in Pirelli GT4 America at NOLA
5/13/22 - Strong Field Set for Pirelli GT4 America Debut at NOLA Motorsports Park
4/26/22- If the Shoe Fits: A Cinderella Story Is Developing in GTD
4/26/22 - Meet the small IMSA GTD team with a big target on its back
4/17/22 - RS1 and BSport Complete Sweeps in Sonoma Weekend GT4 Action
4/16/22 - RS1, Porsche Earn Race 1 Win with Filgueiras and McAleer
1/29/22 - McAleer Grabs MPC Daytona Win
1/29/22 - McAleer Gives Porsche the Win; IMSA Michelin Challenge Pilot Results From Daytona
1/12/22 - Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports & Stevan McAleer Pair Up for 2022 GTD Season
1/6/22 - JDC MotorSports to field Robillard Racing # 43 entry in IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship in 2022
RS1, Chouest Povoledo, and Auto Technic Racing Score the Final Wins of the Year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with RS1, Nolasport, and BimmerWorld Taking the Championships
10/9/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Indianapolis, Indiana - Drama was served cold and often in Race 2 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the Pirelli GT4 America field took to the track for its final race of the 2022 season. While the Silver championship was decided for RS1 on Friday, and Am was claimed by BimmerWorld at Sebring, the Pro-Am championship was still brutally close between Nolasport and Premier Racing. However, after a two-driver sprint race-turned-war of attrition—mainly caused by repeated drama in Turn 1—it would be Nolasport who’d survive flying BMWs, Aston Martins, Porsche, and Toyotas and make it across the finish line—Premier Racing wasn’t so lucky.
After massive drama in Turn 1, Lap 1, Eric Filgueiras (#18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) jumped ahead with season-long rival Gavin Sanders (#34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) not too far behind. It would only be a short matter of time before the two were in a fantastic scrap.
After the driver change, McAleer took over for Filgueiras and never looked back. His spot was lightly contended by Michai Stephens (#34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) in the end, but otherwise he had a pretty clean run to the checkers.
Further down the running order, Ryan Dexter (#112 Dexter Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4) was handed a drive-through penalty for contact made with #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 (Ross Chouest/Aaron Povoledo) taking him out of fifth in class and clearing the way for Kevin Conway (#68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4) and Matt Forbush (#33 Forbush Performance Toyota GR Supra GT4) mixed in with some Am traffic.
Across the line it was McAleer, Stephens, and Conway. RS1 earned the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap by setting a 1:31.295.
“This is a massive deal for us,” McAleer said. “The chemistry between Eric and I from the get-go—we had a great opening round at Sonoma and never looked back. I think every team has some rocky races, which we did, but credit to the RS1 team and thanks for the opportunity.”
RS1 Wins Race 2 as Noble, Hart Claim Pro-Am Championship
10/9/22 (via Sportscar365.com)
RS1’s Stevan McAleer and Eric Filgueiras claimed overall victory in Sunday’s Pirelli GT4 America season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while the Nolasport duo of Jason Hart and Scott Noble emerged as the Pro-Am class champions.
McAleer took the already clinched Silver class championship-winning No. 18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport to a 0.251-second win over the No. 34 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Michai Stevens following a two-lap shootout after a late-race yellow and restart.
The Scot took over the lead following the round of pit stops, getting by the No. 51 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 of Austen Smith out the out lap with 26 minutes to go.
Smith, along with a half-dozen other cars, were forced to serve drive-through penalties for exceeding the minimum pit stop time, which shook up the running order in the 60-minute contest.
Ross Chouest capitalized on an incident between Tom Capizzi and James Walker Jr. to take the Pro-Am class win in his No. 50 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 alongside co-driver Aaron Povoledo.
Am honors in the race went to the No. 53 Auto Technic Racing BMW of Rob Walker and Alex Filsinger, which finished sixth overall.
The Pro-Am championship was essentially decided at the start after all three title contenders spun in a chaotic opening lap incident that ended in retirement for the No. 120 Premier Racing Porsche of Elliott Skeer.
Skeer and co-driver Adam Adelson entered the race four points behind Nolasport duo of Hart and Noble, who drove to a sixth place class finish.
It marked the second consecutive Pro-Am title for the team and Hart.
Eric Filguerias, Stevan McAleer Score 11th Win in Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Season Finale
10/9/22 (via Frontstretch.com)
Rennsport One’s Stevan McAleer was able to overtake AutoTechnic Racing’s Austen Smith with 29 minutes to go Sunday (Oct. 9).
That ultimately ended up being the pass that gave them the overall lead. From there, McAleer held on to win his and teammate Eric Filguerias‘ 11th Pirelli GT4 America SprintX race of the season at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“[This season] has been a massive deal for ourselves,” McAleer told SRO America’s Amanda Busick after the race. “The chemistry between Eric [Filguerias] and myself right from the get go [has been great]. We won the round at Sonoma and just never looked back.”
The start was a complete mess. SMOOGE Racing’s Aaron Telitz started on pole, but didn’t get a very good start. Everyone scattered, creating a three-wide situation in turn 1. Contact was made between Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Andy Lee and NOLAsport’s Jason Hart, resulting in Hart spinning into Telitz. Telitz then spun out and was hit by Premier Racing’s Elliott Skeer.
The crash ultimately swung the Pro-Am championship as Skeer and Adam Adelson were in position to win it. The team’s Porsche suffered damage in the crash that put them out at the end of the first lap. The team entered the race with a two-point lead over NOLAsport’s No. 47 Porsche of Hart and Scott Noble, but that ended their chances.
When the smoke cleared, Conquest Racing’s Gavin Sanders ended up with the overall lead with AutoTechnic Racing’s Zac Anderson in second. Filguerias was up to third, while John Capestro-Dubets drove all the way up to fourth in two laps after starting 17th. Anderson was eventually able to take the overall lead away from Sanders, while Capestro-Dubets was able to follow through into second.
Right before the pit window opened, contact resulted in KRUGSPEED’s Jaden Lander breaking his left front suspension and coming to a halt in the grass near turn 9. A full course caution at that time of the race would cause chaos, so the SRO America officials chose to not put it out.
Due to fear that the officials might change their minds, all the leaders chose to pit as soon as possible. Here, AutoTechnic Racing ran into problems. There is a minimum pit lane delta that must be adhered to during the stops. A one-second “joker” under the time minimum can be applied once per weekend.
The pit stop for the race leading No. 51 to switch from Anderson to Smith was approximately two seconds too fast. That’s a penalty.
However, before the penalty could be applied, McAleer was able to run down Smith and make the pass. Once the pit window was closed and everyone had stopped, that ended up being the pass for the overall lead.
After the pit window was complete, the safety car came out to retrieve Lander’s Supra. The race restarted with 13 minutes to go and McAleer ran off and hid. Behind McAleer, a three-wide run down to turn 1 resulted in Conquest Racing’s Michai Stephens moving up to second.
The chaos was not over, though. With nine minutes to go, Carrus Callas Raceteam’s Nick Shanny was hit by The Heart of Racing’s Gray Newell in turn 11 and spun into the SAFER Barrier on turn 2 of the oval. That crash resulted in the second safety car period.
On the final restart, McAleer was able to get away again. Meanwhile, AutoTechnic Racing’s Tom Capizzi went over the inside curb in turn 1 and clipped BimmerWorld Racing’s James Walker, spinning Walker out.
Stephens was able to get up to McAleer’s rear bumper on the final lap and tried to make things interesting. McAleer was able to hold off Stephens and take the win. Further back, Chouest-Povoledo Racing’s Ross Chouest was able to get up to second in the restart scramble and made his move at turn 7 to take the Pro-Am class lead from Capizzi. From there, Chouest was able to hold on to take the class win for himself and Aaron Povoledo. For Chouest, it is his second win of the day.
Filguerias and McAleer’s margin of victory was .251 seconds over Sanders and Stephens. Chouest and Povoledo were third, then Fast Track Racing’s Toby Grahovec and Tim Horrell. Capizzi and Capestro-Dubets rounded out the top five.
Flying Lizard, RS1, and Carrus Callas Win Race 1 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
10/8/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Indianapolis, Indiana - The Pirelli GT4 America field took to a chilly and windy Midwestern yard of bricks Saturday morning as the opening act to the noontime Indianapolis 8 Hour powered by AWS. Two minor yellow flags created two hectic and hard-fought restarts, with some massive changes in position, slick moves, and serious championship implications. RS1 clinched the championship in Silver, as BimmerWorld did in Am after Sebring, but the fight is still on in Pro-Am.
Stevan McAleer (#18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) got the jump when the green flag waved, though his top rival Michai Stephens (#34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) wasn’t far behind, leading to a bumper-to-bumper battle during the entire first stint.
After the baton was passed to RS1’s Eric Filgueiras and Conquest’s Gavin Sanders, Sanders got the jump out of pit lane and stole the lead. However, Filgueiras had all the momentum just a few corners later, passing Sanders. He held onto P1 in class for the remainder of the race.
Across the line it was Filgueiras, Sanders, and Zack Anderson (#51 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4). Anderson put on a strong showing himself, even after a minor incident between his co-driver Austen Smith and Tim Horrell (#10 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4) during the first stint.
“We’ve had such a strong season, “ Filgueiras said. “The times that we didn’t capitalize, it was a big disappointment. All the credit to the RS1 team, Community Beer Works for being on board, Stevan for being a fantastic friend and mentor to me all season long. We have one more race, but what an absolute relief with this championship.
Filgueiras & McAleer are the 2022 Silver Champions with Sanders and Stephens locked in second. The battle for third will be resolved tomorrow between the Smooge Racing duo of Conway and Geesbreght who have a ten point lead over the Auto Technic pairing of Smith and Anderson.
RS1, Heart of Racing and Conquest Racing Ready For the Final Showdown in Pirelli GT4 America Qualifying
10/7/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Indianapolis, Indiana - The Pirelli GT4 America paddock took to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to qualify for Race 1 scheduled at 9:15 AM on Saturday morning. The heat is on high in Pro-Am to see how the championship podium will fill out, with NOLASPORT, Premier Racing, and Flying Lizard Motorsport all vying for the top. The Am championship has already been clinched by BimmerWorld, but only once the checkered flies Sunday morning at noon will we find out who climbs the podium with them.
Race 1
In the Silver class, the #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (Stevan McAleer/Eric Filgueiras) will lead racers cross the start/finish line for McAleer’s 1:29.745, followed by the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Gavin Sanders/Michai Stephens after setting a 1:30.157. A 1:31.005 earned the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 of Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght the third spot just behind the #18 and #34.
Pro-Am will see the #24 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 (Gray Newell/Ian James) at the front after Newell laid down a 1:30.608, followed by #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 (Ross Chouest/Aaron Povoledo) thanks to a 1:30.866. Behind them will be the #120 Premier Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (Adam Adelson/Elliot Skeer) thanks to Adelson’s solid 1:31.064.
The #35 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 (Custodio Toledo/Paulo Carcasci) laid down a 1:31-flat, well ahead of the rest of the Am pack. Up next, the #36 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 (Charlie Postins/James Clay) have already clinched the championship, but their 1:31.564 earned the Am put them in P2 nonetheless. Right behind them will be the #38 STR38 Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 (Ramana Lagemann/Robert Mau) after Lagemann’s 1:31.711.
Race 2
At the top of the Silver running order shall be the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 (Michai Stephens/Gavin Sanders) after laying down a 1:30.217, followed closely by the #33 Forbush Performance Toyota GR Supra GT4 (Matt Forbush/Caleb Bacon) after setting a 1:30.220. Right behind them will sit the #51 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 (Austen Smith/Zack Anderson) after laying down a 1:30.228.
Next up in Pro-Am, the #47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (Scott Noble/Jason Hart) put down a sub-1:30 of 1:29.926 to take P1 in class, followed by the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 (Elias Sabo/Andy Lee) after setting a 1:29.968. Completing the top three is the #120 Premier Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (Adam Adelson/Elliot Skeer) who set a 1:30.037.
Am will see the #20 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota GR Supra GT4 of Nick Shanny and Terry Borcheller at the front after laying down a 1:30.379, and to their right will be Custodio Toledo and Paulo Carcasci in the #35 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 after Carcasci set a 1:30.534. The #19 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (Alain Stad/Kris Wilson) sits right behind after Wilson’s 1:30.565.
McAleer, Telitz Claim GT4 Poles at Indianapolis
10/7/22 (via Sportscar365.com)
Stevan McAleer and Aaron Telitz have claimed poles for this weekend’s season-ending Pirelli GT4 America races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
McAleer, in the No. 18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, reeled off a best lap of 1:29.745 to edge out fellow Silver class competitor Michai Stephens in the No. 34 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 by 0.412 seconds.
With a comfortable points lead heading into the event, McAleer and co-driver Eric Filgueiras can wrap up the class title in the first 60-minute race of the weekend.
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Teams Deliver IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Manufacturer Championship to Mercedes-AMG at Season-Ending Race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
10/2/22 (via SpeedwayMedia.com)
BRASELTON, Georgia (October 2, 2022) – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams secured the second IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class Manufacturer Championship for Mercedes-AMG in four years this weekend in IMSA’s season-ending event at Michelin Raceway. Four different Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries contributed points for this year’s triumph which anchored a full list of another IMSA championship and season-long and race-weekend top-three showings in a successful season-ending event for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams on the 2.54-mile road course north of Atlanta.
After winning its first manufacturer title in 2019, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams stepped up again this season to deliver a second GS crown in a collectively competitive effort. Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams finished in the top-three in half of the year’s 10 races, including a series-leading three race wins for the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. Eric Foss co-drove the No. 56 with longtime teammate Jeff Mosing and earned the victories with Kenton Koch (Mid-Ohio and Road America) and Marc Miller (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) when Mosing missed the year’s summer races recovering from a rib injury.
The No. 56’s sister No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak earned the manufacturer championship points with a third-place finish at Watkins Glen while Mike Skeen and Trevor Andrusko sealed the title Friday with a second-place finish in the No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosports at Michelin Raceway. The runner-up placing for the FCP Euro team was a career-best result for the second-year team.
Foss and Mosing earned points for Mercedes-AMG in the year’s opening races at Daytona and Sebring and were joined by their No. 72 teammates and FCP Euro in scoring in more than one race. The No. 72 was also the top finisher at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca while FCP Euro earned its first points for Mercedes-AMG in its home race at Lime Rock Park.
Returning to the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer program for the year’s final three races, even the No. 21 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Anton Dias Perera and Scott Andrews stepped up to contribute to the Mercedes-AMG championship at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). The team endured a heartbreaking loss when the No. 21 ran out of fuel while leading on the last lap of the VIR race, but Andrews still managed to get across the finish line for a top-10 finish that was the best for Mercedes-AMG GT4 in one of the craziest races of the year.
The other Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer racing championship was earned in a dominating performance by Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams in the first-year Bronze Cup battle that awarded the top “Am” or sportsman driver pairing in the GS class.
The No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 driver duo of Gary Ferrera and Kris Wilson went into the record books as the inaugural Bronze Cup winners with victories in six of the year’s 10 races. The four other races, including Friday’s finale at Michelin Raceway, were won by Brent Mosing and Tim Probert in the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, giving Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams an undefeated 10-for-10 record in the first Bronze Cup season.
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams also shined in the driver and team championships in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Michelin Pilot Series.
Stevan McAleer and Team Korthoff Motorsports capped a breakout year in their first full season of GT Daytona (GTD) competition with third-place honors in the GTD driver and team championships. Along with McAleer’s co-driver Skeen – who missed the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca due to COVID-19 – the Team Korthoff Motorsports No. 32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 drivers and team battled for the GTD championships all season.
A similar no-quit effort was turned in Foss and the No. 56 team in Pilot Challenge GS. Foss and his co-drivers were a title threat all season and the No. 56 and Foss ultimately finished a solid second in both the GS driver and team championships.
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams also locked out the 2022 Motul Pole Awards in both IMSA series. In addition to two race wins with co-driver Philip Ellis, Russell Ward earned the GTD pole award for the most top qualifying efforts in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Kenny Murillo in turn won the Motul Pole Award in GS for the most pole positions on the season in the No. 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4.
McAleer, Team Korthoff and Ward will be presented with their respective awards at tonight’s WeatherTech Night of Championships at Chateau Elan near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I could say I am disappointed, but I am not even in the slightest. The last four or five races for us have been tough. We slowly lost the points lead, and I even thought going into this weekend we could even end up finishing P5 or P6 overall. It was that close, but I really wanted to be at the banquet tonight in one of those top-three spots. So, I am pretty ecstatic to finish third in GTD in my first ever attempt in top GT3 competition, we were the highest Mercedes-AMG, and I can’t thank the team enough for the opportunity. I think the only thing that is missing is Mike Skeen should be up there with me, so I will certainly celebrate with him and the entire team. We will look into next year, there is definitely some tweaks and improvements we can make to get closer and closer, but there is no question going into next year that there is a new team on the map.”
Stevan McAleer, Eric Filguerias Destroy Field in Sebring Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race No. 2
9/25/22 (via FrontStretch.com)
Rennsport One’s Stevan McAleer and Eric Filguerias recovered from a last-lap fuel pump issue Saturday to completely dominate to win Pirelli GT4 America Sprint Race No. 2 at Sebring International Raceway on Sunday (Sept. 25). It is the duo’s ninth overall win of the year.
“Stevan [McAleer] gave me a fantastic car and fantastic position,” Filguerias told SRO America’s Amanda Busick. “From there, it was all about managing [the gap], managing the pace and bringing [the car home]. That’s what we did today.”
McAleer started from the overall pole and led early over NOLAsport’s Jason Hart. Meanwhile, an incident further back in the field resulted in BimmerWorld Racing’s James Clay spinning out at the entrance to turn 1. Rennsport One’s Juan Martinez and AutoTechnic Racing’s Alex Filsinger were also involved. Filsinger ended up with a flat right front tire and right front damage. Though Filsinger was able to drive back to the pits, a piece of debris came off between turns 11 and 12. That debris stayed in the middle of the track for the whole race but never drew a caution. Filsinger did not return to the race after pitting.
Conquest Racing’s Gavin Sanders, winner of Race No. 1 on Saturday, failed to set a time during his qualifying session Saturday. As a result, he had to start from the rear of the field. In the opening minutes of the race, Sanders was able to drive up to 19th overall from 31st. By the mid-race pit stops, he was up to 15th. A strong stop to put Michai Stephens into the car moved the team up into the top 10 overall and third in the Silver class.
McAleer slowly but surely opened up his advantage over Hart. By the time the mid-race pit stops came along, McAleer had a six-second lead. Unlike some of the Pro-Am squads, McAleer chose to pit at the halfway point to give way to Filguerias.
Once Filguerias was in the car, he continued to open up the advantage over Scott Noble in the NOLASport Porsche. Laps that were consistently about a second quicker than Noble’s white, yellow and black Porsche tore the race wide as Filguerias took an easy victory.
The final margin ended up being 23.469 seconds over Noble and Hart. Stephens and Sanders drove all the way up from the rear of the field to finish third overall, only a second behind Noble at the finish. Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Elias Sabo and Andy Lee were fourth, followed by Premier Racing’s Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer.
In Silver, Filguerias and McAleer’s margin of victory was 24.540 seconds over Stephens and Sanders. The finish was just enough to take the Silver championship to Indianapolis. AutoTechnic Racing’s Zac Anderson and Austen Smith were third, then SMOOGE Racing’s Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght.
In Pro-Am, Hart was able to hang with McAleer during the opening laps. That allowed him to pull away from BSport Racing’s Kenton Koch prior to the opening pit stops.
After the stops, Noble continued to hold onto the advantage. Meanwhile, BSport Racing’s Bryan Putt and Sabo battled hard for second. With just under 15 minutes to go, Sabo went to the inside in turn 15 to go for second. He ended up losing control of his Aston Martin and spinning out. No contact was made, and Sabo was able not only able to continue, but held onto his position.
Noble was able to hold on for the win, but there was movement on the final lap. Sabo ran into the back of Putt while racing for position. That contact did not cause an incident, but Putt did slow entering the Uhlmann Straight on the final lap, which allowed Sabo past.
The margin of victory was 6.982 seconds over Sabo and Lee. Adelson and Skeer were third, while Putt and Koch’s Aston Martin crawled to the line for fourth. AutoTechnic Racing’s John Capestro-Dubets and Tom Capizzi were fifth in their Mercedes.
In the Am class, the first corner incident for Clay threw the race up in the air. Carrus Callus Raceteam’s Terry Borcheller put his Toyota up into the class and opened up a decent gap on the rest of the competitors. Once the pit stops were made, Borcheller’s teammate Nick Shanny still had the advantage. However, the BMW of Random Vandals Racing’s Paul Sparta was able to run him down and take the lead with 20 minutes to go. From there, Sparta was able to pull away while KRUGSPEED’s Anthony Geraci moved up to second.
Geraci tried to run down Sparta but had a mechanical issue in the final five minutes of the race put Geraci out and moved Conquest Racing’s Custodio Toledo up to second. Meanwhile, Sparta took his and teammate’s Al Carter‘s first win of the year.
Carter and Sparta ended up 13th overall. They were 6.080 seconds in front of Toledo and Paulo Carcasci at the finish. BGB Motorsports’ Thomas Collingwood and John Tecce were third in their Porsche, with Rooster Hall Racing’s Todd Brown and Johan Schwartz right on their tail. Shanny and Borcheller ended up fifth.
Double Sebring Pole For Filgueiras & McAleer
9/24/22 (via DailySportscar.com)
Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer took a small, but not insignificant step towards wrapping up the Silver class Drivers’ Championship in Pirelli GT4 America. Filgueiras and McAleer drove the #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport to pole position in their respective qualifying sessions at Sebring International Raceway.
In the first session, Michai Stephens set the early benchmark aboard the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. Then, on his second flying lap, Filgueiras drove to pole position in Race 1 with a time of 2’10.789, more than a second ahead of the field at his home race.
Stephens would finish second and the #34 Conquest/JMF Mercedes will start today’s race on the front row, but there were issues during the second session as Gavin Sanders did not set a lap time.
Barring any other penalties, the #34 Mercedes of Stephens and Sanders will have to start 31st and last in tomorrow’s race, not what they needed as they try and chase down a 47-point deficit to Filgueiras and McAleer this weekend.
Johan Schwartz put the #80 Rooster Hall Racing BMW M4 GT4 third overall in the first session, the fastest Am Cup car, ahead of the Silver class #51 AutoTechnic Racing M4 of Austen Smith in fourth, and the Am championship-leading #36 BimmerWorld M4 of Charlie Postins in fifth.
Moisey Uretsky will start sixth, his repaired #55 Accelerating Performance Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 was the fastest Pro-Am car in the session, ahead of the #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Vantage GT4 of Ross Chouest, and the #53 AutoTechnic M4 of Rob Walker.
Pro-Am championship co-leader Adam Adelson qualified ninth for Race 1 in the #120 Premier Racing Cayman RS, ahead of Elias Sabo in the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Vantage in tenth, Tom Capizzi in the #52 AutoTechnic M4 in 11th, and Scott Noble in the #47 NOLASPORT Cayman RS in 15th. Adelson and Elliott Skeer lead Noble and Jason Hart by eight points with four races remaining.
McAleer followed up on Filgueiras’ performance in the first session with another pole for Race 2 on Sunday, setting a 2’10.753.
In total, that’s ten poles for 12 races for the duo, and the fourth time this season that the green and white #18 Porsche has swept both phases of qualifying.
But the #47 NOLASPORT Porsche of Hart wasn’t far off, setting a 2’10.907 to take second overall on the grid – and the top time in the Pro-Am category.
Aaron Telitz was third-fastest in the #69 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4, then title contender Andy Lee was fourth in the #8 Flying Lizard Vantage.
Alexandre Premat showed elite speed as anticipated, driving his and Jay Logan’s #71 GMG Racing Cayman RS to fifth overall on the Race 2 grid, followed by Devin Jones in the #82 BimmerWorld M4, and Kenton Koch in the #15 BSport Racing Vantage.
Skeer went eighth-quickest aboard the #120 Premier Racing Cayman, while John Capestro-Dubets was ninth in the #52 AutoTechnic M4, while team mate Zac Anderson rounded out the overall top ten in the #51 car.
The fastest Am car in second qualifying was the #83 RS1 Cayman RS, driven by Juan Martinez, in 11th place.
But it’s Postins and James Clay who could clinch the Am Drivers’ titles by the end of Race 1 this afternoon. They lead NOLASPORT #19 driver Alain Stad by 81 points heading into today’s race – which begins at 4:05 PM EDT.
IMSA’s Man Of Many Talents, McAleer Loves The Pace
8/24/22 (via SpeedSport.com)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Stevan McAleer marks his weekend race schedules with colorful Sharpie ink. Pink for one series, red for another, blue for still another. When he arrived at VIRginia International Raceway last year, his entire schedule was coated in colors.
“I had GT4, LMP3, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and my MX-5 Cup team,” McAleer recalled. “I just circled everything. There was literally a 15-minute window in between.”
Welcome to one racer’s nonstop life. Team co-owner, driving coach, driver in several series, and – with two races remaining in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season – the championship leader in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class.
Race weekends aren’t the only days organized by color. Every hour of every day is booked. When McAleer isn’t co-driving the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 in GTD, he’s been in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport for a win and two second-place finishes this year in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. While he’s cut back from racing fulltime in the IMSA Prototype Challenge, he still hops into one of the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) cars on occasion.
And, in his first try at GTD, he’s leading the championship.
“What an experience it’s been,” McAleer said. “I’m not going to say it’s an easy swap around to jump from the Mercedes to the Porsche to the LMP3 car, but I’ve been doing it long enough now that I know the car.”
With only VIR on Aug. 28 and Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 1 remaining on the 2022 schedule, McAleer leads Jan Heylen and Ryan Hardwick by 40 points for the GTD drivers’ championship.
Chasing His Dream for a Quarter Century
McAleer’s journey isn’t one that began this year. It’s one that began when a 12-year-old kid saw his dream and began chasing it.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years now, and every morning there’s more excitement,” McAleer said. “There’s no loss of dedication or commitment to this.”
In the midst of the GTD run and his other driving duties, the 37-year-old Scotsman has his other color-coded responsibilities. The team he co-owns with Chad McCumbee in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires demands attention, and then there’s his roster of students. As many professional racers know, sharing knowledge is a rewarding and profitable extension of the craft.
“Unless you’re a factory driver, you make your money in coaching,” McAleer said. “That’s where the money is. The fact that I’ve been able to drive different cars in different series has helped my coaching career. It’s quite clear that I can drive any car, and that’s really boosted the coaching.”
His journey began, as racing careers often do, with a go-kart. When McAleer was 10, he joined a group of friends at a kart track in Glasgow. Just for laughs, of course.
“I think I hurt five of them,” he joked. “I was driving them into the wall. I cried because I got a black flag and didn’t know what it was for. I had an absolute blast. It was legit hilarious.”
By 12, though, he was racing karts seriously. Then a familiar obstacle entered the picture: money. Can’t race without it, can’t earn it when you’re 12. Through one of his other current ventures – a karting series in New York – McAleer understands the passion and difficulties faced by young drivers.
“It’s not necessarily the kids with the talent that make it,” he said. “It’s the kids with the passion. I’ve noticed that around the age of 14, 15, 16 or 17, if it’s not going their way, as is often the case with money, 99 percent of the drivers quit. They’ve been so excited about it for years, and then they stop. When I got to that age, I had no care in the world. I just wanted to drive race cars.”
Across the Pond for New Opportunities
With his heart set on reaching the British Touring Car Championship, he ended up instead with a Skip Barber scholarship. Off to the U.S. he went, his plans for sports cars put aside for the time being. Single seaters it would be.
“I loved it,” he said. “I went to Sebring and did my two-day test, then I ran the Skip Barber Nationals in ‘07. I didn’t know the company I was with at the time, but I raced with Joel Miller, Ricky Taylor, Josef Newgarden, Gabby Chaves, Conor Daly and Connor De Phillippi. I had no idea who these kids were. I was eight years older than them, just wanting to be a race car driver. It was a pretty good group of kids.”
The Skip Barber experience led to an offer to coach at a karting facility in New York. “At the time, I was working in a supermarket,” McAleer said. “Sounded like a no-brainer.”
Starting salary was $18K a year. He roomed with a friend from his Skip Barber days.
“I had no social security number, no driver’s license, no car, no income,” he said. “I could barely scrape through the week, but I was having such a blast.”
That’s where the passion found new form. He started coaching and racing simultaneously, eventually landing a race with CJ Wilson Racing and an offer to run the Mazda MX-5 Cup in 2012. Ten years and countless colorful schedules later, he’s running for a WeatherTech Championship title despite not yet winning a GTD race this season.
“It’s a pleasant surprise for all of us that we’re in the position we’re in,” McAleer said. “You could say we got lucky at Daytona and Sebring (both podium finishes), but you can’t say we’re lucky after eight events. We’re in the mix and fighting hard. The car is getting better, pit stops are getting better, and I’m getting better in the car.”
Perhaps that’s the key to succeeding in this hectic game. Do all you can, whenever you can, and never give up.
“I love it,” McAleer said. “It’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing. I’m going nowhere in a hurry.”
RS1 Cruises To Race 1 Victory, Premier Racing Takes Dramatic Pro-Am Class Win
8/21/22 (via DailySportscar.com)
The super team of Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer dominated proceedings in GT4 America Race 1 at Road America, cruising to their eighth overall and Silver Cup class win of the season.
The green and white #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of McAleer and Filgueiras led from the outset of the 60-minute race, held under cloudy skies late in the afternoon.
McAleer had built up a gap of over eight seconds by the time the compulsory pit window opened. He handed off to his co-driver Filgueiras, who had a clear path to victory in front of him over the second half of the race. Filgueiras crossed the line with a margin of victory of over 15 seconds as they move ever closer to the Silver championships.
“We have a mechanism in the car that tells us the pit time, and it wasn’t working,” Filgueiras said at the end of the race. “So in the pit box we gave up roughly nine seconds, as we found out afterwards. We didn’t know how long our stop was going to be, we ended up losing time and then I was by myself and not really sure what was going on out on track.”
“It’s a testament to Stevan McAleer’s driving ability. His job today was to give me a car in a position to win, and that will be my job tomorrow. We’re very proud, the RS1 guys work so hard.”
They extended their lead in the Silver class standings to 65 points over the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Gavin Sanders and Michai Stephens. Sanders spent the first half of the race battling with the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra of Kevin Conway, but their battle came to an abrupt end when, entering the pits together, Conway locked the brakes at pit entry and rammed into the back of Sanders.
Sanders and Stephens finished third in class, and Conway and John Geesbreght finished fourth in class. But they were a lowly 26th and 29th overall, respectively, after the incident.
Meanwhile, the fight for second overall and Pro-Am victory came down to a dramatic final lap. Early on, the #24 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 of Gray Newell and Ian James held the advantage in their class, ahead of the #120 Premier Racing Cayman RS (Adam Adelson/Elliott Skeer), and the #47 NOLASPORT Cayman Clubsport MR (Scott Noble/Jason Hart).
Dramatic End in Race 1 at Road America; RS1 Wins in Silver, Premier Racing First in Pro-Am and Maiden Win for KRUGSPEED
8/20/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - The rain held off for the first Pirelli GT4 America race at Road America on Saturday afternoon. The rising heat was felt both in the air and on track, as the 33 cars offered up a piping hot show.
The Toyota Supras have been the quickest cars on numerous occasions throughout this weekend, namely during the race. Terry Borcheller was the winner of the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap award thanks to his impressive time of 2:18.251 aboard the #20 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota GR Supra GT4 co-driven by Nick Shanny in the Am class.
Silver
Right as the green flag waved to commence the race, the #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Stevan McAleer set sail and never looked back. After completing their mandatory pit stop, Eric Filgueiras took over from his Scottish co-driver, and won with an impressive 15.048 margin over the second overall car. The teammates now have eight wins under their belts.
“We have a mechanism in the car that tells us the pit time, and it wasn’t working,” explained Eric Filgueiras after his stint. “So in the pit box we gave up roughly 9 seconds, as we found out afterwards. We didn’t know how long our stop was going to be, we ended up losing time and then I was by myself and not really sure what was going on out on track. It’s a testament to Stevan McAleer’s driving ability. His job today was to give me a car in a position to win, and that will be my job tomorrow. We’re very proud, the RS1 guys work so hard.”
What looked like a promising and intense battle on track between the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Gavin Sanders and Kevin Conway’s #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 ended dramatically on pit road as Conway hit the back of Sanders’ Mercedes when both cars came in for their pit stops.
With these two cars out of podium contention, the undoubtedly deserving #112 Dexter Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 co-driven by Ryan Dexter and Dominic Starkweather claimed second place. There was still a ‘silver lining’ for Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports in the Silver class, as multiple competitors had a bad day, giving Gavin Sanders and his teammate Michai Stephens the chance to climb on to the final podium position as they rounded up the Top 3.
RS1 Continues GT4 Qualifying Mastery At Road America
8/20/22 (via DailySportscar.com)
The #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Stevan McAleer and Eric Filgueiras proved to be the class of the field at Road America during GT4 America qualifying this morning.
McAleer took pole for Race 1 later today by over a second, while Filgueiras held on for the Race 2 pole that he’ll start from tomorrow.
It took just two laps for McAleer to put the outright and Silver Cup pole positions out of reach in Qualifying 1. The 2’17.169 on his first flying lap was already the fastest time of the weekend thus far.
But then the sensational Scot completely shattered that benchmark and set a 2’15.829 before coming to the pits with time to spare.
McAleer took pole by over a second over the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of young Canadian Gavin Stevens, in second.
The former NASCAR journeyman Kevin Conway was third-quickest aboard the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4, and Mike Skeen in the new #59 G2 Racing/GSport BMW M4 GT4 was fourth.
Telitz Quickest Overall in the Second Practice Session at Road America; McAleer and Borcheller first in Pro-Am and Am classes
8/19/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - The fifth weekend of the 2022 Pirelli GT4 America Series season began this Friday at the legendary Road America circuit. With track temperatures rising quickly, drivers took to the track late afternoon for the second free practice session.
Terry Borcheller initially topped the standings in the early minutes of the session, commanding his Am class #20 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota GR Supra GT4. Shortly after, drivers in the Silver class quickly climbed to the top of the leaderboard. But with three minutes left in the session, it was a Pro/Am class car that took the overall fastest time.
Nevertheless, Borcheller topped the Am class with a time of 2:18.258, which was also the fifth-best overall time of the session. Alex Filsinger, in the #53 BMW M4 GT4 Auto Technic Racing, secured the second-fastest time in the class with a 2:18.745. Matt Travis (#19 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) rounded off the Top 3.
Stevan McAleer and Eric Filgueiras (#18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) finished first in the Silver class and second overall with a time of 2:17.449. Having won seven of the first eight races of the 2022 season, the pairing are looking to extend their dominant performance. Gavin Sanders and Michai Stephens (#34 Conquest Racing/JMF Mercedes-AMG GT4) Motorsports finished the session second in class, clocking in a time of 2:18.410. After strong finishes at the previous round in Watkins Glen, Sanders and Stephens are aiming to turn it up a notch. Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght rounded off the Top 3 in the Silver class in the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4, a slight step back after topping the charts in the first free practice session.
RS1, Filgueiras & McAleer Sweep Watkins Glen Weekend
7/25/22 (via DailySportscar.com)
Two races at Watkins Glen International, and two Pirelli GT4 America victories for the #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer. Filgueiras and McAleer came from sixth on the grid to sweep the weekend.
Dark clouds began to wash over Watkins Glen before the start of Race 2 at 11:10 AM local time. Air temperatures were around 24°C, with track temperatures of 33°C at the start of the race.
After taking Smooge Racing’s first-ever outright pole position, Aaron Telitz led the field into turn one aboard the #69 Toyota GR Supra GT4, while Kenton Koch gained two positions and moved up to second in the #15 BSport Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4.
Just two laps into the race, the #888 Zelus Motorsports Vantage GT4 (Sean Whalen/Matt Guiver) triggered a chain reaction crash involving the #83 RS1 Cayman RS (Nelson Calle/Juan Martinez) and the #319 Indian Summer Racing Cayman MR (Francis Selldorff/Travis Washay). The stewards’ hammer came down hard on Guiver, and the #888 Zelus Vantage GT4 was parked for the rest of the race for forcing two other competitors to retire from the race.
After the ensuing Safety Car intervention, Telitz, Koch, and Andy Lee (#8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Vantage GT4) led the field away, while the #52 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 of John Capestro-Dubets had his hands full trying to fend off McAleer for fourth place.
On lap nine, catastrophe befell the #69 Smooge Racing GR Supra, when the left rear wheel came off completely approaching the Esses. Telitz and Todd Coleman’s races were over. During this second Safety Car period, a light mist began falling at spots of the track. Any significant rain, however, stayed away – and the sun reappeared during the race.
It meant that the compulsory pit window was delayed, opening with 28 minutes left in the race. All of the leaders pitted after 16 laps, just before the ten-minute window closed. The top four runners exited the pits in the same order that they entered, now with their lower-graded drivers at the wheel.
Filgueiras was fourth, but he quickly made his way past the #52 AutoTechnic M4 GT4 of Tom Capizzi to third. Then on lap 20, he passed both the #8 Flying Lizard Vantage GT4 of Elias Sabo for second, and the #15 BSport Vantage GT4 of Bryan Putt to take the overall lead and sail off into the distance over the final ten minutes.
It was the seventh overall and Silver Cup class win for Filgueiras and McAleer in 2022, their third clean sweep after Sonoma and NOLA.
“I was very careful around the other cars because they’re racing for a different class, but I had a lot of fun with some of the guys out there,” McAleer said after the race. “There’s a lot of big names at the front of the field. I knew if I could keep the car in one piece and give it to Eric, then he should be able to sneak his way by. Two wins this weekend, it’s been a big points day for us, and we’re really happy.”
RS1 Porsche Dominates Silver Class from start to finish for sixth win of the season
7/24/22 (via PorscheSport.com)
The Pirelli GT4 America concluded Saturday’s on-track activities with Race 1 at Watkins Glen International. The air was extremely hot, but the action on track was even hotter, with intense, nail-biting racing taking place throughout the field.
The #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport built up a slim lead over its main rivals at the start of the race. During the mandatory 76-second driver change pit stop, Stevan McAleer took over from Eric Filgueiras and looked to extend their lead. However, a full course yellow caused RS1 to lose that 8-second lead. In the end, the RS1 drivers were able to control their competitors, winning by 2.682 seconds over the #34 Conquest Racing/MF Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT4 driven by Canadian Gavin Sanders and American Michai Stephens.
“We were very careful with the tires being 95 degrees here,” claimed Stevan McAleer in a post-race interview. “Eric did a massive job again, he got away from the pack, and we had a really good pit stop that helped us add more time on the other cars. RS1 gave us a great Porsche. I knew on the restart that I probably would've had to fight a couple of cars going into the bus stop but once we were through there, I was pretty confident we could get away and we did.”
Eric Filgueiras echoed his teammate's thoughts, “It was not an easy win, and in fact, the weekend started off pretty problematic. We had a red flag in practice one, wet weather conditions in practice two, and we had a transmission failure. The team worked all night to replace the transmission and get us up and running. Starting the race, my objective was to get away and to give Steven a car that he could fight with and race with so that's what was important to me. We are really happy.”
RS1 Porsche delivers yet another dominant performance at the Glen
7/24/22 (via PorscheSport.com)
A few drops of rain threatened the Pirelli GT4 America 60-minute race at Watkins Glen International. Thankfully, Mother Nature was merciful and let the competitors finish their event without a hitch.
The #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, which won Race 1 yesterday, delivered yet another dominant performance in Sunday’s race. This is the seventh victory this season for the team and its drivers, American Eric Filgueiras and Scotsman Stevan McAleer, extending their championship lead.
Although some of the Pro-Am class competitors were strong early on, the #18 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport ran a perfect race to take the overall lead with 10 minutes remaining in the 60-minute event.
The fight for second place in the Silver class animated the end of the race between the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 (Kevin Conway / John Geesbrecht) and the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 (Gavin Sanders / Michai Stephens). Rookie Gavin Sanders tried his best to overtake Kevin Conway, but ended up finishing 0.4 seconds behind the Toyota. #112 Dexter Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 (Dominic Starkweather / Ryan Dexter) rounded out the Top Four in the Silver class.
“It was a much better race than what we’ve had all year,” exclaimed Eric Filgueiras on Victory Lane. “Steven did a fantastic job with his stint, as he always does. RS1 gave us a really great car. I wanted to be P1 overall but I wanted to be aware and courteous to those guys who are competing in their class too, so I didn’t want to take too many risks on our end to not mess those guys up. We’re really proud; what could be better!”
“I was very careful around the other cars because they’re racing for a different class, but I had a lot of fun with some of the guys out there,” echoed Stevan McAleer. “There’s a lot of big names at the front of the field. I knew if I could keep the car in one piece and give it to Eric, then he should be able to sneak his way by. Two wins this weekend, it’s been a big points day for us, and we’re really happy.”
Eric Filguerias, Stevan McAleer Claim 7th Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Win of 2022
7/24/22 (via Frontstretch.com)
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Rennsport One’s Eric Filguerias was able to get past BSport Racing’s Bryan Putt with 10 minutes to go Sunday (July 24). From there, he pulled away from the pack to claim his and teammate Stevan McAleer’s seventh Pirelli GT4 America SprintX victory of the year. The triumph pushes the duo ever closer to the Silver class championship.
“Our Porsche was excellent today,” Filguerias told Frontstretch. “The Supras were really fast, the BMWs were really fast. The Astons were very fast off of the corner, so I just needed to be able to capitalize on the areas where we made the most speed.”
SMOOGE Racing’s Aaron Telitz led the 34-car field to green and led early over BSport Racing’s Kenton Koch. Points leader McAleer started sixth and moved up one spot on the first lap.
A caution was thrown early due to an incident in turn 6 that involved three cars. Zelus Motorsports’ Matt Guiver had contact with Rennsport One’s Juan Martinez. That sent Martinez into the Indian Summer Racing Porsche driven by Travis Washay. Washay then spun and hit the tire barriers.
Washay, who is making his return to SRO America competition for the first time in several years, limped his Porsche back to the pits. He was unable to continue. Martinez pulled off in turn 8 with terminal damage to his Porsche. As for Guiver, SRO America officials parked him for the contact, a rare move after the series instituted a crackdown following a wreck-strewn weekend at VIR.
Telitz continued to lead until a bizarre failure occurred. The left rear wheel came off of Telitz’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 and bounced down the track and came to rest in the middle of the track. With Telitz also stalled in the Esses, the second full course caution was thrown with 36 minutes to go, just before the pit window was going to open.
Koch inherited the overall lead after Telitz’s issues with a delayed start to the pit window. Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Andy Lee was right there, while John Capestro-Dubets was third with McAleer on his tail. Teams also had to deal with sprinkles falling.
Conquest Racing’s Michai Stephens stopped relatively early to swap over to Gavin Sanders, but they were the exception to the rule. Most of the leaders pitted with just under 20 minutes to go for their driver change.
Putt was able to keep the overall lead over Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Elias Sabo after the stops, but it was Filguerias that was on the move. He was able to get past AutoTechnic Racing’s Tom Capizzi for third overall, then immediately chased down Sabo for second.
Barely two laps after getting by Capizzi, Filguerias took second from Sabo entering the Inner Loop. Half a lap later, Filguerias took the overall lead away in turn 9.
Over the final 10 minutes of the race, Filgueiras pulled away from the pack to give himself and McAleer their third weekend sweep of the year.
The overall margin of victory was 6.881 seconds over Capizzi and Capestro-Dubets. ARG/Rotek Racing’s Lau and Billy Johnson were third, then Sabo and Lee. SMOOGE Racing’s Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght were fifth.
In Silver, Filguerias and McAleer’s margin of victory was 8.633 seconds over Conway and Geesbreght. Sanders and Stephens were third, followed by Dexter Racing’s Ryan Dexter and Dominic Starkweather.
Stevan McAleer, Eric Filguerias Remain Tough Out, Win Watkins Glen GT4 America Race No. 1
7/23/22 (via Frontstretch.com)
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Rennsport One’s Stevan McAleer and Eric Filguerias kept up their strong form Saturday (July 23) at Watkins Glen International. The duo led nearly flag-to-flag to earn their sixth Pirelli GT4 America SprintX overall victory of 2022 in seven starts.
Filguerias started from the overall pole and scooted off to a small advantage. Gavin Sanders started second in his Conquest Mercedes, but quickly lost the advantage to AutoTechnic Racing’s Tom Capizzi. That didn’t last as Capizzi dropped a wheel exiting turn 6, allowing Sanders to get back by.
By the time mid-race pit stops came around, Filguerias had a lead of over five seconds over Sanders. When the window opened 25 minutes in, Filguerias pitted almost immediately in order to swap over to McAleer.
The pit stops actually allowed the Rennsport One team to increase their lead to 8.4 seconds over Conquest Racing’s Michai Stephens. However, that lead was not long for this world as Random Vandals Racing’s Al Carter had a failure in the left front of his BMW that shot him off and into the tires in turn 7 to bring out the race’s sole caution. Carter was ok, but was out for the day.
Once the race restarted, McAleer was able to hold a steady hand while the Pro-Am battle swamped Stephens. That allowed McAleer to pull away to take the overall and Silver class victories.
The margin of victory was 2.682 seconds over Sanders and Stephens. SMOOGE Racing’s Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght were third. Dexter Racing’s Ryan Dexter and Dominic Starkweather were fourth in Silver (ninth overall), while AutoTechnic Racing’s Austen Smith and Zac Anderson were fifth in class.
McAleer Puts RS1 Porsche On Top In GT4 America Practice
7/22/22 (via DailySportscar.com)
Pirelli GT4 America practice sessions have now been completed. This morning in Practice 1, the #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer was quickest in dry conditions.
Filgueiras and McAleer started 2022 on a five-race win streak, and determined to get back on the victory train, McAleer leapt to the top of the time sheets mid-way through the session, setting a best lap time of 1’55.371 which wouldn’t be surpassed thanks in part to a lengthy red flag.
A car dropped oil on the track from turns five through nine, and the ensuing cleanup would consume over 20 minutes worth of time on the clock.
The session restarted with three minutes placed back on the clock, enough time for teams to get one more lap. For some drivers, it wasn’t nearly enough time on track.
McAleer’s time stood as the best, while the #69 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 of Todd Coleman and Aaron Telitz finished second overall and led the Pro-Am category. IMSA GTD star Telitz set a 1’55.457 as he returns to the series this weekend.
McAleer Lays Down the Fastest Lap Time in Silver, Telitz Sets the Pace in Pro-Am and Clay Quickest in Am
7/22/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Watkins Glen, New York - The fourth event of the Pirelli GT4 America season is well underway at the picturesque Watkins Glen International, a track well-known for its challenging turns and elevation changes.
The first practice session proved to be tricky for the 68 drivers in attendance, as a Red Flag removed 20 minutes of valuable track time due to an oil spill on the track. Cars were able to rejoin the circuit with two and a half minutes remaining in the session, meaning they had time for one last flying lap. Most of the field elected to switch drivers for that last precious lap.
In the Silver category, Championship leader Stevan McAleer claimed the fastest lap time with a 1:55.371 in his #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, followed by Championship runner-up Gavin Sanders in the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. Sanders and co-driver Michai Stephens clinched their first win of the season at VIR a few weeks ago.
Korthoff Motorsports and Driver Stevan McAleer Build IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTD Championship Lead with Fourth-Place Finish
7/17/22 (via SpeedwayMedia.com)
LAKEVILLE, Connecticut – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing entrant Team Korthoff Motorsports extended its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) class points lead Saturday at Lime Rock Park with a hard-fought fourth-place finish in the FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix with co-drivers Stevan McAleer and Mike Skeen in the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. The finish, Team Korthoff’s best result in IMSA GTD competition since a third-place showing at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, was two positions higher than the No. 32 team’s nearest challenger in Saturday’s two-hour and 40-minute race on the 1.474-mile Lime Rock road course. Coming into the race five points ahead in the championship race, the No. 32 team and McAleer unofficially leave Lime Rock 40 points clear of the closest competitor.
Korthoff was the highest finishing Mercedes-AMG GT3 on Saturday for the fifth time in the seven WeatherTech Championship races this season, but joined two other Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams in leaving Lime Rock feeling better results were just out of reach.
The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, co-driven by Philip Ellis and Russell Ward, took the white flag leading in GTD only to see Ellis slow with a mechanical issue with the finish line in sight.
Skeen was running in third in the No. 32 as Ellis fell off the pace and joined the rest of the lead pack competitors in darting around the stricken No. 57. Unfortunately, Skeen fell to fourth in the frenzy and came up just short of securing Korthoff’s first podium finish in more than four months.
The No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Cooper MacNeil and Jules Gounon also hit trouble late after a competitive run in the team’s first GTD class race this season. Gounon was looking to seal a likely top five or better result but instead settled for seventh after being assessed a drive-through penalty after what race officials determined was avoidable contact with another competitor.
The two-hour Pilot Challenge race earlier on Saturday was as demanding as the featured WeatherTech Championship FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix, but one entry from Murillo Racing stepped up for the Bronze Cup class victory.
Brent Mosing and Tim Probert co-drove the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 to the Bronze Cup win for the second time this season after winning at Mid-Ohio for the first time in May. The victory gave the Mercedes-AMG GT4 a perfect seven-for-seven win record this season in the new Bronze Cup class which is designed to allow sportsman or “am” drivers battle each other in a separate championship while still competing in the overall GS race.
The top Mercedes-AMG GT4 finisher in the Pilot Challenge race was the No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT3 co-driven by Skeen and Trevor Andrusko. Competing in the lead pack throughout the two-hour race, closing driver Skeen jumped to fourth from fifth on the final lap for the FCP Euro team’s best finish in just its third race in a select schedule of events this season.
Murillo’s sister No. 56 and No. 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries provisionally hold second and third, respectively, in the overall GS championship standings after Lime Rock despite a pair of challenging races.
The No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Eric Foss and Kenton Koch failed to finish a race for the first time this season after a rock punctured a hole in the car’s oil cooler halfway into the race.
Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak finished eighth in the No. 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4 after finishing on the podium in the last two races with a third place at Watkins Glen in June and second to their No. 56 teammates earlier this month at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in IMSA WeatherTech Championship and IMSA Pilot Challenge competition is the IMSA Fastlane SportsCar Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 4 – 7.
Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “You have to take the positives. We gained some points in the championship, our Mercedes-AMG GT3 was pretty decent, and Mike is obviously fantastic. He was really strong at the end there but unfortunately the No. 57 car broke on the last lap and Mike had no choice but to go around the outside and another car further back had the advantage of going to the inside. If I would have been told earlier today we would have finished fourth, I would have been quite happy with it, but the podium was so close. We are still fighting for this championship.”
Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 and No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Two P4 finishes on the day. Those are solid results. A disappointment in some ways to be so close to the podium twice and not get there, but I am thrilled with the Korthoff guys. They had excellent strategy, excellent pit stops, and we had great pace. A great points day, really solid performance with the team, but we are just dying to get back to the podium.”
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) Championship Leaders Team Korthoff Motorsports and Stevan McAleer Secure First Career Pole Saturday in Qualifying for Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen
6/26/22 (via SpeedwayMedia.com)
WATKINS GLEN, New York – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing entrant Team Korthoff Motorsports (TKM) continued its breakout season Saturday at Watkins Glen International where Stevan McAleer won the pole for Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. The pole was the first for both McAleer and TKM in IMSA WeatherTech GT Daytona (GTD) competition and comes just under a year after the team’s professional racing debut at Watkins Glen in a Fourth of July weekend sprint race just days after the 2021 Sahlen’s Six Hours.
McAleer, who is in his first season of IMSA GTD competition, locked down the pole on his sixth lap of the 15-minute qualifying session with a top time of 1:45.077 (116.486 mph) on the 3.4-mile Watkins Glen road course.
McAleer competes in Sunday’s six-hour race with co-drivers Mike Skeen and endurance race addition Dirk Müller.
The No. 32 TKM entry and McAleer – Skeen missed Round 3 of this year’s championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca due to COVID-19 and trails his teammate in the standings – lead the WeatherTech Championship GTD team and driver championships by 34 points, 1520 – 1486, over the second-place team and drivers heading into tomorrow’s race.
The TKM pole was the third of the season for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in IMSA WeatherTech GTD competition. Russell Ward won the pole in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in April at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Ward also led the field to the green flag at January’s season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) after he and co-driver Lucas Auer won the Rolex 24 qualifying race the weekend prior.
Ward made it two Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the first two rows of the starting grid for Sunday’s six-hour race with a fourth-place qualifying run Saturday in the Winward Racing No. 57. Ward turned a top lap time of 1:45.631 (115.875 mph) and co-drives Sunday with Philip Ellis and Marvin Dienst.
The WeatherTech Championship GTD Pro class returns to series competition this weekend for the first time since the April WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca round.
The No. 79 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3 carries the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing flag in GTD Pro, and team driver Cooper MacNeil turned a top lap time of 1:46.699 (114.715 mph) in qualifying. MacNeil co-drives with Maro Engel and Mikael Grenier in Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen starts at 10:40 a.m. EDT tomorrow, Sunday, June 26, with live coverage to the finish on the USA Network beginning at 2 p.m. EDT. Flag-to-flag race coverage is available live on NBC’s streaming network Peacock beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT. International viewers can watch the race’s live stream on IMSA.com/TVLive.
Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We rode off the trailer good. Team Korthoff has been getting closer and closer and closer, and I was second in qualifying last month at Mid-Ohio. I feel this is the best the car has been, and when they told me I was P2, half a second off pole, I knew I was on a bigger lap. Again, real credit to the guys on the team. We finished on the podium at Daytona. Some might have called that luck. We finished on the podium at Sebring, maybe they say you got lucky twice, but here we are starting the second half of the season and we are the championship leaders. Sorry, there is no luck involved in that. The guys are executing at every race, Mike has been fantastic, there is no question about that, he has really taught me a lot in this car. It’s going to be an exciting race. Certainly, good to start out front and hopefully we can keep it there.”
Dirk Müller, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I am really looking forward to Watkins Glen. This team has been unbelievable, I got to know everybody but Mike when I was subbing for him on very short notice at Laguna Seca, and I thought we had a really strong run there already. It was really good. We recently had a couple of days testing at VIRginia International Raceway, just getting ready and getting, as I always say, the team spirit together. We stayed at a lake house together, played some pool and table soccer at the end of the day, and it was really, really cool and we had some perfect team building. I think the team is really strong and I am not surprised to see them leading the championship. It’s a very impressive story, but they have the right guys behind it and, of course, Herb Korthoff. They have one goal, and we are on the path to achieve it.”
Cooper MacNeil, Driver – No. 79 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Pretty good qualifying session. The WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3 was handling nicely. The track conditions got a lot hotter from this morning’s practice session. That affected our Michelin tires a bit, but they stuck to the track really well allowing me to roll through these fast Watkins Glen corners. We have a good platform going into the race tomorrow. I think we have a good shot at moving up the field and battling for a podium.”
McAleer Paces Opening Watkins Glen Practice
6/23/22 (via Sportscar365.com)
Stevan McAleer was quickest in the opening IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice for Saturday’s Tioga Downs Casino Resort 120 at Watkins Glen International.
The RS1 driver took his No. 28 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport to a best lap of 1:54.993 in Thursday’s hour-long session, edging out the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 of Bill Auberlen by 0.036 seconds.
The No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Eric Foss was third on the time charts, followed by the sister No. 72 entry driven by Kenny Murillo.
Matt Plumb completed the top-five overall and in GS in his No. 46 Team TGM Porsche.
TCR was led by the No. 15 Belgard & Techniseal Racing Audi RS 3 LMS TCR of Denis Dupont, thanks to his 1:56.649 lap time.
Dupont was nearly one-second clear of the nearest competition, the No. 2 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Ryan Norman, in second.
Mikey Taylor made it two Audis in the top-three in his No. 17 Unitronic JDC-Miller MotorSports entry.
The session saw a single red flag, for the No. 7 VOLT Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Alan Brynjolfsson, who went off at Turn 5 with less than ten minutes left on the clock.
The session restarted with five minutes remaining, although saw no noteworthy improvements.
Eric Filguerias, Stevan McAleer Claim 5th Straight GT4 America Win
6/19/22 (via Frontstretch.com)
The winning streak for Rennsport One’s Eric Filguerias and Stevan McAleer continued Saturday (June 18) at VIRginia International Raceway. The duo led the vast majority of the 60-minute race and claimed victory in Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race No. 1 after a late crash caused the event to end under yellow. It is the fifth win of the season in as many races in Pirelli GT4 America SprintX and the sixth win of the year for the duo.
“It’s been pretty fantastic,” McAleer said after the race. “[Rennsport One] gave us an excellent car. I was able to get away on the last restart and hold on.”
McAleer also stated that the Porsche had been given an extra 15 pounds of weight after qualifying due to a Balance of Performance ruling.
Filguerias started from the pole and was able to outdistance the Mercedes of Gavin Sanders into turn 1. In the opening couple of turns, Capstone Motorsports’ Kris Wilson was able to get up to second.
Unfortunately, this was another race where it was hard to get much green-flag action. On the first lap, NOLAsport’s Scott Noble spun in turn 3 and buried himself in the tire barrier to the point where tires ended up on the roof of his Porsche. That brought out a safety car period that later evolved to a red flag for barrier repairs.
Under yellow, but prior to the red flag, the Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 for Paul Sparta stalled on track with a mechanical issue. Both Noble and Sparta were done for the day.
Following a brief interruption, the green came back out with 40 minutes to go. Filguerias was able to pull out a small gap while Wilson and Sanders battled for second.
Right as the pit window opened up, Fast Track Racing’s Tim Horrell stalled right before the Climbing Esses. This put the officials in a tough spot since Horrell’s BMW was in a dangerous position, but they didn’t want to completely ruin the race by bringing out the safety car. Ultimately, they chose to keep Horrell’s car there under a local yellow until all of the stops were complete. Once Wilson stopped from the lead to hand over to Cole Ciraulo, the yellow came out.
The green came back out with 22 minutes to go. McAleer got a big jump on the rest of the field. Meanwhile, there was a four-way scrum for second between Ciraulo, Michai Stephens, John Capestro-Dubets and John Geesbreght that was won by Ciraulo. Further back, contact between GMG Racing’s Andrew Davis and RENNtech Motorsports’ Guy Cosmo resulted in a broken left rear suspension on Davis’ Aston Martin, ending his day.
The race ultimately ended under yellow after Dexter Racing’s Dominic Starkweather spun and hit the tires hard in the Snake with 17 minutes to go. This required repairs to the barriers that resulted in the race ending under yellow. McAleer ended up taking the win under yellow in a race where approximately 20 of the 60 minutes were run under green.
The top four finishers were all in the Silver class. Sanders and Stephens ended up second, followed by Wilson and Ciraulo. SMOOGE Racing’s Geesbreght and Kevin Conway were fourth in their Toyota, while AutoTechnic Racing’s Zac Anderson and Austen Smith were fifth.
In Pro-Am, Capestro-Dubets was the class of the field, being the only driver to wedge himself into the Silver scrum. While he ultimately dropped back to fifth overall prior to Starkweather’s crash, that was more than enough to get the class victory for himself and Tom Capizzi.
ARG/Rotek Racing’s Ford Mustang GT4 for Mike Skeen and Edgar Lau were second, followed by the Porsche of Premier Racing’s Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer. The Heart of Racing’s Ian James and Gray Newell were fourth in their Aston Martin, while Hattori Motorsports’ Seth Lucas and Matt Plumb were fifth.
The Am class was won by BimmerWorld Racing’s James Clay and Charlie Postins in 11th overall. NOLAsport’s Alain Stad and Seth Thomas were second in their Porsche, then Rennsport One’s Nelson Calle and Juan Martinez. NOLAsport’s Sean Gibbons and Sam Owen finished fourth, while The Racers Group’s Jason Alexandridis and Derek DeBoer rounded out the top five.
RS1 Remains Perfect Amidst Carnage-Filled Race 1 At VIR
6/18/22 (via DailySportscar.com)
Pirelli GT4 America Race 1 at VIRginia International Raceway finished under Safety Car, but the result was the same as the four previous races this season: Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer remain perfect in 2022, aboard the #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport RS.
Just three corners into the race, the #47 NOLASPORT Cayman of Pro-Am championship leaders Scott Noble and Jason Hart crashed at turn three. Noble, who started the race, was not hurt, but the impact did damage to the tyre barriers at NASCAR Bend. This resulted in a lengthy Safety Car intervention and eventually, a six-minute Red Flag for barrier repairs.
Filgueiras led the field back to green once the race resumed from lap seven, and by the end of lap nine, he’d already built a 2.3 second lead over the #32 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Kris Wilson, who had his hands full battling the #34 Conquest Racing with JMF Motorsports AMG GT4 of Gavin Stephens for second position.
It’s hard to find the words to describe the sequence of events that unfolded during the compulsory ten-minute pit window. On lap nine, the #10 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4, driven by Tim Horrell, came to a stop in the Climbing Esses – off the racing line but still on the tarmac. Horrell, a paraplegic driver, remained strapped into his car.
Rather than declare a quick Full Course Yellow to pull the car off course as was done to retrieve the stranded #98 Random Vandals Racing M4 GT4 during the first Safety Car, it was somehow thought reasonable to leave Horrell and his car on the tarmac with only a local yellow at a fast sequence of corners to ensure that the ten-minute compulsory pit window was not disrupted. Only after the pit window was closed was the Safety Car deployed, and somehow, a catastrophic accident was averted.
The #32 Capstone AMG GT4 finished its pit stop just as the Safety Car was called. Cole Ciraulo rejoined in second behind race leader McAleer, who had hopped into the leading #18 Porsche.
With just over 20 minutes left, the race restarted from lap 14. McAleer got a fantastic jump on the field, while Michai Stephens, now aboard the #34 Conquest/JMF AMG GT4, had overtaken Ciraulo for second position. Behind them, the #2 GMG Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 (Jason Bell/Andrew Davis) retired after Davis made contact with the #39 Cagnazzi Racing AMG GT4 of Guy Cosmo on the restart at NASCAR Bend.
McAleer had stretched his lead out to over three seconds over Stephens, when on lap 17, the Safety Car was deployed again. Dominic Starkweather had a heavy crash exiting turn five going into the Snake complex. Starkweather was not injured after the head-on impact with the tyre barriers but his and Ryan Dexter’s #112 Toyota GR Supra GT4 was done for the day, and the weekend.
The extensive damage to the barriers ensured that the race would not resume under green flag conditions. It was not the way Filgueiras and McAleer envisioned taking their fifth consecutive overall and Silver Cup win of the 2022 season, but the effort still paid them maximum points.
“That’s five wins!” exclaimed McAleer. “We didn’t get the fastest lap, but RS1 gave us a great car and we managed to maintain the gap on the restart. We’re excited for tomorrow, we’ll see if we can do this again.”
The #34 Conquest/JMF AMG GT4 of Sanders and Stephens was second, ahead of the #32 Capstone AMG GT4 of Wilson and Ciraulo in third overall. Just off the podium was the #68 Smooge Racing GR Supra (Kevin Conway/John Geesbreght) in fourth.
In Pro-Am, the #52 AutoTechnic Racing M4 GT4 of Tom Capizzi and John Capestro-Duvets took the class win, finishing fifth overall, just ahead of their team mates Austen Smith and Zac Anderson in the #51 car. This was the first Pro-Am Cup win of the year for Capizzi and ‘JCD’.
“Oh man, the reward, I can’t even explain in words how this feels right now,” Capestro-Dubets said. “We had a lot of great drivers coming for it, and we just had to stay up front. Honestly, with the heat through practice, we didn’t think we’d be up here today. When the weather played back into our hand and the car started working again, smiles were on our face, and we took it to the front and did everything we could to stay.”
Seventh and eighth overall were the other Pro-Am podium finishers, the #124 ARG/Rotek Racing Ford Mustang GT4 (Edgar Lau/Mike Skeen), and the #120 Premier Racing Cayman (Adam Adelson/Elliott Skeer). Behind them was the #24 Heart of Racing Team Vantage GT4 (Gray Newell/Ian James) in ninth overall, fourth in class, then the #016 Hattori Racing GR Supra (Seth Lucas/Matt Plumb) completing the overall top ten.
In Am Cup, the #36 Bimmerworld M4 GT4 of Charlie Postins and James Clay scored the class win, their third of the season, and one that especially feels good for the home team based out of Dublin, Virginia.
“BimmerWorld is located about two-and-a-half hours away, we have the whole BimmerWorld family here, a bunch of our coworkers, and to me, it’s about winning the home race and it’s been fantastic to do so today,” Clay said after the victory.
Rounding off the Am Cup podium were the #19 NOLASPORT Cayman (Alain Stad/Seth Thomas), then the #83 RS1 Cayman (Nelson Calle/Juan Martinez). These podium finishers were 11th, 14th, and 15th out of 33 classified/finishing vehicles of the 38 that started.
McAleer Charges Ahead in Silver, Davis Tops Pro-Am, Borcheller Sits Atop Am in Pirelli GT4 America Practice 1 at VIR
6/17/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Alton, Virginia - The third event of the Pirelli GT4 America season has kicked off at VIRginia International Raceway under warm, sunny skies. Get ready for an excitement-filled weekend: some lightning-fast lap times were recorded during the first practice session.
In the Silver category, multiple 2022 season race winner Stevan McAleer (#18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) set the quickest time of the session with a 1:54.041, followed by Michai Stephens (#34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) with a 1:54.660, and John Geesbreght (#68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4) laying down a 1:55.095.
In Pro-Am, Andrew Davis (#2 GMG Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4) laid down the quickest lap time of 1:54.349, just a hair slower than McAleer in Silver. Right off of his tail was Kenton Koch (#15 BSport Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4) with a 1:54.644, followed by Kyle Marcelli (#79 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) with the third-quickest time of 1:54.773. Expect Practice Session No. 2, Qualifying, and weekend’s races to have some awfully tight action at the front.
Finally, in Am, Terry Borcheller claimed the fastest lap of 1:55.172 the #21 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota GR Supra GT4. Right off his bumper was John Branam (#89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) with a 1:55.176 (a 0.004 second difference!), followed by Al Carter (#98 Random Vandals BMW M4 GT4) with a 1:56.002.
Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Team Extends IMSA WeatherTech GTD Points Lead Across Two Championships with Fifth-Place Finish at the Detroit Grand Prix Saturday
6/5/22 (via SpeedwayMedia.com)
DETROIT – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing entry Team Korthoff Motorsports and team driver Stevan McAleer increased their IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) team and driver championship leads Saturday with a fifth-place finish in the Detroit Grand Prix. Co-driving with Mike Skeen, McAleer and the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 team came to the Motor City atop the driver and team point standings and extended their championship leads at the halfway point of the 10-race season.
One of the two shortest races of the season, Saturday’s 100-minute sprint on the tight 2.3-mile street course on Detroit’s Belle Isle Park has always been a high-risk and high-reward affair. Starting driver McAleer proved it from the drop of the green flag when he boldly passed three competitors to move from eighth to fifth.
The triple pass was the decisive move of the race. No other competitor improved more than two spots, but each of those advances were due in part to others dropping out of the race. All three of McAleer’s position improvements were passes in full competition.
Skeen took over from McAleer at the 36-minute mark and continued in fifth place after a fast pit stop by the Team Korthoff Motorsports crew. The race was run caution free, and Skeen defended the top five position to the checkered flag, finishing at least two spots ahead of Team Korthoff’s nearest championship rivals.
Coming into Detroit with a 12-point lead, the No. 32 team and McAleer – Skeen missed Round 3 of this year’s championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca due to COVID-19 and unfortunately trails his teammate in the standings – now provisionally lead the team and driver championships by 33 points, 1520 – 1487, over the second-place team and drivers.
The Korthoff No. 32 team has now earned the manufacturer championship points for Mercedes-AMG in four of this year’s first five races. Mercedes-AMG leaves Detroit just four points out of the GTD manufacturer championship lead, 1619 – 1615.
Winward Racing was the top Mercedes-AMG finisher and manufacturer points-earner one race ago at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and came to Detroit looking to build on that season-best finish.
Russell Ward qualified the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 seventh, one spot ahead of McAleer, but was 27 minutes into his race-opening stint Saturday when his car met the turn 10 wall. Ward was uninjured in the contact incident, but the No. 57 was unable to continue in the race.
Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship is the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International, June 24 – 26.
Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I think what’s cool is that we are halfway through the season now and we are not third or fourth in the standings with a mathematical chance. We are leading the championship, and the only thing I feel bad about is that I wish Mike was leading with me. There’s still a little disappointment from him missing Laguna Seca. The race was great. I had a good start and managed to get by three cars on the opening lap, and that was huge for us. It proved to be the finishing position for us in P5. The race showed I wasn’t particularly strong in qualifying because I went faster than my qualifying lap as well. I gave the car to Mike clean and in fifth and he did an amazing job. He was super strong all weekend, faster than me, and overall, it was a great weekend. We have seen a run of fifth place finishes lately but hopefully we will get back to thirds, seconds and get the first win coming up soon. It’s multiple races now we are finishing ahead of the cars we need to be beating, so overall we extended the championship leads a little and now we move on to Watkins Glen next and Mike and myself probably agree the car will be quite strong there.”
Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This was a great weekend from the start. We knew we had excellent pace all through practice and knew we had a really good car. We maybe missed it a little in qualifying, but Stevan got a killer start and picked up a bunch of positions right on the first lap. It really made the race easy for me. He fell into fifth place, the guys did a great pit stop, and we just held position. We had great pace but there were huge gaps in front of and behind me. It was kind of lonely just driving around by myself, but it is nice to get out of here with a clean car and know we have good speed. It gives us confidence heading into the next one.”
RS1 Maintains Winning Streak with Sweep of Pirelli GT4 America Podium at NOLA
5/22/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Avondale, Louisiana - Professional road racing returned to the track at NOLA Motorsports Park this weekend and did not disappoint those who came to watch. The weekend included a doubleheader for the Pirelli GT4 America series at the beautiful 2.75-mile road course. After an out-of-the-ordinary race on Saturday afternoon, which was run mostly under a yellow flag caution, then delayed by inclement weather, race teams looked to get back to racing on a course that boasts 16 turns and a 5,800 ft. straightaway.
Porsche racers secured pole position in each class. The #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Eric Filgueiras/Stevan McAleer) led the field overall with the #120 Premier Racing Porsche (Adam Adelson/Elliott Skeer) in front of the Pro-Am class. The RS1 sister Porsche of (Nelson Calle/Juan Martinez) heading up the Am class.
From the drop of the green flag, Stevan McAleer led the pack to take the overall and Silver class lead. After the driver change, Eric Filgueras maintained the lead McAleer built in the first half of the race. The #120 Premier Racing Porsche gave chase throughout the entire race for overall position. For the first half of the race, the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 with Michai Stephens at the wheel was also a strong challenger for the top three overall after starting from the third row.
Following a full-course yellow to remove a damaged car, Kenton Koch in the #15 BSport Aston Martin Vantage AMR, used the re-start to move to second in the Pro-Am class. Koch then used his momentum to move past Stephens into the P3 overall position. Unfortunately, after the mandatory 84-second driver change, Koch’s teammate Bryan Putt was spun on the track and was out of the race after contact with the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR driven by Elias Sabo.
After Saturday’s Race 1 which only saw two full laps of green flag racing, Race 2 was a relatively clean race with only one full-flag yellow just prior to the pit window opening for mandatory driver changes. Of note, the #80 Rooster Hall Racing, BMW M4 GT4 ran the weekend with only one driver Johan Schwartz for both races.
RS1 continued their dominance on the podium, driver McAleer secured the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap for Race 2 with a lap time of 1:44.321. In the Silver class, the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra (Kevin Conway/John Geesbreght) finished in second place. Third place was the #112 Dexter Racing Toyota GR Supra of Ryan Dexter and Dominic Starkweather.
Filgueras credits the RS1 team’s success this season to good energy. “We have such a great camaraderie. These RS1 guys give us a great car every single weekend, and I have in my opinion the greatest teammate (McAleer) on the grid. He’s a phenomenal mentor, teammate, and friend,” he said.
In Pro-Am action the #120 Premier Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (Adam Adelson/Elliott Skeer) completed their weekend sweep of the podium. Coming in second place representing the New Orleans home team was the #47 NOLASPORT Porsche of Scott Noble and Jason Hart. The #82 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 (James Walker Jr./Devin Jones), who started from the 12th position at the start of the race, moved through the field under the driving skills of Walker Jr.
The finish of the Am class race was one of the most exciting of the day with the #19 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Alain Stad and Seth Thomas holding off a strong challenge from the #888 Zelus Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR (Matt Guiver/Sean Whelan) through the last lap right down to crossing the finish line. Moving through the field from a start from the back to finish third in class was the #66 The Racers Group Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Jason Alexandridis and Derek DeBoer.
“Between the weather and accidents, just staying alive and bringing it home, it’s a great feeling,” said Stad. His co-driver Thomas only found out on Thursday he would be racing this weekend. He credited his NOLASPORT teammates, and his previous experience driving a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for his preparation for this weekend’s races.
Stevan McAleer, Eric Filguerias Win Rain-Marred NOLA GT4 Race No. 1
5/21/22 (via Frontstretch.com)
Rennsport One’s Eric Filguerias and Stevan McAleer claimed their first Pirelli GT4 America SprintX victory of the season Saturday (May 21) at NOLA Motorsports Park. However, there was approximately four minutes of racing under green due to crashes.
Filguerias won the overall pole in his Porsche Cayman GT4 RS CS and tried to sweep into the lead. However, there was a crash just after the start-finish line as BSport Racing’s Bryan Putt and BimmerWorld Racing’s James Walker collided and crashed. The BMW of AutoTechnic Racing’s Rob Walker was also involved, along with GMG Racing’s Elias Sabo. Both Walkers and Putt were out on the spot.
During the safety car period for this crash, dark clouds descended upon NOLA Motorsports Park. After a few laps behind the safety car, lightning was sighted nearby, resulting in a complete stop down. During the stopdown, the heavens opened, resulting in the circuit being hit by torrential rains. The circuit was full of standing water and track crews had to take care of it before cars could go back out.
96 minutes later, the race resumed with the rain having passed, but the track completely wet. Drivers seemed to be able to race fairly well on the wet circuit, but the Aston Martin of GMG Racing’s Jason Bell and Random Vandals Racing’s Paul Sparta spun off and went hard into the tire barriers just before turn 10. This brought out another yellow right before the pit window was going to open.
Normally, you cannot make mandatory pit stops under yellow. However, given the time crunch involved, SRO America officials decided to to allow it to happen under yellow. As a result, the whole field came in for driver changes. Filguerias exited his No. 18 Porsche and gave way to McAleer.
Given that the stops happened under yellow, McAleer was able to get the lead back once the round of stops. Unfortunately, that was it for the racing. The 96-minute red flag threw the schedule for the day out of whack. The checkered flag was thrown with 14 minutes to go on the clock due to a substantial barrier repair after Bell and Sparta’s crashes.
Filguerias and McAleer’s overall victory is also a win in the Silver class. Smooge Racing’s Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght were second in their Toyota GR Supra GT4. AutoTechnic Racing’s Austen Smith and Zac Anderson were third, then Dexter Racing’s Ryan Dexter and Dominic Starkweather. Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports’ Gavin Sanders and Michai Stephens ended up fifth because they pitted a lap after the leaders.
In Pro-Am, Premier Racing’s Adam Adelson qualified his Porsche on pole and was able to keep it on the road without too much of an issue. He was second overall to Filguerias when the red flag came out, then switched to Elliott Skeer. They took the class win when the race was stopped. AutoTechnic Racing’s John Capestro-Dubets and Tom Capizzi were second, then the Aston Martin of The Heart of Racing’s Ian James and Gray Newell. NOLAsport’s Jason Hart and Scott Noble were fourth, while Fast Track Racing’s Raphael Matos and Tim Horrell.
The Am class had BimmerWorld Racing’s Charlie Postins and James Clay take the class win in eighth overall. Rennsport One’s Nelson Calle and Juan Martinez were second, then NOLAsport’s Alain Stad and Seth Thomas.
McAleer Leads in Silver, Skeer Takes Top of Pro-Am and Borcheller Grabs Lead in Am
5/21/22 (via GT4-America.com)
The final practice session on Friday was much of the same as the morning with clear track, fast laps, and sweltering NOLA weather. In the Silver category, Stevan McAleer (#18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) set the quickest time of the session with a 1:43.685, followed by Michai Stevens (#34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) with a 1:44.202, and Ryan Dexter (#112 Dexter Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4) laying down a 1:44.954
In Pro-Am, Elliot Skeer (#120 Premier Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) set the fastest lap of the session with a 1:43.581, faster than McAleer in Silver. Right behind him was Kenton Koch (#15 BSport Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4) with a 1:43.914, followed by the third-quickest time of 1:44.055 was claimed by Andy Lee (#8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4).
Populating the top of Am was Terry Borcheller (#21 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota GR Supra GT4) who led the pack with a 1:44.998, followed by Charlie Postins (#36 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4) setting a 1:45.212, and Nelson Calle (#83 RSI Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) clocking in a 1:45.327.
Qualifying begins at 10:25 AM Central on Saturday.
McAleer Charges Ahead in Silver, Pro-Am Sees Tight Times in Pirelli GT4 America at NOLA
5/20/22 (via GT4-America.com)
A smooth first practice session of the day led to strong, consistent lap times. In the Silver category, Stevan McAleer (#18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) set the quickest time of the session with a 1:43.844, followed by Auten Smith (#51 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4) with a 1:44.652, and Gavin Sanders (#34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) laying down a 1:45.215.
In Pro-Am, Andrew Davis (#2 GMG Racing Aston Martin AMG Vantage) laid down the quickest lap time with a 1:44.425, just a hair away from McAleer. Right off of his tail was Jason Hart (#47 Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) with a 1:44.443. The third-quickest time of 1:44.460 was claimed by John Capestro-Dubets (#52 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4). Expect Practice Session No. 2, Qualifying, and weekend’s races to have some awfully tight action at the front.
Finally, in Am, Juan Martinez (#83 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) led the pack with a 1:45.067, followed by James Clay (#86 BimmerWorld BMW M4) setting a 1:45.144, and Al Carter (#98 Random Vandals BMW M4) clocking in a 1:45.356.
Strong Field Set for Pirelli GT4 America Debut at NOLA Motorsports Park
5/13/22 (via GT4-America.com)
The Pirelli GT4 America series continues its 2022 season at a new track for SRO Motorsports America. Teams are heading to the NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana on May 20-22. The 2.75-mile road course features 16 turns and a 5,800 ft. straightaway.
The Louisiana-based NOLASPORT Porsche team claims home track advantage for the weekend with three cars, including the Pro-Am entry of Scott Noble and co-driver Jason Hart in the #47 car. Driving in the Am class are drivers Sean Gibbons and Sean Owen in the #7, and Alan Staid and Thomas Merrill in the #19 car. The NOLASPORT team hopes to continue their success in Sonoma where Noble and Hart placed in second and third place in the Pro-Am Class in Races 1 and 2 respectively, while Staid and Merrill placed second in Am for Race 1.
Teams Look to Follow Up on Sonoma Success
Meanwhile, the #18 RS1 Porsche team of Eric Filguerias and Stevan McAleer will look to continue their podium dominance from Sonoma where they swept both weekend races winning both overall and in the Silver class. McAleer recorded the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap for both Races 1 and 2 with times of 1:46.124 and 1:47.022 respectively.
Also looking to return to the top of the podium after sweeping both races at Sonoma in the Pro-Am class, is the #15 BSport Racing Team with drivers Kenton Koch and Bryan Putt behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Vantage AMR. Koch said, "NOLA is actually the first place I ever worked with my teammate Bryan Putt. We haven't been back in the last five years, so we're excited to go back to enjoy the track and some good food!"
The team of James Clay and Charlie Postins in the #38 Bimmerworld BMW M4 hope to repeat their first place finish in Race 1 at Sonoma in the Am class. Also vying for a return to the top of the podium are Race 2 winners, the Dexter Racing Team of Matt Rivard and Ben Anderson in the #60 Ginetta G56.
Three Races Within GT4
Three categories race within the Pirelli GT4 America series. Silver, Pro-Am, and Am. They are differentiated by the drivers and their FIA Driver categories and pairings. Drivers are rated as Bronze - A racer in the early stages of their career, Silver - An accomplished club racer, Gold - a professional racer, and Platinum - The highest level of a professional racer, typically a factory driver. The pairings for the GT4 driver categories are as follows.
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Silver - Two Silver drivers
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Pro-Am - One Bronze and one Silver or above class driver
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Am - Two Bronze drivers
Here’s how the field of 32 will break down during the Pirelli GT4 America races at NOLA Motorsports Park.
Silver - Teams have already shown their talent with exciting wheel-to-wheel racing between the current overall and in class points leaders #18 RS1 of Eric Filguerias/Stevan McAleer and the #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports of Gavin Sanders/Michai Stephens for the majority of both Races 1 and 2 at the season opener in Sonoma sweeping the top two overall spots on the podium.
The #51 Auto Technic Racing Team of Austen Smith and Zac Anderson also had a strong showing with third place in category finishes in both weekend races. The Smooge Racing #68 (Kevin ConwayJohn Geesbreght) and Dexter Racing #122 (Dominic Starkweather/Ryan Dexter) teams hope to improve on their races at NOLA.
If the Shoe Fits: A Cinderella Story Is Developing in GTD
4/26/22 (via IMSA.com)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It may have taken a scramble to get the car ready for the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season, but the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 has emerged as a Cinderella story in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition.
After competing in just four races in its debut season last year, Team Korthoff blasted from the 2022 starting gate with a third-place GT Daytona (GTD) finish at Daytona and followed with a second-place showing in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts. Behind the steady hands of season-long co-drivers Mike Skeen and Stevan McAleer, the team heads into the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship Presented by Motul later this week leading the GTD team and driver season standings.
“We are all committed and we are going for the overall GTD championship,” Team Korthoff crew chief Bradley Perry said. “The glass slipper is on Cinderella and we don’t intend on taking it off.”
Perry acknowledged this year’s GTD field is packed with high-quality teams and expects a dogfight through the schedule. But he has a season-long plan in place and isn’t keeping it a secret.
“You can look at the timesheets and you can see we aren’t necessarily the fastest car in GTD, but we have been able to maintain a fairly good pace,” Perry said. “Obviously, in endurance racing you can do that consistently. In the sprint rounds, that will be a little more challenging. The good news is we have a fairly substantial lead in both team and driver points (57 over the nearest full-season competitors). Our best chance is to stay in points management mode and acquire as many points as we can at each event.”
So far, so good. Perry’s formula – stick to the basics of racing – is working to date and the drivers get it.
“I think it’s just we have stayed away from making big mistakes,” Skeen said. “We’ve had a couple of little penalties but nothing that cost us too much and nothing late in the race that mattered too much when it counted. I don’t think we had the fastest car at either of the first two races, but we were able to execute and keep the car up towards the front.”
Perry said the goal is to make the No. 32 Mercedes as bulletproof as possible at every race. Meanwhile, the drivers are following the old racing adage of “to finish first, you must first finish.”
“We had strong strategy and kept the car out of trouble,” Skeen said of the team’s Daytona and Sebring runs. “At the end of both races, the car was more or less intact. We avoided most contact and just trying to stay out of trouble, which is a little different tactic than we will have to take in some of the sprint races where elbows get out a little bit more and you don’t have that much time to make back up or outlive the attrition rate.”
The elbows were definitely out in the most recent race, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, where Skeen and McAleer finished sixth in class on April 9 after being hit from behind on the tight street circuit. Points for Long Beach counted only toward the IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup and not the overall season chase, keeping the No. 32 atop the season standings heading to WeatherTech Raceway, where the points earned will be applied to both championships.
“The endurance races that start the year are quite a bit different than this weekend,” Skeen said. “These shorter races, you really have to be on it from the start and not make any mistakes at all. That’s the biggest thing is making sure we continue to execute really well on the pit lane, and that Stevan and I don’t make any mistakes, obviously. It’s much harder to catch back up in the short races.”
Perry said going back to the basics has paid handsome dividends so far, but he knows there are big battles on the horizon.
“There are a lot of teams with massive budgets, with a lot of marketing and public relations, while we went with the basics of motorsports,” he said. “I’ll make sure the crew is sorted, the car is sorted, then let everything fall into place.”
Meet the small IMSA GTD team with a big target on its back
4/26/22 (via Racer.com)
Korthoff Motorsports has gone from its recent introduction into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class into a lot of changes, yet heads into this weekend’s Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca leading the driver points with regulars Mike Skeen and Stevan McAleer.
The Florida-based team formerly known as Gilbert/Korthoff Motorsports has been around a while, running LMP3 before making its debut in the GTD class last year at Watkins Glen with the No. 32 Mercedes-AMG. Skeen joined the team at VIR, and McAleer came on board for Petit Le Mans – his introduction to the GTD class, and a debut that went inauspiciously as he was involved in the big wreck on the back straight.
“We didn’t get off to a great start at Road Atlanta last year, you know… it was my first time in the car,” said McAleer. “And obviously, I was one of the cars in the big pileup at the end of the back straight. But even prior to that, we weren’t very fast. We were struggling with car setup. The team was new, we’re figuring the car out. So when I got the opportunity to drive at Daytona, the team was thrashing to get the car right and there’s obviously a lot of damage to be repaired. But in all honesty, I think that has helped the program. The guys that were maybe not so much familiar with a Mercedes had to take it down to the bare tub and start replacing it. So in all honesty, that’s a benefit for the team because of seeing the car apart.”
The team has had a great beginning to the season, finishing third in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and second in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, two of the toughest races on the schedule. Even Long Beach, where McAleer was racing for the first time, didn’t go too badly considering they got pushed into a tire wall in the late stages of the race. But Long Beach doesn’t count for the overall championship in GTD, only the Sprint Cup. So Long Beach was good practice for Seen and McAleer to work together without a third or fourth driver before heading to Laguna Seca.
“The mindset is a little bit different for the shorter races,” explains Skeen, who is fresh off a Trans-Am Series TA2 win at Laguna Seca a few days ago.
“As long as the guys execute well on the pitstops and Stevan and I can stay out of trouble… There are still a lot of elements of the endurance races where it’s just a matter of finishing and keeping the car up front. I think we have good speed and we’re going to continue to have good speed throughout the year.”
The team name was shortened before Long Beach, as team manger and stunt man Henry Gilbert stepped aside, leaving the team to Herb Korthoff. But Skeen said that nothing has really changed with the team and it remains the same operationally as it was at Daytona and Sebring.
On the driving side, Skeen and McAleer both have a lot of experience, even if they are not household names. But while Skeen has a fair amount of experience in GT3 cars, for McAleer it’s a fairly new challenge.
“It’s exciting for me because I’ve done all the other sports car series – MX-5 Cup, GT4 in both IMSA and SRO, LMP3 – even the LMP3 car at the Rolex 24 last year, I was on the podium. But GTD, I’ve never driven it. Not that I didn’t think I could do it, but there’s always a question mark there, that, ‘can I really run with this group of guys?’” said McAleer, who also co-owns on of the most successful teams in Idemitsu Global Mazda MX-5 Cup with Chad McCumbee.
Now Korthoff Motorsports finds itself leading the championship. It’s early, of course, but consecutive podiums in the points-paying races certainly portend good things for the season.
“It’s definitely been a an amazing start,” said McAleer. “The team is on a high right now, everybody’s excited. We’re the smallest team in the paddock and doing the biggest job right now. So we’re going to try and hang in there. There’ll be races where it’ll be tough, there’ll be races that probably won’t suit the Mercedes. And obviously, so many things can happen with the other cars out there. So we’ll run around and see where we are middle of the season and then start deciding what we want to do.”
RS1 and BSport Complete Sweeps in Sonoma Weekend GT4 Action
4/17/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Sonoma, California - The RS1 team of Eric Filguerias and Stevan McAleer (#18 RS1 Porsche) picked up Easter Sunday morning where they had left off the day before atop the Winner’s Podium as overall champions and class winners in Pirelli GT4 America racing action, completing the weekend sweep at Sonoma.
McAleer took the first driver’s stint for the session, recording the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap with a time of 1:47.022. Following a smooth pit stop, by the time Filguerias stepped into the driver’s seat, he transitioned the Porsche smoothly back into the lead to finish with a 13.466 second lead over second-place overall finishers Gavin Sanders and Michai Stephens (#34 Conquest Racing/JWF Motorsports Mercedes AMG).
“It’s all of the hard work the RS1 guys put in. He (Stevan) gave me a really great car and a great position. He worked his butt off that first stint to give me the opportunity to just drive it home,” said Filguerias after the win. When asked about the car’s advantage over the field, he said that the Sonoma track has high degradation, and credited the Porsche with being nimble and lighter as opposed to heavier cars running on the track that burns through the tires more quickly.
RS1, Porsche Earn Race 1 Win with Filgueiras and McAleer
4/16/22 (via GT4-America.com)
Sonoma, California - The Pirelli GT4 America series kicked off their 2022 season at Sonoma Raceway, 42 GT4 machines took the green flag that saw plenty of action on the track that included a red flag with 33 minutes left in the race. Once racing resumed, drivers worked to get their tires back to temperature to fight for position in the Silver, Pro-Am and Am classes.
Making his SRO debut, Eric Filgueiras and co-driver Stevan McAleer in the #18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, was the overall race winner and led the Silver class with a Crowdstrike fastest lap time of 1:46.124. Neither teammate had driven on the Sonoma course before, so they prepared by working through the car set up, what to do on track and most importantly, communication.
“Once we got a little lead I tried to manage the gap,” said McAleer. “We’re excited, RS1 has been fantastic, and it’s a first win for this new Porsche in SRO,” he added.
McAleer Grabs MPC Daytona Win
1/29/22 (via Racer.com)
Porsche achieved a dream North American debut for the new 718 GT4 RS Clubsport with a 1-2 finish Friday in the Grand Sport (GS) class of the BMW M Endurance Challenge, the opening round of the 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season.
Stevan McAleer, in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche, stalked Owen Trinkler’s identical No. 64 Team TGM Porsche for several laps as the final 30 minutes of the four-hour race unfolded, finally edging past in the famous tri-oval section of Daytona International Speedway with just under 13 minutes remaining.
From there, McAleer eased the Porsche he shared with Cocoa, Florida, native Eric Filgueiras to a 4.631s margin of victory over the No. 64 car co-driven by Ted Giovanis.
It was the 10th Michelin Pilot Challenge victory for McAleer, a 37-year-old Scotsman, and the first for Filgueiras in his first IMSA race of any kind. It was also Porsche’s first win in any form of IMSA competition at Daytona since 2018, also delivered by RS1 in the Michelin Pilot Challenge.
“I grew up about an hour south from here, came to this race all my life, and always said I was going to be in it one day,” Filgueiras exclaimed. “This is my first IMSA race and my first IMSA win, and I’m just so glad to be here. I don’t know how to describe what this means to me.
“Stevan McAleer is an absolute hero, and that’s why we hired him,” Filgueiras added. “He took his time, he was persistent and he was patient. You could see that (executing the winning pass) took time. He kept asking how much time was left, and you could see he made a couple attempts that didn’t quite work as he tried to feel things out. This was an absolute team effort.”
McAleer said he encountered a gearbox glitch about 30 minutes into his stint that required him to recycle the Porsche’s electronics. After that, the car was flawless and fast – albeit, no longer in the lead.
“It was frustrating watching cars passing me left, right and center,” McAleer said of the moments when he slowed and had to reboot the car. “We had a little bit of work to do, but the car was utterly fantastic. It shows how good the new Cayman GT4 platform is because so many teams have moved forward with this car.”
The final restart came with McAleer running sixth, but he was confident in working his way to the front. He harbored a bit of worry about Trinkler in the leading Porsche.
“I wanted to play the game smart and certainly not take two Porsches out at the end of the race,” McAleer said. “Credit to him because we touched fenders a few times.”
Gary Ferrera and Kris Wilson, in the No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3, won the Bronze Cup awarded to the top-finishing entry with an all-Bronze rated driver lineup. The No. 11 finished 11th overall.
McAleer Gives Porsche the Win; IMSA Michelin Challenge Pilot Results From Daytona
1/29/22 (via Autoweek.com)
There was rain in the forecast and frigid weather on the way, but both held off long enough for Stevan McAleer to pass and hold off Owen Trinkler in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season opener, the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.
McAleer, co-driving with Eric Filgueiras in the RS1 Porsche 714 GT4, and Trinkler, paired with Ted Giovanis in the Team TGM Porsche 718, had a back-and-forth GS-class battle in the waning moments, with Bill Auberlen, co-driving with Dillon Machavern in the Turner BMW M4 GT4, looking on with interest, thinking that if the battle up front became more physical, third might not be a bad place to be.
But the two Porsches raced clean and McAleer came home 4.6 seconds ahead of Trinkler in the race that featured a 47-car field.
“The car was fantastic,” said McAleer. “I had an absolute blast out there. We didn’t put a foot wrong today.”
Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports & Stevan McAleer Pair Up for 2022 GTD Season
1/12/22
MERCEDES-BENZ: ATLANTA, GA - January 12, 2022 - Six Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries will defend last year’s historic Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the 60th running of North America’s premier 24-hour race, January 26 – 30, at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). The six Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams compete in next weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 three-day test and qualifying event, January 21 – 23, before returning to DIS a week later for the season-opening IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race, which begins Saturday, January 29, at 1:40 p.m. EST and ends 24 hours later on Sunday, January 30, at 1:40 p.m. EST.
The half dozen Mercedes-AMG competitors are part of a blockbuster race that will see IMSA make some history of its own this year at Daytona. In addition to marking the 60th running of the Rolex 24 with a full field of 60 cars, IMSA also introduces the new GTD Pro class at the Daytona opener.
While the traditional Pro-Am format of the original GTD division that debuted in 2014 continues, GTD Pro showcases top-ranked professional sports car drivers from around the world competing in machinery similar to the cars used in GTD.
Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports builds on an encouraging partial season debut with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing in 2021 with the team’s first full-season GTD campaign in the No. 32 Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The No. 32 team’s Rolex 24 debut will see full-season co-drivers Mike Skeen and Stevan McAleer co-drive with 2022 Endurance Cup teammate Guy Cosmo and Daytona addition Scott Andrews.
In addition to the strong entry of Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams for the Rolex 24, four Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams compete at Daytona in the traditional season-opening IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge four-hour race that sets the stage for the Rolex 24 on Friday. News on competing Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams entered in the top-tier Grand Sport (GS) class for the Daytona opener will be announced in the coming days.
Team preparations for the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona officially begin at Daytona International Speedway, January 21 -23, with the traditional Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona for both WeatherTech Championship and Pilot Challenge teams. The three-day weekend test also includes a 100-minute qualifying race to set the Rolex 24 field that closes out the Roar on Sunday.
The 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona official schedule begins Wednesday, January 26, with a one-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge practice session. Four WeatherTech Championship practice sessions are scheduled over Thursday and Friday in addition to GS qualifying Thursday and the four-hour season-opening Pilot Challenge race Friday at 1:35 p.m. EST.
The 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona starts at 1:40 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 29, with live coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. EST on the flagship NBC network.
JDC MotorSports to field Robillard Racing # 43 entry in IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship in 2022
1/6/22
Savage, MN (January 6th, 2022) JDC MotorSports announced today that it will enter Robillard Racing's # 43 Duqueine D08 for Joe Robillard alongside long-time regular team mate Stevan McAleer in the 2022 Prototype Challenge Championship. The pair already raced together since 2018 in several IMSA championships.
"Ecstatic to be back with Joe Robillard again in the IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship. I feel we have some unfinished business in this series and I am looking forward to having another shot at the title with Joe and the JDC team. Certainly we made some big changes for 2022 and I am delighted to see Robillard Racing join JDC MotorSports for this 2022 season. Their mass of prototype experience, class wins and podiums in pretty much every IMSA Championship and Class they have and are competing in, including overall wins in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship Series, this is a great fit for us to get that little extra speed that I feel we have been missing at times in the last couple of seasons. The opening event is in two weeks and can't wait to get going round the banks of Daytona International Speedway again". Said Stevan McAleer.
"Stevan and I are excited to join efforts with JDC MotorSports. Their experience and expertise will give us a great shot at success. Stevan brings his amazing driving and I bring enthusiasm. With JDC, we should have some good results in 2022". Commented Joe Robillard.
"We are looking forward to partner with Joe and Stevan for the 2022 IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship," said John Church managing partner of JDC MotorSports. "Steven is a proven race winner and he and Joe scored several podiums in the past, so for sure they will be candidate for podiums and race wins every weekend and hopefully will have a run at the championship in 2022. They know the car, tracks and have raced together for quite some time now so the consistency they bring to the program will be a big plus in 2022. "Church continued.
The 2022 Prototype Challenge Championship kicks off Jan 21 - Jan 23 at Daytona International Speedway as part of the "Roar Before the Rolex 24" with a three hours race.