Kellymoss came away from the Lone Star Enduro at Circuit of The Americas with plenty to take forward after a chaotic three-hour race that threw just about everything at the team.
The No. 76 Kellymoss entry of Erika Hoffmann and Riley Dickinson finished fifth in the Silver class after one of the standout drives of the race. Dickinson stepped in on short notice following Jack Parriott’s qualifying incident, with no practice or qualifying laps before the three-hour event. Starting deep in the field, Dickinson made up nearly half the grid in the opening four laps, and the pairing even led the race at one point.
“What a race,” said Dickinson. “I was told only a few hours before the start that I would be stepping in. Of course, it was unfortunate what happened with Jack in qualifying, and I wish him all the best. I was excited to get the opportunity and jump straight into the race with no practice and no qualifying.”
Dickinson also credited the team, Hoffmann, and NOLASPORT for the effort required to make the race happen.
“Those first few laps were some of the best opening laps I have had in a long time,” he continued. “Erika drove incredibly well throughout the race. We had a full-course yellow near the end that bunched everyone back up, and I believe we would have been in contention for a podium. Considering that the car came from NOLASPORT only a couple of hours before the race, and the crew worked so quickly to get it ready, it was a tremendous effort from everyone involved. We were even practicing driver changes during the grid walk, which made for a memorable moment. A huge thank you to everyone at Kellymoss for the opportunity, and great job to Erika. It is great to see how much she is progressing through the GT4 ranks.”
For Hoffmann, the result capped a whirlwind weekend.
“First, I am really glad that Jack is doing okay,” said Hoffmann. “It was great to have Riley step in at the last minute, and I am very grateful to NOLASPORT for providing us with a car. It was an incredible gesture and a great example of the sportsmanship within this paddock.”
“It was definitely an emotional rollercoaster of a weekend,” she added. “At one point we were not racing, then we were racing, then we were starting last, and at one point we were leading. I am very proud of the team for how hard they worked to prepare the car, and I am grateful to Riley for stepping in. Overall, it was a solid performance for us.”
Connect Invest played an instrumental role behind the scenes, going above and beyond to help acquire a car that allowed Kellymoss to stay in the fight and continue earning valuable championship points. Their support proved crucial in turning a difficult situation into a resilient team effort.
The No. 24 Kellymoss entry of Ashley Freiberg and Loni Unser finished sixth in the Silver class after showing consistent pace throughout the race. The pair were in position for a stronger result before Freiberg received a penalty for contact with a competitor in the closing stages.
“Our car was very strong today,” said Freiberg. “I am proud of the entire crew. They gave us an incredible car, and that showed in our pace, consistency, and pit stops. Loni did a great job as well.”
“I am disappointed with what happened and sorry for the contact,” she continued. “All we can do is take what we learned here and shift our focus to Sebring. Ultimately, we feel optimistic because we are starting to see the pace we have and how well we are working together as a team. It was unfortunate, but we have to keep moving forward. That is racing.”
Unser also pointed to the positives from the weekend.
“Overall, the weekend was fantastic,” said Unser. “Working with the Kellymoss crew was great, and we showed a lot of promise all weekend. The race did not go exactly as planned, but we dealt with the circumstances we were given. I am happy because we showed that we can fight at the front, and I am excited to carry this momentum into Sebring. A big thank you to all of my sponsors, Speedway Motors, PenFed, Acumatica, Porsche Colorado Springs, Shift Up Now, PAGID, and Sabelt, for their continued support.”
In Pro-Am, Eric Filgueiras and Tom Kopczynski finished seventh after a challenging weekend that began with a switch to a backup car following an incident during testing. Despite losing valuable track time, both drivers were able to make up ground during the race and claw their way back through the field.
“The weekend was a challenge for us from the beginning, as we had to move straight to a backup car following an incident during testing,” said Filgueiras. “That cost us crucial track time, especially for Tom. Every lap he gets is valuable in his first year in GT4 America, and for me, it was also important to confirm the changes we had made to the car.”
“We were on a very condensed timeline,” he added. “From there, we focused on making the most of the race. This is all part of the learning process for Tom, and I think he saw the value of patience today. We were still able to salvage a decent finish after an early on-track setback. The team did an amazing job and gave us everything we could have asked for and more. I am really looking forward to Sebring, both personally and for Tom.”
Kopczynski is also looking forward to the next round, where he brings previous experience at Sebring International Raceway.
“I am really looking forward to Sebring,” said Kopczynski. “It is a track where I feel at home and one where I have typically performed well. I have spent many years there through Porsche Sprint Challenge, and with my former race team being based in Florida, I was able to spend a lot of time testing and driving there.”
Kellymoss now turns its attention to Sebring International Raceway, where the team will look to build on the pace and resilience shown in Texas from May 8th to the 10th.