Andretti Autosport Claims Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race 1 Victory at LVMS

Andretti Autosport Claims Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race 1 Victory at LVMS

The first of two 60 minute SprintX races saw Vesko Kozarov (SprintX West Am) and the #91 Rearden Racing Audi R8 LMS GT4 led the field to the green flag with Colin Mullan (SprintX Pro-Am) and the #36 Andretti Autosport McLaren 570S GT4 and James Sofronas (SprintX Am) in the #2 GMG Racing Porsche 718 Cayman CS MR chasing in the second and third positions.

With 45 minutes remaining in the race, Jon Miller (SprintX West Pro-Am) and the #28 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4 would sneak past Matt Travis (SprintX Pro-Am) and the #46 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman CS MR for fourth position, with Matt Keegan (SprintX Am) and the #51 Panoz Avezzano GT4 starting to attack Travis for fifth. 

After the mandatory pit stops for driver changes were complete with 25 minutes remaining, Jarrett Andretti (SprintX Pro-Am) would nip Jeff Burton (SprintX West Am) and the #91 Rearden Racing Audi R8 LMS GT4 for the lead with Jason Hart (SprintX Pro-Am) and the #47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman CS MR up to third overall. 

Andretti would go on to win by over four seconds to his closest competitor.  “My whole family is back home so it’s great to take the win for them. Colin [Mullan] put in a perfect first stint and handed me a great car, the team executed perfectly during the pit stop, and that was that.  A really great race all around,” said Andretti. 

It has been a very good weekend so far!  This is a brand new car for the team and on the long runs the car is  really good and we’re very happy with the win.  I look forward to race 2!” said Andretti’s co-driver, Colin Mullan. 

 With 23 minutes remaining Hart would sneak past Burton for second overall, where he would finish, going into turn 3.

With 13 minutes remaining Harry Gottsacker (SprintX West Pro-Am) in the #28 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4, Trent Hindman (SprintX West Pro-Am)  in the #77 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 718 Caymans CS MR, and Guy Cosmo (SprintX Pro-Am)  in the #89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT4 would all get past Burton as the Audi driver would go wide at turn 12, giving away the third, fourth, and fifth positions.

Four minutes later Trent Hindman would then power past Gottsacker for third overall where he would finish, while also claiming the SprintX West Pro-Am victory.  Guy Cosmo would then sneak past Gottsacker for fourth overall, third in the SprintX Pro-Am class, where he would finish.  Gottsacker would later face a time penalty and be demoted to ninth overall, second in the SprintX West Pro-Am class.

After struggling with tire wear for most of the race Jeff Burton and the #91 Rearden Racing Audi R8 LMS GT4 would nurse the car home and finish fifth overall, taking the SprintX West Am win, unofficially claiming the championship.  Gregory Leifooghe (SprintX Pro-Am) would bring the #19 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M4 GT4 home sixth overall, fourth in class.

Preston Calvert would finish seventh overall, first in the SprintX Am class, in the #51 Panoz Avezzano GT4 with Anthony Lazzaro and the #64 Rearden Racing Mercedes AMG GT4 finishing eighth overall, second in the SprintX Am class.

Jason Bell and the #2 GMG Racing Porsche 718 Cayman CS MR would round out the top ten, just behind the penalized Gottsacker.

Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race 2 goes green on Sunday, October 20th @ 11:10am PT, streaming live at https://www.gt4-america.com/watch-liveThe series closes out its 2019 season in Las Vegas – the weekend is sponsored by R.U.N – The First Live Action Thriller Produced by Cirque du Soleil.

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SPRINTX RACE RESULTS - PDF Link