Auberlen/Walker Dominate Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race 2 from VIR

Auberlen/Walker Dominate Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race 2 from VIR

ALTON, Virginia - Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race 2 went green under sunny and hot skies with Race 1 winner Bill Auberlen and the #82 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 leading the field to the green flag. Andrew Davis in the #2 GMG Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 would settle into second position with the #37 RS1 Porsche Cayman CS MR of Jen Heylen going around the #15 Bsport Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Kenton Koch for the third position during a hectic opening lap.

Heylen would then face a drive through penalty due to avoidable contact and fall to the back of the grid with just over 51 minutes remaining in the 60 minute race. Koch would get third position back with Jon Miller in the #38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4 inheriting fourth overall, first in the Silver class.

14 minutes into the race, Michael Cooper in the #30 Flying Lizard Motorsports McLaren 570S GT4 had already gained 10 positions to tenth overall, sixth in the Pro-Am class as the biggest mover of the race to that point.

By the time the pit window opened for mandatory driver changes, Auberlen had stretched his lead to over 14 seconds.  

When the pit window closed it was the #82, now with James Walker Jr driving, still in the overall and Pro-Am lead with Bryan Putt, now in the #15, jumping the #2 for second.  Samantha Tan, now driving the #38, would emerge as the Silver leader, sitting fourth overall just ahead of her teammate Nick Wittmer in the #28 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4 with the #36 Andretti Autosport McLaren 570S GT4 of Colin Mullan in third.

Sean Gibbons, in the #7 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, would lead in Am, fourteenth overall.  

The #36 would face a drive through penalty for a pit lane speed violation and fall from third in the Silver division.

With 14 minutes to go, the #28 of Nick Wittmer would also need to serve a drive through penalty for a pit lane infringement and drop from second in the Silver division to fourth with Chandler Hull in the #26 Classic BMW M4 GT4 inheriting the position.  Tim Barber in the #25 CCR Team TFB BMW M4 GT4 would slot in third in class, eighth overall.

A few minutes later Hull would be right on the tail of Tan, then slip by into the lead of the Silver division on the inside of turn 1 with 8 minutes to go.

With under 3 minutes to go Barber would get past Tan on the inside of turn 3 for second in the Silver division, seventh overall.

Walker Jr would cruise to the overall and Pro-Am race victory by over 9 seconds.  Bryan Putt would come home second with Jason Bell, in the #2 GMG Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, third.

Chandler Hull would claim the Silver division win with Tim Barber coming home second and Samantha Tan third.  “It seems like we’ve been stuck in second place, so it feels great to get to that top step! Chandler did a great job to bring it home!” said Toby Grahovec.  “This is my first professional win, so I’m very excited.  A big thanks to Toby and the team for getting me in the seat, it feels great to be here,” said Hull.  

Kris Wilson in the #16 Rearden Racing Mercedes AMG GT4 would win the Am division, finishing an impressive eighth overall.  Sean Gibbon in the #7 NOLASPORT entry would finish second with Tom Collingwood in the #69 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 grabbing the final podium position.

Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race 3, the Long Beach make-up event, takes place on Sunday, July 12th at 10:00am ET streaming live at https://www.gt4-america.com/live.  Listen along via SiriusXM channel 393 and app channel 984.

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GT4X Race 2 Provisional Results - PDF Link