BSport Aston Martin Claims Victory In Action-Packed Race 2 from VIR

BSport Aston Martin Claims Victory In Action-Packed Race 2 from VIR
  • Bsport Racing win overall and in Pro-Am
  • Classic BMW claim Silver win
  • Capstone Mercedes-AMG sneaks into Am victory
  • GT4 America Race 2

Alton, Virginia - The #15 BSport Racing Aston Martin of Kenton Koch and Bryan Putt broke NOLASPORT’s reign on the Pro-Am division and claimed their first victory of the season in a hectic and action-packed Round 6 from VIRginia International Raceway. “I’m overwhelmed, I had tears out there,” said Putt, “The team is fantastic and I couldn’t be happier, I’m thrilled.”

I’ve been working with Bryan for five years now and it’s an incredible feeling for the team,” said Koch.

John Capestro-Dubets and the #52 Auto Technic BMW led the field to the green flag with Kenton Koch’s #15 BSport Aston Martin leaping from third to second around the #119 BMW as the field approached the technical turns 3-4-5 complex. Bill Auberlen and the #34 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 and Spencer Pumpelly in the #66 TRG LaSalle Solutions Porsche would slot into fourth and fifth overall as Pro-Am competitors sat in positions 1-6 at the start of the 60 minute competition.

Ten minutes into the race saw misfortune for some front runners as Auberlen’s #34 BMW would hit pitlane to an apparent engine issue while running fourth overall and Saturday’s winner Christian Syzmczak’s #72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG would stop on track while leading in the Silver class, bringing out the first full course caution of the day handing the Silver-class lead to the #71 KTM of Mads Siljehaug.

The race would get back to green with 46 minutes left on the clock and would see the #15 Aston Martin slip past the #52 for the overall and Pro-Am lead going into Turn 3 with the #119 remaining third overall and the #66 fourth.

On the next lap Aaron Povoledo’s #88 Mercedes-AMG would get past Pumpelly going into T1 while just ahead the power of the BMW would see the second-place #52 BMW re-challenge Koch’s #15 Aston Martin for the lead as the #119 BMW of Gregory Leifooghe stalked in third. 

Six minutes later the #52 would use the straight line advantage of the BMW and slip stream past the #15 for the overall lead down the back straight named Madison Avenue as the two leading machines would continue their back and forth battle.

As the pit window for required driver changes closed with 25 minutes remaining, the #15 BSport Aston Martin, now with Bryan Putt driving, took over the overall and Pro-Am lead with a perfect pitstop with the #66 TRG Porsche, with Derek DeBoer driving, running second and the #119 Stephen Cameron BMW, now with Sean Quinlan behind the wheel, sitting third.

With 21 minutes left on the clock, the #119 and #66 would make contact going into Turn 1, spinning the #66 with the #119 continuing second overall and #52 BMW of Tom Capizzi third. Championship leaders in the #47 NOLASPORT Porsche, now with Matt Travis piloting, would move into fourth overall after starting the race twelfth. 

On the next lap however, the #119 would pull off course due to an apparent issue caused by the contact on the previous lap, giving second place to the #52 and third overall to the #47. Later in the lap the Silver-class leading #71 would spin off track at the upper esses, giving the class lead, fourth overall, to the #11 Classic BMW M4 GT4 of Stevan McAleer. Soon thereafter the second safety car of the day was called as the #34 BimmerWorld entry stopped on track, taking away a 7-second advantage the #15 had at the front of the field.

The race went back to green with 10 minutes remaining with the Putt-driven Aston Martin getting a great jump on its rivals with the #11 BMW moving from fourth to second overall, still first in Silver. The #52 BMW would slide off track at turn 4, dropping through the field with the #47 of Travis inheriting second in Pro-Am and #66 of DeBoer third in class, fourth overall. 

A third safety car was called as the #71 KTM and #24 Heart of Racing Aston Martin would collide at Turn 1, giving massive damage to the KTM, ending their race. Prior to the safety car, the #16 Capstone Mercedes of Kris Wilson would get past the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota for the Am lead with a daring inside pass at Oak Tree.

The race would end under caution giving the overall and Pro-Am victory to the #15 Bsport Racing Aston Martin with the #47 NOLASPORT Porsche second and #66 TRG LaSalle Solutions Porsche third.

The #11 Classic BMW entry would claim the Silver class win with the #22 CCR Racing/Team TFB BMW second and #94 BimmerWorld BMW third in class.

The Am win would go to the #16 Capstone Mercedes with the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota second and #98 Random Vandals BMW third.

Pirelli GT4 America teams now enter the summer break with the season returning for Rounds 7 and 8 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 27-29.