ALTON, Va. – The duo of Stevan McAleer and Toby Grahovec had an impressive performance last month at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) with two podium finishes in the No. 11 Fast Track Racing/Classic BMW BMW M4 GT4 sports car in a scheduled one-off race in the Pirelli GT4 America competition.
So, Eric Maas, president of Classic BMW, told the guys to take the squad’s BMW M4 GT4 machine to VIRginia International Raceway in search of a victory in the Silver class at the fast 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course this weekend. And the pair didn’t disappoint with a brilliant drive to the winner’s circle Sunday in the 60-minute, two-driver contest.
After a second and third at COTA, McAleer and Grahovec again showed speed with their Fast Track Racing-prepared BMW M4 in the first practice and consistently moved to the top of the charts including battling for the lead in Saturday’s GT4 SprintX event. A small technical issue hurt their chances for the overall win, but they claimed the second position in the Silver category to continue their podium record.
In Sunday’s Pirelli GT4 America feature, Grahovec held a solid slot in the early portions of the event until McAleer then made the charge to the front of the field. A late-race caution hurt Stevan’s chances for an overall victory, but the team scored their first 2021 Silver Class triumph in sensational fashion.
“Stevan drove awesome this weekend and especially in today’s race,” said Grahovec after Sunday’s class victory. “The Fast Track Racing crew were outstanding preparing the car and then running an excellent strategy for us. I’m so proud how this team worked so hard to give us a strong car.”
McAleer, the veteran racer from Cold Spring, N.Y., put in a tremendous effort as he drove through the most of the GT4 field to take the Silver category win Sunday.
“Toby did a great job in the car this weekend and he handled off the car in great shape,” said McAleer, the Scotland native. “I was able to move up in my stint and we got to the class lead when the caution period came out. We made the most of our opportunities and things paid off. I want to thank Eric (Maas) for giving me the chance to race with Toby again in the BMW M4 GT4 car. This crew is an excellent squad and I hope we continue to race more GT4 America events.”
The Pirelli GT4 America future event on the SRO America calendar is scheduled for August 27-29 at the legendary Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
The VIR Pirelli GT4 America highlights will be televised on Sunday (June 13) at 3:30 p.m. EDT.