- Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche claims overall and Pro-Am win
- RS1 Porsche scores tenth win clinching Silver championship
- Carrus Callas Toyota tops Am, the eighth different winner this year
- Provisional Results
Indianapolis, Indiana - The Pirelli GT4 America field took to a chilly and windy Midwestern yard of bricks Saturday morning as the opening act to the noontime Indianapolis 8 Hour powered by AWS. Two minor yellow flags created two hectic and hard-fought restarts, with some massive changes in position, slick moves, and serious championship implications. RS1 clinched the championship in Silver, as BimmerWorld did in Am after Sebring, but the fight is still on in Pro-Am.
Silver
Stevan McAleer (#18 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) got the jump when the green flag waved, though his top rival Michai Stephens (#34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4) wasn’t far behind, leading to a bumper-to-bumper battle during the entire first stint.
After the baton was passed to RS1’s Eric Filgueiras and Conquest’s Gavin Sanders, Sanders got the jump out of pit lane and stole the lead. However, Filgueiras had all the momentum just a few corners later, passing Sanders. He held onto P1 in class for the remainder of the race.
Across the line it was Filgueiras, Sanders, and Zack Anderson (#51 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4). Anderson put on a strong showing himself, even after a minor incident between his co-driver Austen Smith and Tim Horrell (#10 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4) during the first stint.
“We’ve had such a strong season, “ Filgueiras said. “The times that we didn’t capitalize, it was a big disappointment. All the credit to the RS1 team, Community Beer Works for being on board, Stevan for being a fantastic friend and mentor to me all season long. We have one more race, but what an absolute relief with this championship.
Filgueiras & McAleer are the 2022 Silver Champions with Sanders and Stephens locked in second. The battle for third will be resolved tomorrow between the Smooge Racing duo of Conway and Geesbreght who have a ten point lead over the Auto Technic pairing of Smith and Anderson.
Pro-Am
After an impact between Elias Sabo (#8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4) and Adam Adelson (#120 Premier Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) yesterday in GT America, they were able to return to the grid in GT4 America and put on an intense battle at the front of Pro-Am.
Eight minutes into the race, a yellow flag caused by the #10 BMW going off track and impacting the tire barrier stacked the field, allowing a heated restart to unfold several minutes later. However, the pit lane opened shortly after, so the front of Pro-Am would have to be decided by the #8’s Andy Lee and #120’s Elliot Skeer.
Another full-course yellow flew towards the end of the stint after the #72 Krugpeed Toyota GR Supra GT4 of Anthony Geraci and Jaden Lander experienced a mechanical issue, and became beached in the gravel trap.
What unfolded during that restart was nothing short of impressive: Lee jumped to the outside in the final feet of the front straight, got the jump on top-of-Silver contenders Filgueiras and Sanders, passing them cleanly and built a mighty wall between him and Skeer. Lee would continue on to earn the overall win.
Elsewhere in the stint, a pit lane violation for the #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 (Ross Chouest/Aaron Povoledo) extinguished any of their chances at a Pro-Am podium finish.
The battle to get on the podium with Lee and Skeer was on as well, as the #24 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 (Gray Newell/Ian James) got into a fantastic scrap with the #47 Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (Scott Noble/Jason Hart), plus GMG Racing’s Jay Logan and Alex Premat in the #71 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
At the line, it was Lee, Skeer, and James.
The CrowdStrike Fastest Lap went to the #69 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 of Todd Coleman and Aaron Telitz.
“I haven’t won a race since 2015, I had to celebrate,” Lee said. “I can’t thank this team enough, my co-driver Elias has been working so hard for so long, and I’m just so proud to be standing up here with him.”
Premier Racing closed the points gap to Nolasport from ten to just four, while the win keeps Flying Lizard within a mathematical chance if the leaders falter. It’s all coming down to the checkers in Race 2 on Sunday.
Am
At the start, the #35 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 (Custodio Toledo/Paulo Carcasci) was off and away, but was never quite able to shake the #20 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota GR Supra GT4 (Nick Shanny/Terry Borcheller). In fact the rest of their main class competition was intensely on the prowl for a win.
In the end, after some pressure between them and the #36 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 (Charlie Postins/James Clay)—who’ve clinched the ‘22 season championship—it was the #20 that broke through in the final couple of corners—including a fast pass on Carcasci—under the skilled wheeling of Terry Borcheller.
Carrus Callus is now within striking distance of third place in the championship. They became the eighth different winner this year showcasing the depth of talent within the Pirelli GT4 America Am field.
Race 2 starts at 11:00 AM Eastern on Sunday.
Tickets are available online, offering VIP experiences, car corrals, premium parking, and more.
Can’t make it to the track? Tune in for all of the action on the GTWorld YouTube Channel, as well as on Pirelli GT4 America’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, and Twitter pages.