Catalano, Porto seal titles in VP Racing Challenge Race 1

Provided they started the first of two IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge races Thursday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Valentino Catalano and Kiko Porto would unofficially clinch their respective championships. The class leaders in Le Mans Prototype 3 and Grand Sport X did so with ease in the first of two 45-minute races at the track, although only one of them won the race itself.

In P3 and overall, Catalano, driving the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, finished second to his teammate Oscar Tunjo in the sister No. 31 Gebhardt Duqueine.

“It’s the first year for me in America to be able to race here, and to win straightaway in my first year and in such a cool place like here in Road Atlanta, is really amazing for me,” Catalano said. “I really enjoyed the race here and it's really cool to be back. Special to win as a German driver with a German team.”

Tunjo, back after missing the VIRginia International Raceway tripleheader due to a schedule conflict, finished ahead by 5.389 seconds after leading the entire race from the pole. Series debutante Lucas Fecury finished third in the No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P320, with the team making its first start since the Daytona opener in January.

“We were a bit unlucky at CTMP, so it was good to be back here and deliver the win for Gebhardt,” added Tunjo, who scored his second win of the year, first since Mid-Ohio in June.

The battle in Grand Touring Daytona X continued as Jake Walker (No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3) kept his hot streak alive with his fifth consecutive victory, eighth this season, leading home Adelson in the No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R by 3.714s.

Adelson led the opening 17 laps but ran wide exiting Turn 7, which opened the door for Walker to scythe through. Nonetheless, Adelson will wrap the GTDX title so long as he starts Friday morning’s second race of the weekend.

“Yeah, Adam and I had a great battle,” Walker admitted. “He's super quick. I really had to work hard to try to get around him. He made a mistake, unfortunately, so that ended that battle. But tomorrow will be really good, I'm sure.”

Porto was the one presumptive champion to take the checkered flag first on Thursday, taking the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 to his eighth victory of the season en route to winning in GSX by 14.714s. Porto passed Steven Clemons’ No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 on lap 3 and took control of the race.

“It feels amazing. It feels a consequence of everything the boys from RAFA Racing to put it all together,” Porto said. “I remember getting in the car at Daytona for the first practice. The amount of work they’ve done since then to give me this bullet of a car, all this year. It just a pleasure to be the chosen one to drive the No. 8 car from RAFA Racing. Not much mistake this year from them, so it's just absolutely an honor to represent this group.”

Bronze Cup winners Thursday included Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320, P3), Samantha Tan (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3, GTDX) and Allen Patten (No. 21 Thunder Bunny Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO, GSX). Thienes, Tan and Ian Porter (No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) have unofficially clinched the Bronze Cup titles in their respective classes, as well.

Patten finished second among all GSX entries ahead of fellow VP Racing Challenge first-timer Jon Brel, another Bronze Cup-entered driver in the No. 53 Kingpin Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2.

The race had three full-course cautions, two for a GSX car off course and one more for debris on track.

The final race of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season is Friday morning at 8:30am ET.

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