Liddell, Bell Give Camaro GT4.R First Win at CTMP

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Robin Liddell held off a hard-charging Jesse Lazare to give the Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R its first win in worldwide competition in Saturday’s Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

The Scot took his Stevenson Motorsports Camaro across the line 6.642 seconds ahead of the No. 28 RS1 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR of Dillon Machavern, who stole second on the final lap after Lazare’s No. 69 Motorsport In Action McLaren 570S GT4 slowed with apparent fuel issues.

Liddell took over the lead of the two-hour race after a dominant early run by Lazare’s co-driver, pole-sitter Chris Green, who stretched out to a 18-second advantage prior to the race’s one-and-only full course caution with 1 hour and 11 minute remaining.

The yellow proved to be pivotal, as the No. 69 McLaren was handed a drive-through penalty for failing to slow while under the caution, when Green passed the safety car.

As a result, Lazare dropped to fifth after the penalty, although the Canadian charged back from an 18-second deficit to nearly retake the lead, only to fade to third at the checkered flag.

It marked the first win for the Pratt & Miller-built GT4-spec Camaro in only its third Continental Tire Challenge race, and the first for the John Stevenson-led team since Circuit of The Americas 2015.

The No. 76 C360R McLaren of Paul Holton and Matt Plumb finished fourth, with CJ Wilson Racing’s Marc Miller completing the top-five in the No. 35 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

Miller, who made up ground during the mid-race pit stop, found himself in a fuel conservation run in the final 30 minutes, dropping from third with less than 40 minutes to go.

ST class honors went down to the wire, with Eric Foss taking the win, following late-race contact between his No. 56 Murillo Racing Porsche Cayman and the No. 37 MINI JCW of James Vance while battling for the lead.

The two cars collided in Moss Corner with five minutes to go, knocking Vance out of the lead. 

Owen Trinkler muscled his No.  44 . CRG I-Do-Borrow Nissan Altima to second in class at the line, with Vance’s MINI completing the podium in third.

With their second class win of the season, Foss and co-driver Jeff Mosing extend their championship lead heading into the next round at Lime Rock Park later this month.

RESULTS: CTMP 120

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John