Cameron, Montoya Take Second Straight Win in Detroit Shootout

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya have claimed their second consecutive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship victory for Acura Team Penske in Saturday’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic in Detroit.

The pole-sitting No. 6 Acura ARX-05 held command of the 100-minute street race, marred by five full-course cautions and multiple accidents at the Raceway at Belle Isle.

After an early race-leading run by Montoya, co-driver Cameron took over the lead on Lap 26 when the No. 77 Team Joest Mazda RT24-P of Tristan Nunez, who was on a planned single-stop strategy, pitted while under green.

It came moments before the race’s fourth yellow, for debris from a spin by the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R of Jordan Taylor, which was followed by a crash by Harry Tincknell in the No. 55 Mazda DPi after contact with Stephen Simpson on the restart.

Felipe Nasr closed the gap to Cameron in the final 20-minute shootout, under threatening skies, to take a 0.820-second win over the DPi championship-leading No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R in second. 

Acura became the first non-GM car to win overall in Detroit in WeatherTech Championship history, following a sweep by Corvette DP or Cadillac DPi machinery since 2012.

The No. 7 Acura DPi of Ricky Taylor and Helio Castroneves completed the podium in third, followed by Simpson’s No. 84 JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac DPi, which did not receive a penalty for the contact with Tincknell.

Simpson’s teammate Tristan Vautier completed the top-five overall in the No. 85 JDC-Miller Cadillac DPi.

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi was sixth, ahead of Colin Braun’s CORE autosport Nissan DPi, which was in the mix for a top-five result on the final restart.

It was another race to forget for Mazda, with Tincknell retiring after crash damage and the No. 77 car of Oliver Jarvis forced to make an additional stop after spinning.

Jordan Taylor, who also came in late to replace his car’s rear deck, was classified in 9th, ahead of the Englishman in 10th.

Hawksworth, Heistand Win Again in GT Daytona

AIM Vasser Sullivan picked up its second class win in as many races, with Jack Hawksworth and Richard Heistand taking top class honors in GT Daytona.

Hawksworth took the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 to a 0.828-second win over the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R of Patrick Long.

Long’s co-driver Zach Robichon led from pole, with Hawksworth getting around the Porsche factory driver with 48 minutes to go and holding the position throughout the numerous yellows and restarts.

Townsend Bell made it a double podium for AVS and Lexus, with the No. 12 entry co-driven by Frankie Montecalvo finishing third, ahead of the No. 44 Magnus Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo of Andy Lally in fourth.

Lally benefitted by contact between Bill Auberlen and Christina Nielsen that resulted in a spin for Nielsen’s Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo while battling with fourth in class with eight minutes to go.

Auberlen, meanwhile, slowed in the closing moments, giving way to the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini of Bryan Sellers to complete the top-five in class.

It came despite an opening lap accident by Sellers’ co-driver Ryan Hardwick, who was hit by the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 of Cooper MacNeil, which was the race’s first retirement.

RESULTS: Chevrolet Sports Car Classic

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