Auberlen, Foley Double Up at VIR

Photo: Rick Dole/IMSA

Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley doubled up with their second win in as many days at Virginia International Raceway, claiming victory in Sunday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix.

In a near mirror image to Saturday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race, Auberlen took the checkered flag for Turner Motorsport but this time in the team’s No. 95 BMW M4 GT4.

The BMW veteran, who became the winningest driver in IMSA history with his 61st career top-level victory on Saturday, took his first Michelin Pilot Challenge victory of the season in a commanding drive.

Auberlen finished 1.899 seconds ahead of the No. 35 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Jim Cox and Dylan Murry, who was amid a fierce three-way fight for the runner-up position in the closing stages of the two-hour race.

Murry got around the No. 22 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 of Seb Priaulx, who was the last car to pit with 19 minutes to go and initially emerged in second.

However, the second-generation driver faded to fourth at the checkered flag.

Foley ended up with a double podium finish with the No. 96 Turner BMW he shared with Vin Barletta coming home third overall and in the GS class.

Foley jumped into the No. 96 BMW just seconds after handing the No. 95 car over to Auberlen during the first round of pit stops, essentially driving the entire race between two cars.

It marked Foley’s first career Pilot Challenge win.

The No. 7 Archangel Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport of Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman completed the top-five.

Hyundai Podium Sweep Again in TCR

Mason Filippi and Michael Lewis claimed top class honors in TCR, in another podium sweep for Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai.

Filippi took the No. 98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR to a 0.944-second win over the No. 21 car of Mark Wilkins, with Parker Chase finishing third in class in the team’s No. 29 car.

It marked the third consecutive podium sweep for the Korean manufacturer and the first of the season for the Filippi and Lewis pairing.

The No. 73 LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type-R TCR of Mike LaMarra and Mat Pombo was the best finishing non-Hyundai in fourth.

RESULTS: Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix

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