Liddell Wins VIR Fuel Mileage Thriller

Photo: Rick Dole/IMSA

Robin Liddell and Frank DePew came out on top of Saturday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway, in a fuel mileage thriller.

Liddell, who took the final-lap restart in third, crossed the line 0.684 seconds ahead of the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 of Robby Foley after the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Jeff Westphal ran out of fuel on the final lap.

Westphal lost the lead to Liddell, who made contact with the No. 27 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Scott Andrews and Westphal on the restart, resulted in no further action from race control.

He then passed Westphal for the lead at Oak Tree Corner just moments before Westphal ran out of fuel in a dramatic end to Saturday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race.

The No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with Aerosport Ford Mustang GT4 of Joey Hand and Jenson Altzman completed the podium in third, ahead of the No. 92 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 in fourth and the No. 47 Nolasport Porsche, which completed the top-five.

It marked Rebel Rock Racing’s second consecutive Pilot Challenge victory with its Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R after inheriting the win at Road America last time out.

TCR class honors went to the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller Motorsports Audi RS 3 LMS TCR of Mikey Taylor and Chris Miller, which edged out a pair of Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR cars for the class win.

Taylor completed the final 1 hour and 9 minutes on a single fuel load, having capitalized on the final yellow for the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR that crashed in the hands of Tim Lewis Jr. with eight minutes to go.

It set up a one-lap shootout to the finish in both classes.

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