Westphal Makes Last-Lap Pass for Laguna Win

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Jeff Westphal made a last-lap pass on Trent Hindman to claim victory and keep CarBahn with Peregrine Racing’s championship hopes alive heading into next month’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season finale.

Westphal — on a single-stop strategy — pressured Hindman’s Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in the closing laps of the two-hour race, with the defending GS champion making the pass on the front straight with the white flag in the air.

He took his No. 39 Audi R8 LMS GT4 to a 0.757-second victory over Hindman’s Aston, who was on a two-stop race.

Westphal and Tyler McQuarrie have now closed to within 15 points of leaders Kyle Marcelli and Nate Stacy, who finished third in their No. 60 KohR Motorsports Aston Martin.

The No. 4 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Nico Bastian and Russell Ward was classified fourth.

Robby Foley and Vinny Barletta, who jumped into Turner Motorsport’s No. 95 BMW M4 GT4 after crashing his primary car in practice on Friday, completed the top-five overall and in GS.

An accident for Frank DePew in the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R brought out one of several early full course cautions.

Trouble also struck the early race contending No. 40 PF Racing Ford Mustang GT4 of James Pesek, who stopped on track while under the yellow for DePew’s accident.

BHA Wins Again; Chaves, Norman Take Over Points Lead

TCR class honors went to the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Veloster N TCR of Ryan Norman and Gabby Chaves following an incident-filled race that saw two of the four BHA cars wiped out at the start.

It marked the duo’s third class win of the season and sixth out of nine races for the team.

Norman and Chaves take over the points lead as a result, four points over Michael Lewis and Mason Filippi, who along with pole-sitter Harry Gottsacker, were involved in the multi-car accident, putting all of BHA’s hopes on its Nos. 33 and 29 entries.

Chaves finished 9.333 seconds ahead of the No. 61 Road Shagger Racing Audi RS 3 LMS TCR of Jon Morley, with Parker Chase completing the podium in the No. 29 BHA Hyundai.

RESULTS: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 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