Thompson Takes Race 1 Win in Last-Lap Thriller at COTA

Photo: Porsche

Parker Thompson claimed his first career Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by the Cayman Islands win in a last-lap thriller in Race 1 Sunday at Circuit of The Americas.

The JDX Racing driver got around the No. 3 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Kay van Berlo in the final corner of the final lap to edge out the Dutchman by 0.496 seconds at the line.

It came following a late charge by the Canadian, who lined up second on a restart with ten minutes to go and took advantage of damp but drying conditions to reel in van Berlo’s white-and-green liveried Porsche.

Thompson became the third different winner in as many races this season.

Van Berlo started second on points due to Friday’s rainout of qualifying and quickly got around pole-sitter Seb Priaulx to stretch out into an early lead.

He held early control of the race, despite a charging Thompson, who got around the No. 12 311RS Motorsport entry of Leh Keen on Lap 3 prior to a full-course caution for Bill Smith’s Topp Racing Porsche that was stuck in a gravel trap.

The caution then set up the shootout to the finish.

Priaulx finished third in the No. 3 Kelly-Moss entry followed by Riley Dickinson in the No. 53 Team Hardpoint EBM Porsche and Dylan Murry’s BGB Motorsports machine, which completed the top-five overall.

Keen, who ran as high as second, ended up sixth at the line.

Pro-Am class honors went to the No. 69 BGB Porsche of Thomas Collingwood, who was one of only a few drivers to run on wet-weather Michelin tires.

Collingwood ran inside the top-ten overall for much of the race until the final yellow and restart once the majority of the track had dried out.

Matt Halcome picked up the win in Pro-Am 991 for previous-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machinery, finishing ahead of Pro-Am class championship leader Alan Metni, who was second in class for the new-gen cars.

Race 2 gets underway at 3:05 p.m. CT with live coverage on Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold and Porsche Carrera Cup North America’s official website.

RESULTS: Race 1

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