Catalano Captures Win in Entertaining CTMP Opener

The three key contenders in the headlining LMP3 class delivered an entertaining opening 45-minute race to the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

At the end, championship leader Valentino Catalano in the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 Nissan returned to the top for his fourth win of the season in seven rounds.

The complexion of the race changed before it even started with Catalano’s Gebhardt teammate, Oscar Tunjo in his No. 31 Duqueine, moved to the rear of the P3 field from pole following a technical infraction discovered in post-qualifying technical inspection. That promoted Jonathan Woolridge to pole in the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320 Nissan, with Catalano second and Tunjo back in fifth.

Woolridge led early but Tunjo made his way back to third behind Catalano. Catalano made a bold pass on Woolridge for the lead on Lap 8. He passed Woolridge around the outside of the right-handed Turn 8, which set him up to have the inside for the subsequent left-handed Turn 9.

Tunjo followed through for second four laps later on Lap 12 and emerged just over three seconds behind Catalano and began his pursuit.

The phrase “driving the wheels off the car” can be used colloquially to describe a driver gaining pace on their rival.

In Tunjo’s case, the phrase was first metaphorical – he closed from three seconds to within three tenths of a second on Lap 18 – and then literal, when a lap later his left front tire and wheel departed the No. 31 car exiting Turn 10 onto the front straight.

That brought out a full-course caution which closed the field. Absent his teammate, Catalano brought home the win by 2.331 seconds over Woolridge with Bronze Cup winner Brian Thienes third in his No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier.

The GTDX and GSX classes were straightforward affairs, with both pole-sitters leading flag-to-flag en route to victory. However, drama in both classes occurred for the final podium places.

In GTDX, Jake Walker enjoyed a successful race with his fourth win in the last five races aboard the No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 and won by 12.440 seconds.

Behind them, the championship complexion changed after the restart inside the final 10 minutes. Title rivals AJ Muss (No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3) and Adam Adelson (No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R) collided exiting Turn 10, with Muss assessed a 10-second post-race time penalty for incident responsibility to drop from second to third.

Adelson was promoted to second, which unofficially gives him the championship lead by 20 points over Muss.

Samantha Tan (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3) marked her return to her home country venue at CTMP with the Bronze Cup win in fourth.

GSX was similarly controlled by championship leader Kiko Porto in his No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, who took his fifth win of the season by 8.597 seconds.

The team recovered from missing most of the first practice session on Friday due to a mechanical issue that Porto explained nearly set him back on his first visit to CTMP.

Steven Clemons finished second in his No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 while Chris Walsh leapt to third and the Bronze Cup win in his No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS following a last-lap issue for Ian Porter in his No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, who slowed on course and dropped to eighth in GSX.

Sunday’s second VP Racing Challenge race of the weekend is at 11:10 a.m. ET and local time, streaming on Peacock, IMSA.TV and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.

RESULTS: Race 1