Catalano, Porto Seal Titles in First Race at Road Atlanta

Provided they started the first of two IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge races Thursday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Valentino Catalano and Kiko Porto would unofficially clinch their respective championships.

The class leaders in LMP3 and GSX did so with ease in the first of two 45-minute races at the track, although only one of them won the race itself.

In P3 and overall, Catalano, driving the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 Nissan, finished second to his teammate Oscar Tunjo in the sister No. 31 Gebhardt Duqueine.

Tunjo, back after missing the Virginia International Raceway triple-header due to a schedule conflict, finished ahead by 5.389 seconds after leading the entire race from the pole.

Series debutante Lucas Fecury finished third in the No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P320 Nissan, with the team making its first start since the Daytona opener in January.

The battle in GTDX continued as Jake Walker (No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3) kept his hot streak alive with his fifth consecutive victory, eighth this season, leading home Adelson in the No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R by 3.714 seconds.

Adelson led the opening 17 laps but ran wide exiting Turn 7, which opened the door for Walker to scythe through.

Nonetheless, Adelson will wrap the GTDX title so long as he starts Friday morning’s second race of the weekend.

Porto was the one presumptive champion to take the checkered flag first on Thursday, taking the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 to his eighth victory of the season en route to winning in GSX by 14.714 seconds.

Porto passed Steven Clemons’ No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota on Lap 3 and took control of the race.

Bronze Cup winners Thursday included Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier), Samantha Tan (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3) and Allen Patten (No. 21 Thunder Bunny Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO).

Thienes, Tan and Ian Porter (No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota) have unofficially clinched the Bronze Cup titles in their respective classes, as well.

Patten finished second among all GSX entries ahead of fellow VP Racing Challenge first-timer Jon Brel, another Bronze Cup-entered driver in the No. 53 Kingpin Racing Toyota.

The race had three full-course cautions, two for a GSX car off course and one more for debris on track.

The final race of the VP Racing Challenge season is Friday at 8:30 a.m. EST.

RESULTS: Race 1