Catalano, Tunjo Win First Airbnb Endurance Challenge Race

Seeing Oscar Tunjo and Valentino Catalano on the top step of the podium usually isn’t a surprise, but it wasn’t the finish anyone anticipated as the final minutes wound down in the two-hour IMSA Airbnb Endurance Challenge at Sebring International Raceway on Sunday.

The No. 1 Gebhardt Motorsport USA entry inherited the win after the leading No. 95 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325 Toyota suffered a fuel pump failure with just minutes remaining.

Tunjo had a strong start, but second-fastest qualifier Lincoln Day never let him get too far ahead. In an effort to reel him in, Day was posting impressive laps. But shortly after setting the then-fastest lap of the race approximately 30 minutes in, Day pushed too hard and spun in Turn 3, allowing Tunjo to extend his lead to nine seconds.

Tunjo led every lap of his stint of just over an hour on the 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course before the No. 1 Gebhardt Duqueine D08 Nissan team left a tire unattended during its pit stop, resulting in a drive-through penalty.

With Catalano taking over piloting duties of the No. 1 LMP3 car, the team quickly served the penalty, which proved timely as the first and only full-course yellow of the race came out during the trip down pit lane.

With Day completing the team’s driver change a little earlier, the caution put co-driver Wyatt Brichacek at the front of the field with the lapped car of Tom Long – who had taken over driving duties of the No. 18 Forbush Performance Ligier P320 Nissan – between him and Catalano.

Brichacek made the most of the situation, opening a gap of more than seven seconds to Catalano, but Catalano continued to push and was slowly closing the gap when the No. 95 unexpectedly slowed with four minutes (two laps) remaining in the race.

It was later determined that a fuel pump failure dropped the team to a sixth-place finish.

It was Patrick Kujala in the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier who applied pressure on Catalano. Kujala and co-driver Brian Thienes finished second overall and first in Bronze Cup after a strong race.

Garret Grist and Ari Balogh completed the overall podium in the No. 30 Toney Driver Development Ligier.

The Airbnb Endurance Challenge is comprised of four, two-hour races for the LMP3 class of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.

The LMP3 class will be joined for the remaining three endurance events by the BMW M2 Racing class starting at Circuit of The Americas on May 7-9.

RESULTS: Race