VP Challenge Set for Triple-Header Weekend at VIR

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge is set for a rare triple-header weekend at Virginia International Raceway, with Race 2 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park set to be made-up over the course of this weekend.

IMSA officials have worked to integrate the third race into a revised weekend schedule, of which the VP Racing Challenge is the only one of five IMSA-sanctioned series racing featuring prototype action on the Michelin GT Challenge event program.

With the new schedule, the third race of the weekend – the CTMP Race 2 postponement – has been added to Sunday at 9:35 a.m. ET. The two VP Racing Challenge races originally set for VIR take place Friday at 4:55 p.m. and Saturday at 12:25 p.m.

In LMP3 Valentino Catalano (No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 Nissan) leads Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320 Nissan) by 240 points (2,260 to 2,020). Catalano will have a new teammate this weekend with Swedish driver Alexzander Kristiansson in the No. 31 Gebhardt Duqueine.

The GTDX remains the closest championship battle. Adam Adelson in his No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R leads AJ Muss in the No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 by just 20 points. However, with Muss absent from the entry list this weekend, four-time GTDX winner Jake Walker may continue making inroads.

After trailing Adelson by 480 points after barely getting to race at Daytona – a wreck during qualifying caused enough damage to the No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 that Walker was unable to start Race 1 and had to retire after completing just four laps in Race 2 – Walker has closed 180 points with four wins in the last five races. At 300 points behind, two or three more wins this weekend could enhance his chance at the season finale weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

GSX remains the domain of RAFA Racing, with Kiko Porto scoring his fifth win in seven races in the No. 8 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 at CTMP and extending his championship lead to 340 points – nearly a full race win – ahead of second-placed Steven Clemons in BSI Racing’s No. 76 Toyota. Porto’s RAFA teammate Ian Porter (No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) sits third, 40 behind Clemons.

Bronze Cup leaders in two of the three classes hold healthy leads. Thienes has a 900-point gap in P3 and Samantha Tan (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3) leads by 190 in GTDX. In GSX, Porter leads by 40 points ahead of Chris Walsh (No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport).

VP Racing Challenge teams will practice and qualify Friday before their first race later Friday afternoon. Streaming coverage airs via NBC Sports’ Peacock in the U.S. and on IMSA.TV and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel outside the U.S.