Weekend Racing Roundup, 6.30

This week’s Weekend Racing Roundup will mainly focus on the North American series. IMSA Cooper Tires Prototype Lites, IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup and Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Series were all supporting the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen, while the Mazda MX-5 Cup raced with Indycar in Houston. Meanwhile in Europe the Supercar Challenge went to Zolder.

IMSA Cooper Tires Prototype Lites
Mikhail Goikhberg swept the weekend at Watkins Glen as well, for his fourth and fifth wins in six series races this season. The first race ended under caution and a late caution in the second race wiped out a 13-plus second lead Goikhberg had built up.

Four separate drivers claimed the remaining overall podium positions; Ludovico Manfredi (race one) and Jerome Mee (race two) secured the L2 class victories.

Race 1 – 1. JDC Motorsports (Mikhail Goikhberg), 2. Performance Tech Motorsports (Robert Alon), 3. Ferrari of Houston Race Team (Richard Fant)
Race 2 – 1. JDC Motorsports (Mikhail Goikhberg), 2. Comprent Motor Sports (Andrew Novich), 3. Performance Tech Motorsports (Hayden Duerson)

IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup USA
Colin Thompson captured the weekend sweep at Watkins Glen International in style, with his first two career wins both coming courtesy of last-lap passes on the same driver.

In Friday’s first race, Thompson passed Angel Benitez Jr. following a three-wide maneuver to the inside heading into the final turn. On Saturday, he pulled the encore albeit earlier in the lap, completing a pass on Benitez before the “Boot.” Thompson now leads Benitez 116-112 in the championship standings.

Race 1 – 1. Kelly-Moss Motorsports (Colin Thompson), 2. Formula Motorsport/Avid Motorsport (Angel Benitez Jr.), 3. Competition Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian (Michael Lewis)
Race 2 – 1. Kelly-Moss Motorsports (Colin Thompson), 2. Formula Motorsport/Avid Motorsport (Angel Benitez Jr.), 3. Wright Motorsports (Kasey Kuhlman)

Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Series
The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Series saw a record grid of 17 cars on hand at Watkins Glen, with John Farano (race one) and Kevin Conway (race two) splitting the victories.

Farano took the lead in race one when Victor Gonzalez spun in the Bus Stop; it was his first win of the year after scoring three podiums in the first four races. Conway led a pair of Change Racing-entered cars, himself and Gonzalez, for a 1-2 in race two.

Eighteen-year-old Cody Ware finished third in both events. Weekend guest drivers Ryan Eversley and Ray Mason scored a podium in race one, while Scott Speed and Lee Davis failed to crack the top 10 in either race.

Race 1 – 1. Jota Corse (John Farano), 2. Mitchum Motorsports (Ryan Eversley/Ray Mason), 3. Rick Ware Racing (Cody Ware)
Race 2 – 1. Change Racing (Kevin Conway), 2. Change Racing (Victor Gonzalez), 3. Rick Ware Racing (Cody Ware)

Mazda MX-5 Cup
Keeping with the North American “sweep theme” this weekend, Kenton Koch pulled off the same feat on the streets of Houston for Alara Racing.

Koch won race one over John Dean by 23-plus seconds; Dean drove most of the race with a busted brake master cylinder. Koch won the less humid race two from Dean’s Sick Sideways teammate Nathaniel Sparks. Dean led Koch by eight points heading into the weekend but the doubleheader sweep should propel the Glendora, Calif. teenager into the lead of the championship.

Race 1 –1. Alara Racing (Kenton Koch), 2. Sick Sideways Racing (John Dean), 3. Sick Sideways Racing (Nathaniel Sparks)

Race 2 – 1. Alara Racing (Kenton Koch), 2. Sick Sideways Racing (Nathaniel Sparks), 3. Atlanta Motorsports Group (Sebastian Landy)

Supercar Challenge
At a very wet Zolder circuit the new Vicora V8 beat the likes of Dodge, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Volvo on Saturday. Nico Pronk’s Lamborghini started from pole, but after two laps the Vicora and the Viper went by. The Viper took the lead, but in the final stages Maessen managed to pass the Viper.

Weather conditions resulted in a safety car start on Sunday and it was Henry Zumbrink (Volvo) who took the lead when the safety car pulled into the pits. The Vicora was given a drive-through for passing behind the safety car and was out of contention for the race win. Zumbrink was unstoppable and went on win the race, ahead of team mate Kelvin Snoeks.

Race 1 – 1. Racingteam Venray (Maessen) Vicora, 2. Team RaceArt (Grouwels/De Graaff) Dodge Viper, 3. Kox Racing Team (Kox/Pronk) Lamborghini
Race 2 – 1. Day-V-Tec (Zumbrink) Volvo, 2. Day-V-Tec (Snoeks) Volvo, 3. Kox Racing Team (Kox/Pronk) Lamborghini