Daskalos Dashes to Race 1 Win in Long Beach

Jason Daskalos charged to victory for CRP Racing on the streets on Long Beach in the first of two GT America powered by AWS rounds in Southern California this weekend.

Daskalos pounced on pole-sitter Johnny O’Connell in his No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo into Turn 9 to take the lead with less than five minutes remaining in the 40-minute sprint contest.

O’Connell led the field to green in his No. 3 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, with James Sofronas and Daskalos hot on his heels.

Despite being passed in the opening stages, Daskalos slipped past Sofronas’ GMG Racing Audi in traffic to reclaim second before setting his sights on O’Connell’s Audi ahead for the eventual win.

While O’Connell opened up an early gap, late race traffic around the 1.968-mile street circuit tightened the battle for the overall lead, and putting Daskalos within striking distance of his championship rival.

Sofronas completed the podium, 2.93 seconds off the leading pair, after the GMG pilot slipped back navigating GT4 traffic at the end of the race.

GT2 class honors went to Lone Star Racing’s Dan Knox, who led comfortably from flag to flag.

Aaron Farhadi finished 2.26 seconds down the road in his No. 127 TPC Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2, with GMG’s Brent Holden in third.

In GT4, Isaac Sherman led a Rotek Racing 1-2 in his first-ever street race.

Sherman jumped out to an early lead in his No. 098 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, attacking the pole-sitting No. 25 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Gray Newell on the opening lap.

Robb Holland followed his Rotek teammate past Newell in there early stages to ultimately claim second, with Curt Swearingin coming out on top of a race-long battle for third to complete a Porsche a GT4 podium sweep.

Race 2 goes green at 4:20 p.m. PDT (7:20 p.m. EDT) with live coverage on SRO’s GT World YouTube page and on Twitch.

RESULTS: Race 1