Capestro-Dubets Makes Last-Lap Pass for Win at Watkins Glen

Photo: Brian Cleary/SRO

A last-lap pass on Toby Grahovec has given John Capestro-Dubets and Tom Capazzi overall victory in Saturday’s opening Pirelli GT4 America race of the weekend at Watkins Glen International.

Capestro-Dubets took his Pro-Am class No. 52 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 to a 1.529-second win over Grahovic’s No. 11 Classic BMW entry, which dominated the majority of the 60-minute race until slipping back in the closing stages.

Grahovic’s co-driver Stevan McAleer got around the pole-sitting No. 18 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Kris Wilson at the start and extended into a nearly ten-second lead prior to the mid-race pit stop and driver change.

That gap, however, dwindled in the closing minutes, with Capestro-Dubets getting around Grahovic for the lead and ultimate win on the final lap.

The Classic BMW pairing, however, still picked up top Silver class honors ahead of Christian Szymczak in the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, who came home third overall and second in class.

The No. 24 The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Ian James and Gray Newell scored a season-best fourth place overall finish, second in Pro-Am, courtesy of Newell’s top-ten qualifying run that put the car in contention all race.

Owen Trinkler and Paul Terry brought the No. 59 WR Racing Aston Martin in fifth overall, ahead of the debuting 3R Povoledo Racing Aston Martin in sixth and the BSport Aston pairing of Bryan Putt and Kenton Koch in seventh.

The No. 119 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW of Gregory Liefooghe and Sean Quinlan, who finished eighth overall, closed the Pro-Am championship gap after the points-leading Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport did not take part in Saturday’s race due to a family wedding for Matt Travis.

Travis and co-driver Jason Hart, who had a 63-point lead entering the weekend, are expected to take part in Sunday’s race.

Am class honors went to the No. 68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 of Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght, who came home 16th overall.

The duo capitalized an alternator belt failure for the overall pole-sitting No. 16 Capstone Mercedes of Wilson early in the running.

Race 2 is set for Sunday at 11 a.m. ET with live coverage on SRO’s GT World YouTube page.

RESULTS: Race 1

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John