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GT World Challenge America

K-PAX Lamborghinis Sweep Sonoma Weekend

Andrea Caldarelli, Jordan Pepper go two-for-two in season-opening weekend…

Photo: Regis Lefebure/SRO

Andrea Caldarelli and Jordan Pepper made it two-for-two in the season-opening Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS weekend at Sonoma Raceway in scoring another victory for K-PAX Racing.

Caldarelli took the No. 3 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo to a 7.898-second win over the sister Lamborghini of Corey Lewis and Giovanni Venturini in the caution-free 90-minute contest.

While having dominated Saturday’s opening round, Race 2 was not as straightforward for the California-based team, with a fuel pressure issue for Pepper resulting in Venturini making contact with the rear of the No. 3 car at the start.

The incident relegated the pair of Lamborghinis to third and fourth during their opening stint, which promoted the No. 04 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Colin Braun to the overall lead.

However, the pair of K-PAX entries leapfrogged the DXDT and No. 20 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R during the mid-race pit stops, putting them back in control in the second half and run to the checkered flag.

Braun and co-driver George Kurtz, who swept the GT America powered by AWS weekend, claimed Pro-Am class honors with a third place overall finish.

Wright’s Jan Heylen and Fred Poordad, meanwhile, came home fourth overall and second in Pro-Am, with Taylor Hagler and Dakota Dickerson again completing the class podium in their No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 Evo.

Hagler had come under pressure from the No. 19 DXDT Mercedes Evo of Erin Vogel, who spun in the closing stages but still managed to hold on to a sixth place result for her and co-driver Michael Cooper.

Vogel then had to fend off a challenge from the No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Russell Ward, who finished seventh overall and third in the pro class.

The No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3, which started from the rear of the field, came home eighth overall and fourth in Pro, ahead of the No. 77 Compass Racing Acura that made an additional pit stop for fuel.

A spin and contact with the wall for David Askew dashed hopes of a top-five finish for the No. 63 DXDT Mercedes Evo, following a strong opening stint by Ryan Dalziel, who was running sixth overall at the time.

The duo were classified 11th overall, seventh in Pro-Am. 

Am class honors again went to the No. 61 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Jean-Claude Saada and Conrad Grunewald, finishing 13th in the 14-car field.

RESULTS: Race 2

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

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