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Marcelli, Regitz Win SprintX Race 1 Thriller in Monterey

Kyle Marcelli makes last-lap pass on Mike Skeen for SprintX Race 1 win…

Photo: John Dagys

Photo: John Dagys

A thrilling last-lap pass on Mike Skeen has given victory to Kyle Marcelli and Stephen Cameron Racing in Saturday’s red-flag interrupted Pirelli World Challenge SprintX race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Marcelli took the No. 19 Audi R8 LMS ultra to a 1.338-second win over Skeen’s No. 80 Dodge Viper GT3-R, after having exchanged the lead three times in the final two laps of the 60-minute race.

It came after an impressive charge through the field for the Canadian driver, who carved his way from sixth to the eventual lead in his closing 35-minute stint.

Marcelli shared top honors with co-driver Drew Regitz in the previous-generation Audi.

The race was turned upside down at the 25-minute mark when the No. 04 TRG-AMR Aston Martin of George Kurtz spun and was collected by Harry Gottsacker’s No. 29 Performance Motorsports Group Ginetta G55 GT4.

It resulted in a red flag for track blockage, which eliminated Cooper MacNeil’s eight-second lead in the No. 79 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, who dominated the early stages after starting from second.

All of the GT leaders pitted for their mandatory 90-second stop and driver change at the restart with 35 minutes to go, with Skeen’s Viper making the biggest gain, and moving into second behind the Alex Job entry of Gunnar Jeannette.

Jeannette lost the lead to Skeen with 15 minutes to go and ultimately faded to third.

The No. 46 Mills Racing BMW Z4 GT3 of Michael Mills and John Edwards was fourth, with Michael Lewis and Preston Calvert completing the top-five in the No. 98 Calvert Dynamics Porsche.

DXDT Racing claimed a 1-2 in GT Cup, with the class pole-sitting No. 63 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo of David Askew and James Burke taking a flag-to-flag win.

Andrew Aquilante and Kurt Rezzetano earned a dominant class win in GTS, in their No. 37 Calvert Dynamics Ford Mustang Boss 302R, which was a late addition to the weekend.

Rezzetano was the only car to stay out at the restart, opting to pit one lap later.

The No. 07 TRG Aston Martin of Kris Wilson and Max Riddle came home second in class, ahead of James Sofronas and Matt Halliday’s No. 4 GMG Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR in a debut podium.

Race 2 for SprintX gets underway Sunday at 3:15 p.m. PT, live on Motor Trend on Demand.

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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