Dalziel Captures Rain-Shortened Saturday Round at Mid-Ohio

Photo: John Dagys

Ryan Dalziel has claimed victory in Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, in what turned into a rain-shortened 11th round of the Pirelli World Challenge season.

The Scot, making his first series start of the year, led a GT and GT-A class sweep for EFFORT Racing and Porsche, which saw teammate Michael Mills pick up GT-A honors.

Mike Skeen in the pole-sitting No. 2 CRP Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra led the opening laps in dry conditions, with Dalziel’s No. 31 EFFORT Porsche 911 GT3 R closely in tow.

However, it didn’t take long for the rain to come, with the full-course caution coming out on Lap 17. Skeen, Dalziel and a handful of cars remained on track with slicks, while some teams opted to pit for wet tires.

With conditions worsening, officials threw the red flag at the 30-minute mark of the scheduled 50-minute race, one lap after leader Skeen had pitted for service, putting Dalziel, still on slicks, into the lead.

The race did not resume, with the checkered flag being waved three minutes from the scheduled end. Officials reverted to the previous lap for the results.

It marked Dalziel’s first win in World Challenge competition.

Johnny O’Connell extended his lead in the GT championship with a second place result, ahead of title rival Skeen, who had to settle for third on the day after an unlucky call to pit his race-leading car.

The top five in GT was completed by Anthony Lazzaro (R. Ferri Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) and Andrew Palmer (GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra).

Mills, meanwhile, picked up his third GT-A class victory of the year, finishing 8th overall in the No. 41 EFFORT Porsche.

GTS class honors went to the pole-sitting No. 1 Blackdog Racing Camaro of Lawson Aschenbach, his second win of the season.

Alec Udell (Watson Racing Mustang) and Nic Jonsson (Kinetic Kia) completed the podium, while a fourth place result for teammate Mark Wilkins sees the Canadian expand his points lead.

Sunday’s second race of the double-header weekend gets underway at 1:40 p.m. ET.

RESULTS: Round 11 (Mid-Ohio)

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