Fong Earns First PWC Win in Opening GT Race at Road America

Adderly Fong picked up his first career Pirelli World Challenge win, leading flag-to-flag in Race 1 of the weekend at Road America.

Fong, driving the No. 88 Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3, topped second-place Patrick Long in the No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R by 0.685 seconds, with Michael Cooper completing the podium for Cadillac Racing.

The win was also the first for the Chinese Absolute Racing team, and the first for Bentley in PWC since Chris Dyson won at Road America in 2015.

It proved to be a big day for the British marque, as Bentley Team M-Sport won the Paul Ricard 1000km hours earlier.

The run to the checkered didn’t go unchallenged, as Fong was able to convert his second career pole position into victory after withstanding an early charge from Johnny O’Connell into Turn 5 on the first lap.

O’Connell attempted an outside pass into the heavy braking zone and made contact with Fong in the Bentley while turning in to the apex.

The collision caused O’Connell to spin, and the four-time series champion plummeted to the back of the pack as the field streamed past.

Race control elected not to issue a penalty for the contact.

Cooper’s drive to third from sixth on the starting grid salvaged a podium for Cadillac Racing. O’Connell had to settle for a hard-fought eighth place.

Daniel Mancinelli turned in a quiet but strong performance to take fourth in the No. 31 TR3 Racing Ferrari 488 GT3, while Peter Kox took fifth for RealTime Racing in the team’s home race.

In all, six different manufacturers made up the top six positions with Alvaro Parente representing McLaren in sixth.

Jon Fogarty saw a promising day for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing go awry when he ran off course on the opening lap. The Red Dragon came home 12th after starting in third.

James Sofronas and GMG Racing won the GTA class in the No. 14 Porsche, finishing 13th overall. GT Cup went to Yuki Harata for Dream Racing in the No. 55 Lamborghini Huracn Super Trofeo.

The 50-minute race ran without a yellow flag.

By virtue of setting the fastest lap in Race 1, Adderly Fong will start on pole once again for Race 2 tomorrow, which is scheduled for 9:55 a.m. CT.

RESULTS: Race 1