RS1’s Heylen, Sedgwick Sweep VIR Weekend

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

RS1’s Jan Heylen and Alex Sedgwick picked up where they left off in the first GT World Challenge America powered by AWS race of the weekend at Virginia International Raceway, with the duo completing a sweep of the weekend.

Sedgwick drove his No. 18 Porsche 911 GT3 R to a 9.547-second win over the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Michai Stephens in Sunday’s 90-minute contest that featured a single full-course caution but two track-wide power outages.

The No. 99 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Kenton Koch and Connor De Phillippi completed the overall and Pro class podium in third.

Justin Rothberg, meanwhile, made four-for-four with Turner Motorsport, claiming Pro-Am class honors in Race 2 alongside Robby Foley, who also won on Saturday.

Rothberg, meanwhile, also swept the two GT America powered by AWS races this weekend.

While the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Kyle Washington emerged the class leader following the pit stop sequence, courtesy of a two-lap overcut strategy by co-driver Tom Sargent, although Rothberg passed Washington for the class lead with 35 minutes to go.

Rothberg then held off a hard-charging Blake McDonald in the No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the final 20 minutes for the win.

Washington, who was running third in class, meanwhile, pulled off course due to possible heat exhaustion, resulting in the No. 24 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo of Gray Newell and Darren Turner taking the final Pro-Am podium position in the closing moments.

The No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Corvette finished fourth in class, followed by the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG, which completed the top-five.

Am class honors went to the No. 6 Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang GT3 of Scott Dollahite and Eric Powell, following a hard-fought battle between Powell and the No. 163 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 of Ozz Negri in the opening stint.

The Mustang GT3 nursed steering damage from an opening lap incident according to Powell, who scored his first series class win.

The yellow came out after nine laps for an accident by the No. 91 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG of Jeff Burton, who sustained right-front and right-rear damage.

Burton brought the car back to the pits but was later sent to the garage with terminal damage.

The No. 88 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 Evo of Todd Coleman and Aaron Telitz also retired due to an ECU issue.

Fifteen cars started the race, with the No. 92 LAB Motorsport by GT Racing Porsche not taking part following Jean-Frederic Laberge’s accident in Race 1.

Sunday’s contest was marred by two power outages, including one in the final five minutes of the race.

RESULTS: Race 2

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