- Ricca Autosport Secures Stellar Race 1 Win
- Hyundai and Acura Fill the Podium
- Provisional Race 1 Results
The heat was relentless at Sebring International Raceway as Race 1 of the TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing got underway. With track temperatures soaring, drivers faced a punishing battle not only against each other but also against the brutal Florida conditions.
Unbothered by the rising temperatures, Jeff Ricca delivered a masterclass, converting his pole position into the win, commanding the No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO. Ricca got a clean getaway at the start and never looked back, clicking off flying laps with precision to take a dominant victory.
Behind him, the fight for second was where the real fireworks ignited. Mike Ogren, representing Skip Barber Racing in the No. 07 Acura Integra Type S, held firm in second place despite relentless pressure from Ricca Autosport’s PJ Groenke in the No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO. Groenke kept Ogren honest throughout the race and made one final push on the last lap, but the experienced Ogren held his ground to claim second at the line, with Groenke settling for third.
Further back, the battle among the Ricca Autosport teammates raged on. Canadian driver Connor Attrell fought hard to defend fourth place in his No. 75 Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO, fending off constant attacks from Eric Kunz in the No. 77 machine. In the final laps, it was CJ Sepulveda in the No. 74 Hyundai who made the decisive move, slipping past Kunz to secure fifth place behind Attrell. Kunz crossed the line in sixth after a gritty performance.
The action didn’t stop there, as JMF Motorsports teammates Antonio Costantino and Jonathan Neudorf put on a show of their own, engaging in a heated battle all race long in their No. 3 and No. 4 Toyota GR Corolla TC machines. Costantino narrowly edged out Neudorf at the finish to take seventh place.
With Race 1 in the books and the Florida sun showing no signs of mercy, drivers will need to dig deep as they prepare for today’s second round of racing at Sebring.
Let’s Get Racing
The TC America powered by Skip Barber field will return to the track for Race 2 on Friday afternoon, May 16th at 4:50 PM ET.
If you can’t make it to Sebring International Raceway, be sure to tune-in to SRO’s free live streams all weekend long on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports) and follow all the action through our social media channels and the event hashtag #GTSebring.