Road America delivered another dose of high-speed drama in Race 1 of the TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School series, as Ricca Autosport dominated the field with a clean sweep of the podium.
Starting from pole, Jeff Ricca in the No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO executed a flawless drive, controlling the pace from the green until the checkered flag. The seasoned racer kept his cool, never relinquishing the top spot and crossing the finish line to secure another commanding victory.
The real fireworks came in the battle for second place, where Justin Gravett, making his series debut in the No. 74 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO, went wheel-to-wheel with veteran teammate PJ Groenke in the No. 76 machine. The two traded intense moves lap after lap, with Gravett ultimately pushing ahead to claim second place and mark an impressive first outing in the championship.
Further back, there was a fierce three-way fight between Jonathan Neudorf in the No. 4 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC, Eric Kunz commanding the No. 77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai, and Shelby Mills aboard the No. 75 Ricca Autosport Hyundai. The trio swapped positions multiple times, keeping the pressure high until a late mistake from Neudorf dropped him down the order. Mills seized the opportunity, finishing fourth ahead of Antonio Constantino in the No. 3 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC. Heartbreak struck Kunz on the final lap, as a mechanical issue forced him out of contention.
With Ricca, Gravett, and Groenke locking out the podium, the Road America opener proved a statement race for Ricca Autosport, setting the tone for an action-packed weekend.
“A 1-2-3-4 finish for the team is awesome,” exclaimed Jeff Ricca at the podium celebrations. “The Toyota competitors showed good pace in practice and qualifying, so I was really nervous coming into the race, but our consistency won in the end. We are pretty much in the clear for the team and manufacturers’ championships if we just have a nice, solid day tomorrow and show up to the rest of the races. To wrap that up would be a big relief and a weight off my shoulders. For the driver’s championship, I'm just going to keep on chugging and go for the gold each time.”
Let’s Get Racing
The TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School field will return to the track for Race 1 on Friday, August 15th at 3:20 PM CT.
If you can’t make it to Road America, 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 #GTRoadAmerica.