Jeff Ricca completed a perfect weekend at Road America, driving the No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO from green to checkered without facing a single challenge, cruising into victory lane and sweeping both TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School races at the Crown Coins Casino GT World event.
Behind him, however, the story of Race 2 was defined by fierce wheel-to-wheel action throughout the field.
The fight for second ignited mid-race when Jonathan Neudorf, aboard the No. 4 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC, ran wide and momentarily opened the door to Justin Gravett in the No. 74 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO. Gravett eventually seized an opportunity and made a move for position, but Neudorf refused to back down, shadowing the rookie through every corner to the finish. The duel came to a dramatic crescendo on the final lap as Neudorf went wide onto the grass in a last-ditch effort, allowing Gravett to secure runner-up honors with Neudorf ultimately settling for third.
Just behind the podium finishers, the battle for fourth was nothing short of spectacular. Ricca Autosport teammates PJ Groenke (No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO) and Shelby Mills (No. 75 Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO) crossed the line in a photo finish, with Groenke narrowly claiming the spot and Mills taking fifth.
Elsewhere in the pack, Antonio Constantino in the No. 3 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC and James Klimas in the No. 61 Skip Barber Racing Toyota GR Corolla TC engaged in a relentless scrap for seventh place that had fans on their feet.
Drama unfolded further back when both Eric Kunz in the No. 77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO and Sally McNulty in the FTG Mazda 3 TC were forced to make trips down pit lane, hampering their chances at strong finishes.
“ Fantastic day for the whole Hyundai crew,” exclaimed Jeff Ricca. “This is awesome. We have done so much prep for every race and my guys were on it and making sure that we have the top equipment out there. The weather was great today and I love this track. I’ve actually never swept a weekend here before and this is a first for me and I'm going cherish that for sure.”
Up Next
The TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School field will return for Rounds 12, 13, and 14 at Barber Motorsports Park from September 4th to 7th.