- JMF Motorsports Converts Pole to Win
- Toyota, Acura, Hyundai Complete the Podium
- Provisional Race 1 Results
It was a blistering hot afternoon at Circuit of The Americas, with track conditions matching the intensity of the field for Race 1 in TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School. The 35-minute opening sprint at CieloVision GT World Texas powered by Samsung delivered immediate action, a hard-fought lead battle, and a diverse podium featuring three different manufacturers.
Braydon Arthur started from pole position in the No. 4 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC, but Dean Lambros wasted no time launching his attack in the No. 7 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type-S DE5. Lambros charged through the sweeping Turn 1 and into Turn 2 to snatch the lead in the opening moments of the race.
Arthur soon found himself under pressure from Andre Castro, with the No. 77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO moving into second place in the opening minutes. However, Arthur quickly regrouped and found his way back past Castro with 27 minutes remaining, setting his sights once again on Lambros out front.
As the race crossed the 20-minute mark, Arthur began closing the gap to the leader, forcing Lambros to go on the defensive. The Acura driver held firm under pressure, but Arthur’s persistence paid off as he reclaimed the lead and took control of the race.
From there, Arthur drove on to claim his second victory of the season, extending his championship lead in the process. The JMF Motorsports driver has now finished no worse than second across his first three starts of the season.
Lambros crossed the line in second place following a strong defensive effort, while Castro completed the podium in third, securing a solid result for Ricca Autosport and Hyundai, also claiming first in the opening round of the Hyundai N Trophy Cup in the process.
The final podium featured Toyota, Acura, and Hyundai, highlighting the strength and variety of competition within the TC America field.
“I could see where Dean was getting strong and where he was getting weaker, and where I was also stronger and weaker by comparison,” Arthur said of his race-long battle. “But Castro was also right behind me at one point and eventually got around me. For a while there I was just planning and plotting, and I waited for my tires and brakes to cool off a little bit more before making my next move. I was able to manage it from there, but it was not easy. These guys are awesome and they are such good drivers.”
Let’s Get Racing
The TC America powered by Skip Barber field will return to the track for Race 2 on Saturday morning, April 25th at 9:35 AM CT.
If you can’t make it to Circuit of The Americas, 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 #GTCOTA.