- Andre Castro Extends Championship Lead
- Hyundai Completes the Podium in Back-to-Back Races
- Race 2 Provisional Results
The Touring Car America powered by Skip Barber Racing School field were back in action under the Sebring sun for Race 2 to close out their time at Sebring International Raceway, and it was another battle-filled 35-minute sprint over the bumps.
At the drop of the green flag, Castro wasted no time asserting control of the race in his No. 77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO. The Race 1 winner and newly crowned points leader defended the inside line into the opening corners while teammates Justin Gravett and Eric Kunz looked for any opportunity to challenge the front-runner in their No. 8 and No. 33 machines. Castro, however, quickly settled into a rhythm and began building an advantage over the field.
Further back, Braydon Arthur was mounting an impressive recovery drive in his No. 4 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC after mechanical issues forced him out of Race 1 and relegated him to the rear of the grid for Sunday’s contest. Arthur charged through the opening laps and gained four positions early, but his comeback effort was short-lived. Just 12 minutes into the race, the issues continued as he was forced to pull off with a punctured radiator, ending another difficult outing.
One of the fiercest battles of the race centered around the fight for the final podium position between CJ Sepulveda and Eric Kunz. The two drivers ran wheel-to-wheel lap after lap, trading paint and pushing each other to the limit in a relentless contest for third place. Despite several close calls and constant pressure from Sepulveda in the No. 78 Hyundai, Kunz managed to maintain the advantage and hold onto the podium spot.
As the race entered its closing stages, Dean Lambros quietly worked his way forward on board his No. 7 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type-S DE5 and joined the fight. Lambros launched a late-race attack on Sepulveda and completed a pass in the final laps to move into fourth place, briefly giving Kunz some breathing room ahead. Sepulveda, however, responded immediately and reclaimed the position on the final lap after another hard-fought exchange between the two drivers.
Out front, Castro remained untouchable. The Ricca Autosport driver delivered a flawless performance, controlling the race from start to finish while also setting the fastest lap of the event. Gravett followed him home in second place for his second straight podium finish, while Kunz’s third-place result completed another podium sweep for Hyundai machinery.
“In the lead, for sure, and that's the best place to be,” Castro said after the race. “My whole career, it's always about maximizing every race because you don't know if you're going to be back for the next one. That's pretty much been my entire life, so I'm just making the most out of everything. I think that race was perfect. I took care of the tires and managed to get a pretty good gap. As a race car driver, that's what you want to do. Pull a gap on the field and bring it home for the team with no damage. I’m happy!”
Up Next
The TC America powered by Skip Barber field will return for the seventh and eighth rounds of the season at Road Atlanta from June 12th to 14th, 2026.
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