- Arthur Cuts Deep into Championship Deficit
- Acura Returns to the Podium at Road Atlanta
- Race 2 Provisional Results
After entering the weekend trailing championship leader Andre Castro by 30 points, Braydon Arthur completed a perfect weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, converting another pole position into victory and dramatically tightening the TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing championship battle.
Starting from the front row alongside Jeff Ricca in the No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO, Arthur immediately found himself under pressure, but the pair maintained position through the opening corners. Behind them, Dean Lambros in the No. 7 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type-S DE5 wasted no time making progress, gaining two positions by Turn 3 to move into third.
Further back, Shelby Mills in the No. 18 Fawn Group MS by Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO also enjoyed a strong opening lap, while championship contender Castro found himself slipping backwards in a race where every point mattered.
The opening laps were quickly interrupted when Logan Anderson in the No. 25 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type-S DE5 came to a stop on track, bringing out a full-course yellow.
For Castro, the caution offered a welcome opportunity to regroup. With Arthur leading and potentially erasing a significant portion of his championship advantage, the Hyundai driver needed to start moving forward once the race resumed.
The green flag returned with 30 minutes remaining and the leaders navigated Turn 1 cleanly. Behind them, Jesse Dorkin in the No. 3 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC worked his way past Castro, further complicating the championship leader’s afternoon.
While Arthur comfortably controlled the race from the front and consistently posted the fastest laps, the most entertaining action unfolded deeper in the field. Dorkin and Mills engaged in a lengthy battle, with Mills’ defensive driving repeatedly forcing Dorkin to look elsewhere for opportunities. The fight eventually allowed Castro to close in and capitalize when Dorkin ran wide entering Turn 10A, kicking up gravel and surrendering positions.
The battle between Dorkin and Mills continued for several more laps. Dorkin eventually completed a pass with just over ten minutes remaining, only to run wide through the Esses moments later. Contact between the two drivers sent Dorkin tumbling down the order, while Mills lost momentum and positions to James Klimas in the No. 2 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC and later PJ Groenke in the No. 76 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO.
Race control later assessed Mills a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility, further impacting his result.
At the front, Lambros found himself locked in a fascinating battle with Justin Gravett in the No. 8 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO, while Castro and Ricca remained firmly in the mix. For several laps, the four drivers ran nose-to-tail, producing some of the closest racing of the weekend. Lambros nearly ran wide attempting to outbrake Ricca, forcing Gravett into evasive action as the group fought over the remaining podium positions.
As the race entered its final stages, Arthur’s advantage continued to grow while the battle behind intensified. Ricca appeared to back the field up, keeping the chasing pack compressed as Castro looked for opportunities to recover valuable championship points.
Those opportunities came on the final lap, when Ricca strategically allowed Lambros, Gravett and Castro through, minimizing the points damage for the Ricca Autosport driver in the championship standings.
At the checkered flag, Arthur secured his second victory of the weekend, completing a perfect Road Atlanta sweep for JMF Motorsports. Lambros capped off a remarkable drive from the back of the field to finish second, while Gravett completed the podium. Castro crossed the line fourth ahead of Ricca in fifth.
The result represents a massive championship swing, with Arthur turning a 30-point deficit entering the weekend into just a 10-point gap heading into the next rounds at Road America.
“It’s really rewarding,” said Arthur. “Coming off Sebring, we were on the back foot because of everything that happened. The team did a great job getting the car perfect for this track. I had a lot of fun driving this weekend, and honestly it’s a big sigh of relief.”
For Lambros, the runner-up finish capped an emotional weekend after the Skip Barber Racing crew worked tirelessly to keep the Acura competitive.
“I just want to talk about this team,” said Lambros. “These guys slept in the trailer for two nights. We had a terrible practice, didn’t get to qualify, started from the back and worked our way to second. I did my part, but this team did a great job all weekend.”
The race also marked a memorable farewell performance for Groenke, who recorded his strongest result of the season in what is expected to be the final race of his TC America career. “It’s given me everything,” said Groenke. “I’m just a big kid who got to live his dream.”
Up Next
The summer break has arrived, and the TC America powered by Skip Barber field will return for the ninth and tenth rounds of the season at Road America from August 27th to 29th, 2026.
Buy your Road America tickets now!