- Championship Battle Tightens to Just 5 Points Between Arthur and Castro
- Race 1 Provisional Results
The TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School championship fight took another twist at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Braydon Arthur came from behind his title rival in the opening laps and never looked back, taking a crucial Race 1 victory and moving to the top of the standings.
Arthur, in the No. 4 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC, arrived at Indianapolis just eight points behind Andre Castro, and it was Castro who held the early advantage, starting from pole position in the No. 77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO. That advantage didn’t last long, as Castro’s Ricca Autosport teammate Justin Gravett pounced on him into Turn 2 in the No. 8 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO, and Arthur wasn’t far behind.
It only got more difficult for Castro from there, as he was shuffled down to fourth early on. Up front, Arthur wasted little time in dealing with Gravett, passing him for the lead not long after, a move that turned an eight-point deficit into a provisional five-point lead in the championship.
Further back, Dean Lambros was showing fiery pace in the No. 7 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type-S DE5, setting the fastest lap of the race early in the session.
Meanwhile, the Ricca Autosport teammates Gravett and Castro were cutting it close on track, each with plenty on the line. Castro had a championship to fight for, while Gravett was aiming to beat his teammate in the battle for the Hyundai Cup. Elsewhere in the field, teammates Alex Gutierrez and Shelby Mills were also locked in a close battle, with Gutierrez, in the No. 75 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO, coming out on top to finish ninth ahead of Mills in the No. 18 Fawn Group MS by Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO.
The intra-team fight between Gravett and Castro left the door open for Logan Anderson. Lambros’ Skip Barber Racing teammate reeled in the two Ricca Autosport Hyundais in the No. 25 Acura Integra Type-S DE5 to make an argument for third, and when Castro got wobbly, Anderson took his chance to move into fourth.
The 2026 TC America season has been anything but predictable, and Race 1 fit right into that narrative. With ten minutes remaining, Anderson was hunting down Gravett for the final spot on the podium, while Castro had fallen out of contention not only for the win but for any podium position. At the front, Lambros was on the hunt for Arthur, chipping away at the gap bit by bit in a true race against the clock.
With five minutes left, Gravett and Castro were going back and forth, each driver searching for the margins needed to beat the other. Castro finally found a way past his teammate with only a few minutes remaining.
In the end, Arthur held on to win Race 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Lambros second and Anderson completing the podium in third. Additionally, Lambros’ fastest lap of the race earns him pole position for Race 2.
For Arthur, the opening laps and the move on his championship rival came down to instinct while trying to balance what was at stake.
“I mean honestly, it was a little bit of a blur. I just acted how I had to act, I mean I wanted to try and not be too crazy because the championship is on the line right? But it worked out and I’m excited for Sunday!”
With family in attendance at Indianapolis, the victory carried extra meaning for the JMF Motorsports driver, who is keeping the same approach heading into Race 2.
“I mean, I can’t believe it. My mom and brother are here this weekend and it just makes it extra sweet for me. Hopefully we can pull it off in Race 2. It’s just another race, that’s how I’m going at it and good luck to Andre, I wish him the best and we’ll have some fun.”
Let’s Get Racing
The TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School field will return to the track for Race 2 on Sunday morning, October 11th at 9:35 AM ET.
If you can’t make it to Indy, 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 #Indy8H.