GT America Hat Trick For Kurtz, Lucas Wins On Series Debut
George Kurtz won the seventh round of the GT America powered by AWS sprint series at Watkins Glen International, taking a perfect SRO3 class win aboard his #04 CrowdStrike with Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Kurtz led from flag-to-flag to take his third straight SRO3 class win, his fourth of the season, to extend his lead in the championship standings. He withstood pressure from Jason Harward early in the race, before Harward spun his #88 Zelus Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo around at turn seven trying to chase down the leader. Harward would eventually drop to 14th overall and finish fourth in class.
That’s still further than Justin Wetherill and Mirko Schultis went; Wetherill pulled his #13 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo off after just one corner, when he was hit from behind by the #27 Daskalos Motorsports Audi R8 LMS Ultra. And Schultis made it to the bus stop before his #70 MISHUmotors Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R pulled off with left-front damage. A Safety Car was deployed to retrieve Schultis’ car from the exit of the bus stop.
Minutes later, there was another Full Course Yellow/Safety Car period after Paul Keibler went off in his #89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4, leaving a stream of debris at the exit of turn one.
Once the race got going again, Kurtz got back into a rhythm, and his victory was sealed when Harward spun with less than five minutes left.
With the win and the fastest lap of the race, Kurtz has the pole position for Race 2 tomorrow morning.
Jeff Burton bounced back from a GT World Challenge America qualifying shunt to finish second in his #191 Zelus Lamborghini, and by surviving the carnage in front of him, PJ Hyett in the #00 Team Hardpoint Porsche 911 GT3-R finished third on debut with only minimal practice at the 5.4 kilometre circuit.
Daskalos received a 60-second penalty stop for incident responsibility in his collision with Wetherill, and he was one of three drivers who received similar penalties after race control promised stiffer penalties for avoidable contact.
In the GT4 category, 16-year-old Seth Lucas was moved up to pole position after Marko Radisic was excluded from qualifying for a technical infringement. Lucas converted that pole position into a debut win in GT America at the wheel of the #016 Hattori Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4.
He faced strong competition but was able to lead wire-to-wire in his first race since the team elected to switch from GT4 America to GT America.
Ross Chouest finished second in class aboard the #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4, while points leader Jason Bell in the #2 GMG Racing Vantage GT4 overtook Adam Adelson’s #120 Premier Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for the final podium position in GT4 on the final lap.
Moisey Uretsky, who entered the day second in points, was knocked out of contention after being hit by Radisic in turn six. Radisic received a 60 second penalty stop for his part in the collision.
Another podium contender, the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Vantage GT4 of Elias Sabo, was given the same penalty for contact with the #69 Smooge Racing GR Supra of Todd Coleman.
Race 2 begins tomorrow at 9:00 AM local time.
Images © Brian Cleary / SRO Motorsports Group America
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