With combined situations offering a problem for TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing College’s race one at VIRginia Worldwide Raceway, Celso Neto secured his first victory of the season with a composed drive within the TCX class within the No. 22 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Kind S. In TC and TCA, Jeff Ricca and Alex Garcia added to their rising variety of victories of their respective No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC and No. 14 Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic Si FE1.
TCX
It was a tough begin to the race for pole sitter Chris Walsh as he skilled a problem in his No. 104 Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M2 CS (Cup), which dropped him to the again of the sphere. Neto was promoted to first general within the No. 22 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Kind S, however Walsh had begun his comeback drive and was driving laborious by means of the sphere.
Walsh made regular progress to cut back the hole to the frontrunner, however a late stage security automotive within the ultimate 5 minutes of the race finally introduced his cost to a halt.
Neto went on to take the checkered flag and earned his first victory of the season within the course of after finishing a robust and assured drive. Walsh made a valiant effort to come back again by means of site visitors to safe second place, with the rostrum accomplished by Cooper Broll in third place within the No. 19 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Kind S.
“Once I noticed that Chris had a problem, the plan was to save lots of as a lot of my tires as potential as a result of I knew I wanted it within the occasion that I needed to defend,” defined Neto. “I didn’t overdrive the automotive, and the opposite site visitors performed into our arms as nicely. I need to thank the entire Skip Barber Racing workforce, all of the sponsors, and everybody who helps me. I actually admire it. I’d additionally prefer to dedicate this win to my dad for his birthday at present, that is for him and every little thing he does for me. Thanks everybody for all of the assist. It’s been wonderful!”
TC
Halston Pitman/SRO America
Ricca moved as much as first in school in his No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC forward of TC pole sitter Cristian Perocarpi within the No. 37 MINI JCW Group MINI JCW TC Professional, however the two remained neck and neck all through the whole thing of the race with no room for error.
The 2 have been separated by lower than half a second lap after lap, with Perocarpi eagerly ready for a possibility to overhaul. Nevertheless, the battle got here to a detailed as a full course warning emerged.
Ricca went on to clinch his fifth victory of the season, with Perocarpi following intently behind in second. The highest three was rounded off by Ruben Iglesias Jr. in third within the No. 77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC.
“I used to be wanting in my mirrors the whole time,” Ricca mentioned. “I used to be on the sting and my adrenaline was rising, however I used to be additionally making an attempt to stay as calm as potential. I’d prefer to thank the crew that stayed up late final night time engaged on all our vehicles, in addition to Hyundai USA and Hyundai Korea.”
TCA
Halston Pitman/SRO America
Garcia noticed an early alternative to strike in his No. 14 Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic Si FE1, participating in an exhilarating battle with PJ Groenke within the No. 62 MINI JCW Group MINI JCW for a number of laps earlier than transferring forward into the lead and pulling a niche.
With slightly below ten minutes remaining within the race, Groenke made an unexpected journey down pit lane and finally needed to retire from the race because of a mechanical failure.
Garcia went on to safe his third victory of the season, saying that, “I had a few mechanical failures in earlier periods this week, so I wasn’t anticipating an excessive amount of. I knew PJ Groenke had some good tempo right here, so I used to be simply preserving my head down looking for the tempo that we all know now we have. I’ve a fantastic workforce, nice teammates, and I’ve good experiences right here from final 12 months, so I simply stored my head down and centered on what was in entrance of me.”
The TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing College will return Sunday, July twenty first for race two at 9:50 a.m. ET.
