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Unexpected Victory: Woolridge Triumphs in Dramatic IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at COTA

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 1, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
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Unexpected Victory: Woolridge Triumphs in Dramatic IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at COTA

In a dramatic turn of events, Canadian race driver Jonathan Woolridge emerged as the victor in the 45-minute IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Circuit of The Americas on a Saturday morning that was filled with suspense and surprise. He owes his second series victory to an unexpected twist: the leading cars ran out of fuel just before the finish line.

Woolridge, navigating the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320, was trailing by more than a minute behind the leading duo of Oscar Tunjo and Valentino Catalano. Tunjo, the initial frontrunner, had dominated most of the race in his No. 31 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, before Catalano, in the No. 30 Gebhardt Duqueine, took the lead with barely six minutes left.

The thrilling race saw Tunjo and Catalano battle it out head-to-head until Tunjo reclaimed the lead with just 100 seconds remaining. However, in a shocking turn, both their cars ran out of fuel, leaving them stranded on the racecourse. This unexpected situation paved the way for Woolridge to take the lead and, 2.4 miles later, to secure his first victory since the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2023.

Woolridge, expressing his surprise at the turn of events, acknowledged the role of luck in racing. He also praised his team’s meticulous fuel management that kept his car running while others stalled. Despite several cars running out of fuel on the final lap, Woolridge’s Ligier showed no signs of fuel shortage.

In a striking display of skill, Brian Thienes secured the second spot in the P3 class and won the Bronze Cup race in the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320. The P3 podium was completed by Mirco Schultis in the No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier.

Having led the race for 44 out of 45 minutes, Catalano and Tunjo found themselves relegated to fifth and sixth positions in the final P3 race standings. Despite this setback, Catalano still holds the championship lead by 60 points over Woolridge, who leapt from fourth to second in the season standings with this victory.

In the GTDX category, Jake Walker achieved his first career VP Racing SportsCar Challenge victory. Despite facing an immediate challenge from points leader Adam Adelson, Walker managed to take the lead when Adelson spun out just 12 minutes into the race. Walker then maintained his lead, ending the race 15.407s ahead of AJ Muss in the No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. Remarkably, Walker missed the overall race victory by a narrow margin of just 0.429s behind Woolridge.

Kiko Porto continued his winning streak in the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge GSX season. Starting from the pole position, Porto dominated the race, securing his third consecutive victory in the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2. He finished a full lap ahead of Steven Clemons, who came second in the No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota, and Ian Porter, who came third in the No. 68 RAFA Racing Supra.

The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge will return to the 2.4-mile COTA circuit for its second race, following a day filled with NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series events. Stay tuned for more thrilling motorsport action.

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