Smooge Racing Triumphs at Indy as Championship Battle Intensifies

The #68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4, driven by Tyler Gonzalez and Corey Lewis, emerged victorious in the GT4 America Race 1 at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday morning. The thrilling race saw a fierce battle for the lead and a tightening of the championship standings as the season reaches its climax.

A Nail-biting Victory for Smooge Racing

Gonzalez's Charge to the Front

The race started with Matheus Leist in the #89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 leading the field, but a drop in position allowed Kay van Berlo in the #7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 to take the early advantage. Gonzalez, however, remained close to Van Berlo and positioned Lewis to make a decisive move for the overall victory after the pit stops.

Lewis Seizes the Lead

Following the pit stops, Lewis emerged in third position, behind the #7 ACI Porsche of Curt Swearingin and the #89 RENNtech Mercedes-AMG of Michael Auriemma. But the #68 Toyota soon came charging through, and with 15 minutes remaining, Lewis made a bold pass on Swearingin at Turn 4 to take the overall lead, securing Smooge Racing's first victory since the opening race at Sonoma.

A Thrilling Silver Class Battle

As Smooge Racing celebrated its triumph, the attention shifted to the intense battle for second place in the Silver class. Eric Filgueiras in the #28 RS1 Porsche was engaged in a fierce fight with Kenton Koch in the #97 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4. Filgueiras briefly slipped off the track at Turn 10, allowing Koch to seize the opportunity and claim the position with 11 minutes left. The two drivers followed each other across the line, with Koch and co-driver Kevin Boehm finishing second, while Filgueiras and John Capestro-Dubets took third.

Precision Racing LA's Stunning Comeback

In the Pro-Am class, the #07 Precision Racing LA Toyota of Terry Borcheller and Ryan Eversley staged a remarkable comeback drive to claim their first win of the season, finishing fourth overall. Borcheller's strong opening stint set the stage, but it was Eversley's inspired charge in the final eight minutes that sealed the victory. Eversley passed Auriemma for second in Pro-Am and then, with less than three minutes remaining, swept past Swearingin to take the class lead and secure the popular win.

ACI Motorsports Clinches Pro-Am Championship

Despite missing out on the victory, the #7 ACI Motorsports Porsche of Swearingin and Van Berlo did enough to clinch the 2024 Pro-Am championship with their fifth-place overall finish. Their path to the title was cleared when the #24 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Gray Newell and Roman de Angelis suffered a right-front tire issue, forcing them to make an unscheduled pit stop.

Rotek Racing Dominates Am Class

In the Am class, the #099 Rotek Racing Porsche of Robb Holland and Jaden Lander secured the victory, extending their championship lead over the #98 Random Vandals BMW of Michael Kanisczak and Kris Wilson. With their fourth Am class win in the last six rounds, Holland and Lander have also gained the potential championship tiebreaker advantage heading into the final race on Sunday.