Garcia and Taylor win delayed, wet and wild Charlotte Roval race

Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor have taken victory for Corvette Racing in the Motul 100% Synthetic Grand Prix. The race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval course was delayed for an hour due to bad weather.

The #3 Corvette C8.R started the race from pole position but lost the lead early on due to a strong start in treacherous conditions by Jesse Krohn in the #24 BMW M8 GTE. Krohn captured the lead and retained the lead when he handed over to team-mate John Edwards.

Edwards was then caught by Garcia in the closing stages of the race and took the lead of the race and was able to hold on despite a late restart caused by a crash for team-mate Tommy Milner in the #4 Corvette C8.R.

Krohn and John Edwards finished second in the #24 BMW M8 GTE, with Bruno Spengler and Connor de Phillippi third in the #24 BMW M8 GTE.

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Turner Motorsports triumphs in GTD

Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley have taken the class lead in GTD with the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3 in a race of attrition that saw a number of their main rivals fall away with various problems.

Foley himself spun out of second position in the opening laps as drivers struggled around a dark and wet Charlotte Roval as the #14 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 of Aaron Telitz held the lead in the opening stages of the race.

The Lexus lost the lead during the first round of pitstops as a troubled driver change from Telitz to Jack Hawksworth saw the #86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo of Mario Farnbacher promoted into the lead. The German then found himself under pressure from Bill Auberlen, now behind the wheel of the Turner BMW and after a lenghty battle, the veteran BMW racer was able to surpass Farnbacher.

Auberlen then comfortably held onto the lead, even after the final restart, to take Turner Motorsport’s second win of the season. Patrick Long and Ryan Hardwick took second place in the #16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Farnbacher and Matt McMurry had been on course for a podium finish in the #86 Acura before being tagged into a spin by Jack Hawksworth in the closing minutes. The spin and subsequent penalty for Hawksworth allowed the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Roman de Angelis and Ian James to take their first podium of the season in third place.

Townsend Bell and Michael de Quesada finished fourth in the #12 Lexus RC F GT3, with the top five in class completed by the #57 Heinricher Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo of Alvaro Parente and Misha Goikhberg.

GTD also saw a pair of retirements. The #22 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo of Till Bechtolsheimer and Marc Miller crashed out in the tricky conditions, while the #44 GRT Magnus Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo of Andy Lally and John Potter was retired with an issue to the rear of the car after a suspected puncture.