The 2024 Petit Le Mans, held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, capped off the VSCA SportsCar Championship season with a dramatic GT PRO class finale.
In a race that saw four full-course cautions and numerous lead changes, it was the #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) that clinched victory, marking the team’s second consecutive win after a triumph in Miami last month. The German-Canadian-British lineup of Daniel Gruber, Jay Van Meppelen, Stephen Nobes, and Niklas Solle exhibited strategic skill and resilience to secure this season-defining win.
Early Tensions and Dynamic Lead Changes
The race began at 12:15 p.m., with perfect track conditions and a strong wind adding a degree of unpredictability to the opening stints. Starting third on the grid, the #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche was quickly in contention, making steady progress through the field.
However, the pole-sitting #992 DS Racing eSports Team Porsche 911 GT3 R, piloted by Bruno Carreira, set a fierce pace early on. Carreira’s swift lap of 1:18.225 during qualifying solidified him as the early favorite, but an incident on lap 70 halted their momentum when Joao Pedro Teixeira spun into the wall at Turn 5.
Meanwhile, the #12 Delta Racing BMW M4 GT3, driven by João Vitor Delgado, demonstrated formidable pace and led for the majority of the race, clocking an impressive 252 laps at the front. "Our BMW felt incredible out there, and the team executed our strategy flawlessly," Delgado commented post-race, acknowledging his team’s effort despite missing out on victory.
Strategic Challenges and Incident Limits
The low incident limit set by race control proved decisive as several top competitors, including the #12 BMW, faced penalties. The final restart, occurring with just under 50 minutes to go, brought the field closer, with the #12 BMW holding the lead. But with about 45 minutes to go, Delgado incurred a drive-through penalty due to reaching the incident limit, an unfortunate setback that allowed the #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche to take the lead. After that Delgado worked tirelessly to close the gap, eventually reducing it to mere car lengths as the final laps unfolded.
Despite relentless pressure, Van Meppelen in the #44 held his ground. In a post-race interview, Van Meppelen said, “The last few laps were some of the hardest I’ve ever driven. The Delta BMW was right on us, but our team put in the work all season, and I wasn’t going to let this one slip.” His defense enabled the #44 Porsche to take the win by a margin of just 0.660 seconds over Delta Racing's #12 BMW - the second-closest GT PRO class finish in history.
The Top Ten Finishers
Kinetic Racing’s #67 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), driven by Aedan Campbell, Vincent L'Herbier, and Linden Swaby, rounded out the podium in third, displaying consistent performance throughout the day.
The #6 Torque Freak Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, featuring Jonathan Dance, John Goodwin, and Neil Middleton, secured a respectable fourth-place finish, while the pole-sitting #992 DS Racing eSports Team Porsche managed fifth after a challenging race. Sixth place went to the #69 North Sim Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, and the #151 World Of SimRacing Team BMW M4 GT3 claimed seventh.
Championship Wrap-Up and Post-Race Reflections
With this victory, the #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche sealed the GT PRO class championship with 4099 points, maintaining a 299-point advantage over Kinetic Racing's #67 Porsche. This win marked a significant moment for the team, who emerged victorious in both the Petit Le Mans and the series championship, fulfilling their championship ambitions.
Arriving to victory lane to celebrate with his team, team owner and founder Benjamin Fischer said: "These races are always unpredictable, so many things can happen. I'm so proud of the guys and the job they've done all year, the team spirit and teamwork. They really earned this. And shoutout to our competitors at Delta, Kinetic and DS on a hard-fought season."
Daniel Gruber, driver of the #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche: "It feels awesome, it was a tough race. We did not go into the race with the expectation to win it, but just the goal to secure the championship. To finish the win of the championship with a win like that just feels amazing!"
Strategy played a huge part in this ten-hour endurance classic also, as Gruber attested: "We had a few tactical decisions that helped us throughout the race. But of course, in the end it was also about the great performance from Jay to keep the car clean and in front of P2 the whole last stint, which was great to watch!"
Gruber: "This was my first season in this championship and in the team, I made great memories, it was a lot of fun. We had some good or bad moments but we always worked together to get us out of there. I am thrilled to drive again in 2025."
Endurance Cup Concludes on a High Note
In the Endurance Cup, the #992 DS Racing eSports Team Porsche 911 GT3 R claimed the title, narrowly edging out the #44 Fischer Motorsport Porsche by a single point. DS Racing’s success in the Endurance Cup showcased their consistency throughout the five-race Endurance Cup season featuring Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, Miami and Road Atlanta, where strong performances allowed them to overcome occasional setbacks like today’s incident.
As the VSCA SportsCar Championship season comes to a close, the teams and drivers have already turned their attention to the upcoming 2025 season. With Fischer Motorsport’s championship victory and the rise of competitive contenders like Delta Racing and series veterans like Kinetic Racing, Petit Le Mans provided a fitting finale for an action-packed year of racing.
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