Round 10 of the 2025 VSCA SportsCar Championship — the JRT Road America 160 — delivered drama from the very first lap at the 4-mile, 14-turn circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Pole-sitter Patrick Boilard in the #83 Off in the Esses Racing McLaren 720S GT3 EVO lost control in Turn 3, spinning but recovering to third place. However, the chaos was only beginning. Moments later, a massive 18-car pileup erupted at Turn 6, ensnaring much of the GT AM field.
Among the casualties were the #515 Wolf Motorsport Simracing Porsche, forced to pit for lengthy repairs, and the #34 Wastegate Racing Corvette, which tumbled from fourth to eleventh. The early trouble culminated in heartbreak for Boilard and the #83 crew, when contact with an LMP2 car at Turn 14 dropped the team to twelfth — ending any hopes of recovery.
Momentum Shifts and Missed Opportunities
The early chaos gave others a chance to shine. The #33 Wastegate Racing Corvette, driven by Neill A Forbes and Christopher Daniel, capitalized by leaping from ninth to fourth on the opening lap and later moving into third. But fortune swung wildly across the first hour. On lap 13, the #29 Team Vortex Acura, then running second with John T Jones at the wheel, spun while avoiding a multi-class wreck in Turn 1 — dropping to twelfth and erasing what had been a strong start.
By lap 16, Forbes seized the lead for the first time, though the #533 Pandemonium eSports McLaren reclaimed the top spot just three laps later when pit stops cycled through. It wasn’t until the 70-minute mark that Wastegate Racing’s #33 machine returned to the front, inheriting the lead when Kurtis Tryber’s #57 Double Stint Racing McLaren spun at Turn 5.
A Scary Crash and a Crucial Caution
Midway through the race, the atmosphere changed from competitive tension to alarm. The #74 SRN Motorsports Corvette of Marty Jefferies lost control entering Turn 1. Björn Klaassens in the #531 Pandemonium eSports Dallara LMP2 was unable to react, colliding heavily with the stricken Corvette in a terrifying crash. The race’s only full-course yellow followed shortly after.
After the full-course yellow, the race resumed with just over 30 minutes remaining. Christopher Daniel led the restart for Wastegate Racing, followed closely by Kurtis Tryber in the #57 Double Stint Racing McLaren and Roberto JM Artur in the #555 PULSAR MV Skinlab eSports McLaren. Turn 3 proved treacherous once again as Tryber lost control, dropping from second to sixth and ending his team's podium chances.
Fuel Gamble to the Finish
As the final quarter-hour approached, strategy took center stage. The leading #33 Wastegate Corvette dived into pit lane on lap 63 for a swift 7.7-second splash of fuel, followed one lap later by the #555 PULSAR McLaren, which needed 8.5 seconds to complete its pit stop. The #18 Gowin Racing Mercedes, driven by Josh Gowin, briefly inherited the lead, attempting to stretch the remaining fuel to the end.
But with just four minutes remaining, Gowin’s gamble fell short. The Mercedes came in for a lightning-fast 5.1-second stop, ceding the lead — and ultimately victory — back to the Wastegate Racing Corvette. Forbes and Daniel managed the final laps flawlessly to secure their first-ever VSCA win, crossing the line 10.076 seconds ahead of Artur and Carlos Miguel Duarte in the #555 McLaren.
A Breakthrough Victory and a Title Secured
The #33 Wastegate Racing Corvette not only claimed its maiden VSCA victory but also clinched the 2025 GT AM Sprint Cup title in dramatic fashion. Starting ninth, the car led a race-high 32 laps and overcame constant pressure in a contest that featured eight lead changes.
Behind them, the #555 PULSAR eSports McLaren took a well-earned second, while the #18 Gowin Racing Mercedes of series debut driver Connor Botting and Josh Gowin completed the podium. The #34 Wastegate Racing Corvette finished fourth, ahead of the #312 Real Pixel Motorsport Acura NSX GT3 EVO 22 in fifth. Boilard and Michael Garrone’s #83 Off in the Esses Racing McLaren fought back to sixth, followed by the #64 Vulture Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 in seventh, the #29 Team Vortex Acura in eighth, the #533 Pandemonium eSports McLaren in ninth, and the #515 Wolf Motorsport Simracing Porsche completing the top ten.
Series Championship Picture and the Road Ahead
Despite a challenging afternoon, the #83 Off in the Esses Racing McLaren continues to lead the overall GT AM SportsCar Championship standings with 2911 points, 52 ahead of the #64 Vulture Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 and 108 ahead of the surging #34 Wastegate Racing Corvette.
In the final Sprint Cup standings, the victorious #33 Wastegate Racing Corvette took the title with 1564 points, ahead of the #555 PULSAR McLaren (-80) and the #18 Gowin Mercedes (-86).
The 2025 season now heads to its grand finale — the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 18. With endurance strategy and championship glory at stake, the stage is set for a fitting climax to a dramatic season.
Post-Race Reactions
Christopher Daniel, #33 Wastegate Racing Chevrolet Corvette:
"With so many competitive teams in our class I was surprised by the win today. Going into the race we knew that we needed a good result to finish well in the Sprint Championship. Neill and I debriefed prior to the race and agreed to play it safe for the first half of the race. The start was chaotic and Neill did a superb job avoiding most of the carnage. Winning the race and then the Sprint Championship was such an accomplishment for the whole WGR team! When Kyle asked me to drive I was honored to pilot the WGR Corvette for the Team and I’m honored to help finish what our late Teammates started, these wins are for Mr. Baker and Mr. Hennes!"
"The start was pretty eventful with many cars wrecking and partially blocking the track. I’m thankful we were able to get out of the carnage unscathed. From there our race was fairly uneventful until the FCY."
"We missed the opportunity to pit during the FCY. At the wave of the green flag I put my head down and passed a few vehicles and settled in for the last 30 minutes by fuel saving. During our pit stop the fuel calculator unfortunately short fueled us and I had to continue to fuel save for the rest of the race. But the team did a great job recovering from this misstep. The crew gave us a setup that made the car easy to drive both at the limit and while fuel saving. The last lap of the race I was able to push and achieve my fastest lap of the race!"
"My main takeaway is, we’re an extremely talented group of racers, our hard work off the track has paid off in winning the Sprint Championship! Our team goal heading into the last race is to finish strong and secure a top 3 in the Endurance Championship! Personally, I’ll be back with the #84 Fischer Motorsport Porsche at Road Atlanta."
Patrick Boilard, #83 Off in the Esses Racing McLaren:
"Definitely a tough pill to swallow — this was our race to lose today. It was chaos to say the least. Lap one was made of nightmares, crossing the line with damage that cost us pace. We did settle in nicely before the full-course yellow put us in a bad position with drive time. On top of that, an auto fuel malfunction forced us to pit three times during the last stint, which ended our recovery."
"Finishing sixth shows the importance of sticking with it. We accepted the situation we were in and focused on what we could control — that’s what kept us in the overall championship fight. I couldn't be happier for Wastegate Racing; what a performance from them. Both cars showed up, as always. For that #33 car to win here with that livery and take the Sprint Championship was a truly special moment."
"Knowing what they’ve been through as a team, to show up and perform like that, is something I’ll remember for a long time. Congratulations to everyone at WGR — a well-deserved end to the Sprint Championship. For us, it’s simple: we just need to show up prepared. The work we’ve put in all season now boils down to Petit. Everyone will be on their A-game, so we can’t afford any mistakes or setbacks."
Carlos Miguel Duarte, #555 PULSAR MV Skinlab eSports Team McLaren:
"This feels amazing, especially with only the Road Atlanta ten hours left in the season. Both drivers executed perfectly today, and the entire team delivered when it mattered most. We're heading into the finale with serious momentum and confidence."
"We got caught in a big multi-car incident at the start but avoided damage and fought back through strong pace and racecraft. Both drivers had intense battles for position, and our consistency across stints got us to second place. Communication between drivers and spotter was flawless, and that made all the difference."
"Our pace and consistency were key today, combined with a perfect setup that let us push the entire race. The spotter's calls were crucial in all the battles and traffic. It was a complete team effort — pit crew, strategy, and both drivers executing flawlessly. The goal is always the podium, and today proved we can deliver under pressure. We're taking this same focus and preparation into Road Atlanta — training hard for the ten-hour challenge. This result shows we’re ready to fight for a strong finish to the 2025 season."
Josh Gowin, #18 Gowin Racing Mercedes:
"Third is a great result for us, all things considered. We started toward the back with the goal of staying out of trouble and building momentum for the critical phases of the race. Unfortunately, we got caught in the lap one, turn six incident and took a heavy hit to the right-front suspension. The car didn’t look terrible, but the damage underneath could easily be felt — it was understeering like crazy."
"Connor did an exceptional job making the most of his stints. We chose not to pit for repairs early, hoping to stay on the lead lap. Connor finished his two stints near perfectly and passed the car to me. I only had to bear the broken car for two laps before a caution allowed us to fix it. With the damage repaired, we finally had a car capable of racing. Restarting from the back of GT AM, I had a high-pressure stint to climb back through the field and bring us to the podium."
"I would have loved a shot at second or first, but those cars had already gained too much time. The caution timing was key — it allowed us to repair the car without losing a lap. Connor did an excellent job in his debut, nursing a broken car for more than an hour without complaint. It was fantastic to see how much effort he put in leading up to the race. Kudos to him — I hope he continues racing for us."
"This was my first VSCA race since 2024, so it felt great to be back on the grid and competing again. Although this season hasn’t been a championship run for us, the team has shown real hunger and is eager to close the year out strong."
Marty Jefferies, #74 SRN Motorsports Corvette:
[on the big crash on lap 31] "Yeah, I’m okay. The whole team was pretty disappointed, of course. We had a great start, and I managed to weave through two lap-one pileups, including a big one coming out of turn six. The accident actually started before the start-finish line on that lap. I lost simulator audio and slowed down, pulling to the right to stay out of the racing line. I still had radio contact with the pit wall, and we decided I’d limp the car around and pit for a driver change."
"Without any audio feedback going into turn one, I spun. It happened so fast — all I remember was spinning and pressing the brake as hard as I could. The car finally stopped, and I was holding the brake, thinking, 'I need to check my relative to find a safe gap to turn around.' I didn’t even have time to look before getting hit. At first, I thought it was my fault and was too angry to watch the replay. It wasn’t until the next day that a teammate told me it was actually the other car’s mistake."
"I was really disappointed. Up to that point, I had zero incident points and was just eight laps away from handing the car over to my teammate. We know we have the pace to do well in VSCA — we just need to tighten up those small but costly mistakes. We’re already looking forward to Road Atlanta."
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