The 2025 VSCA SportsCar Championship reached its conclusion at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta — a 12-turn, 2.54-mile rollercoaster of tarmac in Braselton, Georgia. The Petit Le Mans served as Round 11 of 11 in the SportsCar Championship and the fifth and final round of the Endurance Cup.
In GT AM, Josh Gowin put the #18 Gowin Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 on pole position with a blistering 1:17.840 lap in qualifying — his first of the season and a fitting setup for a defining day. When the green flag waved at 12:04 PM local time, Gowin led the class to Turn 1 under clear skies, chased by a tightly bunched field that wasted no time in showing its teeth.
Early Drama and Strategic Chaos
The opening hour quickly underlined why Petit Le Mans has a reputation for punishing mistakes. Contact between #22 Twin Turn SR Dallara and #29 Team Vortex Acura brought an early warning from Race Control, followed minutes later by another between #71 Sim City Racing Porsche and the class-leading #18 Gowin Racing Mercedes
The first full-course yellow came 40 minutes into the race, triggering a flurry of pit stops that scrambled the running order. The #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche and #83 Off in the Esses McLaren stayed out while most others pitted — a risky but clever call that catapulted both to the front when the race went green again. For much of the first two hours, it was less about who was quickest and more about who could stay out of trouble.
Midrace Mayhem: Cautions, Contact, and Calculations
By the race’s middle phase, the lead had changed hands multiple times. Gowin Racing briefly lost the top spot to #34 Wastegate Racing Corvette driven by Neill A. Forbes, only to reclaim it through pit strategy and consistency. The #555 PULSAR MV Skinlab McLaren saw its race unravel after a series of black flags and a later 30-second penalty for “unpredictable driving” at pit entry.
Meanwhile, Team Vortex’s #29 Acura, driven by John T. Jones, Jim McGill, Erol Ureksoy, and Kyle Potter, quietly climbed the order. Their disciplined execution kept them within sight of the leaders. The #57 Double Stint Racing McLaren, piloted by brothers Kris and Kurtis Tryber, followed suit, moving up from sixth to challenge for the podium.
A midrace full-course yellow at 3 hours 34 minutes reset the field once more. Under that caution, the frontrunners all pitted — Gowin, Double Stint, Vortex, Off in the Esses, and Wastegate — locking in a fight that would last until sunset. When the green waved again, chaos resumed instantly: #94 SWF Motorsports made contact with #74 SRN Motorsports, earning a doubled post-race penalty for careless driving.
Closing Stages: Gowin Prevails in the Darkness
As dusk fell over Road Atlanta, the battle for GT AM glory turned into a war of attrition. The #29 Team Vortex Acura briefly led with Erol Ureksoy at the wheel, providing an emotional highlight after the recent closure of Vulture Motorsports, where Ureksoy had raced all season. But just minutes later, Kurtis Tryber put the #57 Double Stint McLaren into the lead, only for Nicholas Gowin to snatch it back shortly after.
The final full-course yellow at 6 hours 23 minutes brought the field together one last time. On the ensuing restart, Josh Gowin reclaimed control and managed the race to perfection in the closing hours, keeping a relentless Double Stint Racing attack at bay.
After 10 grueling hours, Gowin Racing crossed the line first in GT AM — leading 235 laps and winning by 12.115 seconds over Double Stint Racing, the ninth-closest GT AM finish in VSCA history. Team Vortex completed the podium in third, securing a symbolic comeback for both the team and Ureksoy personally.
Top Ten Finishers
Behind the podium, SRN Motorsports’ #74 Corvette finished fourth despite a one-lap post-race penalty for avoidable contact. Off in the Esses Racing’s #83 McLaren came home fifth — five laps down but with the 2025 GT AM Series Championship in hand.
Wastegate Racing locked out sixth and seventh with their twin Corvettes, #34 and #33, after mixed fortunes in the middle hours. SWF Motorsports’ #94 Porsche survived a string of penalties to finish eighth, while #555 PULSAR eSports McLaren rounded out the top ten but failed to complete 25% of the leader’s distance, resulting in a demotion to the reserve list.
Post-Race Reactions
John T Jones, #29 Team Vortex Acura: “We’re thrilled with the podium finish in such a difficult race. Of course we wanted more, but in VSCA it’s very difficult to win. Everyone did their part in preparing and executing. I’d like to thank each and every one of them and also the VSCA organizers who make this league special.”
Erol Ureksoy, #29 Team Vortex Acura: “This week was a real gut-punch for all of us. Folding Vulture Motorsports for the last race was the worst-case scenario, but joining Team Vortex and getting to the podium really helped me get through it. All is not lost — Vulture Motorsports will be back in 2026!”
Patrick Boilard, #83 Off in the Esses McLaren: “It’s bittersweet. You always want to finish on the top step, but we did what we needed to for the championship. Our strategy under the first yellow could have gone either way, but the resilience of this squad is unmatched. We’ll celebrate tonight — and come back stronger next season.”
Kris Tryber, #57 Double Stint Racing McLaren: “Absolutely stoked. We had technical issues in qualifying, so to fight from sixth to second feels great. Once Nicholas Gowin got in, we could see he had pace, but we stayed consistent and clean. We’ll definitely be back next year — hopefully with more cars and a shot at the win.”
Matthew Elya, #83 Off in the Esses McLaren: “Feeling a little disappointed — we had a shot at a podium, but securing the championship makes up for it. We knew what we needed to do. It was all about damage limitation and getting the points to finish the job.”
Off in the Esses Racing wins SportsCar Championship
With a fifth-place finish, the #83 Off in the Esses Racing McLaren 720S GT3 EVO clinched the 2025 GT AM SportsCar Championship with 3,264 points. The #34 Wastegate Racing Corvette finished second, 107 points behind, while #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche took third, 228 points adrift.
Off in the Esses Racing claims Endurance Cup
Off in the Esses Racing also sealed the 2025 GT AM Endurance Cup, finishing the five-race endurance series with 42 points — 10 clear of SWF Motorsports and 11 ahead of Wastegate Racing.
Looking Ahead: Into the Offseason
As darkness settled over Road Atlanta, the 2025 VSCA SportsCar Championship season came to a close. Gowin Racing’s victory, Double Stint’s breakout performance, and Off in the Esses’ championship triumph marked a fitting end to a season in GT AM class, defined by strategy, resilience, and redemption.
Teams now turn their focus to the offseason — a brief chance to reset, rebuild, and reflect before the engines roar again for the 2026 VSCA SportsCar Championship, which promises new rivalries, new liveries, and another year of unforgettable endurance racing.
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