Bravo Snow Schatten etched its name into VSCA history on Saturday afternoon, as the Brazilian squad claimed its first-ever GT AM victory in the #NEVERLIFT CRISPY 160 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Danilo Vaz and John Palauro guided the #23 Ford Mustang GT3 from fourth on the grid to victory in a race that featured eight GT AM lead changes, three full-course yellows, and a final hour packed with shifting contenders.
The win came in only Bravo Snow Schatten’s second GT AM start after debuting at Homestead-Miami earlier in May. The #23 Mustang led a class-high 59 laps and beat the #515 Wolf Motorsport Simracing Mercedes to the line by 5.5 seconds, making it the fifth-closest GT AM finish in series history.
Hodesson Puts FR13DA Sport On Pole
GT AM’s first-ever race at CTMP began with a breakthrough for Tayne Hodesson and FR13DA Sport. Hodesson secured his first career pole position, and the team’s first GT AM pole, with a lap of 1:15.032 in the #912 Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Hodesson led the class away at the start, but the rhythm of the race was disrupted early. The first full-course yellow came out seven minutes into the race, with the restart following roughly twelve minutes later. Two more cautions followed, bringing the total yellow time to 45 minutes and making track position, pit timing, and restart execution major parts of the race.
Cautions And Pit Cycles Reshape The Race
The second full-course yellow arrived 37 minutes into the race and triggered the first major strategy shuffle. Claudio Di Santo briefly took the #515 Wolf Motorsport Simracing Mercedes to the GT AM lead during the caution cycle, a striking moment for a car that had started fifteenth and last in class.
FR13DA Sport cycled back ahead shortly afterward, while SRN Motorsports, Bravo Snow Schatten, Fischer Motorsport, and several others remained in contention. Nicholas Gowin also gained four class positions under that second caution, moving the #19 Gowin Racing Ferrari into a stronger position before the race resumed.
The same phase also brought Race Control complications. The #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche later received a 35-second post-race penalty for a pit-road FCY car contact violation, while the #19 Gowin Racing Ferrari served a passing-under-yellow hold penalty and later became part of a caution-period incident that went through the appeals process.
Bravo Snow Schatten Takes Control
After the second restart, Richard Bell moved the #75 SRN Motorsports Mercedes into the class lead before Danilo Vaz put the #23 Bravo Snow Schatten Ford out front. Vaz’s middle stint became one of the defining stretches of the race, with the Mustang showing the pace to create a meaningful gap before the final caution reset the field once more.
The final full-course yellow came out around one hour and 22 minutes into the race, with the restart following just over twelve minutes later. From there, the race became a contest of execution through traffic, final pit timing, and avoiding trouble in CTMP’s fast, unforgiving corners.
Superstar Racing Team briefly led during the final pit sequence with the #17 McLaren, and Vulture Motorsports later cycled to the front with Kyle Potter in the #64 Porsche. Neither remained there. The Superstar McLaren had to pit again, while Vulture’s potential podium run ended in a major late setback after contact forced repairs and dropped the car from the lead fight to twelfth.
Fischer Motorsport Loses A Shot At The Win
The #90 Fischer Motorsport Porsche emerged as one of Bravo Snow Schatten’s most serious threats in the final hour. Marek Gdański, making his VSCA series debut as a driver, had already impressed by qualifying on the front row, and he and Aaron Beaver kept the Porsche near the sharp end for much of the afternoon.
For long stretches, the #90 looked capable of fighting not only for a podium, but potentially for the win. Its race changed late when Beaver was involved in a Turn 2 accident with an LMP2 car while battling near the front. The incident cost Fischer Motorsport valuable time and track position, dropping the Porsche out of the podium fight.
The #90 still finished fourth, a strong result under the circumstances and an impressive first VSCA appearance for Gdański, but the missed opportunity was clear after a race in which Fischer Motorsport had the pace to challenge the eventual winner.
Wolf Motorsport Charges From Last To Second
Behind the winning Mustang, Wolf Motorsport Simracing produced one of the drives of the season. Christopher Limprecht and Claudio Di Santo started fifteenth and finished second, gaining 13 positions on a day when many rivals lost time to contact, penalties, or repairs.
The #515 Mercedes briefly led during the second caution cycle and later worked back through the field after its pit sequence dropped it down the order. By the finish, Wolf Motorsport had climbed all the way to the runner-up spot, completing a race built on patience, survival, and avoiding the trouble that caught so many others.
Gowin Racing completed the podium in third with the #19 Ferrari. The team’s race included a passing-under-yellow penalty, a self-served drive-through, and a successful appeal after Race Stewards accepted that the self-served penalty was sufficient for a caution-period contact incident. The decision removed any additional post-race time penalty and reduced Connor Botting’s License Penalty Points to two.
SRN Penalty Precedes Withdrawal Announcement
SRN Motorsports spent much of the afternoon among the leading GT AM contenders. Richard Bell briefly led the class during the middle stages in the #75 Mercedes, while the entry remained a major Sprint Cup factor coming into the weekend.
The race took a damaging turn in post-race review. Race Stewards assessed a 60-second post-race penalty to Bell following contact with the #3 Tri-State Racing BMW in Turn 5. The incident was judged to be the responsibility of the #75 and classified as careless driving, resulting in five License Penalty Points for Bell in addition to the time penalty.
The #75 still finished sixth, but the penalty was followed by an even larger development. SRN Motorsports owner Ryan Huff announced after the race that the team would permanently withdraw the #75 Mercedes from the series.
“While we have enjoyed most of the on-track competition, we have not enjoyed the rules that attempt to restrict close racing and put too much emphasis on never touching grass, or another car,” Huff said.
“Mistakes happen in racing and should be punished, but the punishments in this league are far too severe, while the rewards for rolling around and never attempting a pass are far too high.”
Huff also argued that incidental contact is a natural part of racing and that cars leaning on one another or making contact does not automatically mean something dangerous has happened. He confirmed that the #74 SRN Motorsports Mercedes is expected to finish the season, and may remain beyond it, because its drivers are still enjoying the on-track battles.
The announcement removes one of GT AM’s strongest Sprint Cup contenders from the field. The #75 leaves the series while still second in the Sprint Cup standings, making CTMP both a difficult final race and a major turning point in the championship picture.
Wastegate Survives Damage And Keeps Both Leads
Wastegate Racing’s eighth-place finish did not reflect an easy afternoon. The #33 Mercedes was hit from behind under the first caution, suffered significant damage, and fell multiple laps down early. From there, Neill Forbes and Tamer Elbaga focused on keeping the rest of the race clean and salvaging points.
That approach proved valuable. Despite finishing eighth, Wastegate Racing retained the lead in both the overall GT AM SportsCar Championship standings and the Sprint Cup standings. The #33 now leads the overall standings with 2565 points, while Gowin Racing has moved up to second, 165 points behind. Tri-State Racing dropped to third, 220 points off the lead.
In the Sprint Cup, Wastegate remains first with 1710 points. The withdrawn #75 SRN Motorsports Mercedes remains second on points after CTMP, 100 points behind, while Gowin Racing moves up to third, 185 points back.
Top Ten Completes A Chaotic Class Race
Bravo Snow Schatten won ahead of Wolf Motorsport Simracing and Gowin Racing, with Fischer Motorsport fourth after its late setback. SWF Motorsports finished fifth despite its post-race penalty, while SRN Motorsports classified sixth with the #75 Mercedes.
Superstar Racing Team took seventh with the #17 McLaren after briefly leading during the final pit sequence. Wastegate Racing finished eighth after its early damage, FR13DA Sport ended ninth after turning pole position into a difficult recovery race, and Flight Level Racing completed the top ten with the #747 Ford.
Off in the Esses Racing finished eleventh, Vulture Motorsports fell to twelfth after its late repairs, 499RACING placed 13th, the #74 SRN Motorsports Mercedes finished 14th, and Tri-State Racing ended 15th after a race shaped by penalties, repairs, and lost laps.
Post-Race Reactions
John Palauro, #23 Bravo Snow Schatten Ford: First of all, thank you, lads. This victory came from a lot of dedication from both Danilo and me, and from learning from our mistakes. We came in with a clear head and achieved what we have been trying to do for so long.
Track position was the key. We needed to maintain the best track position we could under the full-course yellows, because CTMP is a really fast track with a lot of long, high-speed corners. Track position meant everything in this race.
In the closing laps, I did the best I could to maintain first place. Our strong point was Turn 8, so I used that to our advantage, and of course it was about placing the car in the right place at the right time.
It means a lot to have our name carved into the history of one of Crispy’s favorite tracks. It gives you a special feeling unlike anything else, and I am sure Crispy had a blast watching it from up there.
I would like to give a shout-out to Danilo for giving me the chance to drive alongside him, to Bravo Snow Schatten for becoming my second home, and of course to our boys at LionGP for giving us the support we needed. Thank you, lads. The first of many more to come.
Danilo Vaz, #23 Bravo Snow Schatten Ford: It feels awesome to get Bravo Snow’s first win in VSCA. This is something we have been aiming for since our debut in 2024. Although this was only my third start in the league, and my second in 2026, it feels very good to win with such a strong performance from me and Palauro, who held off the charges from our rivals. I hope this is the first of many wins in this awesome league.
This was a hard race in general. We saw accidents in our rearview mirror too many times, which was scary. But I am glad we were able to keep it clean, and I made some key passes in the first half of the race. I was also able to build a ten-second gap to second place before the last full-course yellow, which showed how fast our Mustang was today. I thank the whole Bravo Snow crew for bringing this V8, which was really strong here at CTMP.
I am honored by this victory. It was a tough weekend in general, with the Crispy homage and also the loss of Kyle Busch during the week. For me, growing up watching NASCAR in Brazil, that was really shocking, especially with how sudden the loss was for everyone who loves motorsports. Bravo Snow put the Rowdy Forever sticker on the car, so it feels special to get our first win with that symbolism riding with us. I hope all VSCA teams and drivers remember this moment, as life goes on and we build this legacy together for the future.
First, thank you to all Bravo Snow members, and also to Palauro, who found a setup change hours before the race that helped us get this win today. Thanks also to LionGP, fenster.com, LM95 TV, Felipe Giro Video Editor, and Danno Design, who always delivers our beautiful liveries.
Claudio Di Santo, #515 Wolf Motorsport Simracing Mercedes: We did not expect this at all. Our top priority was to make sure we did not lose the car, because some of the corners at this track are very difficult.
We did not pay much attention to our position during the race, but we did see ourselves inside the top five. It was only near the end, when we knew all the pit stops and caution phases were over, that we really understood where we were. Caution phases are always difficult, with cars being reordered and everyone trying to figure out where they will end up.
The feeling of finally standing on the podium is absolutely fantastic. It shows that sometimes it is better to give up two or three tenths of a second than to wreck the car. It was a great race, and everything went perfectly. Watkins Glen will be another new challenge, and we will give it our best.
Nicholas Gowin, #19 Gowin Racing Ferrari: It was a total rollercoaster afternoon. Off the truck, the car just did not have the pace, and we had to scratch and claw through practice just to find a tenth here or there. From the green flag, it turned into a pure race of survival, including dodging a massive mess with some LMP2 cars in Turn 2 and making the quick call to self-serve a drive-through after an incident under caution. Walking away with a podium after all that chaos feels incredible.
The shift from LMP2 to GT3 was definitely an adjustment, but with our Pro car winning back-to-back Sprint races and the GT AM car locking down consecutive podiums, Gowin Racing is finally firing on all cylinders. Both the Sprint and overall championship battles are going to be a dogfight down to the wire. We are historically one of the most successful teams in this series without the big trophy, and I think it is high time we get to hoist that puppy at the end of the season. We are ready.
Logan Giesbrecht, #912 FR13DA Sport Porsche: Overall, I think the day went well, and there were a lot of positives to take from the race. Tayne was incredible, and although I had a shaky start, I started to show some pace as well.
As with every race I do, I just try to ground myself. The incident with the LMP2 was unfortunate, but there was nothing to do other than keep going. There were many lessons to take away, but the biggest one for me is that I should be more predictable as a lapped car, as I surely did not help in that incident. Thanks to all of FR13DA’s sponsors for allowing me to do this. I do not want to let them down.
Tayne Hodesson, #912 FR13DA Sport Porsche: It was an amazing feeling to take my first pole, as well as FR13DA’s first pole. The qualifying setup on the car was horribly oversteery, but I went full send and surprised myself with my level of control. It was one of the best laps of my sim racing career for sure.
The original plan was for Logan to qualify, start the race, do his minimum 45 minutes, and then for me to take the car to the end. But that morning he realized he was volunteering at a children’s charity event, so he told me to start, and as soon as he got back we would switch. That turned out to be a few laps after the caution, when we pitted from the lead and swapped drivers. While Logan was getting up to speed, he got punted by an LMP2, ending our chance for a good result. Ironically, with all my bad luck this year across both of our team’s cars, I believe ninth place in this race was my best VSCA result so far, which is kind of depressing considering how good we have been this season.
Tamer Elbaga, #33 Wastegate Racing Mercedes: Tough one today. We were hit from behind under the first caution, and that frustratingly caused significant damage, setting us four laps back and last place very early in the race. From there, it was time to put our heads down and keep the rest of the race clean. We assumed we would lose a bunch of points and our championship lead, but much to our surprise, we are still there.
I have said before that it really comes down to a focus on clean racing, consistency, and staying with that process. It may sound counterintuitive, but staying clean at all costs in endurance racing may cost you a position here and there, but it rarely costs you a whole race.
It is never easy losing teammates and friends, but we can only hope to honor them with a strong team performance.
Marek Gdański, #90 Fischer Motorsport Porsche: Overall, I am very happy with how the weekend went. We had a great qualifying session and started from the front row, which gave us a strong position for the race. For the first two hours, we were fighting at the front and were in contention for a podium, maybe even the win. Unfortunately, a small incident in the second half of the race cost us time and ultimately dropped us to fourth place.
Of course, it is always a little disappointing to come so close to the podium, but considering it was my VSCA debut, I still see it as a fantastic result and a very positive first experience. The level of competition was high, the racing was great, and it definitely gives us confidence for the next rounds.
Traffic management was definitely one of the biggest challenges of the race. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is already a fast and demanding circuit on its own, and when you add Hypercars and LMP2s to the mix, things become very busy very quickly for a GT AM driver. One of the key positives for us was how consistently we handled traffic in the opening stages. We stayed out of trouble, avoided unnecessary risks, and maintained strong pace while fighting near the front of the field.
On the negative side, the incident later in the race came at a crucial moment and cost us valuable track position. In multiclass racing, even a minor setback can have a significant impact because it is often difficult to recover the lost time in traffic. That said, I think we can be proud of our overall execution. The team did a great job, our strategy worked well, and apart from that one setback, we put together a very competitive race from start to finish.
Watkins Glen Awaits Before The Summer Break
GT AM now turns toward the Abruzzi Six Hours of the Glen on June 20 at Watkins Glen International. The race will be Round 8 of 11 of the 2026 VSCA SportsCar Championship and will be broadcast live from start to finish on GreenFlag TV beginning at 16:00 GMT.
The class heads to New York with several major questions. Bravo Snow Schatten has proven it can win. Wolf Motorsport has shown that a clean, patient race can turn last on the grid into second at the flag. Gowin Racing is now firmly in the championship picture. Fischer Motorsport has pace to convert into a podium. Wastegate Racing still leads both championships, but CTMP showed again how quickly that advantage can come under pressure.
With the summer break approaching after Watkins Glen, the next six-hour race will be the final chance for GT AM contenders to shape the championship fight before the series pauses and returns at Road America in August.