Wastegate Racing finally has its breakthrough. After numerous near misses across the past two seasons, the #32 Ferrari 499P of Niclas Pedersen and Kyle Birnie captured the team's first-ever points-paying GTP victory in the #NEVERLIFT CRISPY 160 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
The victory was worth more than just a trophy. The result vaulted the #32 to the top of the SportsCar Championship standings and came during a weekend filled with remembrance, as the VSCA community honored the late Martin "Crispy" Crisp, Kyle Busch, Tom Hennes and Thomas Baker.
Early Pole Advantage Disappears
Thiago Mello gave Bravo Snow Schatten its third GTP pole position of the season with a 1:05.909 lap, and the Brazilian led the opening stages after the green flag. The race, however, was interrupted almost immediately by the first of three full-course yellows.
While Mello controlled the early pace, strategy and caution periods quickly reshuffled the order. The second caution proved especially costly for the #20 BMW. A misunderstanding during the safety car procedure led to contact that damaged the rear of the car and triggered a lengthy repair stop.
"I think the race started to slip away during the second full-course yellow," Mello explained afterward. "We made a small mistake with the timing of the safety car entering the track. I ended up braking very hard after being reminded by my spotter, and the GT3 car behind hit us. We lost the rear wing and rear suspension."
The setback transformed a race that had begun from pole position into a recovery effort that ultimately ended in eighth place.
Wastegate Emerges During Strategy Battle
CTMP's dry conditions contrasted sharply with last year's rain-soaked event, but fog around the circuit added atmosphere throughout the afternoon. The GTP race itself became a strategic chess match featuring ten lead changes among seven different entries.
Pedersen first moved the #32 Ferrari into the lead on lap 24 before Vision 1 Motorsports briefly seized control. As pit cycles unfolded under the second caution, the lead repeatedly changed hands between the leading contenders.
Pedersen kept the Ferrari near the front throughout the opening two-thirds of the race before a critical decision during the final caution period set up the victory.
"We had a good start and then tried to keep the pressure on because it's quite difficult to overtake around here," Pedersen said. "On the final restart we pushed hard and decided to pit right as we caught traffic. That turned out to be crucial. By the time Kyle got in the car and everyone else completed their stops, we had built a good gap."
That advantage became the foundation of the winning drive.
Final Pit Cycle Decides the Race
The final full-course yellow ended with just over an hour remaining. Gamma Sim Racing's #137 Ferrari, VSR Competición's #7 Porsche and PAX Simsport's #55 Porsche all spent time at the front as differing fuel strategies unfolded.
Daniel Galvez briefly led for VSR Competición before J.D. Daniel took the top spot for PAX Simsport. Both teams were eventually forced to pit, opening the door for Wastegate Racing once more.
Tri-State Racing emerged as the Ferrari's strongest challenger. Starting seventh, Geordi Vermeulen and Niko Loikkanen steadily worked their way forward and briefly inherited the lead during the final pit cycle before making their last stop.
"We knew that if we stayed out of trouble with the GT3 and LMP2 traffic, we'd have a chance at a strong finish," Loikkanen said. "Geordi put in a mega stint at the start of the race, and from there it was mostly about managing everything to the end."
Once the final round of stops was complete, Birnie restored the #32 Ferrari to the lead on lap 97 and never looked back. The winning margin grew to 27.3 seconds by the checkered flag.
Championship Shakeup and Penalties
The victory completely reshaped both championship battles.
Wastegate Racing leaves CTMP leading the SportsCar Championship standings with 2,530 points, 15 points ahead of the #25 Tri-State Racing BMW. Albrecht Motorsports sits third, only 25 points behind the new leaders after another disciplined performance that produced a fourth-place finish.
"We drove consistently with very few incidents," said Maik Steinicke. "We aren't the fastest, so we try to drive as cleanly as possible and capitalize on others' mistakes."
The defending champion #51 World Of SimRacing Team Cadillac endured another difficult afternoon and finished tenth, three laps down. A black flag during the second caution period proved especially costly and contributed to the team's second consecutive race off the lead lap.
"Another race, another disappointment," said Álvaro Martínez. "We always seem to end up involved in situations where we can do very little about the outcome. Once things went wrong, we simply could never recover in such a short race."
Post-race penalties also altered several stories from the afternoon. Bravo Snow Schatten received a 35-second penalty for contact involving Thiago Mello, while PAX Simsport was assessed a 95-second penalty for entering a closed pit lane during a caution period. Gamma Sim Racing and Vision 1 Motorsports also received post-race sanctions following incident reviews.
Top Ten Finishers
Wastegate Racing's #32 Ferrari claimed victory ahead of the hard-charging #25 Tri-State Racing BMW. VSR Competición completed the podium in third after a race that exceeded the team's expectations.
Albrecht Motorsports finished fourth, followed by Gamma Sim Racing in fifth and Vision 1 Motorsports in sixth. PAX Simsport crossed the line seventh, while pole-winning Bravo Snow Schatten recovered to eighth.
Delta Racing's #12 BMW finished ninth, and the defending champion #51 World Of SimRacing Team rounded out the top ten.
Post-Race Reactions
Niclas Pedersen, #32 Wastegate Racing Ferrari: "This was a much-needed victory and it means a lot. We've been close so many times and it just never happened for us. To finally get that win takes a lot of weight off our shoulders, and hopefully we can build on it and stay in the championship fight."
"It was a really well-executed race from our side. We made good decisions, timed the driver change correctly, and managed to stay near the front all day."
"The win carries special meaning. The news about Kyle Busch was heartbreaking, and for us at Wastegate Racing it's also been a difficult period after losing Thomas Baker and Tom Hennes. To finally get this win while carrying their names on the car was very special."
Niko Loikkanen, #25 Tri-State Racing BMW: "It was a really strong day for us. To come away with second place and the Sprint Cup championship lead is a great result for the whole team."
"We definitely thought we might have a chance to chase down the #32 near the end. The strategy put us in a great position, but the winner was just a little out of reach. Second place was probably the maximum result available today, and we're very happy with that."
Daniel Galvez, #7 VSR Competición Porsche: "Coming into the weekend we honestly expected more of a midfield battle. What surprised us was how competitive the Porsche became over a race distance."
"Leading the race wasn't really on our radar before the start. During my stint I was focused on staying clean and following our strategy, so finding ourselves at the front was a reward for consistency."
"I think we'll look back on this race with satisfaction rather than regret. Finishing third after expecting a midfield fight is an outstanding result for us."
Thiago Mello, #20 Bravo Snow Schatten BMW: "Looking back at the contact that led to the penalty, I think I let the situation develop too quickly. If I could do it again, I would probably wait for both cars to complete the corner and make the move safely afterward."
"What's missing for us right now is staying calmer during races, especially when we're running at the front. We need to manage yellow flags better and execute more cleanly if we want our race results to match our qualifying pace."
Álvaro Martínez, #51 World Of SimRacing Team Cadillac: "There's zero pressure now. The championship situation is out of our hands. We'll simply try to finish both championships as strongly and as professionally as possible."
Watkins Glen Awaits Before Summer Break
The GTP championship picture has rarely been tighter entering the second half of a VSCA season. Wastegate Racing now leads the SportsCar Championship, Tri-State Racing has taken over the Sprint Cup lead, and Albrecht Motorsports remains firmly within striking distance.
Attention now turns to the Abruzzi Six Hours of the Glen on June 20 at Watkins Glen. Round 8 of 11 of the SportsCar Championship will be the final race before the VSCA summer break begins and will be broadcast live on GreenFlag TV starting at 16:00 GMT.
After two consecutive difficult races for the defending champions, all eyes will be on whether the #51 World Of SimRacing Team can halt its slide. Meanwhile, Wastegate Racing arrives in New York carrying momentum, confidence and, for the first time, the championship lead.