Wolf Motorsport Simracing finally has its first VSCA victory, and it arrived in the most Petit Le Mans way possible: after ten hours at Road Atlanta, 13 full-course yellows, a rain-soaked middle phase, darkness at the end and a post-race decision that changed the winner.
The No. 515 Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020 of Frederic Bissani and Markus Jung was classified as the GT AM winner in Saturday’s season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, finishing ahead of the No. 238 Gamma Sim Racing Ferrari by an official margin of about 17 seconds after Gamma received a 35-second post-race penalty. The result gave the German team from Cologne its first VSCA win more than two years after its series debut.
Wolf Motorsport Simracing Inherits First VSCA Victory
Gamma Sim Racing crossed the line first on track with Alex Rovinsky and Elijah Mitchell, but the No. 238 Ferrari lost the win after the stewards upheld a 35-second penalty for entering a closed pit lane under full-course yellow. Gamma explained that the car was forced into the pit lane by a technical issue rather than a planned stop, but the panel ruled that the closed-pit regulation applied regardless of the cause.
That promoted Wolf Motorsport Simracing, which had started 11th and officially led only four laps, to the top step. Jung said the team “only started believing in the win” when its slick-tire decision paid off after the rain eased, adding that to later learn the No. 515 had won “is a moment I’ll never forget.”
Bissani admitted the victory had not felt realistic from inside the car. “I did not believe at all,” he said. “We were substitutes because the rest of our team was at Zandvoort. For me it was only about getting to the finish. We never imagined it would be a class win at the end.”
Wolf’s run was far from clean. The Mercedes served multiple drive-throughs for incident accumulation and Bissani also received a warning for tire warming under caution. Still, Jung said the team “stayed focused, adapted the strategy and used the full-course yellows to recover lost time.”
Smail Laib Starts From Pole Before Early Race Unravels
Smail Laib put the No. 283 Blocco Motore Simsport Aston Martin on GT AM pole with a 1:27.494, giving both himself and the team another class pole at a track where the short 2.54-mile lap promised constant traffic from all four classes.
The opening minutes immediately showed how difficult the day would become. Laib led away, but Tayne Hodesson quickly moved the No. 912 FR13DA Sport Porsche into the class lead on lap three. The pole-sitting Aston Martin later received a warning for contact with the No. 912 at Turn 5, then was involved in the first major class-defining crash of the race.
Shortly before the first hour, the No. 283 and the No. 23 Bravo Snow Schatten Esports Ford came together at Turn 1. The Ford hit the concrete wall hard, bringing out the first full-course yellow. Blocco Motore later received a major post-race penalty, and both the No. 23 Ford and No. 283 Aston Martin ultimately failed to reach 70 percent race distance.
Rain and Safety Cars Break Up the Middle Hours
The forecasted rain arrived and turned Road Atlanta into a narrow tunnel of spray. The smell of wet grass mixed with hot brakes in the pit lane, and from the Esses to Turn 10 the GT cars were often running blind behind faster-class traffic.
The race featured 13 full-course yellows totaling 4 hours and 29 minutes, with repeated resets shaping strategy as much as pace. There were 20 lead changes in GT AM, with Gamma, FR13DA Sport, Vulture Motorsports, Tri-State Racing, Gowin Racing, Wolf Motorsport Simracing and Ignium Motorsport all appearing at the front at different stages.
The No. 64 Vulture Motorsports Porsche was the most dominant car on raw time, leading a class-high 113 laps after its Indianapolis victory two weeks earlier. Lukas Santos and Kyle Potter both spent time controlling the field, but penalties, contact and late trouble dropped the Porsche to 11th.
Santos put the race down to his own mistake on cold tires. “I was pushing too hard,” he said. “The car felt great, but a little overconfidence and the pressure to manage the gap to second put me in the wall. I tried driving it with steering damage, but I was hemorrhaging time.”
Potter also accepted blame for the wet-weather contact with the No. 90 Fischer Motorsport Porsche. “The track was wet, I was pushing too hard and braked too late,” he said. “There was no intent, just close racing. I’m glad we were both able to drive away.”
Gamma Sim Racing Loses Win After Closed-Pit Penalty
Gamma’s Ferrari was one of the fastest and most resilient cars in the field. Starting tenth, the No. 238 led several phases with Mitchell and Rovinsky and recovered from being multiple laps down to cross the line first.
Jesse Deshazier said the team had been “roughly 35 laps away” from its next scheduled stop when the technical issue struck just as the caution came out. “We crossed the line first, so obviously it’s disappointing to lose the win that way,” he said. “If it had happened ten minutes earlier or ten minutes later, we likely wouldn’t have received the penalty.”
Gamma felt it had already paid heavily by losing time and laps during the incident, but accepted the final classification. “There isn’t much we can do now other than accept it and move forward,” Deshazier said. “We would have loved to leave with the win, but we’ll take second place and focus on what we accomplished.”
Deshazier said the team’s strongest point was refusing to give up. “At one point we were three laps down, but we knew that with the right strategy and a little help from safety-car interventions, we could potentially get every one of those laps back. We stayed committed for the entire ten hours.”
Wastegate Racing Wins Both GT AM Championships
The other major story was the championship. Wastegate Racing entered Road Atlanta 25 points behind Gowin Racing after losing the GT AM points lead at Indianapolis. It left as both SportsCar Championship and Endurance Cup champion.
The No. 33 Wastegate Racing Mercedes finished sixth with Neill Forbes, Tamer Elbaga and Austin Edwards, enough to overturn the deficit as Gowin Racing fell to 12th after a race that went from promising to punishing. Wastegate ends the year on 4,105 points, 55 clear of Gowin, with SRN Motorsports third, 455 points back.
Elbaga could barely contain the emotion afterward. “Yes, we did it,” he said. “That last stint or two was a roller coaster. We had an issue that sent us from third to 11th and I was gutted. I thought we had lost any chance, especially with the No. 19 up near the top two.”
Then the title race swung again. Gowin was delayed heavily, Wastegate survived its own contact and late incident accumulation, and the No. 33 waited on official results. “At that point, the last stint became almost back-marker driving,” Elbaga said. “I had one incident point to play with and did everything I could to stay untouched. Then we got tapped by a prototype and picked up a penalty with three minutes to go. I thought that probably lost us the championship. Then we waited for the official results. Holy cow. The job is done.”
Wastegate did not win a championship race in 2026, but built its title on second places, clean execution and survival. Kyle Birnie said that was exactly the team’s identity. “A championship isn’t won in a single race but over the course of the season,” he said. “Most see racing more as a battle than chess. It is very much about picking your moments, and that is how we treat every race.”
Elbaga added: “When you are holding three trophies at the end of the season, you couldn’t care less about individual races. This is what it’s all about: consistent, safe, strong pace. We may not have the fastest car every weekend, but we are always there.”
Gowin Racing’s Title Bid Ends in Twelfth
Gowin Racing came in with the lead, recent finishes of third at Road America and second at Indianapolis, and the class’s closest championship margin. The No. 19 Ferrari also led with Dylan Baist and Zach Sweeney, but its finale slipped away amid penalties, incidents and late caution confusion.
Sweeney described the outcome as “gutting,” especially as a substitute driver trying to deliver the title for the team. “It was never my title,” he said, “but I wanted to bring it home for the Gowin boys. They work unbelievably hard, and it was devastating not to get it over the line for them.”
He felt the Ferrari had the pace and discipline to win despite limited preparation. “The race was chaotic, but not necessarily for us,” Sweeney said. “We were quick, consistent and smart across all conditions. We made the most of the opportunities. A combination of technical issues around the event and other drivers’ mistakes cost us in the end.”
Gowin’s 12th-place finish left it 55 points short of the championship, a harsh ending after taking the points lead at Indianapolis and arriving as the defending Petit Le Mans class-winning organization from 2025.
Endurance Cup Decided by One Point
Wastegate also claimed the Endurance Cup with 39 points, only one ahead of the No. 83 Off in the Esses Racing BMW and two ahead of the No. 747 Flight Level Racing Ford.
Off in the Esses had entered tied with Wastegate for the Endurance Cup lead, but a 95-second post-race penalty for Patrick Boilard’s Turn 4 incident involving the No. 757 Flight Level Racing prototype proved costly. The team appealed, arguing the BMW was badly damaged and uncontrollable after a barrier hit, but the appeal stewards upheld the original decision.
Boilard called it “a tough pill to swallow,” while also taking responsibility for putting the team in that position. “I had no control over the steering,” he said. “The right side was mangled front to back and the brakes did nothing. I committed to crossing over, and it just didn’t work out with oncoming traffic.”
Matthew Elya said the decisive point may actually have come during pit sequencing under yellow near the eight-hour mark. “It’s a real gut punch,” he said. “Hats off to Wastegate. They did what they needed to do and we did not.”
SWF Motorsports Climbs From Fourteenth to Podium
SWF Motorsports produced one of the drives of the day, moving from 14th on the grid to third in the No. 94 Porsche. Jason Brothers, Jason Smith, Marcus Taylor and Rich Wright completed 349 laps and gained 11 positions in a race where many faster cars lost their way.
Taylor called it “a group effort,” saying the team kept its head down through the chaos. “We were a few laps back after some unfortunate events, but we got lucky on a few cautions and changed our pit strategy to make up as much ground as we could.”
Wright said he damaged the car as the rain arrived, but the team stayed composed. “Between that, a few cautions, changing strategy and being consistent, that helped us get back on the lead lap and into a good spot to finish.”
Smith said the team’s strength was its refusal to fold. “Our team just doesn’t quit,” he said. “When issues happen, they have your back. Even when I went wide with less than an hour to go and hit the wall, Rich and Tay Tay helped me refocus to bring it home.”
Top Ten Finishers Survive a Bruising Finale
Tri-State Racing finished fourth with the No. 3 BMW after starting second and leading during the middle stages. The team also had to absorb a warning for Isaac Wightman’s Turn 3 contact and drive-throughs for incident accumulation, but still finished on the same lap count as the podium cars.
Fischer Motorsport ended the year with fifth place in the No. 90 Porsche, its third top-five of the season after fourth-place finishes at Long Beach and CTMP. Aaron Beaver said the season had been difficult, with driver changes and small mistakes hurting results, but that “it was good to finish well and leave on a good note.”
Benjamin Fischer said the Intercomp Porsche group deserved the result. “Everybody knows this wasn’t an easy race,” he said. “Aaron, Marek and Ryan did a great job, and it feels good to go out strong after a trying year.”
Wastegate was sixth, Off in the Esses seventh and Flight Level Racing eighth after the No. 747 Ford received a 35-second post-race penalty for a Turn 5 incident with SRN Motorsports. SRN finished ninth in what is expected to be its final SportsCar Championship appearance, while debuting Ignium Motorsport completed the top ten despite three post-race penalties for two closed-pit violations and contact with a prototype at Turn 9.
The No. 64 Vulture Porsche finished 11th after leading the most laps, Gowin was 12th, Bravo Snow Schatten Esports was 13th and failed minimum distance after the early Turn 1 crash, FR13DA Sport was 14th in what is expected to be its final VSCA race, and the pole-sitting Blocco Motore Aston Martin was classified 15th.
Late Safety-Car Confusion Adds to the Tension
The final hours were complicated by electronic safety-car procedure problems that left some cars without expected wave-bys and created confusion when the pace car returned to pit lane while the yellow remained in effect. The last two full-course yellows, coming in the final stretch of the race, were especially tense as teams tried to understand whether they were racing, pacing or preparing for a restart.
Ignium’s second closed-pit penalty came during that period. The team argued it had waited for green before pitting with damage, but the stewards ruled the race had not officially resumed and that the pit lane had not opened.
Wolf, Gowin and several others also served penalties or holds during the late caution cycles, turning the final hour into a moving scoreboard as much as a race. Gamma emerged first on the road, Wolf close enough to inherit the victory, and Wastegate close enough to take both championships.
Post-Race Reactions
Frederic Bissani, #515 Wolf Motorsport Simracing Mercedes: “For me it was boring as hell at times. More than half of my driving time was at very low speed behind the safety car. Because of the safety-car procedure, I will personally only return if my team needs a substitute driver. I have done two races in this series, and the amount of caution running took the fun out of them.”
“I never thought we could win here, and we were lucky that I only got a warning for warming the tires under full-course yellow.”
Markus Jung, #515 Wolf Motorsport Simracing Mercedes: “After more than two years of working toward this moment since our first VSCA start, finally winning Petit Le Mans feels absolutely incredible. Starting 11th, overcoming the rain, incidents and penalties, and then winning after the No. 238 penalty is something I will never forget.”
“I want to thank the entire team and my teammates, who have put in an incredible amount of work throughout the season. A huge thank you also goes to our sponsors, families and friends back home. This victory belongs to everyone behind Wolf Motorsport Simracing. We definitely want to remain part of the series and come back next season ready to fight again.”
Jesse Deshazier, #238 Gamma Sim Racing Ferrari: “We felt we had not only some of the best pace, but also one of the strongest strategies. The goal was consistency, traffic management, minimizing pit stops and being there at the end. Regardless of the final result, crossing the line first says a lot about the effort everyone on the No. 238 team put in.”
“We would like to thank Edge Overlays, Tyler Manning Designs and GSR for supporting us throughout this amazing race. Their support means a lot to the entire No. 238 team.”
Tamer Elbaga, #33 Wastegate Racing Mercedes: “This is affirmation that driving clean and consistent works. Our drivers are always in the hunt for clean-driver honors, and it is so satisfying to finally be on the top step. All drivers had a hand in making this happen, and I could not be more proud of the job they did.”
“We knew we needed to be ahead of the No. 19 by a couple of positions to have a shot. The Endurance Cup was there too, but the deeper into the race we got, the less that was on our minds. There were so many full-course yellows that we were constantly thinking strategy. We missed an opportunity near the end that might have sealed it, but you just have to keep going. That is what we did.”
Kyle Birnie, #33 Wastegate Racing Mercedes: “This encapsulates what we strive for at Wastegate Racing: keep the nose clean, let the race come to us and make sure we are there at the end. If we do that enough, we end up where we did.”
“Winning six championships as a team this season, plus one drivers’ championship, is a remarkable accomplishment for everyone on the team.”
Zach Sweeney, #19 Gowin Racing Ferrari: “Thanks to everyone at VSCA for the season, and to Gowin Racing for the trust and the opportunity to represent them. I am just gutted not to have the records to show it. We will be back hungry for more next year.”
Lukas Santos, #64 Vulture Motorsports Porsche: “The contact with the No. 238 was just a case of reading the move wrong. I assumed he was not going to try the pass, but he did. No damage, no hard feelings. The contact with the No. 90 was close racing in wet conditions. Balancing aggression and survival is second nature, but sometimes that balance tips a little.”
“Thank you for a good season, and a huge thank you to Vulture for all the support and care. 2027 is going to be a high-flying, fun one.”
Kyle Potter, #64 Vulture Motorsports Porsche: “Coming off the win at Indianapolis gave us confidence that we had pace with both drivers. Racing has highs and lows, and we have experienced both recently. If you do not try your best, what is the point of going out to race?”
“The last few races were bittersweet. We got the win we felt was coming all season, then had a tough race here. It gives me fuel for next season to come out with the right mentality and fight for podiums every race.”
Patrick Boilard, #83 Off in the Esses Racing BMW: “I want to congratulate Wastegate. They deserved these championships. They had their own hurdles and pulled through, so I have nothing but respect for them. Overall, this season is one to forget. We did not capitalize in most races and made mistakes we will learn from.”
“Beyond all that, our team got stronger and closer together. That is my biggest takeaway. I am looking forward to a fresh start and a new challenge next season, including our planned expansion into GTP. We have a big offseason ahead.”
Matthew Elya, #83 Off in the Esses Racing BMW: “It was a tough season. We did not see ourselves in this position when it started, and we really wanted to defend our two championships. We had strong showings in a lot of races, but it did not really show in the results.”
“Congratulations to Wastegate on their championships. They earned it. I also want to thank Stuart Leslie for the opportunity to drive for this team, and Patrick for pushing me to find more pace this year.”
Aaron Beaver, #90 Fischer Motorsport Porsche: “All we could do was stick to our game plan, keep switching drivers as planned and see where we ended up. Homestead was different because our car was damaged and several laps down. Here, when the rain came, our car was fine.”
“I would like to thank Ben and the FMS organization for having me this season. It is bittersweet to be moving on next season, but it was agreed that it was for the best. I enjoyed my time here, met great drivers and learned a lot.”
Benjamin Fischer, #90 Fischer Motorsport Porsche: “It is great to have the Intercomp Porsche team finish the season on a high note. I want to thank Aaron, Marek and Ryan for their hard work this race and all season, and also Dominic, Austin, Rob, Kevin, Collin and Jordan, who were part of the No. 90 team this year.”
“We are not sure yet whether the No. 90 will return in GT AM next season. Every offseason has its process, but we will sit down, look at this season and decide the best plan for the organization.”
Marcus Taylor, #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche: “We learned a lot. The biggest thing was to stay predictable for the faster cars and keep our nose clean. We did get into trouble, but the cautions helped us get back into the fight. The podium is a huge swing in motivation for us as a small team and makes us look forward to 2027.”
“Huge thanks to Jason, Rich and everyone at SWF Motorsports for giving me this chance. This was my first season with them and in VSCA, and it has been a blast.”
Rich Wright, #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche: “A few of the cautions probably could have been avoided, but they helped us in the middle of the race. Once we settled into the rain, the goal was to keep the car as clean as possible. A podium was a nice way to finish what was a roller coaster of a season.”
“Thank you to our team for the hard work all season, and thank you to Marcus ‘Tay Tay’ Taylor for joining SWF Motorsports. You are now SWF Motorsports family. Onward to 2027.”
Jason Smith, #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche: “First off, hi to my family back home. This race was great and everyone did a great job. We had challenges in every stint and handled them without getting frustrated. That has basically been our season, and I am really proud of our guys.”
“The VSCA practice sessions helped us understand how the faster classes wanted to pass and where we could give and take. Brothers, Tay Tay and Rich all did great. I cannot wait to do it again next year.”
Daytona Test Begins the 2027 Story
The next event for the class is the Daytona Test on December 12, 2026, the exhibition Round EX1 of the 2027 VSCA SportsCar Championship at Daytona International Speedway. The session is scheduled to start at 14:00 GMT.
Wastegate Racing will arrive as the benchmark after winning both the SportsCar Championship and Endurance Cup without a race victory, a reminder that consistency and clean execution remain championship weapons. Wolf Motorsport Simracing now has proof it can win, Gamma Sim Racing will want to turn late-season pace into an official victory, and Gowin Racing will have an offseason to process how close it came to the GT AM title.
With SRN Motorsports and FR13DA Sport expected to exit, Off in the Esses planning a broader program, and several teams already pointing toward 2027, the Daytona Test should offer the first proper look at how much the grid changes after one of the most turbulent finales VSCA has staged.
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