The Heart of Racing’s Roman DeAngelis and Gray Newell came from 26th on the grid to take the lead just after halfway Sunday (Sept. 8) in a wild race. From there, DeAngelis was able to hold on to win Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Race No. 2 at Barber Motorsports Park. It is the duo’s second win of the year.
“The yellow coming out saved us,” DeAngelis told SRO America’s Amanda Busick after the race. “The [crew] making the right call to [pit] us early and jump everyone was key since we were so far back.”
DeAngelis and Newell’s margin of victory was .954 seconds over Random Vandals Racing’s Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch. The Heart of Racing’s Hannah Greenemeier and Hannah Grisham were third in their previous generation Aston Martin, then OnlyFans Racing’s Matt Bell and Alex Vogel, who started dead last. Smooge Racing’s Tyler Gonzalez and Corey Lewis.
In Pro-Am, DeAngelis and Newell won by 15.242 seconds over Bell and Vogel. TechSport Racing’s Michael Neudorf and Johan Schwartz were third, then BimmerWorld Racing’s Tyler McQuarrie and James Walker Jr. AutoTechnic Racing’s Matt Million and Tyler Stone were fifth.
RENNtech Motorsports’ Matheus Leist started on the overall pole in his Pro-Am class Mercedes, but his time at the front of the field was short-lived. Silver class pole sitter Tyler Gonzalez was able to hang out on the outside of turn 1. That gave him the inside for turns 2 and 3 to take the lead.
Further back, a mess broke out. ACI Motorsports’ Kay van Berlo was hit by AutoTechnic Racing’s Zac Anderson exiting turn 12, which caused van Berlo to spin out. The resulting mess wrapped up Million, Josh Green, Michael Cooper, Rodrigo Baptista, James Clay, Dario Capitiano and Jaden Lander among others to bring out the safety car.
“Ian [James] calmly comes on the radio and says ‘cars spun ahead,’” Newell said after the race. “I came over the crest to World War III unfolding in front of me.”
Anderson was considered to be responsible for the crash. Given the magnitude of the crash, the penalty was stiff. A stop and 90-second hold cost Anderson and Colin Garrett more than a full lap.
Van Berlo and teammate Curt Swearingin could have clinched the Pro-Am title here. The crash meant that the championship will go to Indianapolis.
The crash put van Berlo, Green and Lander out on the spot. Baptista, Capitanio, Clay and Cooper…
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