Yahoo Autos Random Vandals Racing and BimmerWorld earn top honors in first-ever Lonestar Enduro
The Pirelli GT4 America field braved the blistering Texas heat on Saturday afternoon as they took over Circuit of The Americas for the inaugural Lonestar Enduro. The three-hour endurance race, which counted for double points, was an action-packed affair as drivers contended with an all-new format. A safety car emerged at the halfway mark, and although the green flag running was briefly halted, it brought different strategy calls into play.
Random Vandals Racing were the top performers in the event, as Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch claimed the overall and Silver class victory, and Paul Sparta and Kris Wilson walked away victorious in the Am class. In Pro-Am, it was BimmerWorld’s James Walker Jr. and Tyler McQuarrie who took home the win.
Silver class
Eric Filgueiras was on the charge in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport from the moment the green flag waved, taking over both the Silver class and overall lead within the first ten minutes of the race. Once he had a clear track ahead of him, he pulled a slight gap to the competitors behind.
As the opening stint progressed, Kevin Boehm was able to close in and engage in a multi-lap wheel-to-wheel battle with Filgueiras for the lead, eventually moving his No. 97 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82 up into first place shortly before the first round of driver changes. Kenton Koch took over from Boehm following the team’s first pit stop, maintaining position as he returned to the track with a healthy gap over the remaining Silver class drivers.
A safety car emerged at the halfway mark, reigniting the battle between Random Vandals Racing and RS1 as the two teams were brought back together again. They continued to exchange the lead back and forth a number of times as time ticked away, but the Random Vandals Racing BMW maintained the advantage as the closing portion of the race loomed closer.
Kenton Koch was the first to take the checkered flag in the Lonestar Enduro event, claiming first place for the Random Vandals Racing alongside Kevin Boehm, which stands out as the pairing’s first win of the year. RS1’s Eric Filgueiras and John Capestro-Dubets ended the day in second place, with third belonging to Parker Thompson and Daniel Hanley in the No. 999 Hanley Motorsports Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO.
“We made a couple of small adjustments between Qualifying and the race, and it was really good in the end,” stated Kevin Boehm. “The car was really raceable and good on tires, and I think that that was the difference for us to be able to put the car in the right place on track to gain some positions.”
“Everything went amazingly well for us today,” added Kenton Koch. “We had the best car, the best team, the best co-driver, and the best strategy. We had a lot of good things going for us today and the team executed perfectly.”
Pro-Am class
Tony Gaples maintained the Pro-Am class lead in the No. 9 Blackdog Speed Shop Nissan Z NISMO GT4, with three Silver class competitors separating him from the next closest competitor, with the likes of Curt Swearingin in the No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. However, the gap gradually began to dwindle, and as Kay van Berlo got behind the wheel of the ACI Motorsports machine he was promoted into the Pro-Am lead, with the No. 9 car experiencing an issue that dropped them down the order as they had to go behind the wall for repairs.
The pit stop sequences following the safety car shook up the running order substantially, with the No. 82 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 G82 running first in class and fourth overall, further separated from the No. 07 Precision Racing LA Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO by several out-of-class competitors.
Tyler McQuarrie was untouchable as he took over for the final stint, driving his No. 82 BimmerWorld BMW to victory for the second time this season. ACI Motorsports duo Kay van Berlo and Curt Swearingin picked up another podium finish with a second place results, while Mike Lamarra and Ryan Eversley secured up their first podium result of the year with a third-place finish for the Precision Racing LA teammates.
“I am just so thankful that I get to be with friends, family, and teammates that allow me to do this,” expressed James Walker Jr. “I’m also grateful to my teammate Tyler McQuarrie, who just drove the wheels off this race car during his stints and knew exactly what he had to do. I’m thrilled to be a part of this entire effort.”
“This car was so good on long race runs,” echoed Tyler McQuarrie. “We knew it was going to be a lot of work starting from the back, but it’s such a long race and we knew we could recover. You just have to put your head down and keep on going. The car was awesome, and James drove a great stint, this race was amazing.”
Am class
Robb Holland led the Am class pack in his No. 099 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for the opening stint, with Charlie Postins and Isabella Robusto jostling for positions in the No. 36 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4 G82 and No. 55 Smooge Racing Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO. As their respective teammates took over, the running order initially remained the same, with the trio of competitors running nose-to-tail for a couple of laps before James Clay eventually took over the class lead in the BimmerWorld outfit.
With one hour to go on the clock, an all-BMW battle ramped up, as BimmerWorld held firm on first in class, with Paul Sparta and Nicholas Shanny getting their elbows out in the No. 98 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82 and No. 20 Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M4 GT4 G82.
In the final thirty minutes, the Random Vandals Racing car truly came alive, muscling past the BimmerWorld entry into the class lead while simultaneously running fifth overall in a highly competitive field. As Kris Wilson completed the final stint for the team, he powered ahead all the way to the finish line to claim the team’s second win of the season.
Meanwhile, a last lap incident between Fast Track Racing and BimmerWorld changed up the remaining spots on the podium, with a post-race penalty for causing a collision resulting in Chris Walsh and Nicholas Shanny being promoted to second place on the podium for Carrus Callas Raceteam, followed by Rotek Racing in third with Jaden Lander and Robb Holland.
“As a driver, it was just tough out there,” explained Paul Sparta. “It was hot, we had some issues with power steering, and it was difficult, but we overcame it all as a team. I couldn’t be more proud, we’ve worked so hard to be in this position. It is absolutely fantastic, double points, double win, what’s not to like!”
“I just love being with this team,” added Kris Wilson. “The Random Vandals are just awesome, raccoons all the way!”
