Wyatt Brichacek and Westin Workman turned their pole positions from Friday night’s qualifying into victories in the opening race of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge doubleheader held Saturday at Circuit of The Americas. Brichacek, driving the #30 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P325, secured his first career win in the series, leading a one-two finish for Ligier alongside Titus Sherlock in the #95 Titus Driver Development Ligier.
Race Developments Mark Brichacek’s Commanding Lead and On-Track Incidents
From the beginning of the 45-minute race, Brichacek established a comfortable lead. The competition was interrupted midway by a full-course caution following Jon Hirshberg’s crash in turn three while driving the #86 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320. Hirshberg was promptly assessed and released from the infield care center. Brichacek maintained the lead over Sherlock through the race restart, but the caution flag returned shortly after due to a collision between Jeremy Siffert (#31 Gebhardt Young Driver Academy Duqueine) and Brian Thienes (#77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320) in turn two. Both drivers were examined and released, though Siffert received a drive-through penalty for causing the incident.
The contest concluded behind the safety car, with Brichacek earning the inaugural victory for the Ligier JS P325 LMP3 vehicle in VP Racing SportsCar Challenge competition.
Brichacek Praises Team and Car Performance
Reflecting on his win, Brichacek said,
“The Toney Driver Development team, put together a really good car, the Ligier JS P325 is amazing. You know, from the start, we just pulled away and managed for most of the race and then the cautions started to come. So, it was a bit of managing the pickup on track and trying to clean the tyres was the most difficult part. But yeah, overall, I’m really, really happy, and happy for the team on the first 1-2 finish.”
Debutants Brichacek and Sherlock Impress in LMP3 Class
Both Brichacek, from Johnstown, Colorado, and Sherlock, hailing from Prosper, Texas, were recent additions to the entry list but made an immediate impact by claiming the top two positions in their VP Racing SportsCar Challenge debuts. Third place was earned by Óscar Tunjo in the #1 Gebhardt Duqueine. Tunjo, who previously won both races during the 2026 season opener in Daytona, remains the LMP3 class points leader with 1,000 points, holding a 180-point advantage over Brian Thienes, who is second with 820 points. The championship enters its fourth round later the same day.
LMP3 Bronze Cup honors went to Travis Hill, who finished fifth overall in the #2 Shopify Racing Ligier JS P325.
Workman Holds Off Early Challenge to Secure Third Straight GSX Win
While Brichacek faced little challenge for the lead in LMP3, Westin Workman had a tougher start in the GSX class. Shortly after the green flag, second-place starter Courtney Crone overtook him in turn one, but Workman reclaimed the top spot by turn 13 before completing the first lap. Workman then controlled the remainder of the race to claim his third consecutive GSX victory in the #8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2.
Workman reflected on the race intensity, saying,
“They gave me a battle there on the start, I fell back to second and then got back to the lead and tried to pull out a gap and manage it, and then the yellow flag at the end.”
He added,
“It’s unfortunate that it ended under yellow. I always like races to end under green no matter what. But, yeah, thank you to RAFA Racing. They gave me a great car. Thank you also to Toyota Gazoo Racing, and a lot of people around me.”
Crone and Austin Secure Podium Positions in GSX
Courtney Crone finished second in the #35 CarBahn Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 EVO, marking her best result of the season and improving on her previous fourth-place finish at Daytona. The result moved Crone into second place in the GSX standings, trailing Workman’s perfect 1,050 points by 210. Third place went to Marc Austin of nearby Buda, Texas, driving the #22 Mad Joker Racing by Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. Austin also earned the Bronze Cup class win within GSX.
Continuing Action Expected in Saturday’s Second Competition
The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge weekend at Circuit of The Americas features a second race following the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event. Scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET), this race offers another opportunity for drivers and teams to score valuable points and build momentum during the competitive 2026 season.
