Sandy Mitchell seized the overall victory at the Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway, lapping the pole‑winner Andrea Caldarelli by 1.517 s during the final stint.
Pfaff Motorsports’ Tight Win
Mitchell inherited the No. 9 Lamborghini from Caldarelli in the closing 33‑lap segment. He maintained a distance of roughly 1.3 s per lap, outpacing Ford Racing’s Ben Barker by an 8.2‑second margin with 1 h 16 m remaining.
The series of driver changes left the field unsettled: after Caldarelli’s exit, the No. 3 Corvette with Nicky Catsburg briefly led before a door‑latch issue handed the lead to teammate Tommy Milner.
While the No. 3 car dropped back, Mitchell’s final push stayed smooth, securing a 1.517‑second edge over Barker at the finish line.
Early in the race, a collision between Alexander Sims and Harry King left Sims airborne after hitting the tire barriers on Turn 8, but the incident had minimal impact on the overall stint leaders.
Ford Racing Secures Second
Ford Racing’s Ben Barker finished second in the GTD Pro category, trailing Mitchell by 4 s. The team’s stand‑still performance left Coltsr as the biggest opposition.
Ford’s trio of driver shifts was completed smoothly, then the No. Acar automatically reclaimed the visible push‑down, forming the fastest lap numbers in the final hour.
GTD Class Drama Unfolds
In the GTD class, the battle between Tom Gamble and Philip Ellis climaxed with Gamble spinning into the dirt. Gamble then earned a drive‑through penalty, allowing Ellis to secure the win.
Turner Motorsport’s pair Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher finished third, 6.413 s behind Ellis.
Earlier, Conquest Racing’s Lorenzo Patrese was penalised for contact with DragonSpeed’s pole‑sitter, dropping him to second‑place mark while Danny Formal stepped up to lead.
With less than 10 minutes on the clock, Gamble’s dismissal left Ellis squarely atop the class; the penalty time prevented Gamble from closing the gap in the final laps.
Championship Standings Update
- Neil Verhagen and Connor De Phillippi (Paul Miller Racing) sit 23 points ahead of Crimson/Pratt Miller’s Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner.
- Andrea Caldarelli and Sandy Mitchell are 56 points behind the leading duo.
- Philip Ellis establishes the GTD lead; Foley and Gallagher trail at 36 points.
- Dudu Barrichello drops to third in the GTD leaderboard, 56 points off the pace after finishing at VIR.
With Winward Racing claiming their third consecutive win, the driver‑line on the podium has shifted, leaving the 2026 championship battle in high gear.
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