RECAP: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Opener (Race 1) Recap – 2025 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

Written by: 

Brian Fisher

Published: July 15, 2025 at 13:17

 | Updated: September 10, 2025 at 01:23

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

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 [photo_credit_acf field="first_name"] [photo_credit_acf field="last_name"]

The new prototype sprint series delivered big thrills in Bowmanville. In P3 class, series leader Valentino Catalano (number 30 Gebhardt Duqueine D08) again found victory lane. His teammate Oscar Tunjo had lost pole due to a penalty, so Catalano lined up second. On lap 8, he lunged around Jonathan Woolridge’s Ligier (number 54) through the Esses (Turns 8–9), snatching the lead. From there, Catalano paced himself until lap 19, when Tunjo’s left-front wheel tore off in Turn 10, triggering the final caution. Catalano managed the restart flawlessly and won by 2.331 seconds. Woolridge held on for second, and Bronze-class leader Brian Thienes (number 77 Ligier) took third. Catalano later admitted he expected a battle with Tunjo, calling the wreck “really unfortunate, because there would have been a really fun battle.”

Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) was flag-to-flag for poleman Jake Walker. The Turner Motorsport BMW M4 (number 6) rocketed into the lead at the green and never looked back, finishing 12.440 seconds ahead of the field. Behind him, championship rivals collided: AJ Muss (Ferrari 296 number 66) and Adam Adelson (Porsche number 24) touched exiting Turn 10 with under 10 minutes to go. Muss was penalized 10 seconds, dropping him to third and promoting Adelson to second. Adelson now holds a 20-point unofficial lead over Muss in the GTDX standings. Samantha Tan’s BMW (number 38) recovered to fourth and claimed the Bronze Cup class win.

Grand Sport X (GSX) was similarly controlled by pole-sitter Kiko Porto. The Rafa Racing Toyota GR Supra (number 8) led every lap, winning by 8.597 seconds. Porto overcame practice car troubles to be on form. Behind him, Steven Clemons (number 76 BSI Toyota) and Chris Walsh (number 22 TWOth Porsche) completed the podium. Porto praised the team’s effort in repairing the car and noted how consistency under yellow cemented his lead.

Race 2 (Sunday morning) never took the green flag. Severe weather moved in—lightning in the area prompted officials to pause the action. After waiting for several hours, IMSA and CTMP announced the 8:45 a.m. race was officially postponed for safety. They will seek to reschedule the 45-minute sprint later in the season.

Key Takeaways:

  • Catalano cruises in P3: number 30 Gebhardt Duqueine dominates early and survives late drama to win, capitalizing when his teammate Tunjo crashed.
  • Walker blitzes GTDX: Turner BMW number 6 leads every lap, while Muss/Adelson’s clash after restart shuffles the podium and standings.
  • Porto perfection in GSX: Rafa Toyota Supra number 8 covers the field in a flag-to-flag win (fifth GSX victory of the year).
  • Weather stops the show: Sunday’s VP race was canceled due to lightning and rain, leaving Race 1 as the only result.

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