Race day morning is here, and not a sign of the sun is to be seen. Sixty race teams are finalizing their strategies and turning practice laps in the crisp 64-degree weather. To say everyone is excited would be an understatement; this is the first race of the 2025 Champion Motorsports iRacing Team Endurance Series (iRTES), and pre-season tests indicate that competition will be fierce!
The LMDh field of 15 teams came out swinging in qualifying. The cold temperatures created prime track conditions for faster-than-usual lap times. iRTES regulations allow for three qualifying laps, giving drivers extra time to coax the hard-compound endurance tires into their optimal operating window. This rule differs from the standard two-lap qualifying format that most teams are accustomed to, leading to an oversight by HundredForce and several others, who fueled for only two flying laps. Despite this early setback, HundredForce managed to secure 3rd on the grid. Eleven teams posted lap times within one second of the leader—surpassing the typical ten teams that achieve this in an average WEC race.
This race proved to be a relentless four-hour battle. From the drop of the green flag to the checkered flag, it was pure intensity. The racing action was impressively clean, despite what might have appeared otherwise on the broadcast. The ebb and flow of traffic, combined with the racing IQ and awareness of most of the field, was an absolute joy to be part of.
The LMDh field was able to engage in intense battles, even with the thirty-three-car GT3 field on track. Each driver showed remarkable respect, even while leaning on each other through tight corners. Battles raged for laps at a time, with cars never more than a length apart. Each driver made split-second decisions, fully committing and trusting that their opponent's skill would hold out—otherwise, it would spell disaster for them both.
We all know that multi-class endurance racing is about traffic management. It’s a cruel, torturous endeavor that we love. How well you can analyze the attitude of the car you’re closing in on (at breathtaking speeds) and anticipate its move before the driver even thinks about it is what separates the top teams from the rest of the field. Approaching 'The Kink' with traffic ahead, you calculate the precise amount of lift needed and time it perfectly to ensure a better run than your opponent, who is simultaneously setting up a move down at 'Canada Corner.'
Road America showcased this to absolute perfection. The 4.048-mile, 14-turn Grand Prix course takes you on a scenic journey through the hills of Wisconsin. Since 1955, 'America’s National Park of Speed' has offered drivers a thrill ride of speed, elevation, and g-forces. You are both completely in control and out of control—all at once. Once you’re done playing cat and mouse, chess, and fuel manager (all while averaging 131.29 mph), you relinquish control of the race car to a teammate, becoming a pit wall passenger. Your fate is now in their hands. This is a team sport unlike any other.
One team shone on this mostly cloudy Sunday afternoon: SOELPEC Precision Racing #110. After making a move on lap one to take the lead, they held firm, never letting anyone get close enough to cause concern. Pat Pelchat and Jesse Lyon piloted their Porsche 963 with precision and expertise, relentlessly pushing lap after lap with incredible consistency. They continued their campaign right to the checkered flag, ultimately standing atop the podium three hours later, winning the season opener of the 2025 iRTES.
The battle for the remaining two podium spots proved to be an exciting one, featuring four different teams playing musical chairs. Heading into pit lane for the first of five scheduled stops, HundredForce #117 and RD Simsport #59 held second and third, with Team Tenuto #233 hot on their heels—all within three seconds of each other. However, HundredForce found themselves in a precarious situation just after pitting and changing drivers with Nicholas Maynard handing control over to Noah Hinton. A traffic jam in turn three saw them colliding with the BearPope Zero McLaren 720S GT3, which sent Hinton careening toward the wall and spiraling down the standings. Team Tenuto #233 capitalized on the mistake and began their podium push.
The second stint was headlined by a battle between Archie Coveney of RD Simsport and Team Tenuto's Pat Labrosse. The two drivers played follow-the-leader, weaving in and out of tight traffic for the entire twenty-three-lap stint. Labrosse followed Coveney’s every move, refusing to let the gap grow beyond three seconds. As their fuel tanks ran empty, they dove into pit lane on lap 46 for fuel, tires, and a driver change. Niels Tiesters emerged first, staying ahead of Peter Lo as the two fresh drivers set off on their out lap, both Cadillac LMDhs full of fuel and rolling on cold tires.
Navigating Road America on cold tires is difficult, mainly because it is comprised of mid- to high-speed corners. Combine this with a field of sixty sports cars, and predicaments are bound to arise. Tiesters and Lo had nearly completed the first lap of their stint when the drama began. They charged through 'Canada Corner,' up 'Thunder Valley,' and into 'Bill Mitchell Bend,' narrowly avoiding disaster. The GT3 of Gowin Racing and Team FFSR LMP2 tangled, spinning sideways directly in front of the second-place battle; the fight continued...
Overtaking on faster circuits can sometimes be difficult. A high-speed straight leading into a tight corner is a prime setup, and Road America features two such locations: Turn Five, right after 'Moraine Sweep,' and the infamous 'Canada Corner,' Turn Twelve. Peter Lo in the #233 capitalized on the former on lap 47, diving to the inside of RD Simsport and securing second place. Tiesters fell in line, allowing the Team Tenuto Cadillac to create a wake that towed him around the circuit for the next two laps.
With danger looming around every corner, drivers must maintain laser focus for the entire 240 minutes of the race. However, they are sometimes at the mercy of unpredictability. Disaster struck for both teams in 'Canada Corner' when a GT3 battle went awry. Car contact forced a larger, heavier Porsche GT3 to take a much slower corner speed than Peter Lo anticipated, and physics did the rest. This resulted in heavy contact between the second- and third-place LMDhs, with both losing critical aero elements and being forced to pit for repairs.
At the halfway mark, the final two spots on the podium were still up for grabs. Emergency repairs by #59 and #233 allowed Jared Bridwell of RD Simsport #60 to leapfrog both teams, moving into second place. Noah Hinton in the #117 HundredForce, who drove a fantastic third stint, also capitalized on their misfortunes and found himself back in fourth, just ahead of Team Tenuto. All four teams made scheduled stops between laps 69 and 72. With time winding down, it was time to push.
Getting back into the car on lap 70, Nicholas Maynard was poised to push the HundredForce Cadillac back to the front. Driving with force and zero hesitation, Maynard secured third place with a decisive move to the outside entering the 'Carousel', leaving Team Tenuto without an opportunity to respond. A mere two laps later, the #117 crossed over RD Simsport in Turn 1. It took Fifty-six laps for HundredForce to regain the second step of the podium.
Determination is defined as a firmness of purpose; unyielding. Pat Labrosse watched as his teammate, Lo, brought their Cadillac into the pits on lap 91, comfortably in third place and only seven seconds behind HundredForce, and then put on a drive of great determination. Labrosse 'put the hammer down' and swiftly erased the gap to second position. For ten laps, the #233 hounded Maynard ahead. Both drivers were locked in and, to keep up with the times, just sending it! There was nothing Maynard could do to shake Labrosse—not even a lockup in 'Canada Corner' from Labrosse allowed the gap to grow. Team Tenuto was on a mission, and that mission was to finish second.
After being forced to pit early for repairs on lap 49, Team Tenuto spent the rest of the race pitting out of cycle, trying to balance stint lengths to maximize tire usage. They dove into the pits on lap 110, a full six laps earlier than HundredForce. With the stops completed, the gap was too large to overcome in such a short time. Thirteen laps later, when the checkered flag waved, Pat Labrosse and Peter Lo were 10 seconds behind Nicholas Maynard and Noah Hinton. The battle for second was over.
The sun was finally shining and the fog had lifted slightly. The never-ending train of Porsche, McLaren, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Acura, Ford, Mercedes, Dallara, and Ferrari racecars was a sight to behold. Four hours of non-stop, multi-class endurance racing was coming to an end. Fifty-four teams made it to the finish line, each with its own personal story, complete with both tragedies and highlight-reel moments.
These are the kinds of races we dream of—the ones we chase, the ones that fuel our desire to turn more laps. They satisfy the shared passion that drives us, yet leave us craving even more. This was only the opening round. There are five more races to come. Five more opportunities to push ourselves. Five more times we will come together and share this affinity for racing. iRacing may just be a simulator, but the emotions we all experienced on November 3, 2024—that cannot be simulated. That was real.
BUMPER TO BUMPER ::
1st Place / SOELPEC Precision Racing #100
Pat Pelchat — 83 laps :: 1:50.802 avg
Jesse Lyon — 46 laps :: 1:51.055 avg
2nd Place / HundredForce
Nicholas Maynard — 83 laps :: 1:50.995 avg
Noah Hinton — 46 laps :: 1:52.371 avg
3rd Place / Team Tenuto 233
Pat Labrosse — 84 laps :: 1:50.997
Peter Lo — 45 laps :: 1:52.612
MAKING MOVES ::
CRF Motorsports took to the grid in p12 and four hours later found themselves inside the top 5 in p4! (+8)
Puncrew Pink did not let CRF outshine them; they finished a few places behind in p7 despite qualifying issues placing them last on the grid in p15. (+8)
TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE ::
After claiming the opening round Pole Position, Team FFSR found themselves in p10 when it was all said and done. Up four positions from their lowest of p14. (-9)
SAFETY REPORT ::
23.15 – Average Incidents per team
53 – Drive-through Penalties
129 – Laps Completed
LEAD LAP FINISHERS ::
5 – LMDh
3 – LMP2
9 – GT3