Inter Europol, Vasser Sullivan and Winward Claim IMSA Wins in Canada

Jeremy Clarke and Tom Dillmann took victory for Inter Europol Competition in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, delivering a performance defined by strategic precision and emotional redemption. The duo, who started on pole in the #43 ORECA LMP2 07, earned their triumph after faltering in last year’s race, securing the win by taking a splash of fuel in the closing minutes to cross the line 9.796 seconds ahead of the competition in the 2-hour and 40-minute sprint.

For Dillmann, the victory was particularly poignant. The Frenchman was involved in a hard crash at this same event a year ago that left him with a fractured vertebra and required surgery. Returning to conquer the track that once broke him added a layer of profound satisfaction to the result.

“Coming into this weekend, it didn’t change me. I want to win every race,” said Dillmann, who also won at ‘Mosport’ in 2024. “The fact that I had the problem I did last year didn’t change the fact that I wanted to win, but yeah, it’s a cool story. Having a back injury, coming back to win it again, I think without that (crash) we could have made it three wins in a row here.”

CrowdStrike Racing by APR’s George Kurtz and Alex Quinn finished second, ahead of AO Racing’s PJ Hyett and Dane Cameron, who recovered from their grid penalty to claim third.

GTD Pro and GTD Victories

In the GTD Pro class, Vasser Sullivan’s Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth secured back-to-back wins following their success at Watkins Glen International. Meanwhile, Winward Racing’s Russell Ward and Philip Ellis took the class win in GTD, fending off a late charge from Vasser Sullivan’s Aaron Telitz.

The Race Unfolds

Clarke led the field to the green flag as the LMP2 class filled in behind. It was also a smooth start for GTD Pro, as class pole-sitter Neil Verhagen (Paul Miller Racing) got a clean jump. However, drama struck early in GTD when Lorenzo Patrese (Conquest Racing) attempted a late push to the inside of Benjamin Pedersen (Vasser Sullivan) in Turn 10. The two made contact but were able to continue, with Pedersen holding the spot as Patrese dropped to fourth.

Roughly 10 minutes into the race, Verhagen’s GTD Pro lead came under fire from Max Esterson (RLL Team McLaren), while Alexander Sims (Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports) hung close in third. In LMP2, Clarke held a 2-second lead, while Dudu Barrichello (Heart of Racing) led GTD by 0.44 seconds.

The first caution flew moments later when John Farano (Tower Motorsports) went wide in Turn 3, sustaining severe right-front damage to his #8 ORECA LMP2 07 that forced him behind the wall. Clarke led the restart with 2 hours and 20 minutes remaining, pulling out a couple of car lengths on second-place runner Misha Goikhberg (Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen).

Pit stops began about 13 minutes later, with AO Racing’s PJ Hyett diving in first. Barrichello pitted from the GTD lead shortly after but endured a slow stop, allowing Pedersen to take the top spot. With just under two hours to go, Tobi Lutke (TDS Racing) crashed into the Turn 8 tire barriers, bringing out the second caution.

Following the cycle of pit stops, George Kurtz (CrowdStrike Racing by APR) was elevated to first in LMP2, Jack Hawksworth (Vasser Sullivan) led GTD Pro, and Trent Hindman (Wayne Taylor Racing) headed GTD. However, DXDT Racing’s Robert Wickens remained stuck on pit lane with a throttle spring issue, eventually returning two laps down.

As the race progressed through driver changes, Dillmann took over for Clarke in LMP2, while Ben Barnicoat relieved Hawksworth in GTD Pro. Near the halfway point, Philip Ellis pushed past Hindman to take the GTD lead, quickly building a 2-second gap. In LMP2, traffic briefly held up Alex Quinn, allowing Dillmann to seize the overall lead.

With an hour remaining, Barnicoat held a sizable 6-second lead in GTD Pro over Nick Tandy (AO Racing). In GTD, Ellis led by 0.6 seconds over Aaron Telitz. Dillmann continued to lead LMP2 and the overall race, holding a 1.2-second advantage over Quinn.

The final phase of the race became a test of fuel management and traffic navigation. With 52 minutes to go, Quinn pitted from second, followed by Dillmann and Dane Cameron the next lap. GTP regular Ricky Taylor, moonlighting in the #52 machine, inherited the lead briefly before pitting with 43 minutes left, handing the top spot back to Dillmann.

With 22 minutes remaining, Cameron dove into the pits for a quick splash of fuel, emerging with clear track to optimize his pace. Quinn followed 11 minutes later, retaining second place. Dillmann pitted the following lap for his own fuel top-up, executing a fast stop that allowed him to retain the lead.

Barnicoat held firm in GTD Pro, finishing roughly 8.2 seconds ahead of Tandy. In GTD, the battle tightened as Telitz clawed into Ellis’s lead, but the Winward Racing duo held on to take the checkered flag. The overall and class leaders remained unchanged to the finish, capping a dramatic day of racing at Mosport.