Jaxon Bell and Ethan Goulart led the field to green after Bell earned his fifth career Continental Tire Pole Award on Friday. Jeremy Fletcher quickly applied pressure for the lead after starting from the second row, but unable to complete the pass. An early spin by Paityn Feyen brought no caution, allowing the race to continue under green.
The race took a turn with 26 minutes remaining when Bell and Goulart were battling for the lead, causing Bell’s No. 7 machine to make contact with the wall entering Turn 1. Bell climbed out of the car, while Goulart inherited the lead ahead of Fletcher, Westin Workman, Spike Kohlbecker, and Will Robusto.
Following a full-course yellow, racing resumed with just under 17 minutes remaining, and the intensity immediately ramped up. Fletcher found his way past Goulart on the exit of Turn 7, but Goulart regained the position with a push from Workman in third. A fierce three-way battle for second soon broke out between Fletcher, Kohlbecker, and Workman, with Robusto joining the fight while Max Schweid and Parker Delong raced side-by-side just behind them.
Fletcher reclaimed the lead on the exit of Turn 7 once again, while Kohlbecker moved past Goulart with 12 minutes remaining and began to chase down Fletcher for the top spot. Goulart continued to fall through the field as Robusto climbed to third and Workman to fourth.
With five minutes left, Fletcher was handed a five-second post-race penalty for incident responsibility. Kohlbecker, running second on track, began closing the gap and made his move with just under three minutes remaining — taking the lead after a door-to-door battle. That move opened the door for Robusto to move into second, with Workman close behind.
Fletcher fought back, forcing Robusto wide in Turn 7 to reclaim second, bringing Workman and Lucas Weisenberg into the mix for third. Fletcher then muscled his way past Kohlbecker on the final lap to cross the line first, but the post-race penalty dropped the #22 down to eighth.
Kohlbecker’s late-race charge earned him the win, the eighth of his GR Cup career.
WWEX Group Legends Cup
In the WWEX Group Legends Cup, Livio Galanti led the group to the finish, crossing the line in 14th overall to claim the Legends Cup victory. Farran Davis of RVA Graphics Motorsports secured second, while Rutledge Wood earned his first career Legends Cup podium.
Podium
With the win, Spike Kohlbecker moves into second on the all-time wins list with eight victories and secures his 18th career podium finish. Will Robusto earned his fifth career podium, while Westin Workman takes over the top spot with a GR Cup record 23 podium finishes.
Race Awards
Kohlbecker laid down the fastest lap of the race on Lap 7 with a time of 1:39.748 to earn the Fastest Lap Award. After charging through the field to gain 12 positions, Massimo Sunseri earned his first career Hard Charger Award. The Endava Highest Finishing Female honors went to Isabella Robusto, the sixth of her career. Rounding out the podium honors, Livio Galanti’s Legends Cup win earned him the WWEX Group Highest Finishing Legend Award for the fifth time this season.
What’s Next
The 2025 season will come to a close on Sunday, October 19, with Race 2 qualifying set for 8:05 a.m. ET. Shortly after, drivers will reset from qualifying to take the green flag at 11:05 a.m. ET. Sunday’s race will be streamed live on GRCup.com and the GT World YouTube channel.
Drivers and teams will be recognized Sunday night at the SRO Awards Banquet, celebrating the top three drivers from the season along with the Team Championship, Highest Finishing Female, WWEX Legends Cup winner, Rookie of the Year, and Crew of the Year.
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