Jeremy Fletcher led the field to green to open the 2026 GR Cup Series season after earning his second career Continental Tire Pole Award. Spike Kohlbecker lined up on the front row alongside Fletcher as the two drivers went toe-to-toe throughout the 45-minute race.
Kohlbecker overtook Fletcher on Lap 8 following two early full-course yellows. As the field settled in, Kohlbecker’s TechSport Racing teammate Parker DeLong joined the fight at the front along with Max Schweid of RVA Graphics Motorsports.
The top four continued to run nose-to-tail until another full-course yellow was deployed with under six minutes remaining. The caution ultimately ended the race under yellow, giving Kohlbecker his ninth career GR Cup Series victory and first of 2026.
Podium
Kohlbecker earned his 20th career GR Cup podium with the victory, while Fletcher’s second-place finish marked his third career podium. Schweid finished third for his second podium result, with his first coming at Road America in 2025.
WWEX Group Legends Cup
In the WWEX Group Legends Cup, Patrick Brunson of Eagles Canyon Racing led the way by finishing 15th overall to secure his first Legends Cup victory. Jeff Curry finished runner-up, while Patrick Wilson of Dream Machine @ Eagles Canyon rounded out the top three.
Race Awards
- Fastest Lap: Along with picking up the race win, Kohlbecker set the fastest lap on Lap 11 with a time of 2:06.00.
- Hard Charger: Liam Harrison of Blackdog Racing earned the Hard Charger Award after gaining six positions to finish 13th.
- Endava Highest Finishing Female: Making her GR Cup debut, Maiate Caceres earned the Endava Highest Finishing Female award with a 12th-place finish.
- WWEX Group Highest Finishing Legend: Patrick Brunson’s 15th-place finish earned him both the Legends Cup victory and the WWEX Group Highest Finishing Legend honor.
What’s Next
Drivers and teams will have a quick turnaround as Race 2 of the Arlington Grand Prix is set for 7:45 a.m. CT. The 45-minute race can be streamed live on grcup.com and the GT World YouTube channel.
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