In GTS4, Pirelli World Challenge driver Scott Bove scored pole position, followed by Jay Matus and Daniel Wennerberg.
Bove had the lead for most of the first lap, but by the time they rolled past start finish, fifth-place starter Michael McAleenan had taken the lead and was up front running with Tony Colicchio who was way out front of everyone. McAleenan held on for the win.
“The car was great. At the beginning of the week, we wrecked the front of it. We had to rebuild it overnight, 24 hours. The next day we had to put a transmission in it, we lost a transmission. Every day, the car got faster and faster and last night we put a new differential in it and today we go out there and the car is money, and it did everything I wanted it to do. We peaked at the right time. I have to thank Lowe Group Racing who kept rebuilding it for me. It was fun racing.”
Bove maintained second, with Wennerberg just a bit behind with one car separating them. By lap three, Wennerberg had gotten around that car and set his sights on Bove, and before that lap was done, Wennerberg out-braked Bove into Turn 5 and made the pass.
Bove, however, didn’t sit still for that and he got close enough to get back around Wennerberg on the inside of Turn 1. With Bove and Wennerberg battling for second, Jay Matus closed up on them and was looking to capitalize on their battle. He got what he was looking for.
Bove out-braked Wennerberg on the inside going into Turn 5, but because Wennerberg had the wider line, he had more cornering speed, and he tapped Bove’s left rear with his right front. Bove got a little loose, but gathered it up, and Matus shot around Wennerberg before the next corner. The contact resulted in a heated verbal exchange in impound between Bove and Wennerberg.
That left Matus and Bove to battle each other while Wennerberg waited to pounce. Eventually Matus and Wennerberg got by Bove and checked out. They battled each other to the very end, with the position decided by a drag race toward the checkered flag. In the end, it was Wennerberg in second and Matus in third.
“It was a tough race,” Wennerberg said. “It started out in the wet and I had full slicks on. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. The first couple of turns were pretty scary. Then the dry line started happening. It started to get fun. You started to feel the grip come in so you could push and push. The leader in front of me, he was gone and I just tried to fend off the two best contenders that are out here, they’re great drivers, they’re top of the line Scott Bove and Jay Matus, and it was slippery and I had to fight.”
