Mark Wilkins leads another BHA Hyundai 1-2 in Texas Race 2
Mark Wilkins won the second race of the World Challenge Touring Car class at the Circuit Of The Americas in Texas, leading yesterday’s race winner Michael Lewis after starting from pole position in the Hyundai i30 N TCR run by Bryan Herta Autosport.
Canadian driver Wilkins secured pole position after setting the fastest lap in yesterday’s race in which he finished second. In that race, he lost the lead to team-mate Lewis at Turn 2 after the start, but there was no repeat of that error today, as Wilkins held on ahead of Lewis at the start, which was switched to a rolling start due to time concerns.
Martin Jensen made the move to third in his Alfa Romeo Giulietta at the start, passing the RealTime Racing Honda Civic of Ryan Eversley, but the Dane’s race lasted just one more lap, after he was hit in the rear by Eversley at Turn 8 after the Honda driver locked up, with Jenson forced to retire with broken suspension.
Eversley was handed a drive-through penalty for the incident a lap later which promoted Jerimy Daniel in the TRC Audi RS 3 LMS up to third, after the Canadian had managed to pass the HRD Audi of Anthony Geraci on the first lap, but Geraci was able to retake the position five laps later.
The safety car was called on lap seven after the TCA class Mazda MX-5 of Jenny Gannett spun and was collected by the Murillo Audi RS 3 LMS of Matt Fassnacht, with Fassnacht retiring to the pits with damage to his front-left, while Gannett’s car was recovered from the circuit.
The safety car worked out perfectly for the RealTime Honda driver Eversley, who was able catch up to the field while running in tenth place. The Civic driver was able to put on a charge in the final part of the race to work his way up to finish in fourth position.
Meanwhile the two Hyundais had an unthreatened run up front, with Wilkins and Lewis pulling away after the safety car period to comfortably take a 1-2 finish for Bryan Herta Autosport, with Wilkins finishing half a second clear of Lewis, and the pair five seconds ahead of Geraci’s Audi, with Eversley’s Honda right on his tail at the finish.
The next touring car round of the World Challenge series takes place at Virginia International Raceway on April 27th-29th.
