A dominant Race 1 performance saw ACI Motorsports sweep all classes at Watkins Glen, with Janne Stiak earning his first win in Carrera Cup North America, and Patrick Mulcahy and Matt Smith completing the effort.
A mix of attrition, tire strategy, and sustained pressure defined Race 1 at Watkins Glen, where ACI Motorsports emerged with victories across all three classes. From the overall fight to class battles, execution proved critical throughout the field.
Stiak holds off Hedge in breakthrough performance.
It wasn’t a clear-cut first Carrera Cup North America victory for Janne Stiak, as polesitter and Mobil Pro Class championship leader Tyler Maxson (TOPP Racing) suffered a puncture and was brought to pit lane for a new Pirelli P Zero DHG tire halfway through the 40-minute contest.
However, while Stiak inherited the lead in his #40 Porsche 911 Cup (Type 992.2), the young German fiercely held off Callum Hedge (JDX Racing) in the closing laps – only winning by .458 seconds after a tough battle with the New Zealander..
“I’m a bit lucky that Maxson had an issue on the car, but I’m super happy for me and for the team,” said Stiak, a former Porsche Carrera Cup Germany driver & Carrera Cup Middle East Champion. “It was a very difficult start to the season, but I finally got the first win, and I’m very happy.”
Stiak had high hopes of victory after starting on pole at the Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix but was taken out in a multi-car incident. Today, he finally captured not only his first win of the season, but also his first podium in North American competition.
“I think (Hedge) had newer tires and I was on older tires, so it was difficult to keep him behind,” Stiak added. “In the end, I managed it and got the win.”
The result by Hedge was his best performance of the season after a post-race penalty in Miami where he crossed the line first. Aaron Jeansonne (Kellymoss) completed the podium in third ahead of Jared Thomas (JTR Motorsports Engineering).
Mulcahy continues domination for sixth victory.
Patrick Mulcahy (ACI Motorsports) continued his stunning run of success in the Solairus Aviation Pro-Am Class, collecting his sixth victory of the season to further extend his championship lead. Mulcahy started from pole position and led each lap en route to his win, with contender Josh Conley (Kellymoss) finishing second.
“I was just trying to survive in the beginning and work my way up the field,” said Mulcahy. “It was an amazing race.”
Turn 1 drama sets stage for Smith’s first win.
The Solairus Aviation Masters Class was shaken from the start on Friday, as polesitter Scott Blind (Ruckus Racing) spun from the curbing and collected his fellow championship contenders in the process. A full-course yellow delayed the race restart until 30 minutes on the clock, with John Goetz (Kellymoss) initially taking the lead.
Matt Smith (ACI Motorsports) ultimately took the lead with 13 minutes remaining as part of a tight-knit, three-way battle. Alain Scalzo (Scalzo Autosport) made a last-lap pass for second place with Goetz holding on for third.
“My dad took me out to the track when I was a kid, and for him to come here and see me win, it’s just awesome,” said Smith, whose victory was his first in Carrera Cup competition.
“The team did a fantastic job with the car, and I’m just happy that we could win for everybody.”
All eyes on Race 2.
The final Porsche Carrera Cup North America race at Watkins Glen International is scheduled for Saturday at 9:05am ET.
All Porsche Carrera Cup North America races stream live – and are available to watch anytime – on the
Results.
Race 1
Mobil Pro Class:
Janne Stiak, #40
Callum Hedge, #77
Aaron Jeansonne, #24
Solairus Aviation Pro-Am Class:
Patrick Mulcahy, #54
Josh Conley, #29
Solairus Aviation Masters Class:
Matt Smith, #74
Alain Scalzo, #26
John Goetz, #57
