The international duo weaved and dodged lapped traffic in the final 10 minutes of Race 2, and Bloxsom nearly threatened Staut’s winning streak, but ultimately was unsuccessful.
Rain or shine – and anything in between – Karel Staut continues to be the one-to-beat in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama.
The Belgian driver delivered his third consecutive weekend sweep with Kellymoss in the GT3 Cup Pro-Am class, this time at Sonoma Raceway in mixed conditions that hung over competitors throughout the weekend.
Six straight for Staut amid chaos and close racing in GT3 Cup.
Following a relatively smooth race on Friday, Staut faced his fiercest pressure yet on Saturday from Australian driver Lockie Bloxsom. The international duo weaved and dodged lapped traffic in the final 10 minutes, and Bloxsom nearly threatened Staut’s winning streak, but ultimately was unsuccessful.
“It was tricky in the changing conditions, and in the end, the track was pretty much dry from wets, and lapped traffic was more difficult than it had to be,” said Staut. “But it was really fun battling out there with Lockie and ending up getting the win out of it.
“I was surprised how he came back because I felt I had a pretty decent gap at the beginning. He was able to claw back, and I also had some lapped traffic. So, that was pretty interesting to see how different tire-saving and the changing conditions ended up being for him.
“I was really glad I was able to keep him behind me. He was definitely quicker towards the end, so I’m really happy to have a sixth win in a row.”
Bloxsom would settle for second in both races at Sonoma, just as he did during the last event at Barber Motorsport Park. The Australian completed his two-race stint in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama with four podium finishes from four starts. He now heads back “down under” to continue his Porsche Carrera Cup Australia campaign.
“Honestly, that was the funnest race I’ve ever had,” said a cheerful Bloxsom after the race. “I was having heaps of fun, but obviously I was determined to try and get him. I was like a deer in headlights looking straight at the back of his car.
“But the track evolved a lot from the first lap of the race. It was super wet, and there was actually a little bit of debris from the race before. As the race went on, there was a dry line, but then cars in the back of the field were putting mud on the track. Pretty much every lap you turned, there was a different corner that had less grip and a different corner had more grip.
“It was good to be diverse and learn on-the-go, but Karel did a great job.”
David Musial Jr. finished third in Race 1, his first outing since the season-opener at Sebring International Raceway in March, and Blake McGovern rounded out the podium in Race 2 for the third time this season.
After a long-awaited win came to Mark Boden at Barber, he doubled down with another GT3 Cup Masters class win on Friday at Sonoma. Boden avoided the race chaos en route to victory with Fall-Line Motorsports, and made great strides to close in on championship leader, Alain Scalzo, who finished third. Between the pair in second place was polesitter Kayden Kelly.
It was Kelly though in his series return with Throttle Therapy Motorsports who prevailed in Race 2. The California native saw fellow competitors endure solo spins throughout the race, and Kelly built a buffer of Pro-Am cars between him and the rest of the field.
Matt Dusek finished second for his best result of the season, and Boden leaves Sonoma with two trophies after finishing Race 2 in third.
Ruttura, Knight find top step alongside a Rogers sweep in Cayman classes.
The Sonoma weather conditions truly became a great equalizer for the Sprint Challenge North America field of Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport cars – and delivered first-time winners throughout the weekend.
Todd Ruttura started third but finished first with Heinlein Racing Development, as he was one of the few to emerge unscathed from incidents or penalties. It was an impressive drive for Ruttura, who had yet to join the Pro-Am podium this year, let alone stand atop in first.
Zac Bradford – also running in the Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West series – finished second after a post-race time penalty was issued to Keith Grant who wound up third. Despite the setback, Grant pressed Ruttura in the closing laps of the race for a spirited class battle.
In Race 2, Cody Knight broke through for his elusive first win after coming just shy in the earlier rounds this season. Knight pushed the limits in a side-by-side battle with rival Anna Cecchi, and made the winning pass with small contact just halfway through the contest.
“The rain started to come down pretty heavy, so we had to change the line and driving style,” Knight explained. “That was really interesting. Anna passed me in the first part of the race, but I had to stay in it and drive my own line … This was my first ever weekend driving in the rain, so it’s definitely been a challenge to get up to speed with everything.
“I’ve been on the podium before, but this is the first win, so I’m really excited about this. I want to keep it going, and hopefully it will happen again in the next races of the season.”
Both drivers struggled the day prior, so Knight’s victory with TOPP Racing and Anna’s eventual runner-up result were both considered great rebound performances. Keith Grant followed with another third-place finish on Saturday as he also seeks to add his name to the first-time winner list during the later rounds this year.
With the excitement in the Pro-Am classes, Tom Rogers excelled in the Masters category to win both races on Friday and Saturday.
Running with Tatum Racing, Rogers even finished on the overall podium – second in Race 1 and third in Race 2 – to gain the championship lead after sitting third going into Sonoma.
The second-place spots were split between William Peluchiwski, taking the trophy in Race 1 and Dan Drohan in Race 2.
Simon Read – in his first Sprint Challenge North America appearance this season – finished third in both rounds, and braved the elements on Sunday for a slippery and fun duel trying to beat Drohan for runner-up.
Teams and drivers saddle up for COTA.
With Sonoma in the books, teams and drivers now set their sights on Circuit of the Americas, where Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama heads next for a packed Mother’s Day weekend on May 7 – 9 in Austin, Texas. The COTA event will once again run alongside Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West, and will also welcome Porsche GT Track Day for its first visit to the iconic Formula 1 venue.
The Sonoma outing marked the third Porsche GT Track Day held at the circuit since 2024, further reinforcing its place as a staple on the program’s calendar as attention now turns toward its debut at Circuit of the Americas.
All Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama races stream live – and are available to watch anytime – on the Porsche Motorsport North America's
Results.
Race 1
GT3 Cup Pro-Am
Karel Staut #243
Lockie Bloxsom #233
David Musial Jr #231
GT3 Cup Masters
Mark Boden #246
Kayden Kelly #208
Alain Scalzo #222
Cayman Pro-Am
Todd Ruttura #59
Zach Bradford #14
Keith Grant #40
Cayman Masters
Tom Rogers #44
William Peluchiwski #62
Simon Read #12
Race 2
GT3 Cup Pro-Am
Karel Staut #243
Lockie Bloxsom #233
Blake McGovern #240
GT3 Cup Masters
Kayden Kelly #208
Matt Dusek #251
Mark Boden #246
Cayman Pro-Am
Cody Knight #3
Anna Cecchi #27
Keith Grant #40
Cayman Masters
Tom Rogers #44
Dan Drohan #98
Simon Read #3
