There are wins that move a championship, and there are wins that mean something far beyond the standings. At Road America, Justin Rothberg and Turner Motorsport got both at once.
The No. 29 LATICRETE BMW M4 GT3 EVO crossed the line first to claim Turner Motorsport’s second victory of the season, putting the team into second place in the Pro class and pulling them to within four points of the championship lead heading into Barber Motorsports Park. Unlike their win at Sebring, which came together in part after the No. 34 JMF Motorsports entry suffered a late mechanical failure, this one was taken the hard way through a race that never let up.
“I’m really happy to come out victorious at Road America,” Rothberg said. “I didn’t have the most eventful stint most of the time, but the laps we did run felt really good. The guys and girls at Turner did a great job getting the LATICRETE BMW M4 hooked up. It was really action-packed laps that we did have because they were all restarts. I had fun doing some hard racing.”
The result carries real weight for a team in transition. Turner Motorsport entered this season as the back-to-back Pro-Am champions, but made the jump to the Pro class in search of a three-peat against a deeper, faster field. Four points off the top with rounds remaining, that goal is squarely back in reach, and Road America is the clearest evidence yet that the step up hasn’t slowed them down.
But for Rothberg, the top step of the podium meant something that had nothing to do with points.
A week before Road America, the racing community lost Cédric Sbirrazzuli, Rothberg’s first driver coach, and the man who put him on the path to becoming a racing driver. The two came up together with a different team and series, where Sbirrazzuoli built the foundation Rothberg has raced on ever since. Sbirrazzuoli had his own accomplished career behind the wheel, competing in GT World Challenge America and GT4 America in both Ferrari and Mercedes machinery, as well as in GT World Challenge Europe.
Turner Motorsport carried his name on the car all weekend at Road America and Rothberg carried him through every lap.
“We’re happy to be on the top step of the podium,” Rothberg said. “It means a lot to win this weekend because my first driver coach, Cédric Sbirrazzuoli, who put me on the path to become a driver, passed away. We had his name on the car, and it meant a lot to get his name back on the top step of the podium again.”
It’s the kind of moment that puts a championship fight in perspective, even as the fight itself keeps intensifying. Rothberg and Turner Motorsport now carry momentum, a tightening points battle, and a personal motivation into Barber that few teams on the grid can match.
“At the end of the day, we came away with the win, and that’s what matters,” Rothberg said. “Losing Cédric was really tough for everyone. I had him on my mind throughout the weekend. To be able to stand on the top step and dedicate this win to him is something I’ll always remember.”
To see Turner Motorsport and the No. 29 BMW team in action as the season resumes at Barber Motorsports Park, get your tickets now!