- Williams Esports' Igor De Oliveira Rodrigues two for two
- Nicholas DeSantis Earns Silver Win
- Results | Standings
After winning the season opener at Laguna Seca last time out, Igor De Oliveira Rodrigues defended the top spot by taking victory at Circuit of the Americas for the second round of the Mobileye GTWC Esports America Sprint Series championship. The Williams Esports driver maneuvered his way around the Texas track with confidence, further building up his advantage in the championship standings.
Nicholas DeSantis drove in a similar fashion in the Silver category, taking control early on and powering down the track lap after lap to take the win.
Pro Class and overall pole sitter Igor De Oliveira Rodrigues took off in a flash as the green flag waved, wasting no time building up a gap to the competitors behind on board his No. 124 Audi R8 LMS Evo II. There was some first-lap drama taking place behind him, but he remained unfazed and focused on the clear track ahead.
However, the battle was heating up for the remaining podium spot, as the No. 41 Williams Esports Porsche 992 GT3 R of Fidel Moreira made contact with the No. 262 YAS Heat Esports YAS Heat Esports of Angel Inostroza, which resulted in a 10-second penalty for Moreira.
Inostroza opted to come in for his pit stop first as the clock just passed a little over the halfway mark, while other competitors around him decided to run slightly longer, coming in a couple of laps later. This proved to be a wise strategy call for Inostroza, as he was now slotted comfortably in third place, just a few seconds behind the No. 39 STR Esports BMW M4 GT3 of Chris Severt running in second position.
As for Severt, he began to make his charge on Rodrigues, closing the gap between them and driving within half a second of the leader. The pressure truly began to rise as the two made contact and were sent spinning with one minute remaining in the race. Nevertheless, Rodrigues kept it cool and collected, defending expertly in order to go on to cross the finish line, securing the win in Austin. Severt finished in second place, with Inostroza claiming the final podium position.
In the Silver class, it was an hour-long battle between Nicholas DeSantis in the No. 12 ND Motorsports Porsche 992 GT3 R and Cody Sherratt in the No. 22 Genisus Esports Ferrari 296 GT3. Sherratt had the early advantage, but as DeSantis was able to pull off an overtake to move into the class lead, he gradually began to establish a buffer between them.
The top three cars in class all came down pit lane for their mandatory stops at the same time, allowing them to return to track in the same running order. DeSantis was now slightly more protected, with Moreira serving as an obstacle to keep Sherratt at bay.
DeSantis, who ran fifth overall for the majority of the race, went on to take the win, with Sherratt following suit in second place, finishing seventh overall. Third belonged to the No. 110 Team Schumiskins Porsche 992 GT3 R of Zach Doran.
The next round of the Mobileye GTWC Esports America Sprint Series takes place at Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain on Saturday, July 22nd.