GT3 Cup: Mosport race one report

PAPADOPOULOUS, KELLY-MOSS RACING WIN FIRST IMSA GT3 CUP RACE AT MOSPORT; PORSCHE 911 GT3 CUP CARS SHINE IN RAIN TO SUN CONDITIONS IN RACE #1 OF TWO

Tom Papadopoulous, from Huntington Station, NY, made up seven positions on the first lap, and then took the lead for good on lap five to score a 1.5-second win with his Kelly-Moss Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the first of two 30-minute IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Michelin races at Mosport International Raceway.

Papadopoulous, who started ninth, had already moved into third place by the time the field received a yellow flag at the beginning of lap two. The yellow was caused by Warren Chang, who spun in the rain and hit the wall right at the start. Other top qualifiers -- Tom Pank and Dino Steiner -- also spun and fell out of contention, leaving top points contenders Charles Scardina and Bob Faieta to chase Papadopoulous, who is not in the championship chase.

In the end, Faieta was able to hold off Scardina for second place and creep closer to Charles in the point standings, but no one was able to catch Papadopoulous, who earned his first IMSA GT3 Cup win, which was also the first series win for the veteran Porsche race shop of Kelly-Moss Racing. Faieta will try to close that 16-point gap further as the series holds its second race of the week on Sunday morning. Scardina will start that race from the pole based on his earning the fastest lap in the Saturday event.

The series, which pits semi-professional and gentleman drivers against one another in equally prepared Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, competes at some of North America's finest tracks, including Sebring International Raceway, Mosport International Raceway, Road Atlanta, Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

All competitors drive Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers, a purpose-built race cars, based on the Porsche 911 (type 997) body style, and have sealed engines and transmissions, providing for close racing where the driver's talents are highlighted. Porsche Motorsport North America provides technical support for the series with personnel, parts and expertise both at the track and from its headquarters in Santa Ana, California.

-credit: porsche