2025 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

2025 is the third season for the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The series serves as a support ladder for the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. As a result, drivers must have either a silver or bronze categorization from the FIA to participate. It replaces the IMSA Prototype Challenge Series.

There are three VP Racing SportsCar Challenge classes, LMP3, GSX and GTDX.

Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3): This division was introduced in 2017. Several race car manufacturers produce chassis for this category: Ligier, Duqueine, Ginetta and Adess. They are equipped with Michelin tires and powered by a 5.6-liter naturally aspirated Nismo V8 motor, which produces over 420 horsepower. All vehicles must weigh no less than 950 kg.
Grand Sport X (GSX): The cars in this category are prepared to meet international GT4 technical requirements. This class includes cars such as the Ford Mustang GT4, BMW M4 GT4, Mercedes-AMG GT4, Audi R8, and Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. Vehicles competing in this group produce between 400 and 450 horsepower and are capable of speeds over 160 mph.
Grand Touring DX (GTDX): GTDX was introduced in 2025 for cars built to GT3 specifications. Engines are generally tuned to produce around 500 horsepower, with top speeds exceeding 170 mph.

There are six events in 2025. Each race weekend hosts a pair of 45-minute contests with one driver per car and no pit stops.

January 17-19 - Daytona International Speedway
February 28 - March 1 - Circuit of the Americas
June 6-8 - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
July 11-13 - Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
August 22-24 - Virginia International Raceway
October 8-11 - Road Atlanta

Rounds seven and eight of the 2025 IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge were held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. P3 and GSX competitors raced in two 45-minute contests around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was scheduled to host rounds seven and eight of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge; however, inclement weather on Sunday forced IMSA Officials to postpone Race Two to a later date.

Initially, the plan was to hold the race after the WeatherTech SportsCar Challenge contest, but team travel and logistics prevented that from happening.

Oscar Tunjo was the fastest qualifier for round seven at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park; however, his Duqueine D08 failed the technical inspection and was put to the rear of the LMP3 grid. As a result, local racer Jonathan Woolridge was elevated to the pole. On the opening lap, Woolridge jumped into the lead and pulled away from the field in the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320. Trailing Woolridge are Valentino Catalano, Brian Thienes and Tunjo.

The LMP3 points leader heading into rounds seven and eight was Valentino Catalano, with three victories. Catalano drives the No. 30 GEBHARDT Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08. He started second after the Oscar Tunjo penalty. He was unable to maintain the early race pace set by the pole-sitter, Jonathan Woolridge. However, the Duqueine is noted for picking up speed later in the contest. Catalano caught and passed Woolridge for the win.

In GTDX, Jake Walker went unchallenged from pole to checker to capture his fourth class victory of the season. Walker started round seven at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the fifth position, driving the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3. By the conclusion of the contest, he was 12.440 seconds clear of the runner-up, Adam Adelson. Walker sits third in the points chase as a result of issues in the opening races at Daytona International Speedway.

The best subscribed category in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was GSX, which had nine entries. The class of the field was Kiko Porto, who went flag-to-flag for the victory. Porto put the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 on the class pole and started eleventh overall. This was his fifth win in seven events and he leads the championship by a comfortable margin of 340 points.

The LMP3 podium for round seven of the 2025 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. In the center is the winner, Valentino Catalano. Catalano leads the standings with four victories. On the left is the runner-up and local driver, Jonathan Woolridge. Woolridge was victorious at COTA, but did not compete at Mid-Ohio and is third in the points chase. The final position on the rostrum is occupied by Brian Thienes.

The driver in the IMS VP Racing SportsCar Challenge race with the most laps around Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is Jonathan Woolridge. Woolridge was the second fastest in qualifying, driving the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320, but started on the pole. He led early but was passed by Oscar Tunjo and Valentino Catalano. When Tunjo suffered a mechanical issue, Woolridge moved into second for a runner-up result.

One of the benefits of IMS VP Racing SportsCar Challenge is that it provides additional track time for drivers competing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Challenge or Michelin Pilot Challenge series. One of the drivers taking advantage of this opportunity was GTDX competitor Adam Adelson. Adelson drove the No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R and finished second. In the WeatherTech contest, he and co-driver Elliot Skeer were tenth in class.

Steven Clemons is currently second in the GSX division of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. Clemons drives the No. 76 BSI Racing prepared Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2. At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, he qualified third in class and thirteenth overall. Clemons was unable to match the pace of Niko Porto and Ian Porter. However, a last-lap issue caused Porter to slow, and he was passed by Clemons, who finished second by a margin of 8.597 seconds.

The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge podium for round seven of the GTDX division at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. In the center from Turner Motorsports is the winner, Jake Walker. Walker has the most victories, but a poor start to the season finds him third in the standings. On the left is the runner-up and new championship leader, Adam Adelson. The final position on the rostrum belongs to third-place finisher, AJ Muss.

Brian Thienes is a former open-wheel racer who competed in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series before moving to IMSA’s LMP3 category in 2021. His record includes third-place finishes in the 2022 – 2024 championships; he is currently second in 2025. Thienes races the No. 77 Forte Racing prepared Ligier JS P320. He qualified fourth and started third as a result of Oscar Tunjo’s penalty. Thienes earned the final spot on the podium.

The GTDX points leader entering round seven at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was AJ Muss. Muss drives the No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 and qualified sixth overall and second in class. During the race, he battled Adam Adelson in No. 24 Porsche 911 GT3 R. The rivals collided in corner ten on the final restart. Muss was deemed to be at fault and penalized, which resulted in a third-place finish. The outcome also dropped him to second in the standings.

The No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS is driven by Chris Walsh. Walsh has collected runner-up results at COTA and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He was gridded sixteenth at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park after qualifying sixth in the GSX division. Walsh made good progress during the race and earned a third-place finish when Ian Porter had an issue. He was also first in the Bronze Cup category.

The top three GSX drivers for round seven of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Standing on the top step of the podium for the fifth time this season is the championship leader and winner, Kiko Porto. On the left is the runner-up from BSI Racing, Steve Clemons. Completing the podium is the third-place finisher and the winner of the Bronze Cup, Chris Walsh.

POS.	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	P3	Valentino Catalano	Duqueine D08	32	-
2	P3	Jonathan Woolridge	Ligier JS P320	32	-
3	GTDX	Jake Walker	BMW M4 GT3	32	-
4	P3	Brian Thienes	Ligier JS P320	32	-
5	GTDX	Adam Adelson	Porsche 911 GT3 R	32	-
6	GTDX	AJ Muss	Ferrari 296 GT3	32	-
7	GTDX	Samantha Tan	BMW M4 GT3	31	-
8	GTDX	Vincent Barletta	BMW M4 GT3	31	-
9	GSX	Kiko Porto	Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2	30	-
10	GSX	Steven Clemons	Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2	30	-
11	GSX	Chris Walsh	Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS	29	-
12	GSX	Justin Di Benedetto	Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS	29	-
13	GSX	Frank DePew	Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo	29	-
14	GSX	Angus Rogers	Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS	29	-
15	GSX	David Hampton	Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS	29	-
16	GSX	Ian Porter	Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2	29	Not Running
17	P3	Matthew Dicken	Ligier JS P320	26	-
18	P3	Oscar Tunjo	Duqueine D08	19	Not Running
19	GSX	Roland Krainz	BMW M4 GT4	13	Not Running

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