Thriller at IMSA Road America
Jonny Edgar Scores Crucial IMSA Points in Road America Thriller
Jonny Edgar and AO Racing kept their LMP2 title hopes alive with a hard-fought fourth-place finish in class at the penultimate round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup at Road America. In a six-hour race defined by chaos, penalties and multiple safety-car periods, the team’s affectionately nicknamed “Spike the Dragon” crossed the line in fourth, securing valuable championship points heading into the season finale.
The weekend began with promise. AO Racing hit the ground running as they so often do, posting the second-fastest time in Friday’s practice session before adapting well to Saturday morning’s rain-affected conditions to go third quickest. With the weather improving for qualifying, PJ Hyett – required by series regulations to set the qualifying time – delivered a solid lap to secure a second-row start in fourth place.
Sunday’s six-hour endurance test quickly turned into a battle of attrition. Drama unfolded from the very first lap, with incidents peppering the tight Elkhart Lake circuit. Hyett threaded the needle expertly, avoiding both the LMP2-specific melee and the GT traffic to keep Spike in contention.
BRDC Superstar Jonny then took over driving duties and immediately settled into a rhythmn, holding second place at the halfway mark and scoring valuable championship points. A poorly timed full-course yellow, however, forced an emergency fuel stop that cost the team valuable track position.
Despite the setback, Jonny continued to run at the sharp end of the LMP2 field throughout his stint, mirroring Hyett’s composure by steering clear of the surrounding carnage before handing the car to Dane Cameron for the final stint.
Cameron’s final stint began with a restart collision with a fellow LMP2 competitor, earning the team a penalty that dropped them to ninth in class, but with 90 minutes remianing, AO Racing mounted a spiritied comeback. Capitalising on further incidents ahead and delivering clean, consistent laps, Cameron fought the car back through the field to reclaim fourth place before the chequered flag.
The result leaves Jonny and the AO Racing crew firmly in title contention with one round remaining: the iconic Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on 3 October.
Jonny: “Overall, I think we can be happy with this weekend. The car had pace all weekend and it was really fun to race the LMP2 around this track, a new one for me. The race itself was very chaotic with all the accidents and incidents, I think the safety car made nine appearances. It was a shame we got that penalty but Dane did well to recover to finish fourth and we still scored good points over the race. I was second at the halfway point, which helped with that. Big thanks as always to the team for their hard work. I’m really looking forward to the final round at Road Atlanta in a couple of months. Hopefully we can end the season on a high.”
Before the IMSA finale, Cumbria’s finest heads to the Circuit of the Americas (4-6 September) for round five of the FIA World Endurance Championship: the Lone Star Le Mans, and the home race for his TF Sport team’s manufacturer, Corvette. Jonny will be aiming to consolidate his LMGT3 championship lead. The race will be streamed live on FIAWEC+ and broadcast on TNT Sports in the UK.
