Race weekends rarely go as expected, and that’s especially true whenever rain becomes a part of the scenario. RVA Graphics Motorsports by Speed Syndicate had what can only be described as a wild weekend at Road America, which hosted rounds nine and ten of Toyota GR Cup North America last weekend.
It was rain or red flags that dominated the test and practice sessions, and as a result, we had very limited track time. That meant we went out in qualifying for race one with hardly any practice laps. To make it even more challenging, Bennett Muldoon was making his first visit to Road America, and Luke Rumburg had never driven a car like the Toyota there.
Nonetheless, the drivers got acclimated quickly, and things really began to take shape in race one. Luke moved up nine places, including an incredible pass in the grass going into Canada Corner that was one of the best moves we’ve seen all season! His 8th-place result was his best finish of the year, and he really worked for it.
Bennett crossed the line in 13th, an outstanding result for someone brand-new to Road America. Farran had a brush with a wall, but after recovering, he had fun making passes in the rain to regain lost spots, eventually coming home 18th.
With the rain finally moving out of the area, qualifying for race two was a dry session where the team could show off its speed. We gained a lot of insight during last year’s race at Road America, and we used that proven setup as a starting point this year. By qualifying two, the cars were really flying. Luke earned a season-best 6th, and Bennett’s 18th-place qualifying run was only a few tenths of a second outside the top 12. Farran struggled to find speed and had to contend with 22nd for the start of race two.
Luke had a solid run in the top five during race two, and although contact from a couple of other cars gave him an unexpected challenge, he was still able to cross the finish line in 12th. Farran came home with a 17th-place finish.
Unfortunately, Bennett’s charge through the field came to an abrupt end when a crash ended his day. Corinne Vallee jumped in to help Bennett out in the aftermath, so we owe her a big thank you. All of us are so grateful that Bennett will be back soon and ready to earn the kind of results he’s capable of.
We would also like to give a shoutout to Justin Piscitell, who was subbing as our team coach at Road America. Justin did an incredible job guiding our drivers through the tricky weather, and his experience as a Toyota GR Cup driver was helpful, as well.
There are some really positive takeaways from Road America. We came out of this weekend excited about the speed we had in the cars as well as the communication between our drivers and team. The drivers are really working well together to help each other improve, and it’s great to see that kind of teamwork and camaraderie.
Now it’s off to Barber Motorsports Park for a quick test before returning to the track for Round 11 & 12 of the season and GR Cup’s first-ever visit there. We have some very exciting news to share, so stay in touch on our socials.
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