<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3kkc16_0vwYV3nd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3kkc16_0vwYV3nd00" width="1000" height="600" ></figure>The final race of the TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School championship served up endless predictability, with wheel-to-wheel battles, late-stage hiccups, and unexpected winners and podium finishers.As the season came to a close at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Celso Neto, Connor Attrell, and PJ Groenke rose above the rest in the TCX, TC, and TCA class to claim the final wins and the opportunity to kiss the bricks.TCX classRace 1 winner and Race 2 pole sitter Celso Neto had a strong start on board his No. 22 Skip Barber Racing Acura Integra Type S, while Chris Walsh was slightly on the backfoot in the No. 104 Carrus Callas Raceteam BMW M2 CS (Cup).As the laps elapsed, Neto was able to build up a slight gap, aided by the fact that Walsh found himself entangled in a battle with Cameron Steller in the No. 23 Fast Track Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup).Neto cruised to victory, sweeping the weekend in the process. The fight for second and third went all the way to the line, but Walsh was able to defend his position, with Steller rounding off the top three.“We knew yesterday it was going to be tough on the tires for the entire field, especially after an eight-hour race,” said Neto. “The track was super dirty, super hard. That race was really about keeping my head in it and not pushing beyond what I had in terms of grip. We kept the pace under control and managed the lap traffic. It was really a race that came down to mindset, I’m happy with how it went. I want to thank my team, Honda Racing, HRC, my sponsors, and everyone who helps me. It was a really great weekend. What an amazing experience! I couldn’t be happier.”TC classMeanwhile, the TC class was filled with drama. Cristian Perocarpi had originally began carving his way through the field in his No. 37 MINI JCW Team MINI JCW TC Pro, but made contact with Sally McNulty in the No. 780 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC, sending her into the tire barrier. This resulted in a drive-through penalty for the MINI driver for incident responsibility, who sustained bodywork damage in the process.In a major turn of events, Jeff Ricca came down pit lane with 5 minutes remaining in the race, running into issues in his No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC. What could have been a perfect day, with a win on his birthday, turned out to be disastrous as he was plagued with a mechanical issue.However, the Ricca Autosport team still swept the podium in both Race 1 and Race 2, with Connor Attrell promoted up to first in his No. 75 car, with Ron Zaras and Vin Anatra completing the podium in the No. 77 and No. 76 entries.“It’s a dream come true,” said Attrell. “I’m just so happy to be here representing Hyundai Quaker State and bringing it home for the team. Another podium lockout — that really shows how far this team has come and how strong we are. Huge shoutout to Ricca Autosport and Jeff; I was trying to chase him down. I got a little lucky this time, but I’ll take it. That’s racing!”TCA classAfter running into tire troubles in the opening race on Friday, it was smooth sailing on Sunday for PJ Groenke as he led from start to finish in his No. 62 MINI JCW Team MINI JCW, with Alex Garcia following suit in second in the No. 14 Skip Barber Racing Honda Civic Si FE1.Bruce Myrehn overtook his teammate Alain Lauziere at the halfway mark to move up into the final podium position, but the battle between the No. 63 and No. 64 MINI JCW Team MINI JCW machines wasn’t over. One lap later, Lauziere was able to take the place back. The two continued to go back and forth as the clock ticked away, and in the end it was Myrehn who walked away with the hardware.“It doesn’t get any better than this,” exclaimed Groenke. “Finishing our championship season on the top step and finally getting the chance to kiss those bricks — what a moment. I can’t thank my sponsors enough. I love you all so much. The series, the people, and being the final TCA champion — it’s a dream come true.”</div></body>

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Neto, Attrell, Groenke take wins in TC America finale

The final race of the TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School championship served up endless predictability, with wheel-to-wheel battles, late-stage hiccups, and unexpected winners and podium finishers. As the season came to a close at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Celso Neto, Connor Attrell, and PJ Groenke rose above the...

Neto, Attrell, Groenke take wins in TC America finale

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