SKI Autosports has completed a stunning weekend in GT America – taking the team’s first overall race win and following that up with a second place finish today at Road America.
The Atlanta-based SKI Autosports squad made its second GT America series start this weekend after previously making its debut at VIRginia International Raceway in June.
After qualifying fifth, Pilgrim made a great start and took advantage of contact amongst his rivals on the opening lap to charge into the lead.
Towards the end of Saturday’s race, the experienced Pilgrim held off a hard charging Series points leader George Kurtz in the late stages of the race to take the SKI Autosports Ferrari 458 GT to victory lane.
“George was coming so hard. I was looking in the mirrors and everything was getting bigger and bigger and it’s all Mercedes. He was coming and it is so great to have this win,” said Pilgrim after the race.
“SKI Autosport has been so good, letting me drive this car. We don’t do a full schedule so we have to have respect for the guys in the championship but bottom line is, the car is great, the team is great and I have to thank Rossella and Phil from Creighton Motorsports. It’s a part time deal and it just worked out perfect today.”
By taking the overall win aboard the SKI Autosport Ferrari 458GT, Pilgrim also took the Master’s Class win and then repeated that performance on Sunday.
After the thrilling final laps of Saturday’s race, Sunday was a very different event. Marred by caution periods that covered about two-thirds of the timed race, Kurtz would start on the pole and pull out to an early lead.
Pilgrim was close behind and the two pulled away from the field, when the first full course caution came out. The race restarted with about eight minutes remaining, however a second caution took place only moments into the restart and the race would finish under yellow.
“On Saturday we were all on the edge of our seats watching Andy putting every bit of his experience to use holding on for the overall win,” team owner Kent Hussey.
“We know we are at a bit of a disadvantage with an older model Ferrari, but the long straights at Road America, not to mention Andy Pilgrim at the wheel, everything evens things out a bit.”
“We are so thankful to have Ferrari expert, Rossella Manfrinato engineering the car and Phil Creighton and his Creighton Motorsports team preparing the car and providing all the at-track support. They are a huge part of this team’s success!”
Next up for SKI Autosports in SRO GT America will be the season finale at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 7-9, 2022.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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