Dillmann takes control to win LMP2 at CTMP

Credit: IMSA

Tom Dillmann secured victory in the LMP2 category at the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, delivering a controlled and consistent drive in a race that featured early incidents, strategy calls and a clean run to the finish in its second half. The Frenchman brought the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition entry home with a margin of 9.786 seconds, converting strong pace into a result that had been building from the start of the weekend.

Jeremy Clarke set the tone heading into the race, securing pole in the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition LMP2 with a sub-1:08 effort that set a new track record. It was a tight session, with the top four LMP2 drivers separated by less than six tenths, showing that the question was just how close the field was heading into race day. Clarke led the early Laps cleanly, holding off Misha Goikhberg, who had qualified second, while the GTD Pro and GTD polesitters, Neil Verhagen and Eduardo Barrichello, also maintained their positions at the front of their classes.

The opening phase of the race settled quickly, with all three classes running cleanly and drivers focusing on tyre management and positioning. By Lap 6, the LMP2 leaders began to work their way through GTD traffic, adding the first layer of complexity to the race as faster prototypes navigated slower cars around the narrow circuit.

The first major incident came when John Farano in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports entry made contact with the wall, bringing out the first full course caution. The team took the car off the track for repairs and rejoined the race on Lap 28, but the damage had already cost them significant track position.

That interruption opened the door for teams to adjust strategy, with pit stops and tyre changes beginning to shape the race. In GTD, Barrichello’s race took a hit on Lap 23 when a pit stop issue, caused by a gun failure, dropped him down the order, handing track position to rivals at a key moment.

As the race approached its first hour, teams began to make early driver changes and commit to longer-term strategies. The No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3 R made an early switch on Lap 27, bringing Tommy Milner into the car in place of Nicky Catsburg, a move aimed at maximising performance through the middle phase of the race.

At the same time, the No. 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo gained an advantage through strategy, executing a well-timed stop before a caution that allowed Nikita Johnson to take the lead in class after replacing Max Esterson. It was a moment that showed how much track position could swing with the right call.

Credit: IMSA

The second full course caution came on Lap 30 when Tobi Lutke in the No. 11 TDS Racing LMP2 made contact with the wall. The incident brought the field back together, closing gaps and creating new opportunities across all classes.

Around this phase, issues began to emerge for several contenders. Goikhberg’s No. 52 entry developed problems after its stop on Lap 34, dropping it out of contention despite its strong qualifying performance. In GTD, contact between Corey Lewis in the No. 66 Ford Mustang GT3 and the No. 52 car on Lap 44 forced Lewis off the road, though he was able to continue.

The race continued to challenge drivers through the middle phase, with Mikkel Jensen in the No. 2 United Autosports LMP2 making contact with the wall on Lap 62. He managed to bring the car back to the pit lane and later rejoined on Lap 79, though the team’s race was further compromised by a drive-through penalty for working on the car behind the wall.

Despite those setbacks, the field began to stabilise as the race moved into its final stages. With no further cautions, the focus shifted fully to execution, with teams managing fuel, tyres and traffic over the closing Laps.

Credit: IMSA

In the closing stages, strategy once again played a key role. Alex Quinn in the No. 4 made a late stop with ten minutes remaining to top off fuel, ensuring he could reach the finish without risk. Dillmann followed shortly after in the No. 43, covering the move and maintaining control of the race.

From there, Dillmann held the gap to Quinn, avoiding mistakes and maintaining pace to secure victory in the LMP2 category. Quinn held on for second place, while Dane Cameron completed the podium in the No. 99 AO Racing entry.

In GTD Pro, Ben Barnicoat delivered a strong performance in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, taking victory by 3.5 seconds after a controlled run through the second half of the race. Nick Tandy followed in second for Porsche, with Verhagen completing the podium after starting from pole.

The GTD category provided another close finish, with Philip Ellis taking victory in the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 by just under two seconds. Aaron Telitz secured second in the No. 12 Lexus, while Robby Foley completed the top three in the No. 96 BMW.