Gradient Racing Shows Strong Pace at VIR Despite Setback

Alton, Virginia (August 25, 2026) – Gradient Racing showed competitive pace throughout Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway, but a tire issue and subsequent penalty ultimately left the team with an 11th-place finish in the GTD class.

Starting eighth on the grid, Jake Walker was shuffled back to 11th during a hectic opening lap before a full-course caution brought the field under yellow. He then worked his way back through the field, picking off positions and moving the No. 66 Ford Mustang GT3 into sixth.

With strong pace, Walker brought the Mustang to pit lane for a driver change. The Gradient Racing crew completed a quick pit stop, with Corey Lewis taking over behind the wheel for the remainder of the race.

The team’s progress was halted shortly afterward when the left-front tire debeaded on Lewis’ out-lap, forcing him to return to pit lane. A penalty during the subsequent stop added to the setback, dropping the No. 66 down the running order.

With the race remaining green through the closing stages, there was little opportunity for Gradient Racing to regain the lost ground. Lewis continued to push to the checkered flag, ultimately bringing the No. 66 Ford Mustang GT3 home in 11th position.

“It was a decent start through the first few corners, but I ended up getting pushed off and had to fight pretty hard to work my way back through the field,” said Jake Walker. “It’s a sprint race, and people definitely showed that today. We were able to make our way forward before I came in for the driver change. Unfortunately, the left-front tire debeaded after Corey got in, which forced us to come back to pit lane, and then we picked up a penalty during the stop. Without another full-course caution, there wasn’t much we could do to recover from there. Corey did a great job, and so did the entire team. We started the weekend a little rough, but we made a big setup change and learned a lot along the way. We had good pace in the race, so we’ll see how we can build on that from here.”

“The opening stint with Jake was great, especially after a wild start,” said Corey Lewis. “After the restart, he was able to pick off cars one by one and work his way up to around P6. The guys did an amazing job in the pits and gave us a really quick stop, but unfortunately, the left-front tire debeaded on my out-lap, and we had to come back in. From there, we just never got the caution we needed to bring us back into the fight. I think we had the pace to run in the top five and, seeing how the race unfolded, potentially even fight for a podium. It stings a little, but I’m grateful to everyone at Gradient Racing for all the effort they put in this weekend. We have one more sprint race together at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so I’m looking forward to getting there and hopefully earning the result this team deserves.”

Gradient Racing will return to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition September 18-20 for the Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The penultimate event of the 2026 season will also mark the final sprint round of the year.

ENDS

Picture: Halston Pitman