BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge races often provide chaotic yet fun twists and turns, which puts a premium on pit stop strategy and timing.
RAFA Racing played it to perfection Saturday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as Kiko Porto and Varun Choksey scored the overall and Grand Sport (GS) class victory in the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120.
They drove the No. 12 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 to a 9.811-second margin of victory over Austin Krainz and Stevan McAleer in the No. 27 AutoTechnic Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO, with Nate Cicero and Robert Noaker claiming third place another four seconds back in the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4.
The key to RAFA’s victory was the decision to make another pit stop when the third full course caution of the two-hour race occurred just two green flag laps after they had pitted during the second. As other competitors made their second stops, Porto assumed the lead with around 40 minutes remaining and built a big enough cushion to make a third and final stop for fuel with 17 minutes to go.
Porto emerged with a four-second advantage and stretched it out to the checkered flag as McAleer and Cicero backed off in the closing laps to ensure their two-stop strategy would carry them to the finish.
It was a day of firsts, as Porto, Choksey, and RAFA Racing scored their initial triumphs in Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class competition. Toyota earned its second GS class win, both coming at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Parker Thompson and Billy Johnson in 2023). Toyota is the fifth of seven participating manufacturers to claim a GS class victory in 2026.
“This is definitely a relief,” Porto remarked. “I wasn’t expecting this win. But we got it. We knew we’d been close the whole season, just haven’t been able to capitalize.
“The car and team did amazing, and it was tough,” he continued. “At one point the team told me to save fuel and I did my absolute best, but it’s such a high-speed circuit. But I built the gap enough. Next is Road America in two weeks; we can keep getting points for this championship.”
Choksey admitted that watching the second half of the race from pit lane was a nerve-wracking affair, but he had confidence in Porto.
“I almost expect the brilliance from Kiko at this point; it’s full credit to him,” he said. “I didn’t know how our strategy call would play out. The first few laps I wasn’t sure, then I wondered if we were in the lead, and then we were in the great position.”
Cicero and Noaker have unofficially taken over the championship lead in the GS class by 30 points over Moisey Uretsky and Michael Cooper, who finished sixth Saturday in the No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4. Krainz and McAleer are another 10 points back.
Incoming points leaders Dillon Machavern and Luca Mars (No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO) had a rough day in Canada, pitting for mechanical repairs after the first lap and ultimately finishing 11 laps down in 23rd place to drop them to fourth, 140 points from the top spot.
