Scott Smithson claims his third race win at COTA
Scott Smithson confirmed himself as the only race winner in TC America besides the newly-crowned champion Tyler Maxson. At the Circuit of the Americas, the DXDT Racing driver claimed his third victory of the season in the weekend’s third race.
It was Victor González who led the field at the start, moving from the pole position, while Smithson jumped into P2 overtaking Olivia Askew who soon afterwards spun off and rejoined at the back of the entire field.
After a brief safety car intervention, Maxson and Roy Block swapped the third and fourth positions several times, then on lap 4 Smithson passed González for the lead.
One lap later, Block too passed González and began to chase Smithson, while Maxson was defending the fourth place from C.J. Moses until the latter managed to pass him in lap 11.
Halfway through the race, Block closed in on Smithson, but the leader increased his pace and eventually managed to pull away on his way to claim his third victory.
Block settled for second and González completed the podium as he retained a one-and-a-half second margin over Moses.
During the final lap, Maxson’s car suffered from a flat front tyre and finished stranded onto the gravel trap.
With the title already awarded to Maxson, the focus shifts on the battle for the second place between González and Smithson who are split by seven points. Block is also in contention, though he currently lies 23 points behind González when 50 are still on offer in the season’s finale at Indianapolis on October 2nd/3rd.
Race 3
1. Scott Smithson (DXDT Racing, Honda Civic Type R), 17 laps
2. Roy Block (KMW Motorsports, Alfa Romeo Giulietta), 11.219
3. Victor González (VGMC Racing, Honda Civic Type R), 31.215
4. C.J. Moses (DXDT Racing, Honda Civic Type R), 32.758
5. Tyler Maxson (Copeland Motorsports, Hyundai Veloster N), 1 lap
Championship standings
1. Tyler Maxson 297 pts; 2. Victor González 190; 3. Scott Smithson 183
Picture: SRO Motorsports
