The 2025 racing season roared to life this past weekend, with an impressive nine entries in the GTU field, shattering previous records and equaling the GTO lineup. After rigorous off-season testing at NOLA Motorsports Park, newcomers Round 3 Racing and Automatic Racing locked out the front row, outpacing all three Stratus Racing entries.
Saturday’s race was a thrilling spectacle of strategy, as unpredictable weather made tire selection crucial. The new Hoosier Track Attack tires struggled in the rain but excelled in dry conditions. Initially, the GTO field led in the wet, but as the track dried, Stratus Racing reaffirmed their dominance, seizing the lead in both GTU and overall standings. Ultimately, GTU cars claimed seven of the top ten positions, with Stratus Racing’s #58 clinching victory, followed by #60 and Round 3 Racing’s #1 car completing the podium.
After a night’s rest, the teams were back on Sunday, where tire choice remained pivotal. Teams had to weigh the speed of the Hoosiers against the versatility of Bridgestone’s with cold temps projected all day and a chance of rain.
As GTU teams honed their strategies and driver rotations, whispers of the increasing prototype presence filled the paddock. Whispers grew louder after the green flag when Stratus Racing’s Dakota Dickerson set the fastest lap of the race, setting a track record for GTU at Eagles Canyon with a 1:52.90.
It takes more than speed though to win in WRL. The race featured multiple leaders, including the #1 Round 3 Racing entry driven by WRL’s youngest talents, Jackson and Ethan Tovo. Automatic Racing also vied for the lead, with their #909 entry ultimately finishing third and securing some hardware for the Florida based team.
The final two steps on the podium came down to the same two cars as Saturday, but after a one lap penalty for the #58, they were chasing the #60 in the final minutes of the 7 hour enduro. Stratus had split the strategy and Dakota was on the faster Hoosier while Ben Waddell was doing everything he could to hold him off on the Bridgestone.
Just three tenths of a second separated the two as they started the final lap. Ben used the lapped cars the best he could, and in the end would hold on for to clinch the overall win by just 0.134 seconds at the stripe for the #60.
The next race is scheduled for the end of February at Barber with even more cars on the entry list including another new team, RMI out of Tennessee. Be sure to tune in as it is sure to be another thriller.