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Indianapolis, IN- As the Pirelli GT4 America season came to a close at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Eric Filgueiras wrapped up his 2024 campaign with a third consecutive SRO America championship. Having previously accomplished the feat in 2022, before going on to clinch the Pro title in GT World Challenge America in 2023, Filgueiras returned to the Silver class to make it a three-peat.
It came down to the final race as the margins were slim in a highly competitive field of drivers, but Filgueiras and teammate John Capestro-Dubets ultimately took the top spot after accumulating a total of 250 points across thirteen rounds. This included five wins, the most of any pairing in the series this year, and four podium finishes.
The duo had some work to do heading into the double header season finale at the Brickyard, as very few points separated them from championship rivals Random Vandals Racing. In Race 1, Capestro-Dubets was running third in class in the #28 CBW Racing RS1 Porsche in the opening half before handing over the car to Filgueiras, who soon thereafter capitalized on an opportunity to move up into second. However, in the final ten minutes, the pace advantage of their opponent’s BMW proved to be significant, resulting in a wheel-to-wheel battle that saw him sent back to third place as he crossed the finish line.
The points gap was further reduced heading into the last race, with no room for error on either side. Nevertheless, in Race 2 Filgueiras was on the hunt in the opening stint as he focused on keeping the advantage swinging in his direction. A full course caution packed the field back up in the first 20 minutes, intensifying the title fight in the process. After thirty minutes had elapsed, driver changes unfolded amongst the frontrunners.
Although Random Vandals Racing initially had the upper hand as they moved up to first in class, they were involved in an on-track incident that resulted in damage to the car. They eventually returned to pit lane before going on to retire from the race, effectively promoting the RS1 duo back into the championship lead.
As the checkered flag waved to bring an end to Race 2, Filgueiras and Capestro-Dubets were officially crowned the 2024 Silver class champions. They concluded their final event with two podium finishes, and a 19-point margin over the next-closest competitors when it was all said and done.
When reflecting on his efforts in 2024, the three-time champion explained that “this one was by far the hardest. There’s so much talent stacked in this series, especially in the Silver class this year. I’m extremely grateful to have this opportunity with CBW, such a great team with RS1. I’m really grateful for the opportunities."
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