Monterey, CA- Concluding a nearly two month break in the calendar IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition heated up on the California coast for round 3 of the 10 race championship. RS1's duo of Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer entered the round with sights set to improve on from their uncharacteristically rocky start to the season.
The Florida based team has a long history of success at the famed circuit and that knowledge would be passed along to Filgueiras, who took his first laps around Laguna Seca Practice 1 on Friday. Between the two official practice sessions RS1’s Stevan McAleer was third quickest, followed by the No. 47 Nolasport Porsche of Elliott Skeer and the No. 14 Riley Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO of Thiago Camino.

Austin McCusker claimed pole this round of GS Qualifying, while Mat Pombo put the new LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type R TCR on pole in TCR in its debut.
McCusker, in the No. 19 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4, reeled off a best lap of 1:30.847 in the 15-minute GS qualifying session to outpace the No. 28 CBW Racing RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Eric Filgueiras by a narrow 0.063 seconds.
Fastest qualifier Austin McCusker led from the start in the No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 but encountered Touring Car (TCR) class traffic coming down the hill from WeatherTech Raceway’s famous Corkscrew on Lap 23. That allowed Murillo, who had passed Eric Filgueiras (No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport) for second place earlier the same lap, to make an over-under move on McCusker in Turn 11.
Murillo’s Mercedes exited the tight left-hand corner level with the Aston Martin, then he pulled ahead under acceleration up the front straight while Filgueiras followed Murillo past the compromised McCusker into second place. All three drivers would then hand their machines over to each of their teammates to finish the 120 minute battle.

Christian Szymczak held off Stevan McAleer to claim victory in Saturday’s WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120, taking Murillo Racing back to victory lane for the first time since last summer. Having started third on the grid, Murillo took over the lead on Lap 22, in a move around both the pole-sitting No. 19 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Austin McCusker and second-placed Eric Filgueiras in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
Szymczak took the restart with 28 minutes to go and crossed the line 1.876 seconds ahead of McAleer’s RS1 Porsche, marking both drivers’ first career Pilot Challenge victories. The 2nd place finishing position marks the RS1 duo's first podium of the 2023 IMSA season and sees the pair jump from 20th to 9th in points in one weekend. The next Michelin Pilot Challenge will be held at the new Detroit Street Circuit June 2-3.
Sources: RACER, Sportscar365, IMSA
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