Kim completes TC America sweep at COTA
04/26/2025 01:46 PM
Circuit of The Americas witnessed a high-stakes chess match on wheels during Race 2 for TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School, with Korean sensation Gyumin Kim storming back to take victory in the No. 74 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO and putting on a fantastic performance for the debut weekend of the Hyundai N Trophy Cup.
Kim made a strong launch at the green flag, but it wasn't long before teammate Jeff Ricca, piloting the No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO, found his rhythm and began applying heavy pressure at the front. Their intense duel quickly drew Michael Garcia in the No. 07 Skip Barber Acura Integra Type S and PJ Groenke in the No. 76 Ricca Autosport Hyundai into the fight, turning the battle for the lead into a four-car thriller.
Ricca executed a clean overtake to take control of the race just five minutes in, but Kim wasn't ready to settle. Both drivers showed blistering pace, even tying for the fastest lap of the race with 15 minutes left on the clock. It was Kim who eventually sealed the fastest lap honors, and the lead, reclaiming the top spot from Ricca with just 13 minutes to go.
Garcia managed to fend off relentless pressure from Groenke to secure the final podium position. Groenke, the hard-charging Canadian, settled for fourth, while fellow countryman and Ricca Autosport teammate Connor Attrell in the No. 75 Hyundai rounded out the top five.
Further down the order, the gloves came off between Jonathan Neudorf in the No. 4 JMF Motorsports Toyota GR Corolla TC and Nick Roberts in the No. 29 Fast Track Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup). The pair staged a last-lap showdown for seventh, with Roberts ultimately keeping Neudorf at bay. Eric Kunz in the No. 77 Ricca Autosport Hyundai finished just ahead of them in sixth place, putting a cap on a race filled with drama from flag to flag.
" It was definitely not easy," said Kim. "It was very hard for me. Jeff (Ricca) was fast at the exit of Turn 11, so he came down the inside line. I just tried to defend as best as I could and I managed to take care of my tires and maintain my pace to stay ahead."
The TC America powered by Skip Barber field will return for the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds of the season at Sebring International Raceway from May 15-18.
Live coverage of SRO America action from COTA is available on the RACER Network and the RACER+ App.
