IMSA VP Racing: Four podiums for the Ligier teams in St. Petersburg

8-9 March 2024 - After the double pole position and double victory for the start of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge (IVP) championship at Daytona, the Ligier teams scored four podiums in St. Petersburg.

- Eight LMP3s, including seven Ligier JS P320s, took part in this second round of the IVP on the streets of St. Petersburg, in Florida.

Race 1: Double podium for MLT Motorsports and Performance Tech Motorsports

- At the wheel of the #6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320, Steve Aghakhani, winner of the first two races at Daytona, drove a faultless race to finish second in Race 1.

- The race turned out more complicated for the #38 Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier JS P320. Jonathan Woolridge, who had started from second, was downgraded to sixth and began a duel with the #77 Forte Racing Ligier driven by Brian Thienes. Nine minutes into the race, the two cars made contact and the #77 dropped to the bottom of the order. But the driver gave up nothing and recovered position after position.

- A late race incident between the #7 Performance Tech Ligier and the #51 Rick Ware Racing with Ave Motorsports resulted in a Full Course Yellow for 8 laps and allowed the LMP3 field to regroup.

- The #38 Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier was fifth when the race resumed with 3 minutes and 40 seconds on the clock. In the final laps, Wooldridge continued his comeback and took the final step of the podium.

Race 2: Escuderia ABRO and Forte Racing monopolise second and third positions.

- The second 45-minute race took place on the same day later in the afternoon.

- The race was interrupted again, this time twice, for a total of eight laps out of the 33 set by the teams.

- The #23 Escuderia Abro Ligier JS P320 with bronze driver Miguel Villagomez finished second. A fine performance for the team and driver, who finished third in the second race at Daytona in January.

- The #77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320 and bronze driver Brian Thienes, which had claimed top-five finishes in the first two races of the season, built on their performances to secure third place.

The fifth and sixth races of the championship will take place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course from 7 to 9 June.

For the results of the meeting, CLICK HERE.

For more information on the championship, CLICK HERE.