The IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge series was back in action at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this past weekend of June 7-8, 2025, for a pair of 45-minute races. It was the first race weekend the series has had since they competed at the Circuit of the Americas on the last weekend of February, and it was a good weekend for Turner Motorsport and driver Jake Walker.
Walker competes in the GTDX class in a BMW M4 GT3 (#6) for Turner Motorsport, along with M4 GT3 entries from Samantha Tan of ST Racing (#38) and Vin Barletta of Turner Motorsport (#95). There were also BMW entries in the GSX (GT4-spec) class, with Roland Krainz from Auto Technic Racing in the #27 M4 GT4 and Matt Dalton in the #96 Turner Motorsport entry.
For race one, Jake Walker put the #6 M4 GT3 (shown in top photo) on the GTDX class pole and led from start to finish, even getting by one of the faster P3 prototype cars to finish fourth overall and first in GTDX. He also set the fastest lap of the race, which put him on the pole for the second race on Sunday. “I tried to make the most out of creating a gap by putting a car in between me and just one more car than the other competitors would have to pass,” said Walker. “But you know, it’s awesome racing against these guys. There are some really fantastic drivers. I can’t thank BMW and Turner much more enough for just a fantastic car again.”
Jake Walker (center) celebrates on the podium with Ferrari driver AJ Muss (left) and Porsche driver Adam Adelson. (Photo courtesy LAT Images)
Turner driver Vin Barletta also had a solid race to finish in fourth in GTDX and first among Bronze-rated drivers. Samantha Tan, who has proven to be very quick in an M4 GT3, appeared to have car trouble with her #38 M4 GT3, as she dropped back during the race and didn’t finish. She was classified fifth. In the GSX class, Turner driver Matt Dalton finished sixth and was third among Bronze-rated drivers. Roland Krainz did not finish. There were only six cars in the GTDX class and eleven in GSX.
Vin Barletta finished fourth in the GTDX class in race one.
Race two was completely different than race one, as it was very wet and rainy with a lot of water on the track. Jake Walker started from pole in GTDX but quickly lost the lead to Ferrari driver AJ Muss, and then lost second place to Porsche driver Adam Adelson, who also got by Muss to take the lead in class. Walker had two spins off the track but luckily was able to get back on both times to finish on the podium in third behind Adelson and Muss. Turner Motorsport’s Kevin Holmes commented that the M4 GT3 is not strong at putting power down at the rear of the car on a track as wet as Mid-Ohio was on Sunday morning. Samantha Tan finished fourth in class, followed by Barletta in fifth. In GSX, Matt Dalton once again finished sixth, and Roland Krainz finished ninth.
Samantha Tan finished fourth in GTDX in race two in the #38 M4 GT3.
Jake Walker is in a solid position to fight for the championship in the GTDX class with half of the season still to go. The next race for the VP Challenge SportsCar Series is at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on July 11th-13th.
—David Haueter
[Photos by David Haueter]
