The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta provided one final thrill: both classes crowned race winners who followed up on earlier victories with more glory on Saturday. Ibiza Farm Motorsport’s McLaren Artura GT4 dominated the Grand Sport (GS) field, while VGRT’s Cupra Leon VZ TCR won the Touring Car (TCR) class. The double victory marked the perfect end to a dramatic racing season.
GS Class: McLaren Roars Again
In the GS class, Michael Cooper and Moisey Uretsky in the No. 44 Ibiza Farm McLaren Artura GT4 dominated the Fox Factory 120, winning their third race of 2025.
Uretsky had previously laid the groundwork by putting the car on pole with a lap time of 1:25.908, the result of a strong performance in both practice sessions. Cooper overtook Jaxon Bell’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 between Turns 6 and 7, and pulled away to a 4.323-second lead at the finish.
A key strategic move came when the crew chose to change only two tires during their pit stop, a gamble that paid off in terms of track position. Cooper himself stated that from there, it was all about managing the car and fuel until the end.
Their victory was even more significant given that the RS1 Porsche pairing of Jan Heylen and Luca Mars won the 2025 GS championship with a calculated sixth-place finish in the finale, which was enough to keep them ahead in the standings. In fact, Heylen’s consistent season and strategic racing paid off as the pair established and maintained their lead throughout the season.
Despite finishing the season in fifth in the GS standings, Cooper and Uretsky matched the champions in total race wins (three) — a testament to the speed and potential of the McLaren program.
TCR Class: Cupra Strikes Back
Meanwhile, in the Touring Car class, Victor Gonzalez Racing Team’s Cupra Leon VZ TCR once again demonstrated its capabilities. Tyler Gonzalez and Eric Powell won back-to-back races, making it two in a row following their previous victory in Indianapolis.
Their lead was 6.207 seconds over the next contender, and their consistency throughout the race demonstrated why VGRT’s mid-season switch to Cupra paid off.
Harry Gottsacker, co-driving the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR, won the championship after finishing fourth in the final. That margin was enough to defeat challengers Denis Dupont / Preston Brown and win the class championship by 20 points.
Looking Back & Ahead
This weekend represented a microcosm of the season’s storylines: dominance, surprise, and tactical brilliance. For Ibiza Farm, winning at their home track — their team’s base is just outside Road Atlanta — is extra special. Uretsky described the outcome as “unbelievable” and praised the crew’s efforts over the years. Cooper echoed the sentiment, stating that the weekend demonstrated how the program’s long-term efforts were coming together.
VGRT’s victories also validate their bold mid-season switch to Cupra machinery, which many thought was risky. But consistency and execution have shown that it was a wise decision
As the 2025 Michelin Pilot Challenge season comes to a close, teams will save data, fine-tune packages, and start planning for the following year. Can the McLaren team build on this momentum? Will the VGRT continue to challenge? Can champions such as RS1 and BHA (Bryan Herta Autosport in TCR) defend their titles?
One thing is certain: the double victory at Road Atlanta will be remembered as one of the season’s dominant closing remarks—a weekend in which both McLaren and Cupra left no doubt.