It was a rollercoaster return to the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Kiwi driver Hunter McElrea and co-driver Steven Thomas, as the TDS Racing duo showed front-running pace but were ultimately denied a podium at the Chevrolet Grand Prix following a dramatic time penalty late in the race.
Round 8 of the 2025 IMSA season took place at the high-speed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario, with McElrea and Thomas competing in the fiercely contested LMP2 category aboard the #11 ORECA 07.
The pair qualified third on the grid for Sunday’s two-hour and 40-minute race, with Thomas taking on starting duties. He slotted into third early on behind pole-sitter PJ Hyett (AO Racing) and Daniel Goldburg (United Autosports USA), but his opening stint took a turn when he spun at Turn 9 after minor contact with Goldburg, dropping to the tail of the LMP2 field.
Although no action was taken by race control, the spin cost the driver valuable track position. Thomas rejoined in 10th place but gradually began to recover lost ground, making progress as the strategy unfolded across the class.
By the time a full-course yellow was called for a heavy crash involving George Kurtz (Crowdstrike Racing) with 90 minutes to go, Thomas had clawed back to fifth.
TDS Racing used the caution to pit, handing the car over to McElrea, who rejoined the race still in fifth and ready to mount a charge. The New Zealander quickly gained ground, passing Tom Blomqvist to run fourth and hunting down Benjamin Pedersen for a shot at the podium.
However, McElrea’s push was halted by traffic, and he briefly slipped to sixth, only to regroup and storm back into fourth with 35 minutes to go.
His relentless pursuit of a top-three finish came under threat again when contact with GTD Pro contender Mario Farnbacher, who was second in class at the time, sent the Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán hard into the barriers at Turns 8 and 9.
Race officials reviewed the incident and issued McElrea a drive-through penalty for the contact, despite replays showing only the lightest of touches. The collision ended Farnbacher’s race and caused another full-course yellow.
The field was bunched up once more, and chaos erupted again just minutes later when race leader Tom Dillmann (Inter Europol Competition) speared off at Turn 8 with what appeared to be a steering or suspension failure, handing the lead to Dane Cameron. McElrea was elevated to third on track, but with his penalty still looming.
Crucially, the race ended behind the safety car with the pit lane closed, preventing McElrea from serving his drive-through.
As a result, the penalty was converted into a post-race time addition, dropping the TDS Racing car from a hard-earned third place to eighth in class.
It was a bitterly disappointing end to a race that had promised so much for McElrea and Thomas after a resilient drive and sharp strategy execution.
From a third-place grid slot to a last-place recovery, then a return to podium contention, McElrea’s race was a showcase of determination, but ultimately, one of missed opportunity.
The IMSA SportsCar Championship continues with Round 9 at Road America in August, where McElrea and the TDS Racing squad will look to convert their pace into the result they deserve.
Header Image: TDS Racing
