TWOth Autosport Overcomes Brake Issues to Secure Top-Five Finish at VIR

TWOth Autosport battled through adversity from the opening practice sessions to earn a hard-fought fifth-place finish in Sunday’s IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge LMP3 race at Virginia International Raceway, with drivers Travis Hill and Nicole Havrda showing competitive pace despite a weekend filled with challenges.

The team’s race weekend nearly unraveled before qualifying even began. Brake issues surfaced during Practice 2, prompting the TWOth Autosport crew to work tirelessly through the evening. After replacing the master cylinders and inspecting the braking system ahead of Practice 3, the problem persisted. Refusing to give up, the crew continued troubleshooting until discovering the root cause was a faulty set of brake rotors.

With little time remaining before qualifying, the team completed the repairs and had the Ligier ready to take to the track.

Havrda and Hill rewarded the crew’s efforts by qualifying fourth, putting the team in position to challenge at the front of the field.

Hill took the opening stint and quickly demonstrated the car’s speed, climbing from fourth to second while keeping pressure on the race leaders. Following the team’s strategy, Hill brought the car to pit lane early for the mandatory driver change, handing over to Havrda for the run to the finish.

Unfortunately, the team’s race took a setback during the pit sequence when the car was released before satisfying the series’ mandatory minimum pit lane time. The resulting drive-through penalty dropped TWOth Autosport out of podium contention despite having shown race-winning pace.

Havrda returned to the track determined to recover as much as possible, delivering a composed stint before once again passing the wheel to Hill, who brought the car home in fifth place. While the result fell short of the team’s potential, it capped an impressive effort after overcoming significant mechanical issues before the race even began.

For TWOth Autosport, however, the weekend was defined by resilience. The crew’s determination to solve the brake problems under immense time pressure gave Havrda and Hill a competitive car, and the drivers responded with one of the strongest performances of the season. Although a pit lane penalty ultimately denied the team the finish their pace deserved, the combination of speed, preparation and perseverance provides plenty of momentum heading into the season’s final round.