Celso Neto Had Victory Chance But Pit Problem Costs Podium at Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen (NY), June 23, 2025

Victory was within reach for Brazilian driver Celso Neto (AMED / Dipromed / LS Interbank / SODI USA by Velocity Racing / Precision Racing LA) and his teammate, American Ryan Eversley, in the fifth round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in the TCR category. What seemed to be a Sunday of celebration turned into frustration for the Precision Racing LA team duo.

The race was held this Saturday (21st) at Watkins Glen International in New York State. Behind the wheel of the Audi RS3 number 7, Celso and Ryan led the race at one point, but a technical problem during refueling proved costly in the two-hour endurance race.

At the helm of Precision Racing LA's car 7, Celso Neto started from the front row, qualifying second on the starting grid. When the green flag dropped, the Brazilian driver maintained his initial position until twelve minutes into the race, when he fell back to third place while managing tire wear for the remainder of the race. The strategy proved correct when Neto returned to second place in the TCR category and held the runner-up position until it was time to pit for the driver change, handing over the wheel to Ryan Eversley.

After a yellow flag that bunched up the field, Eversley took the lead on the restart and began pulling away with each completed lap. The American driver showed complete control of the situation and was heading toward a commanding victory.

Unfortunately, the podium dream was cut short by a problem the team discovered in the refueling system. With less than 40 minutes remaining in the race, Ryan was forced to return to the pits for a 'splash and go' to have enough fuel to reach the checkered flag.

The setback caused car number 7 to plummet to the back of the TCR field. Despite the disadvantage, the duo didn't give up and still fought valiantly. The Audi RS3 posted the fastest lap times in the category during the final portion of the race, but the pair could only recover to seventh place at the finish.

"It was hard to swallow today. I finished my stint in 2nd place, my partner Ryan even took the lead after the driver change, but unfortunately we found that during refueling we had a problem and were short 30 liters of fuel that we needed to make it to the end of the race. From a certain podium, we dropped to sixteenth after a second pit stop. Ryan still managed to recover to seventh place at the checkered flag. It's a shame, given the work we did on track and the position we were in. We'll move on to the next one in Canada," vented Celso Neto after the race.

The Brazilian driver will have another opportunity to pursue a podium finish in the next round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, scheduled for July 11-13. The sixth round of the season will be contested at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, located in Ontario, Canada.


Text by Kako Marques / KMCom Assessoria

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