Virginia USC: Giancarlo Fisichella snatches win for Risi Ferrari

The Risi Competizione duo were able to work their way back into contention during a pair of caution periods at mid-distance after dropping down the order when poleman Kaffer ran off course on the opening lap.

That had handed the initiative to Dominik Farnbacher, who was able to stretch out a small advantage during the first stint that team-mate Marc Goossens maintained after taking over the SRT Viper in the first round of stops.

Two caution periods soon followed, the pack splitting into two as some chose to make a second stop during the latter. Goossens was the first of those to not stop, but this proved to be the wrong strategy as the Belgian lost ground making his second trip to the pits under green.

Fisichella, having earlier taken over from Kaffer, meanwhile jumped the Rahal Letterman BMWs of John Edwards and Bill Auberlen to lead the group of cars on the optimum strategy.

The ex-Formula 1 star made his final stop with 27 minutes to run, dropping behind the yet-to-pit Falken Porsche of Henzler and Bryan Sellers, but staying ahead of Edwards and Auberlen.

A third safety car - deployed in response to Michael Christensen's works Porsche stopping out on the circuit - then bunched the pack together, leaving a six minute sprint to the finish led by Henzler, who had saved sufficient fuel to not need to stop again.

Henzler was initially able to fend off a hard-charging Fisichella before capitulating on the very last lap, the Italian taking the chequered flag by less than half a second.

Edwards, sharing with Dirk Muller, finished third, just a further two tenths back, ahead of the sister car of Auberlen and Andy Priaulx.

The leading Viper of Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer was fifth, surviving a hairy moment when Bomarito launched himself into the air over a kerb, with Goossens completing the top six.

Corvette driver Antonio Garcia, sharing with Jordan Taylor in the absence of regular team-mate Jan Magnussen after the Dane suffered a heavy crash in practice, came home seventh having made the same pit strategy error as Goossens.

The sister car of Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner finished four laps down after contact with the Porsche of Patrick Long gave both cars punctures and severe bodywork damage.

The other works Porsche shared by Christiansen and Nick Tandy had also endured an eventful afternoon, suffering from a jump-start penalty and an early off-track excursion before grinding to a halt with mechanical problems late on.

TURNER AND 8STAR WIN GTD AND PC

GTD class honours went to Turner Motorsport BMW duo Markus Palttala and Dane Cameron, who took the lead shortly after the second caution period and weren't headed thereafter.

The third safety car allowed the Ferrari of Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal to close, but they missed out by a second in the final reckoning. The Porsche of Andrew Davis and Patrick Dempsey completed the class podium finishers.

A pair of PC races run earlier in the weekend were dominated by the 8Star Motorsports team, Sean Rayhall leading every lap of the first race and team-mate Luis Diaz doing likewise in the second.

The full USC field, including the usual headlining Prototype class that did participate at Virginia, will be reunited for the next round as part of the World Endurance Championship bill at Austin next month.

Leading finishers - 82 laps:

Pos  Cl    Drivers              Team/Car             Time/Gap
 1.  GTLM  Fisichella/Kaffer    Risi Ferrari     2h45m33.754s
 2.  GTLM  Henzler/Sellers      Falken Porsche        +0.492s
 3.  GTLM  Edwards/Miller       RLL BMW               +0.764s
 4.  GTLM  Auberlen/Priaulx     RLL BMW               +1.741s
 5.  GTLM  Bomarito/Wittmer     SRT Viper             +2.595s
 6.  GTLM  Farnbacher/Goossens  SRT Viper             +3.061s
 7.  GTLM  Taylor/Garcia        Corvette              +4.966s
 8.  GTD   Cameron/Palttala     Turner BMW           +16.736s
 9.  GTD   Balzan/Westphal      Corsa Ferrari        +17.738s
10.  GTD   Dempsey/Davis        Dempsey Porsche      +18.384s