John Stafford holds off Nturner15 for victory at Circuit of the Americas

AUSTIN, UNITED STATES - John Stafford converted pole position into victory at Circuit of the Americas, edging Nturner15 and LOPEZ_MATIAS_FLY over 28 laps. Stafford and Nturner15 each carried a three-second time penalty, while LOPEZ_MATIAS_FLY completed a nine-place recovery from 12th to finish third without a penalty. Race summary Stafford led the field home after a race featuring two safety-car periods and several changes at the front. Nturner15 took the lead during the contest before Stafford reclaimed it, and both drivers were involved in contact late in the race. Stafford ultimately finished first, with Nturner15 second and LOPEZ_MATIAS_FLY third. DJondaBeat05 completed a notable recovery from 11th on the grid to fourth, despite carrying a nine-second time penalty. Key strategic moments The leading strategies split early. Stafford and Nturner15 began on mediums, stopping after eight laps before completing the race on hard tyres; Stafford made a second stop after lap 14, while Nturner15 used a single-stop plan. LOPEZ_MATIAS_FLY took a different route, starting on hards, switching to mediums after eight laps and remaining on them after a second stop. DJondaBeat05 made three stops, moving from softs to mediums after five laps and then continuing on mediums. Notable driver performances LOPEZ_MATIAS_FLY produced the standout recovery, climbing from 12th to third over the 28-lap distance without a time penalty. DJondaBeat05 gained seven places to reach fourth, while Nturner15 moved from third on the grid to second. VinnyCips matched his fifth-place starting position and completed the race on a one-stop medium-to-hard strategy.