It was the first Toyota GR Cup Series North America event of 2025, and it was a challenging one with mixed conditions throughout the weekend. Taking place at the famed Sonoma Raceway, Nitro Motorsports ended their weekend with multiple top-ten results, the highest finishing female award in race one, and knowledge and experience in both wet and dry conditions.
With a Promoters Test Day on Thursday and two practice sessions on Friday, Saturday yielded the first day of official competition in 2025 with qualifying and the first race of the season. In a clear day and dry conditions, Ethan Ayers led the Nitro Motorsports quartet in qualifying with a ninth-place effort. The Tovo brothers of Jackson and Ethan slotted into 14th and 17th, respectively, while female driver and rookie Paityn Feyen was 30th on the charts.
Each of the four Nitro drivers moved forward in race one, with Ayers scoring the squad’s best result, moving from ninth to sixth. Jackson Tovo was aiming for a top-ten result and achieved that in the first wheel-to-wheel action of the weekend, moving from 14th to tenth, while brother Ethan was just behind in P13. Feyen was also able to gain positions and experience, as she climbed to 26th when the checkered flag flew and earned $5000 for her efforts of being the highest-finishing female.
Qualifying two on Sunday morning saw a soaked track as rain pounded the Sonoma facility throughout the morning. With Nitro Motorsports setting all team cars up for wet weather action, Ayers once again led the team, qualifying fourth and setting himself up to challenge for a podium result. Jackson Tovo, Ethan Tovo, and Paityn Feyen were 21st, 23rd, and 29th respectively.
With the track drying for race two, a lot of incidents took place that both benefited and hurt the Nitro Motorsports drivers. Ethan Ayers was in a podium position from early in the race until three corners from the end before contact sent him through the grass, and heavy contact ended his day early. Jackson Tovo started the last lap on 12th, and ended in ninth, earning his second top-ten result in as many days to cap off a successful weekend. Ethan Tovo marched forward from 23rd to 15th in the final classification while Feyen again gained positions, climbing from 30th to finish in 25th before any penalties were assessed.
“Congrats to all of our drivers and thank you to Copeland Motorsports for our technical alliance that is working quite well,” explained Nitro Motorsports Nick Tucker. “There was some bad luck for Ethan in race two, but the Tovos achieved their goals, and Paityn did exactly what she needed to do to gain as much experience as possible.”
Next up for the Nitro Motorsports Toyota GR Cup North America program is a trip to the Lone Star State and the Circuit of the Americas over the April 25-27 weekend.
For more information on Nitro Motorsports, please visit them online or contact Nick Tucker via email HERE or visit them online at www.RaceNitro.com.
Photo Credit: RTD Media