Christine Sloss secures GS Bronze class podium, shows significant step forward in IMPC opener
- RACERS
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Christine Sloss and van der Steur Racing showed genuine improvements at Daytona as she starts her sophomore campaign in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, fighting back from a technical issue into a hard-earned third place among the bronze entries.
Christine Sloss’ second season in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge began with clear signs of progress, before a late-race technical issue brought heartbreak for the van der Steur Racing team at Daytona International Speedway.
Sharing the #10 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 with husband Ben Sloss, Christine arrived at the four-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge aiming to build on a competitive 2025 campaign in which she fought for victories in the GS Bronze class.
From the opening sessions of the ROAR Before the 24 through to race day, the #10 Aston Martin consistently showed improvement, and the Daytona season opener ultimately became bittersweet outing for the Sloss pairing.
The weekend began with productive running during the ROAR test, as the van der Steur crew focused on refining the Aston’s setup for long runs. The work paid off in qualifying, where Ben Sloss delivered a solid lap of 1:54.632, placing the #10 15th overall in the 35-car GS field and first among the Bronze entries. It marked a clear step forward from the team’s 2025 baseline and immediately established the Sloss duo as serious contenders in the Bronze category.
Ben Sloss took the start in the four-hour race and adopted a cautious opening approach, prioritising survival through the notoriously chaotic Daytona first laps. He slipped to 17th overall early on, but crucially remained third among the Bronze runners, keeping the Aston clean while others around him tangled and ran wide.
As the opening stint settled, Ben focused on consistency, while the GS field reshuffled through early battles and minor incidents. When the first full-course caution was deployed roughly 40 minutes into the race, the #10 Aston was running 19th overall and second in the Bronze class - firmly in the class podium fight.
Under that first caution, the van der Steur team brought the Aston in and handed driving duties to Christine Sloss. Rejoining toward the back of the GS field after the pit sequence, Christine immediately settled into a controlled stint.
Despite the stop-start nature of the race, Christine showed much improved pace and racecraft. As green-flag running resumed, she maintained steady lap times, navigated traffic cleanly and began to work her way forward relative to her class competitors.
When another caution flew following a contact between TCR cars, Christine had climbed to 25th overall and second in Bronze. On the subsequent restart, however, she lost a position to the #8 Aston Martin of Stadtlander, dropping to third in class, but remained firmly in the Bronze battle.
As the race transitioned into its middle phase, Christine continued to demonstrate clear progression compared to her rookie season. She ran competitively inside the top 25 overall, consistently maintaining third in Bronze while handling traffic and restarts.
Even as chaos unfolded around her, the #10 Aston remained steady. By the time another caution was called around lap 47, Christine was 26th overall and still third in Bronze, putting together what was shaping up to be one of her strongest IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge performances.
Soon after the restart, however, disaster struck. Under a subsequent caution, Christine pitted with a developing issue. The #10 Aston was pushed behind the wall as the van der Steur crew worked to diagnose and repair the problem. The stop effectively ended the team’s hopes of a straightforward result. At that point, the Sloss pairing had been on course for a solid Bronze podium finish.
In a testament to the team’s determination, the #10 Aston was eventually repaired and returned to the race, albeit 12 laps down. With limited time remaining, the objective shifted from position to perseverance, logging more mileage, collecting data and ensuring the car reached the chequered flag.
Despite the lost laps, the race’s attrition opened an unexpected door. Late issues for rivals, including the #91 VRC Porsche, reshuffled the Bronze standings. When the chequered flag fell, Ben and Christine Sloss were classified 29th in GS but third in the Bronze class - salvaging a podium from what had seemed a terminal setback.
While the final classification tells only part of the story, Christine Sloss’ Daytona weekend reflected a genuine step forward. Though the technical issue cut short a potential breakthrough result, the determination to return to the track and still emerge with Bronze silverware is a clear foundation to build upon the remaining rounds of their sophomore campaign, as the series returns to the track on 18-21 March at Sebring.