Christine Sloss secures third bronze class podium in Michelin Pilot Challenge

Christine Sloss, in her rookie season in the series, secured her third consecutive podium in the GS Bronze class of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Laguna Seca, capitalizing on a clean and consistent stint and avoiding mistakes. She is now second in the Bronze standings.

Photo credits: Michael L. Levitt / LAT

Racing newcomer Christine Sloss, back behind the wheel of the #15 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 run by Van Der Steur Racing alongside her husband Ben Sloss, secured her third consecutive podium in the GS Bronze class of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Sloss entered the 2025 season of the IMSA-sanctioned series with limited prior racing experience but quickly made an impression in the competitive GS Bronze category. Debuting at Daytona with co-driver Ben Sloss, she delivered a solid performance, finishing second in class thanks to consistent pace and steady improvement throughout the opening weekend.

At the second round at Sebring, Sloss—who is contesting the full season—teamed up with MHP Peters and once again showcased her adaptability and determination on the notoriously bumpy and demanding Florida circuit. Navigating the challenges cleanly, the pair secured another second-place finish in class, reinforcing Christine’s promising start to her season.

The third round took place at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a rollercoaster of a track known for its elevation changes and the famous Corkscrew. Sloss reunited with Ben Sloss for the weekend and continued to build momentum.

The duo placed P23 in both practice sessions as they worked on setup and familiarity with the circuit. Christine took on qualifying duties and clocked a 1:35.013, placing the #15 Aston Martin 23rd on the grid for Saturday’s two-hour race.

Sloss took the start in dry conditions and made a clean getaway, settling into P23 overall and third in the Bronze class, just ahead of Rafa Martinez. She steadily improved her personal best lap times, running a clean and composed stint on a technical and unforgiving track.

Around 30 minutes into the race, she passed Ted Giovanis to move up to P22 in GS before pitting with 1 hour and 17 minutes remaining, completing a 24-lap stint and handing the car over to Ben Sloss.

The first full-course yellow was triggered with one hour to go when the #99 Hyundai lost a tyre carcass. This prompted pit stops across the GS field, followed shortly by the TCR category. Ben Sloss rejoined P23 under caution, but just after the restart, the #14 AR Motorsports Porsche of Thomas Merrill was beached in the gravel, bringing out another FCY.

A further incident followed the next green flag as the #93 MMG Honda of Wittmer went off with suspension damage. This gave Ben Sloss an opportunity to catch up with Hugh Plumb, key rival in the Bronze Cup. When Walker’s Aston Martin encountered issues and pitted, Ben moved up to third in the Bronze class.

A dramatic crash for the #44 McLaren during a GS podium battle brought out a final restart with 14 minutes to go. Sloss survived the chaos, running right behind Plumb and putting pressure on the Team TGM Aston Martin for second place in class.

RAFA Racing’s Jonsin had a spin in the final minutes but held on to the GS Bronze lead, with Plumb and Sloss rounding out the class podium.

Ben and Christine Sloss crossed the line third in GS Bronze and 17th overall, earning their third consecutive class podium. Christine once again drove a clean and consistent stint, managing traffic well and avoiding mistakes—an approach that continues to yield results. She now sits second in the GS Bronze standings with 940 points, just 30 points behind the Giovanis/Plumb duo.

Next up is the fourth round of the season: a four-hour endurance race at Mid-Ohio, taking place June 6–8.