Melissa Kozyra claims double Ferrari Challenge podium at Las Vegas

Melissa Kozyra enjoyed a remarkable weekend at the Las Vegas GP, securing back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Shell-AM class of Ferrari Challenge North America and rounding out her debut season in the series with a double podium.

Photo credits: Conquest Racing

Melissa Kozyra enjoyed a remarkable weekend in Las Vegas, securing back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Shell-AM class of the Ferrari Challenge event held alongside the F1 Grand Prix.

Kozyra kept it clean in tricky conditions, as low nighttime temperatures created challenges at the 6.2 km street track that hosted the Las Vegas Grand Prix for the second time. The support event featured a strong 38-car field of Ferrari Challenge drivers from the North American, European, and Japanese regional series, providing an exclusive opportunity for participants.

Among them, Melissa Kozyra returned to the cockpit of the #108 Ferrari 296 Challenge operated by Conquest Racing after a part-time campaign in the Shell-AM class of Ferrari Challenge North America.

Kozyra had completed a testing schedule aboard her Ferrari racecar, making her way up the ranks from the Ferrari Club program and eventually making her debut in the Shell-AM category earlier this year at Watkins Glen, finishing seventh and sixth - also posting the fastest lap in class.

Her first podium came soon after at Sonoma Raceway, where she earned two third-place finishes with strong, consistent drives. She then added another top-ten finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, concluding her debut season with promising performances. Yet one final non-championship event awaited her—a chance to shine on the global stage at Las Vegas—and she seized it brilliantly.

Melissa immediately impressed, topping the sole practice session in the Shell-AM class with a 2:12.602 lap that put her 0.061 of a second clear of second-placed Paul Lin, with the top three separated by two tenths.

On Friday, qualifying saw the fastest and the second-best times shaping the grids for the two races of the weekend. Kozyra found more time from practice and clocked a 2:11.150 that placed her P30 overall and fourth in the Shell-AM class, placing her blue #108 296 Challenge in a position to fight for the podium. Her second best lap, a 2.11.570 was again enough for fourth on the grid.

Under the lights and in cold conditions, the race began with immediate chaos as Perrina and Broughton tangled at Turn 1. The collision forced several front-runners into evasive maneuvers, creating opportunities for the mid-field drivers.

Kozyra skillfully avoided the incidents and advanced to 26th overall and third in class by the end of the opening lap. She steadily gained ground, reaching 24th overall and second in class by lap four after Shair, a class rival, hit the barriers, triggering a full-course yellow with 20 minutes remaining.

When racing resumed with 15 minutes left, Kozyra initially lost some ground, dropping to fourth in class, but quickly regained her momentum. Running consistent 2:10 lap times—several tenths quicker than Lin, her closest competitor — she closed the gap. By lap nine, she was within half a second of Lin, navigating a group of cars and waiting for her opportunity to attack.

In the final moments of the race, Lin and Check collided, allowing Kozyra to capitalize and move into second in class. With a clean, calculated drive, she crossed the line in the overall top 20 and secured a well-earned podium.

Photo credits: Ferrari Races

Saturday night’s race saw Kozyra lining up 30th overall and third in Shell-AM class after grid adjustments due to penalties from Race 1. A chaotic opening lap unfolded as David Williams spun, and Joe Sposato crashed in avoidance, bringing out the safety car.

By navigating the chaos effectively, Kozyra climbed to 27th overall and second in Shell-AM.

At the restart on lap three, she executed a perfect move, overtaking Check to take the class lead.

She immediately set the fastest lap in Shell-AM with a 2:13.971, pulling three seconds clear of her closest rival. By lap six, she extended her margin to four seconds and gained another overall position from Pan, a Pro-Am competitor.

Kozyra continued her consistent 2:09 pace, matching the times of some Shell class drivers ahead. Mid-race, Check began closing the gap but soon fell into a battle with Sperman, who claimed second in class with a faster lap time of 2:12. By lap eight, Kozyra maintained a four-second lead, but Sperman launched a late charge.

A dramatic crash between Pro-Am front-runners Musial and Szczesniak at Turn 1 reshuffled the overall standings, with both Kozyra and Sperman moving up. Sperman ultimately caught Kozyra and overtook her for the Shell-AM lead on the penultimate lap. Despite a strong final effort, Kozyra finished just 0.6 seconds behind Sperman, earning another podium finish.

Melissa Kozyra’s double runner-up finishes were however a deserved reward for a very solid weekend in challenging conditions, where she avoided costly mistakes, delivered consistent lap times, and capitalized on opportunities to secure podium finishes - wrapping up a promising debut campaign in Ferrari Challenge.

Photo credits: Ferrari Races