Forte Racing Earns First IMSA WeatherTech Podium of the Season at Road America

Monrovia, CA (Thursday, August 7, 2025) – Forte Racing celebrated a successful weekend at Road America, earning podium finishes across both its IMSA WeatherTech GTD and Lamborghini Super Trofeo programs. In the highly competitive GTD class, the No. 78 Huntress Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 secured the team’s first podium of the 2025 season with a second-place finish, while both Super Trofeo entries added LB Cup podiums to cap off a standout event for the California-based team.

In GTD competition, strong driving, perfect pit work, and sound strategic decisions helped the No. 78 car move up steadily through the field. Starting eighth on the grid, Misha Goikhberg delivered a quick and efficient opening stint that allowed the team to top off fuel under the first caution and extend his drive time—key to setting up the second half of the race.

“We’ve been close all year, so this result feels well-earned,” said Goikhberg. “My opening stint was clean, and we executed our strategy well. The team made a great call under yellow to get us fuel and keep me in the car longer, which gave us some flexibility. Mario had a lot to deal with in his stint, but he handled it perfectly. This podium is the result of smart decisions and a full team effort.”

After Goikhberg’s steady drive, co-driver Mario Farnbacher took over for a high-pressure closing stint filled with no fewer than six restarts. Amid the chaos, Farnbacher made several decisive moves, including a key overtake with eight minutes remaining that locked in the runner-up finish.

“Road America didn’t really reflect our full potential in the first free practice, and overall, we weren’t the strongest car or manufacturer out there,” said Farnbacher. “But I think we executed quite well in the race. Misha qualified P8, but in the end, it didn’t matter much because the race was very chaotic.”

“Misha handed the car off to me around P7 or P8, and my stint had six restarts—six yellows—so it was a challenge. Every restart was messy, lots of contact, lots of chaos, but we made the right decisions. I managed to overtake a few cars and got the final move done in the last eight minutes to take P2. After that, I had to hold off another Ferrari behind me, which wasn’t easy. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about the winning Ferrari—they were just too strong—but we were in the mix.”

“We weren’t the fastest car out there, but we got everything right. Clean pit stops, solid strategy, great calls from the box, and we stayed out of trouble. That shows the strength and potential of our Huntress Lamborghini and this entire Forte Racing team. There are three races left in the season, and if we keep executing like this, we’ll be in a position to fight every weekend.”

The flawless pit work and sharp decision-making drew praise from GTD Program Manager Michael Harvey. “Very happy with our 2nd place at Road America,” Harvey said, “the whole team performed exceptionally well, no mistakes, great pit stops, perfect strategy, Great decision making by our drivers – Bring on VIR”

Team strategist Mike Johnson also credited the consistent execution across the board. “Being successful in WeatherTech or any series for that matter is a combination of everyone doing their job and not making any mistakes, and right now, this team is doing just that,” Johnson said. “The car has been fast, the mechanics are doing a great job keeping the car together, the crew is dialed in with the pit stops, and the drivers are keeping the car out of harm’s way and taking everything that it will give them on a certain day. Combine that with good strategy and a well-managed team, and if we can continue to do this, we can fight for championships.”

Super Trofeo: Double LB Cup Podiums for Hirshberg and Shahi

Forte Racing’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo program added to the weekend’s success with LB Cup podiums in both races. On Saturday, Jon Hirshberg drove a clean and consistent race, moving up from fourth in class to claim a second-place finish. On Sunday, Ray Shahi delivered a determined drive to secure third in LB Cup, capping a strong outing for the Trofeo squad.

“It was great to be back at Road America with the Trofeo cars after a year away,” said David Cozart, LST Program Manager. “The first thing that stood out was the incredible fan turnout—absolutely a record-breaking crowd. You can see the time and effort and investment that’s gone into the facility, and it really showed all weekend.”

“In Race 1, Jon Hirshberg drove one of his best races of the season,” Cozart continued. “His pace and focus were spot-on, and he earned a well-deserved second-place finish. Then in Race 2, Ray Shahi delivered a strong performance in the No. 65. This was his first weekend at Road America, and he immediately connected with the track. You could see how much he enjoyed it—it brought out the best in him, and his effort earned him a podium step of third-place. Given the competitive field, both Forte drivers performed very well this weekend.”
The GTD team next heads to Virginia International Raceway (August 22–24), while Lamborghini Super Trofeo returns to action September 19–21 at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Battle on the Bricks.

For updates, behind-the-scenes coverage, and live action from the paddock, follow @ForteRacing on Instagram.

* Photos by Brayan Castiblanco