AE Victory Racing rolled into Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta this week with a revitalized lineup, renewed momentum, and a focused game plan for the doubleheader weekend in the World Racing League’s (WRL) endurance showdown. With their No. 122 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO2 — affectionately known as Stella — prepped for the challenge, the team quickly settled into a strong rhythm through practice, qualifying, and Saturday’s 8-hour race.
Thursday kicked off with the Max Track Time event, giving new team member Ashley Freiberg her first laps behind the wheel of Stella since her EVO2 upgrade in March. Freiberg impressed immediately, showing pace and confidence right out of the gate. Her quick adaptation helped build a solid foundation for the weekend. Alana Carter, the young Canadian standout who earned her seat through AE Victory’s January driver shootout, tackled Road Atlanta for the first time. Working closely with Freiberg and Sarah Montgomery, a founding member of the team, Carter quickly came up to speed and embraced the flowing, technical circuit. All three drivers walked away from Thursday optimistic, but knowing there was still speed left on the table.
Friday’s qualifying session was led by Montgomery. Early in the session, the car handled beautifully, and Montgomery laid down competitive lap times. As track temperatures rose and grip faded, most of the field struggled with greasy conditions. Still, AE Victory secured P11 in class and P20 overall, clocking a solid 1:32.2 lap time, a promising position for the race ahead.
Saturday’s 8-hour competition launched under clear skies at 9 a.m. With zero cloud cover and rising heat, teams braced for a physically demanding race. Montgomery opened with a strong two-hour stint, navigating early full-course cautions and a red flag within the first hour. Carter followed with a clean and composed run, bringing the team up to P3 and setting the stage for Freiberg to take over just before noon. By early afternoon, the team was fighting for the podium, with Carter later delivering one of her strongest stints of the season.
After eight intense hours, AE Victory Racing crossed the line P3 in class, locking in their first podium finish of the 2025 season. The result marked a powerful return to form and much-needed redemption after the heartbreak of Daytona, where contact from another team took the Supra out of podium contention and dropped them from a fight for the lead to a frustrating P6. At Road Atlanta, the team proved they belong at the front, and they’re just getting started.
Sunday’s 7-hour race brought an entirely different kind of challenge with another day of no cloud cover and intense heat. With a mid-day parc fermé break offering little relief, even the driver cooling systems struggled to keep pace. The physical toll mounted quickly. Montgomery led the charge once again in the morning and in the afternoon, completing the longest stint of the day at a full two hours, showcasing her signature blend of wit, stamina, and sheer determination.
As the afternoon progressed, the team found themselves in the thick of what would become some of the best and most competitive racing of the season. Short, unpredictable yellow flags made for chaotic timing and razor-thin margins. AE Victory Racing executed precise pit stops and made sharp, strategic calls to stay ahead of the pack. Guest driver Laura Hayes jumped in for an hour to support the effort but ultimately had to retire early due to the unrelenting heat.
That left Carter to finish the race and with the temperatures still at their peak and the team bracing for the possibility of relinquishing a race finish, let alone a podium, she rose to the challenge. Showcasing her growth with the team and focus as a driver, Carter fought hard to the final lap and brought Stella home to a hard-earned P2 finish.
“I am so proud of the team this weekend — especially the drivers for driving incredibly clean stints in the worst racing conditions I’ve ever seen,” said team owner Erin Vogel. “The heat in the cockpit was so intense, and they basically had nothing to mitigate it for 15 hours this weekend. Yet they still drove HARD and didn’t make any mistakes for two whole races! I have to shout out the crew in the box and on the stand too, who also made excellent choices all weekend. Without their eyes and minds we wouldn’t have been able to achieve these results. I’m really so proud of everyone.”
Back-to-back podiums at Road Atlanta marked a high point in the team’s 2025 campaign not just for the results, but for the adaptability, teamwork, and resilience it took to earn them.
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