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Wheelhouse Motorsports delivered another strong performance in Mustang Challenge competition at Circuit of The Americas, securing multiple podium finishes and celebrating a championship-winning weekend despite facing mechanical setbacks and on-track adversity.
The team's drivers showed speed throughout the weekend, with podium finishes from Will Lucas and Tom Tait, while Tom Tait Ultimately clinched the Dark Horse Legends Championship after an intense battle.
The opening race of the weekend saw Wheelhouse represented throughout the field. Dan McKeever started from pole position in the Dark Horse Legends class after an outstanding qualifying effort, while Sandy Satullo lined up fifth and Will Lucas sixth in the Dark Horse class. Tom Tait and Joseph Dederichs started fifth and sixth respectively in Dark Horse Legends.
At the drop of the green flag, McKeever successfully defended the lead and quickly established himself at the front of the class. Behind him, Joseph Dederichs' return to competitions was a victory in itself after the team rebuilt his Mustang in just 84 hours following a heavy accident at VIR.
As the race settled in, Tait began moving forward, climbing into fourth place just eight minutes into the race. McKeever continued to control the Legends field, keeping pressure on the chasing pack while steadily building an advantage.
The Dark Horse battle intensified midway through the race when Satullo ran wide through Turns 14 and 15, allowing Lucas to capitalize and move into fourth position. Satullo quickly regrouped and fought back the field, eventually reclaiming sixth.
Unfortunately, Tait's charge came to an early end when smoke began appearing from the rear of his car. After receiving a mechanical black flag, the team too a look and elected to retire the No. 8 entry before further damage could occur.
As other mechanical issues began to affect competitors around them, both Lucas and Satullo gained additional positions when another Dark Horse competitor retired. Lucas moves up to fourth while Satullo advanced to fifth.
Meanwhile, McKeever appeared untouchable at the front of the Legends field. With less than 20 minutes remaining, he had stretched his advantage to more than six seconds, and by the closing stages, his lead had grown to nearly 15 seconds.
Lucas continued his pursuit of a podium, spending much of the race glued to the rear bumper of the third-place car. With just six minutes remaining, he finally made a bold pass to take over third position, earning himself a crucial podium spot and moving ahead of his teammate Satullo in the Championship standings.
Then disaster struck.
With less than four minutes remaining, McKeever suffered what appeared to be a break-related issue entering Turn One and was sent into the wall while comfortably leading the Legends class. The incident brought out a caution period and ultimately ended his race. The field took the checkered flag under safety car conditions, denying McKeever a nearly certain victory. He was able to exit the car and was cleared by medical staff at the track.
Following the damage sustained in Race One, Wheelhouse Motorsports made the difficult decision to withdraw Dan McKeever's car from Sunday's race after determining repairs could not be completed in time.
The race began with an early battle between teammates Lucas and Satullo as both fought for track position in the Dark horse class. Lucas eventually emerged ahead, taking over fourth place and beginning his charge toward another podium finish.
In Legends competition, Dederichs experienced an early spin at Turn One but was able to continue. Tait initially slipped back one position but quickly recovered, making an aggressive move to reclaim third place with 40 minutes remaining.
Lucas continued to apply pressure in the Dark Horse field and eventually secured third place, putting himself in position for a second podium finish of the weekend.
Up front in the Legends class, Tait was on a mission. After working his way into second position, he began chasing down the leader while keeping his need for points with the opportunity for victory. Tait methodically closed the gap and remained firmly attached to the leader's rear bumper in the closing laps.
With under two minutes remaining, the battle reached its peak. Tait made slight contact with the leader on track as the moved down the front straight before diving to the inside entering Turn One and taking over the lead of the Legends class.
One the final lap, the lead changed hands again before another incident between the rivals resulted in contact, sending Tait's competitor into the grass while Tatit continued on to take the checkered flag first.
Post-race officials gave Tait a 30-second penalty for the final-lap contact, dropping him from first to third in the final results. Despite the penalty. Tait's performance was enough to secure the Dark Horse Legends Championship and cap off an impressive season.
Elsewhere, Dederichs was forced to retire late in the race after developing mechanical issues, while Satullo narrowly missed adding another top-four finish as he continued his push through the field.
The COTA weekend showcased both resilience and competitiveness of Wheelhouse Motorsports. The team earned back-to-back podium finishes with Will Lucas, fought through adversity and Joseph Dederchs' rebuilt car, and saw Dan McKeever go from dominant race leader to heartbreaking retirement.
Most importantly, Tom Tait delivered when it mattered most. After overcoming a mechanical DNF in Race One and surviving a dramatic final-lap championship battle in Race two, Tait secured the Dark Horse Legends Championship and added another major accomplishment to the Wheelhouse Motorsports record book.
While the weekends featured its share of challenges, Wheelhouse Motorsports leaves COTA with podium trophies, valuable championship points, and a championship title to celebrate.
Race One:
Dark Horse
3rd - Will Lucas, #34
5th - Sandy Satullo, #7
Dark Horse Legends
4th - Joseph Dederichs, #63
DNF - Dan McKeever, #77
DNF -Tom Tait, #8
Race Two:
Dark Horse
3rd - Will Lucas, #34
5th - Sandy Satullo, #7
Dark Horse Legends
3rd - Tom Tait, #8
DNS - Dan McKeever, #77
DNF - Joseph Dederichs, #63
Wheelhouse Motorsports introduces its 2026 driver lineup for the IMSA Mustang Challenge and World Racing League seasons — the largest roster in team history.
January 6, 2025
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