Tovo Brothers Show Strong Pace Before Adversity Strikes at Road America

Ethan and Jackson Tovo arrived at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin with momentum and high expectations following Ethan’s milestone podium finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Nitro Motorsports-backed brothers delivered on the early promise of the weekend — only to see the race take a painful turn for both drivers.

Competing in the TA2 class of the Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli, the Tovo Twins, with support from Dicks Sporting Goods and IMC, showed the kind of pace that has defined their 2026 campaign, before adversity ultimately prevented them from collecting the results their performances deserved.

From the opening session, both Ethan and Jackson ran inside the top-ten in practice, confirming that the Nitro Motorsports machines were well-suited to Road America’s demanding 4.014-mile layout. That pace carried directly into qualifying, where Ethan secured an impressive fifth on the grid while Jackson followed closely behind in eighth — setting the stage for what looked to be the strongest race weekend of the season for the brothers.

When the race began, both drivers delivered on the potential they had shown all weekend. Jackson turned in an eye-catching performance, exhibiting the kind of speed that has steadily elevated him through the TA2 field this season. Ethan was equally impressive, consistently matching the pace of the race leaders and looking poised for what would have been one of his best TA2 results of the year. With both brothers maintaining their positions and racing confidently through the field, the prospect of a landmark result for the twins was very much in play.

Unfortunately, the afternoon’s misfortune arrived for both drivers in succession. Ethan was forced to retire late in the race when a gearbox failure ended his strong run before he could bring the car home, denying him a well-earned points finish. Jackson, meanwhile, was caught up in an on-track incident that effectively ended his afternoon and removed him from contention. It was a difficult conclusion to what had been a genuinely encouraging weekend for the entire Nitro Motorsports program.

“It’s obviously not the result we wanted after such a strong start to the weekend, but I couldn’t be prouder of the effort our whole team put in,” expressed Ethan. “We had the pace to run at the front and I was genuinely feeling great about where we were in the race. To have it end the way it did is hard to accept, but the Nitro Motorsports crew worked incredibly hard all weekend and gave me a car that was capable of a big result. We’ll take the positives, regroup, and come back stronger.”

“Road America is one of my favorite tracks, and I felt like we had everything we needed for a great race,” added Jackson. “Getting caught up in an incident is never the way you want a weekend to end, especially when the car felt so good. I have to thank the entire Nitro Motorsports crew for everything they do — they never stop working and they deserve a big result. We’ll keep pushing, and I know the results are coming.”

Despite the DNFs, the weekend served as a clear indicator of where the Tovo Brothers and Nitro Motorsports stand in the 2026 TA2 championship. The speed is there, the qualifying results proved it, and with continued development, a breakout race result is firmly within reach. The team will now shift focus to the next round of the Trans Am Series as they look to convert their pace into the points finishes their performances have earned.

For more information on the Tovo Twins racing program, follow them on social media by searching ‘Tovo Motorsports’ or contact RTD Media at Info@RTD-Media.com.