SRO America – Syndication Server

World Challenge group joins Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 42 roster

For its 42nd edition, Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival (Aug. 30-Sept. 2) will expand to include an all-new class – the Turn of the Century World Challenge. The Turn of the Century World Challenge group will showcase production-based street stock …

For its 42nd edition, Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival (Aug. 30-Sept. 2) will expand to include an all-new class — the Turn of the Century World Challenge.

The Turn of the Century World Challenge group will showcase production-based street stock race cars from the 1995-2005 era prepared for SCCA World Challenge. Vehicles from Motorola Cup and various other period-appropriate national and international categories will also be considered, including Escort Endurance, Playboy Series, IMSA Firehawk and other showroom stock-based competitions.

The inclusion of World Challenge adds a more contemporary dynamic to Historic Festival 42, offering spectators a unique blend of classic charm and contemporary competition, while providing competitors a reunion opportunity for both cars and drivers of a golden era of big grids and great racing at Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park.

“The huge fan response that events like GRIDLIFE and MiataCon have generated shows there is a real nostalgia and emotion connected to some of these cars from the more recent past,” said Historic Festival Committee Chair Skip Barber. “This new class reflects that, and I think it should prove very popular for fans and participants alike. Lime Rock Park has a storied history with World Challenge and we are excited to reintroduce this era of racing to our fans.”

The SCCA street stock series stepped up in 1990 to become World Challenge, moving from the club to pro racing ranks. In the period between 1995-2005 the big stories were the number of teams who began and built their business in World Challenge that continue to win races today, including Turner Motorsports, RealTime Racing, Bimmerworld and Blackdog Motorsports.

Drivers such as Peter Cunningham, Bill Auberlen, Roger Foo, Charles Espenlaub, Will Turner and James Clay cut their professional teeth in the series. Builders and tuners representing BMW, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Volvo and others fiercely participated for overall wins, and factory supported teams from Acura, Nissan and Mazda battled for supremacy alongside privateers in the Touring Car category.

The first World Challenge race at Lime Rock Park was in 1992, won by Kim Baker in a Corvette and Lou Gigliotti in a Camaro. In the years immediately following, entries far exceeded the number of cars allowed on track, staging races through 2008.

Highlights over the years included Acura sweeping the respective classes in 1998, with Peter Cunningham taking T1 in an Acura NSX and Pierre Kleinubing winning T2 in an Acura Integra R; the debut of the SpeedVision World Challenge with an enhanced television package in 1999 with Bobby Archer winning in a Viper and; and Bill Auberlen doubling up in 2003 for Massachusetts-based Turner Motorsport, winning both GT races in a BMW M3, and returning in 2004 and 2005 to take TC honors in a BMW 325i.

Lime Rock Historic Festival 42 launches into action over Labor Day weekend with a 17-mile tour through the area on Thursday, Aug. 29 with the Historic Festival Parade presented by NBT Bank. Friday, Saturday and Monday feature non-stop, on-track competition across a diverse set of historic racing classes. On Sunday (Sept. 1), the Lime Rock Concours and Gathering of the Marques will display nearly 1,000 enthusiast cars and motorcycles arranged around the Lime Rock circuit for “Sunday in The Park.”

Historic Festival 42 is now accepting competition applications. Registration information can be found here.

Greenemeier joins Heart of Racing SRO lineup

Hannah Greenemeier has joined the Heart of Racing team’s 2024 SRO GT4 lineup. Greenemeier will join Hannah Grisham in the No. 26 Aston Martin Vantage for the Pirelli GT4 America season in the AM category. Roman De Angelis and Gray Newell will team up once again on board the No. 24 Aston Martin Vantage in the Pirelli GT4 America Pro/Am category. Newell will pull double duty, also competing the GT America powered by AWS in the No. 25 Aston Martin Vantage.

Colorado native Greenemeier was the first female to win karting’s X-30 ProTour Championship class in the history of SKUSA in 2021 as she looks forward to making her sports car debut this season in Pirelli GT4 America.

“Getting a call from the team to join the Heart of Racing for the 2024 season was probably the best day of my life so far,” said Greenemeier. “To be able to drive for a team that has had so much success means so much to me and my family. I’m looking forward to getting the season started with the team in April at Sonoma. I know that I have a lot to learn about sports car racing, but I know that with the help of my co-driver, Hannah Grisham, and everyone else on the team that I will get up to speed quickly. I can’t thank Gabe, the Bernier family, Ian, Paul and everyone on the team for this incredible opportunity.”

Grisham, who was selected from the team’s 2022 all-female shootout, returns to the Heart of Racing team for her second year after completing her first Pirelli GT4 America season in 2023.

“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to continue with the Heart of Racing for a second year in GT4 America,” said Grisham. “I am looking forward to this season with a year under my belt and a more solid foundation to stand on. Year number one has taken me to most of the tracks, helped me to understand my competition, and have a better grasp of our Aston Martin Vantage. My goal for this year is to have strong, consistent finishes and hopefully be in a spot towards the end of the year to fight for the championship. I think Hannah Greenemeier and I are capable of this and I’m eager to get to work with her in April at Sonoma.”

Competing alongside in Pirelli GT4 America will be De Angelis, who is a regular in the team’s No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

De Angelis rejoins Newell in the Aston Martin Vantage, the duo having scored three wins (NOLA, Road America, Indianapolis Motor Speedway) in the Pro/Am category during the 2023 season, closing out the year with a run to third place in the season finale.

“I’m super happy to be back again with Gray competing in the GT4 Pro/Am class with the Heart of Racing,” said De Angelis. “I really enjoyed my time there last year and being teamed up again with Gray who continues to get faster every weekend leaves us with another good shot at race wins and hopefully a Pro/Am championship.”

Newell will begin his fourth season in GT America powered by AWS along with his Pirelli GT4 America duties. Last season Newell scored two pole awards (VIRginia International Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway) in GT America powered by AWS. The young driver finished the season with five runs to the podium.

The SRO America season will kick off the weekend of April 5-7 at Sonoma Raceway with both Pirelli GT4 America and GT America powered by AWS in action.

Greenemeier will be featured in MAVTV’s season premiere of their show “On The Rise” on Thursday February 15 at 8:00pm ET/PT. “On The Rise” focuses on young up and coming drivers who are working their way through the ranks to try and finish at the top level of motorsports. The premiere will follow Greenemeier through her 2023 season competing in the F4 US Championship.

Catch all Pirelli GT4 America races on MAVTV this season.

Gidley sweeps GT America at IMS, Bell wins GT4 title by one point

Race two of GT America powered by AWS at Indianapolis Motor Speedway brought the 2023 season to a close. Memo Gidley solidified his spot as SRO3 champion in race one and capped it off by sweeping the weekend. The GT4 class came down to the wire, with Robb Holland emerging victorious. Jason Bell would hold on to his champion status for a second year running by one point. In GT2, Kevin Woods took home the win.

SRO3
At the jump, Gidley in the No. 101 TKO Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 overtook ROWE Pole Winner George Kurtz in the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3. The duo kept their race clean however, fifth place Jason Daskalos in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 was collected with multiple cars in a Turn 1, lap one incident. The No. 70 MISHUMOTORS Corvette C7 GT3-R of Mirco Schultis, The No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Kyle Washington and the No. 011 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG 3 of Marc Austin were involved. No. 043 OnlyFans Racing by P1 Groupe with MRS Porsche 911 GT3 R of Alex Vogel escaped cruising past the multiple spinning cars.

The incident gave third-place finisher Adam Adelson in the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R the distraction needed to march his way through the field. He passed the incident, then slowly but surely maneuvered past fifth place No. 41 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Todd Treffort and fourth place No. 3 SKI Autosport Audi R8 LMS GT3 of Johnny O’Connell. Adelson would make his pass for second place on Kurtz within the final 90s of the race as the front of the field passed through the GT4 Class leaders. Kurtz would fight back in a drag-race style finish down the front stretch. It would be Kurtz in second place and Adelson third in race two.

GT2
Woods and his No. 94 Chicago Performance & Tuning Co. KTM X-Bow GT2 split the difference, winning race two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the GT2 Class return. Race one winner Dan Knox in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT2 walked away with a second-place finish. CJ Moses in the No. 58 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT2 finished third.

GT4
Holland held on to the lead for the GT4 class win and Bell held on to the GT4 Class championship by one point with his second-place finish. Ross Chouest in the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMG GT4 was never far off the leaders, making Bell work for his second championship. He finished third in race two.

Tony Gaples brought his season in the No. 5 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro GT4 R to a close with a top five finish. Tim Savage in the No. 009 TRG Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 and Todd Parriott in the No. 13 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Nicholas Shanny in the No. 21 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO rounded out the field.

RESULTS

Yoshihara sweeps TC America at IMS, Bucknum takes TCA title

The TC America Powered by Skip Barber field wrapped up their weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and their championship season, on a cloudy Sunday morning. Daijiro Yoshihara completed a clean sweep of the weekend in the TCX Class, while Celso …

The TC America Powered by Skip Barber field wrapped up their weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and their championship season, on a cloudy Sunday morning.

Daijiro Yoshihara completed a clean sweep of the weekend in the TCX Class, while Celso Neto claimed his first win of the season in the TCA Class. Spencer Bucknum claimed the win and the TCA Class title.

TCX
Race one winner Yoshihara started on pole position in his No. 99 VGRT Honda Civic Type-R TCX, and although he got a good start as the green flag waved, Colin Garrett in the No. 44 Rooster Hall Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup) and Kenny Schmied in the No. 14 AOA Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup) were quick to raise a challenge and put their rapid pace to good use.

The trio continued to battle, swapping positions back and forth in the opening laps. Yoshihara eventually settled into a speedy rhythm and was able to propel himself back up into the top spot and set off on the clear road ahead, further establishing a 6s gap by the halfway mark.

The Japanese driver was simply untouchable, even going on to set the fastest lap of the race with a couple of minutes remaining before going on to cross the finish line to secure his second win of the weekend at the Brickyard. Colin Garrett also went on to pick up his second podium of the weekend, while Schmied completed the top three.

TC
At the start, the No. 37 MINI JCW Team Mini JCW Pro TC of Cristian Perocarpi made contact with the No. 78 Genracer/Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TC of Jeff Ricca, which resulted in left front damage for Ricca while Perocarpi was forced to retire from the race.

Neto was therefore promoted into the lead in his No. 7 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type-R, with Clayton Williams looking to capitalize in the No. 60 MINI JCW Team Mini JCW Pro TC as he sought after the last crucial championship points. Ricca was able to recover and hang on steadily in third position, but ultimately was unable to close in on Williams ahead.

Neto completed a flawless drive to clinch his well-deserved first victory of the 2023 season. Williams stood alongside him in second on the podium, in addition to claiming the TC class championship title over long-standing competitor Ricca, who took the final step of the podium.

TCA
Bucknum led the pack in his No. 5 LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Si FE1, and initially had a comfortable gap between himself and fellow championship challenger Devin Anderson in the No. 22 TechSport Racing Subaru BRZ, who started in sixth position following a grid penalty.

However, Anderson quickly got up to speed and had already navigated his way up to third place within the first five minutes of the race. From there, he pulled off another overtake on William Lambros in the No. 77 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Si FE1, and now set his sights on his championship rival ahead.

An unrelenting fight to the line ensued in the last 10 minutes, and as Bucknum took the checkered flag to claim his second win of the weekend, he also finalized his claim over the TCA championship title. Anderson put up a great fight and finished second in race two and runner-up in the standings, with Lambros doing the same in third.

RESULTS

Yoshihara, Ricca, Lambros win first TC America race at IMS

The TC America Powered by Skip Barber field kicked off Saturday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with race one taking place bright and early under the glaring sunshine. Daijiro Yoshihara, Jeff Ricca, and William Lambros claimed the first …

The TC America Powered by Skip Barber field kicked off Saturday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with race one taking place bright and early under the glaring sunshine.

Daijiro Yoshihara, Jeff Ricca, and William Lambros claimed the first victories of the weekend in the TCX, TC, and TCA classes and earned the honor of kissing the famous bricks.

TCX
Yoshihara started on pole in the No. 99 VGRT Honda Civic Type-R TCX, but it was champion-elect Colin Garrett who got a fantastic start and grabbed the lead off the start in his No. 44 Rooster Hall Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup).

Despite the initial setback, Yoshihara began fighting back and reclaimed the lead just four minutes into the race, with Garrett dropping down to fourth place in a matter of a couple of corners.

Garrett clamored his way back up to second place in the final 10 minutes, accompanied by Adam Gleason in the No. 21 Fast Track Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup).

TC
Christian Perocarpi, the hometown hero in the No. 37 MINI JCW Team Mini JCW Pro TC, led the charge in the TC Class as the green flag waved. He came under attack from Celso Neto in the No. 7 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type-R, who went on to move up into the lead towards the end of the opening lap.

Perocarpi was not going to let Neto get away easily and began to close down the gap between them again. Just as Neto looked to be in a comfortable rhythm, he was involved in an on-track incident and sent limping off into the gravel with damage to the car, which brought out the first full course caution with just over 20 minutes remaining.

The race resumed with just under 13 minutes to go, which saw Ricca get a sensational launch into the first corner in his No. 78 Genracer/Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TC, passing both MINI JCW Team drivers to move up into the lead.

Ricca expertly claimed the win and collected his eighth victory of the season, further tightening the championship battle as the field prepares for the final race on Sunday. Perocarpi finished in second after chasing Ricca all the way to the line. The final spot on the podium went to Kris Valdez in the No. 11 DRS Honda Civic Type-R.

TCA
With the championship hunt getting closer than ever between Devin Anderson in the No. 22 TechSport Racing Subaru BRZ and Spencer Bucknum in the No. 5 LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Si FE1, these final two races hold a great deal of importance for these title contenders.

Anderson started on pole as Bucknum started alongside him, but disaster struck shortly thereafter for Anderson as he tumbled down the running order and fell to the back of the pack in the opening laps. Bucknum was promoted to first place as the clock ticked away, followed by Lambros trying to apply pressure in his No. 77 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Si FE1.

With just one minute remaining, Lambros launched an attack and pulled off the overtake for the top spot, and it proved to be one of the most vital moves of the entire race.

The two could not have been any closer, performing a drag race to the finish line and providing an unbelievable photo finish as they wrapped up race one just 0.001s apart, with the advantage handed to Lambros and Bucknum finishing second. Anderson recovered to third place in the end.

The series will be back on track for race two on Sunday morning at 9:35 a.m ET.

RESULTS

WRT BMW wins Indy 8 Hour while GTWC championships wrap up

The No. 30 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Philipp Eng, Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon Van Der Linde won the fourth running of the Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS, and the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS PRO Class celebrated the No. 45 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R as its winner. The PRO-AM Class victory went to the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 of George Kurtz, Colin Braun and Nolan Siegel.

Championships for the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS were decided with the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer wrapping up the PRO class championship. PRO-AM race winners George Kurtz and Colin Braun earned the class championship in the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3.

A first-first for IGTC PRO class winner Team WRT

The No. 30 Team WRT BMW win gave Team WRT its first win on American soil with their greatest competition of the day in the form of teammates. The No. 31 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Augusto Farfus, Charles Weerts and Maxime Martin led late into the race but, within the sixth hour had a coming together with a PRO-AM Class car. The collision allowed both entries to continue but took the No. 31 Team WRT BMW out of the lead.

The incident advanced the top qualifying No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG of Maximilian Goetz, Jules Gounon and Raffaele Marciello to a second-place finish. The No. 999 Maro Engel, Daniel Juncadella and Luca Stolz finished third. The No. 31 Team WRT BMW would round out the field in fourth. The IGTC PRO class carries its momentum into the final Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli round — the Gulf 12 Hours in the United Arab Emirates.

Wright Motorsports win kept championship fight tight

The No. 45 Wright Motorsport Porsche of Jan Heylen, Madison Snow and Trent Hindman joined the PRO class later in the season, keeping the championship off the table and making the win the entry’s top honor of the season. Second place may have felt like a win for the No. 28 RS1 Porsche of Eric Filgueiras, Stevan McAleer and Klaus Bachler as the team walked away with the PRO Class Championship. Third place went to No. 53 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R of Seth Lucas, Trenton Estep and Matteo Cairolli began the race sixth in class. Ever the consistent team, the trio fought back for its fourth-place finish and solidified a third-place finish in the championship.

Fourth in points went to a very competitive No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX. Ashton Harrison, Mario Farnbacher and Kyle Marcelli fought back after three incidents with the No. 85 Rearden Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R in the PRO-AM class to finish fifth.

The No. 21 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 went behind the wall during the first hour of the race. While the team returned drivers Manny Franco, Alessandro Balzan and Ferrari Factory Driver Lilou Wadoux to race action, the team was never able to overcome the lap deficit. They finished the race fourth ahead of the No. 94 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT3 of Bill Auberlen, Chandler Hull and Robby Foley.

CrowdStrike by Riley wins PRO-AM class and championship

The PRO-AM Class winners Colin Braun, George Kurtz and Nolan Siegel qualified 17th overall, a far cry from overall pole sitter No. 20 Huber Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R. But as the clock wound down the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG came alive. The No. 20 Hubler Motorsport Porsche of Laurin Heinrich, Antares Au and Alfred Renauer took home the second-place finish. Third-place finishers Kenton Koch, Jon Branam and Matt Bell in the No. 27 TR3 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 overcame tremendous adversity with last-minute driver elections, transponder issues and an early drive-through penalty.

The No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R of Adam Adelson, Elliot Skeer and Callum Benjamin Illot finished fourth in class. The No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3 of Samantha Tan, Neil Verhaegen and Jake Walker certainly had pace, but a late pit lane violation netted the team with a late 10s time penalty, relegating them to a fifth-place finish. Tan finishes the year fourth in the points championship. The No. 535 Sky Tempesta Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO of Eddie Cheever III, Jonathan Hui and Christopher Froggatt finished the race sixth.

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Seventh went to the No. 007 TRG Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 of Derek DeBoer, Valentin Hasse-Clot and Ben Tuck. The trio finished high enough in the class to give DeBoer a third-place finish in the points championship. The No. 4 Grove Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Brenton Grove, Stephen Grove and Earl Bamber finished eighth in class. Ninth place in the PRO-AM class went to the No. 85 Rearden Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Jake Pederson, Vesko Kozarov and Christian Engelhart. The entry couldn’t seem to stay away from the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsport Acura. The two cars came together three times over the eight hour race.

The No. 33 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 of Justin Wetherill, Ryan Dalziel and Onofrio Triarsi continued after contact with the No. 31 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 IGTC PRO class entry. Their run to the front of the field came to an end, winding up 10th in class. The No. 08 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Scott Smithson, Thomas Sargent and Bryan Sellers dealt with a late right rear suspension failure. The team repaired the car and pushed on to finish 11th. Finally, the No. 91 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Jeff Burton, Corey Lewis and Philip Ellis finished 12th after loss of power forced the Mercedes-AMG to park in the second hour of the race.

GT America powered by AWS, Pirelli GT4 America and TC America powered by Skip Barber all finish the year Sunday, Oct. 8 with one final race.

RESULTS

Gidley seals up GT America class championship with IMS win

The GT America powered by AWS SRO3 drivers’ championship was wrapped up in flag-to-flag fashion with Memo Gidley winning race one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Robb Holland is keeping the GT4 Class championship exciting as he is now separated …

The GT America powered by AWS SRO3 drivers’ championship was wrapped up in flag-to-flag fashion with Memo Gidley winning race one at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Robb Holland is keeping the GT4 Class championship exciting as he is now separated from points leader Jason Bell by nine points.

Dan Knox grabs debut win for the new Mercedes-AMG GT2.

SRO3
Johnny O’Connell in the No. 3 SKI Autosport Audi R8 LMS split points between leaders Gidley and Jason Daskalos as he sat second in qualifying. Gidley took off at the green flag while O’Connell allowed Daskalos a free pass at the start of the race. He would reclaim the second position halfway through. O’Connell spent the remainder chasing eventual-winner Gidley in the No. 101 TKO Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Daskalos in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 had his hands full of Mirco Schultis in the No. 70 MISHUMOTORS Corvette C7 GT3 R. A little rough racing caused some damage to the Callaway Corvette. Daskalos continued forward, however Schultis would then take a short off-course excursion through the grass of the infield.

George Kurtz in the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 came out ahead when it came to close racing while maneuvering around Tony Gaples in the No. 5 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro GT4. R. When Kurtz made the pass in Turn 5, Gaples took a spin after the move, giving Kurtz a clean path to fourth place.

At one point, Daskalos incurred a post-race time penalty for a track limits infringement, dropping him to sixth and giving Kurtz a third-place finish. Schultis would recover to finish fourth, followed across the finish line by Kyle Washington in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Marc Austin finished seventh in his No. 011 Lone Star Racing/Mad Joker Mercedes-AMG GT3 ahead of Alex Vogel in the No. 043 OnlyFans Racing by P1 Groupe with MRS Porsche 911 GT3 R. Vogel found himself in inter-class battles but a late move kept him ahead of the GT4 Class battle for the lead. Todd Treffert in the No. 41 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 rounded out the field in ninth.

GT2
Knox, in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT2, made his way around pole sitter Kevin Woods in the No. 094 Chicago Performance & Tuning, Co. KTM X-Bow GT2 for the win.

GT4
Bell made a lap one pass on pole sitter Grey Newell to take the lead. His No. 2 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 was then under pressure by Robb Holland in the No. 099 Rotek Racing Porsche 917 Cayman RS Clubsport. Holland not only made his way around Newell, but with three minutes remaining, took the lead. A meager nine points separate Bell and Holland in the drivers’ championship. Newell would go on to finish the race third.

Ross Chouest in the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 finished the race fourth. While Chouest was once in the conversation for a repeat championship, he’s now out of contention. Tim Savage in the No. 009 TRG Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 took home fifth after capitalizing on Gaples spin while fighting with Kurtz in the SRO3 Class. Gaples finished sixth.

Nicholas Shanny in the No. 21 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO took home seventh ahead of Todd Parriott in the No. 19 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4.

The 2023 GT Americas powered by AWS season ends on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 8:35 a.m. with race two.

RESULTS

DXDT set for Corvette GT3 campaign in GT World Challenge America

DXDT Racing will bring the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R to Fanatec GT World Challenge America next season for a two-car campaign. DXDT is a long-time competitor in GTWCA, along with GT America, currently campaigning a car for Scott Smithson and Bryan …

“I’m tremendously excited to run the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R next year,” said team owner David Askew, who stepped out of the driver’s seat after the 2022 season. “We have developed a great relationship with the folks at Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller. I look forward to working closely with them. They have a long history of winning races and championships all over the world, and we aim to leverage that expertise and put it to use at DXDT. I particularly like the fact that we are starting with the car in SRO. We will be able to focus and really work on developing the car, and if we put our heads down and work hard, I think DXDT has a real opportunity to win races and championships in the coming years.”

The announcement marks the fourth program so far for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in worldwide competition, with Pratt Miller set to campaign the car in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD PRO, AWA Racing in IMSA GTD, and TF Sport running the car in the FIA World Endurance Championship. With 127 victories and 14 championships in worldwide competition, the Corvette Racing has marked 127 victories and 14 championships in its modern iteration.

“It’s a significant honor to have DXDT choose the Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the GT World Challenge America championship,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager. “Our groups at Chevrolet Racing and Pratt Miller are very impressed by the investment that David Askew and his group have made with their race operations and level of professionalism during this process. We look forward to working with DXDT to contend for race wins and titles in GT World Challenge America.”

Built by Pratt Miller Engineering, a long-time partner of Corvette Racing, the Z06 GT3.R is the flag bearer of Corvette’s first customer racing program. DXDT will campaign two Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, beginning when they receive their cars at some point after the season opener at Sonoma in April, with drivers to be announced at a later date.

SRO, Pirelli set to extend partnership

SRO Motorsports Group and Pirelli are set to ink a new five-year agreement that will extend its long-running partnership to 2028. The deal, which is still being finalized, will see Pirelli continue as exclusive tire supplier to all of SRO’s series …

SRO Motorsports Group and Pirelli are set to ink a new five-year agreement that will extend its long-running partnership to 2028.

The deal, which is still being finalized, will see Pirelli continue as exclusive tire supplier to all of SRO’s series worldwide, which includes Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS series in America, Asia, Australia and Europe, the Intercontinental GT Challenge, GT4 and GT2 series, British GT and TC America.

“It is a source of great satisfaction for us to continue to provide such exciting and increasingly popular championships,” said Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport director. “In these years of collaboration with SRO, we have supported the evolution of cars and race formats around the world, and we will reinforce this commitment over the next five years, confirming the spirit that has always distinguished us and associated us with the organizer: a strong focus on customer and fan satisfaction.”

Pirelli and SRO’s partnership dates back to 2013, with the Italian brand supplying tires for full grids at hundreds of races organized by the company each year since then. It supplies the same P Zero DHF for all of SRO’s GT3 categories — including for SRO’s flagship event, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, which goes through more than 15,000 tires with each running — as well as the standalone GT4 series and the GT2 category for gentleman drivers. Pirelli has set up local teams of technicians and engineers in each continent to support each category.

“Success in motor racing requires the very best partners and, in Pirelli, we have exactly that,” said Stephane Ratel, SRO Motorsports Group founder and CEO. “For the past decade they have provided a world-class product to our teams, while also adding considerable commercial and technical support to our series and one-off events around the globe. It was natural, therefore, that we should extend our cooperation by a further five years.”

Tan takes first career GTWC win at Sebring, Wright sweeps Pro

Samantha Tan and Neil Verhagen claimed the overall win, along with the PRO-AM Class win at Sebring International Raceway. It was Tan’s first overall win in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS series. Jan Heylen and Madison Snow took home back-to-back victories with a win in race two. Green flag conditions gave the two teams nothing but a runway to victory.

PRO Class
Heylen started his day from the pole position and immediately faced on onslaught of PRO-AM Class competition racing past him. He gave space to the separate race to hand over the No. 45 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R to Snow, who cruised to a second win. Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull in the No. 120 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT3 gained position early in the race and maintained progress to finish second.

Stevan McAleer in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 911 GT3 R was the first to pit after running his stint in fourth. Eric Filgueiras made up a position for a third-place finish in part to the shuffling of pit lane and by overtaking Seth Lucas in the No. 53 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. Lucas and teammate Trenton Estep used smart strategy to maintain position until Filgueiras pushed past, settling the MDK Motorsports team with fourth place.

Manny Franco and Alessandro Balzan in the No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3 brought home a fifth-place finish. Mario Farnbacher in the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 EVO slowed on the second lap after overheating, ending Farnbacher and Ashton Harrison’s day early.

PRO-AM Class
Verhagen in the No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3 received a penalty in qualifying that had him start from the rear of the field. He quickly moved his way back up the field to hand the car over to Tan in the third position. Tan came out of the pit lane in first after the handoff from pole-sitter Ryan Dalziel to Justin Wetherill in the No. 33 Ferrari Triarsi Competizione 296 went awry and had difficulty closing the door. She only built her lead as the race continued and was relatively unchallenged for the win.

Elliot Skeer in the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R started the race fourth, but he began his attack for the lead in Turn 1 on lap one. Skeer pushed past Heylen in the PRO Class as he attempted to gain ground on Dalziel. Adam Adelson would have a similar story after he took over for Skeer, spending his race chasing Tan before taking the checkered flag in second. Third place would go to Wetherill and Dalziel in the No. 33 Triarsi Competizione 296 Ferrari.

Fourth-place finishers Geroge Kurtz and Colin Braun in the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 had a quiet race with multiple seconds of gap both ahead and behind. Anthony Bartone and Adam Christodoulou in the No. 43 RealTime Racing Mercedes-AMG finished fifth after a side quest to avoid on-track drama in the rear of the field went to plan.

Ross Gunn in the No. 007 TRG Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 began the race fourth; however, Derek DeBoer would be spun after contact with the No. 08 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Scott Smithson. Smithson and teammate Bryan Sellers would finish behind teammates Jeff Burton and Corey Lewis in the No. 91 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

The 2023 race season comes to a close at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Oct. 5-8. The race will be live-streamed on the GT World YouTube page.

RESULTS