Esses Racing will return for a second partial campaign in GT World Challenge America this season with the #19 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
Will Hardeman will anchor the team as its Bronze driver in the four rounds in which it appears, including the season-opening round at Sonoma Raceway in April. For this event, he’ll be rejoined by veteran single-seater racer Adam Carroll in a Pro-Am lineup.
The pair recorded a Pro-Am class pole position and two overall top-ten finishes in seven races together, with a best overall finish of fifth at NOLA Motorsports Park in Louisiana.
After Sonoma, longtime Porsche Carrera Cup North America driver Alan Metni will join Hardeman as the team moves to the Am class for the remaining three races of their calendar, starting in May at Esses Racing’s home track, Circuit of the Americas.
Like Hardeman and the Esses team, Metni is an Austin native – and he got his first sampling of driving GT3 cars as a spot starter in GT World Challenge America back in 2019.
Metni won the 2022 PCCNA Pro-Am title and was rewarded with a full-season Kellymoss with Riley GTD drive in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship GTD last year, where he and co-driver Kay van Berlo won at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in April.
“Being back for a second year in SRO is great for Esses and the #19 team,” said Esses Racing General Manager, Dave O’Neill. “We did a lot of work during the offseason in preparation for the 2024 championship and we are ready to get after it on track.”
Esses Racing will also contest the June round at VIRginia International Raceway and the August round at Road America.
Feature image © Fabian Lagunas / SRO Motorsports America
