GT World Challenge America powered by AWS headlines this coming weekend of SRO America racing in Road America, two weeks after the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s visit to “America’s National Park of Speed.”
16 cars are on the entry list for Saturday and Sunday’s GT World America main events – all carrying over from the VIR weekend. This includes second outings for Eric Powell in the #6 Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang GT3, and Christian Hahn in the #16 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3.
With five races left, including the season-ending Indianapolis 8 Hour powered by AWS, Random Vandals Racing’s Kenton Koch and Connor De Phillippi still lead the Pro Drivers’ standings. The drivers of the #99 BMW M4 GT3 EVO are also riding a wave of momentum: De Phillippi finished on the podium in his IMSA LMP2 debut, and Koch won the GTD class for former GT World America competitors Triarsi Competizione.
But their two main competitors are still within reach: The #18 RS1 Porsche 911 GT3 R (Alex Sedgwick/Jan Heylen) closed the gap to 14 points after sweeping both VIR rounds, and the #34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 (Michai Stephens/Mikaël Grenier) is only 20 points out.
In Pro-Am, the #29 Turner Motorsport BMW of Justin Rothberg and Robby Foley has a 44-point lead over the #11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R (Blake McDonald/Matt Bell), bolstered by two class victories in two races.
Meanwhile, the #91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG (Jeff Burton/Philip Ellis) has slipped down to third in the table after a difficult weekend in VIR, needing a resurgence this weekend to remain in title contention.
GT WORLD AMERICA ENTRY LIST >>>
Over in Pirelli GT4 America, 27 cars are on the provisional entry list for this weekend.
Among the notable changes include the return of reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Loek Hartog to the #9 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, shared with Dan Sibille – who sat out the VIR round in favour of Damir Hot and Ryan Yardley’s one-off effort.
Am class standout Thunder Bunny Racing has switched from Toyota to BMW; Laura Hayes and Allen Patten remain behind the wheel of the #606 BMW M4 GT4 EVO.
Nate Cicero filled in for an injured Edward Killeen in the #37 Dome Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4 at VIR; Cicero, who won the most recent Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Road America behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT4, is tentatively slated to rejoin Stuart McAleer – but as of publication, the #28 entry has no declared car or team.
As was the case in GT World Challenge, Kenton Koch and Random Vandals Racing are leading the top category’s championship. Koch and his co-driver in the #97 BMW, Kevin Boehm, have won the last four races in a row, to build up a 32-point lead over RAFA Racing’s #68 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 of Gresham Wagner and Tyler Gonzalez
Sam Craven and Josh Green, driving the #94 Random Vandals BMW in Pro-Am, are also on a four-race winning streak which has catapulted them to the top of the class table. They now lead the #82 BimmerWorld Racing BMW (James Walker Jnr/Tyler McQuarrie) by nine points, and the #33 Blackdog Racing McLaren Artura GT4 (Tony Gaples/Michael Cooper) by 24 points.
BimmerWorld’s Charlie Postins and James Clay still lead the Am standings after a Race 1 victory at their home track, but the gap between the #36 BMW and the #72 RAFA Racing Toyota (Anthony Geraci/Kenny Schmied) has been reduced to only 12 points, and Fast Track Racing’s Judson Holt isn’t far behind.
Images © SRO Motorsports America
