Elkhart Lake welcomes GT World Challenge to town
SRO America held its annual parade of GT cars from Road America to the town centre of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and the subsequent welcome party at the famous Siebkens Resort, on Thursday evening – following testing for all events.
Cars from all six SRO America-sanctioned championships were then showcased to the local residents and fans who came out for the second major sports car gathering of the month – a tradition that is set to continue after the news that Road America will return for the 2026 season.
From the ground level, it is a pleasure to report that the sports car racing fever has not abated, with a good crowd turnout which should hopefully translate as the race weekend begins on Friday.
The event also featured, among the cars, the people, and the many pints of Spotted Cow served and consumed, the appearance of Random Vandals Racing’s mascot, Gizmo the raccoon – to the delight of the younger fans in attendance!
Pirelli DHG tyre debuts in America
This weekend marks the American rollout of Pirelli’s newest generation of P Zero GT racing tyre, the DHG.
The DHG tyres, which made their worldwide debut in the GT World Challenge Europe season-opener at Paul Ricard, will be used by all GT3 and GT4 cars entered this weekend.
Made of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified rubber, the DHG has been touted to provide a wider working range, faster warm-up, and greater consistency over long distances.
Driver handicaps for Rothberg
Reigning GT World Challenge America Pro-Am and GT America SRO3 champion Justin Rothberg has been racing as a derogated Bronze with dispensation from SRO America this year, but he has had handicaps placed upon him throughout the season.
It started with additional ballast weight on his Turner Motorsport BMWs: 13kg at COTA, then 26kg from Sebring onward, in both GT World Challenge and GT America.
This weekend, the #29 Turner BMW of Rothberg and Robby Foley will also have five seconds added to its minimum pit time in both GT World America races.
Rothberg will also have to serve a five-place grid penalty during the GT America races, which have only attracted seven entries on the provisional entry list this weekend, all of them GT3/SRO3 vehicles.
15 cars for penultimate McLaren Trophy America round
McLaren Trophy America returns to action this weekend, with only four races and two rounds left in the inaugural season. 15 cars are on the entry list this weekend, but there will be a couple of noteworthy absences.
GMG Racing’s John Capestro-Dubets and Flying Lizard Motorsports driver George Lawrence were involved in a major accident during practice at VIR last month. Both drivers are at the circuit this weekend – a relief for Lawrence in particular after he suffered a back injury – though their cars are not, after suffering terminal damage.
Replacing the #3 Flying Lizard and #4 GMG Racing cars are a second Forte Racing car (#24) driven by 2023 Petit Le Mans class winner Patrick Liddy and co-driver Tanner Harvey; and the Aero-B Motorsports #52 car of Chris Leichtweis and Jason Guzman. Scott Sorbaro adds another Orlando Motorsport Services car, the #94.
RWE Motorsports swept the doubleheader at VIR last time out; John Dempsey and Andrew Davis took victory in Race 1, followed by Casey Dennis and James Li in the Hollywood-inspired #74 car.
Road America weekend gains title sponsor
Sunflower Limited’s online casino service, Crown Coins, has become an official partner of SRO America and the title sponsor of this weekend’s races at Road America.
During the weekend, Crown Coins is expected to launch a GT World Challenge-themed casino game. They will also have activations at Road America’s fan zone, and will also have a presence at the Indianapolis 8 Hour powered by AWS in October.
Ellis sets fastest time in testing
Regulator Racing’s Philip Ellis set the fastest time across Thursday’s test sessions: He set a 2:04.678 in the #91 Mercedes-AMG GT3 during the morning session, enough to edge ahead of the #34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG of Mikaël Grenier, who was second ahead of the #29 Turner Motorsport BMW of Robby Foley.
Tom Sargent, who was fourth-fastest during the morning session, led the afternoon test with a 2:05.105, with Ellis and Grenier completing the top three.
In the Paid Bronze Test, World Challenge veteran Jason Daskalos set the quickest time in his #27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG.
Of the Pirelli GT4 America cars, the #7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport (Curt Swearingin/Riley Dickinson) recorded the quickest time in both Thursday GT4 test sessions.
Hannah Greenemeier in the #26 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 (Evo) was the fastest of all GT4 cars and drivers that elected to participate in the Paid Bronze Test.
LAB Motorsport withdraws after VIR crash
The #92 LAB Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R of Jean-Frederic Laberge and Kyle Marcelli did not arrive and has been scratched from this weekend’s races, bringing the field for GT World Challenge America down to 15 cars.
This withdrawal was not a major surprise, after Laberge’s big accident in Race 1 at VIR – the second big accident of the season for LAB Motorsport, after Marcelli crashed during Qualifying at Sonoma in the first round of the season. The team hopes to return in time for the Indianapolis 8 Hour.
Pirelli GT4 America has had two scratched cars – the #10 OGH Motorsports McLaren, and a #28 car for Nate Cicero and Stuart McAleer, who ran the first three races in a blue Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO.
The former Fast Track BMW, however, did run in testing as a replacement vehicle for Skip Barber Racing Team’s Aston Martin Vantage GT4.
Images © Fabian Lagunas, Brian Cleary / SRO Motorsports America; Pirelli
