SRO Motorsports America has released its entry list for the 2026 GT World Challenge America powered by AWS season, featuring 22 entries – of which, 21 will be at the season-opening round at Sonoma Raceway on 29 March.
The 21-car field for Sonoma will be the largest entry for the series (outside of the Indianapolis 8 Hour Race) since the former Pirelli World Challenge was transformed into GT World Challenge America in 2019 – with many of them being new entries to the series, and to GT3 racing.
Nine manufacturers – Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche – are represented, with six Pro (Silver/Open) and 14 Pro-Am (Bronze/Open) class entries as of present.
Porsche has by far the largest representation on the grid with eight new 992.2-generation 911 GT3 Rs.
McCann Racing is one of the many new entries to GT World America, stepping up from Porsche one-make racing. Michael McCann Jnr and talented Canadian Zachary Vanier will each move up from Porsche Carrera Cup North America (PCCNA) to drive the #8 Porsche in the Pro category.
The rest of Porsche’s fleet is part of the massive Pro-Am field: Kellymoss’ three-car contingent, and two cars from the returning Wright Motorsports, have already been unveiled. The last three PCCNA Pro champions Riley Dickinson (#13 Kellymoss), Loek Hartog (#88 Kellymoss), and Ryan Yardley (#31 Wright Motorsports) are all on the grid, along with reigning Porsche Endurance Challenge North America (PECNA) class champion John Gilliland, sharing the #017 Kellymoss Porsche with established star Colin Braun.
In addition, RS1 (#28) and GMG Racing (#32) will continue their GT World America participation in the Pro-Am class, with drivers to be announced later.
Mercedes-AMG has four entries for 2026, headlined by JMF Motorsports’ Michai Stephens and Mikaël Grenier challenging for the Pro title once again in their #34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
This year, JMF Motorsports will expand to a two-car outfit. Longtime World Challenge stalwart Jason Daskalos will move from CRP Racing, and team up with young Englishman Lorcan Hanafin in the Pro-Am #27 Mercedes-AMG.
TR3 Racing returns to GT World America for the first time since 2023, entering the black and blue #9 for GT3 newcomer Brayton Williams and his co-driver, Will Bamber, brother of two-time Le Mans winner Earl, and last year’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Pro class runner-up.
The fourth Mercedes-AMG will be the Am class #11 from Lone Star Racing, starting at Circuit of the Americas for the second round of the season.
BMW’s three entries are headlined by reigning Pro class champion Random Vandals Racing, and reigning Pro-Am champion Turner Motorsport, swapping categories this year with their M4 GT3 EVOs.
Turner’s Justin Rothberg and Robby Foley will fight for the Pro title in their #29 car, while Random Vandals moves to Pro-Am, with Derek DeBoer and Hampus Ericsson.
They’re joined by the Pro-Am duo of Slade Stewart and Andy Lee in the #14 Riley Motorsports BMW, carrying Stewart’s famous “Sparklefarts” livery.
AF Corse USA will enter two Ferrari 296 GT3 Evos, one in Pro, and one in Am.
The Pro class #12 Ferrari sees Matias Perez Companc, son of rallying and sports car racing veteran Luis, teaming up with talented Danish driver Frederik Schandorff. Meanwhile, Jay Schriebman and Oswaldo Negri Jnr return to compete for the Am (Bronze/Bronze) title in their #163 Ferrari.
Lamborghini returns to GT World America for the first time since 2022 as Chicago Performance and Tuning enters the Huracán GT3 EVO2 for the first time; Mads Siljehaug and Nicolai Elghanayan are confirmed for three rounds this year in the Pro class.
And Dollahite Racing is set to step up from Am to Pro with their #6 Ford Mustang GT3. Drivers will be announced for the programme at a later date.
Rebel Rock Racing moves up to GT3 competition full-time with the #71 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo driven by Frank DePew and Robin Liddell.
Archangel Motorsports, Todd Coleman, and Aaron Telitz reunite for another season – Coleman and Telitz are back to drive the #69 (was #88) McLaren (720S) GT3 EVO.
Then there is Chouest Povoledo Racing, which is slated to enter the #50 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R for Ross Chouest and Aaron Povoledo.
This would be a significant change of course for Chouest and his team from only this past Friday, when the team announced it would only enter GT America powered by AWS – the all-Bronze, mixed-class sprint series within the SRO America pyramid.
Notable entries that won’t return from last season include perennial competitor DXDT Racing, now exclusively committed to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Heart of Racing Team, with Gray Newell now challenging the FIA World Endurance Championship, will not return either, along with LAB Motorsport, Racers Edge Motorsports (now under the ownership of Jim and Nick Pattin), and a prospective return of Forte Racing has also not materialised.
Images © SRO Motorsports America
