With two races to go in his maiden European Le Mans Series campaign, Tom Sargent’s #75 Proton Competition Porsche sits atop of the LMGT3 standings, well-placed to contend for a title in what is yet again proving to be the series’ most open championship battle.
The 23-year-old rookie is undertaking his biggest racing programme to-date this season, with the ELMS joining GT World Challenge America and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup on his schedule.
And, so far, the addition of a European campaign alongside Matt Kurzejewski and Richard Lietz has proven to be a success. Victory at the season-opening 4 Hours of Barcelona, followed by a trio of consistent runs ranging from fourth to seventh despite the presence of success ballast, have kept the #75 Porsche in the title picture throughout the season, with it currently holding a narrow one-point lead in the championship.
“There’s a couple of reasons that I ended up here,” Sargent tells DSC.
“The biggest one is obviously Matt Kurzejewski, our Bronze driver, was looking to do a season in ELMS. He’d established his team being Proton, and he was in a hunt for a couple of drivers. So they needed a Silver, and my name was suggested by a couple of people he was talking to.
“We actually attend the same gym programme sort of thing, so that was kind of how that came about. He was able to reach out and get contact through that, which is how that came about. So then we did a bit of discussion. Obviously, it’s not an easy decision for him to make, so we discussed it, and in the end he went with me, which was nice.
“And then that kicked off my first full season in Europe, which was cool. It’s a big tick. I was fortunate enough to do the Spa 24 Hours last year, and Nürburgring SRO, which was cool. I was like, ‘this is this is where I could see myself doing more racing’. I really love the US side of it, but the Europe side is definitely different, and it’s enjoyable. So this was a good championship to start off in. I like it and it’s relatively aligned with WEC, which is something that I would hopefully see myself doing in the future as well. So it’s a good start to be here.”
Europe is the third continent that Sargent has raced full-time on, with the Australian having started his racing career on home soil, climbing the domestic ladder before making the move to North America in 2023.
“I never really saw myself racing internationally,” he states.
“You grow up in Australia, and V8 Supercars is the thing, right? It’s really big, and everyone in the world follows it. It’s a very exciting series, a great series, and that’s kind of what I saw myself wanting to achieve.
“And then I started moving up the ranks. I did my Formula Ford stuff. I won that. Then I went to Porsche Sprint Challenge, and that was what opened my eyes to the possibility of international stuff and GT racing and maybe one day Hypercar, and I was like, ‘oh, maybe there’s something more outside of Australia for me’.
“And then I won that [Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia] championship that year, and I was given a start to go to the US and do Carrera Cup. Ideally, it was going to be a three-year plan, so it was a big decision. I was not really sure, I knew more about the European side [of racing] than the US side, it’s a little bit of a different market.
“So I was kind of like, ‘oh well, it’s tough doing stuff, so maybe this is an opportunity for me’, and I think it was the best move I could have made. In the end, my three-year Carrera Cup plan wasn’t three years at all, it was one year, but it’s been for the best.”
Sargent finished as runner-up in the 2023 Carrera Cup North America, before finances prevented him from returning in 2024, triggering the Australia to pursue a switch to GT3 racing, with GMG Racing in GT World Challenge America, instead.
“I was able to put together a GT3 programme where I shared my drive with a Bronze driver, which ticked off something that is very common in the world right now,” he explains.
“Endurance racing is all multiple driver stuff, and it was something that took a little bit of getting used to. It was different because up until that point, it was always me. There was the team, and then there was one driver, and now you now you’re sharing and you’ve got to make compromises between each other.
“You’ve got to learn to work together, and it’s a different thing, but it was so good to do that so early because then it makes stuff like what I did this year, to just rock up to to Europe, meet Matt and Richie, and then make something happen, so much easier.
“And ultimately, my ultimate goal is to be a contracted factory driver, and that’s what you’re going to have to do. Richie, for example, has done this his whole life. He just jumps into different teams at different races, and he meets people, and he makes it work.
“It’s a good skill to have, so it was a good start to be able to do that so early, and that also helped me get GT3 experience because it’s not easy to transition from Carrera Cup to GT3. There’s a big cost gap, which is very hard to fill. I was very fortunate to be given a chance so I could do that, and then once you start to get GT3 experience, it then really starts to roll, and that’s kind of what it’s done to me each year.
“This is my third season in GT3. I’ve added one more championship each year. First season, I did just GT World Challenge, then I did GT World Challenge and IMSA, and now GT World Challenge, IMSA and ELMS. I don’t know what next year is going to offer, but so far it’s been a good step.”
The addition of an part-season campaign with Wright Motorsports in 2025 allowed Sargent to tick off several “pinch me” moments, with a calendar including the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and a pair of GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup outings enabling him to debut at the endurance classics at Daytona, Sebring, Spa and Petit Le Mans.
A runner-up finish in GTD on debut at last year’s 24 Hours of Daytona has been Sargent’s standout IMSA result to-date, although further podiums have followed at Indianapolis last year and Sebring earlier this year.
“IMSA has been cool, and it’s a unique championship,” he says.
“It’s hectic, with the GTPs, LMP2s and GT3s, and you’re contesting some of the most famous endurance events there are. I get to do just the endurance ones. Hopefully, one day I can do a full championship.
“I remember my first IMSA race was the Daytona 24 hours. It was a big pinch me moment, and then I was fortunate enough to come over here [to Europe] and do the Spa 24, which was also a very big pinch me moment. It’s the biggest GT3 race in the world.
“It was so cool to do, and Wright have been awesome to me. We’re on our second year together, which is really nice, and hopefully we can do more in the future. It’s always depending on your driver rating and where you sit, so this is one thing that’s not really necessarily in your control that much, but something you’ve got to work around, and it’s the same for everyone.
“I like America. I live there now, and to be honest it’s one of my favourite places to be. So I’ve really been enjoying it, and it’s the perfect place to be to then do the European stuff as well, because it’s not that far from Europe versus Australia, where it’s going to take me two days to fly.”
This season’s ELMS campaign has seen Sargent working alongside Porsche factory driver Lietz, and with a professional sportscar career the aim, the 23-year-old has been paired with the ideal mentor to learn from and hone his skills alongside.
“There is no one better than him as for experience, understanding how the game works and the best way to make it happen,” Sargent states.
“He has been giving me so much advice on things I can do to help me, and it’s so nice of him to do that because he doesn’t have to. He can just not help at all, but he’s been more than accommodating and trying to help me get to where he is.
“He’s obviously had a very good time with where he’s at, he sees that that’s what I want to do and he’s trying to help me do that, so it’s it’s been really cool to have him. He’s extremely quick, extremely talented, and very experienced. So not only what he helps on the outside of racing, he helps with in the car as well, with the team, me and Matt, bringing us up to speed. He’s a very wise person to have around.”
And for Sargent, the road to potentially following in Lietz’s footsteps and becoming a Porsche contracted driver is already underway, after he was named a Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver last year, a role he has continued in for 2026.
“This is really cool, and for me it was a big tick,” he says.
“It’s not a factory contract, but it’s a step in the right direction, and it was awesome for them to pick me up. I’ve been part of it now for two years, and it’s been great so far. They’ve been very helpful and just giving me as much support as they can.
“And it’s just a good person to have to lean on as well. If I need to go to them and ask for help or something like that, they can they can at least point me in the right direction, so they’ve been really good. I really like working with them as a brand. I’ve been driving Porsches now for quite a quite a while, and it’s been a good experience. I really enjoy driving the car.
“So hopefully this leads into bigger and better things. I’m optimistic that this is the pathway, and this is a really good stepping stone to achieving that.
“What I’m doing now is ultimately my dream. What I want to do and the level I want to be at. One day if it was Hypercar, that would be cool, but I’m really happy for right now.”
Images courtesy of Porsche Motorsport, David Lord and Fabian Lagunas/SRO Motorsports America
