This past weekend, Ryan Yardley of New Zealand was officially crowned the SRO GT Academy winner for GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. With it, the 28-year-old driver has earned a fully-funded drive in the 2027 24 Hours of Spa.
Yardley graduated from Porsche Carrera Cup North America as the reigning Pro class champion, up to GT3 racing where he drove the #31 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R alongside Dave Musial Jnr.
They finished second in the Pro-Am championship standings, with four class podiums, and an overall victory in the second race of the season at Circuit of the Americas.
“It’s an incredible feeling to come away from the Indianapolis 8 Hour as the SRO GT Academy winner,” said Yardley. “SRO has put together a fantastic programme, and I’m thrilled to have come out on top.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting the other GT Academy winners from around the world as we join forces next year to take on one of the biggest sports car races in the world, the 24 Hours of Spa.”
The SRO GT Academy is contested by FIA Silver-graded drivers under the age of 30, with prizes given in four regions – America, Asia, Australia, and Great Britain. Unlike traditional championships, the SRO GT Academy evaluates drivers on individual performance, awarding points for each race based on factors such as outright pace and consistency.
Yardley’s opportunity for the SRO GT Academy appeared closed going into the penultimate race of the season at Barber Motorsports Park after fellow Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver, Tom Sargent, amassed a staggering lead. But when Sargent bowed out of the DESDER Indianapolis 8 Hour and thus forfeited his points, it turned the SRO GT Academy’s final showdown into a battle between Yardley and Zachary Vanier.
Yardley’s sixth-place overall finish for Wright Motorsports, third in Pro-Am, was enough for him to win the prize.
Next June, Yardley will make his Spa 24 Hours debut, joining British GT prize winner Jarrod Waberski in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO entered by Motopark.
The Asian and Australian prizes are still to be decided: Heading into GT World Challenge Asia’s finale at Shanghai on 31 October/1 November, James Yu Kuai currently leads the standings over Atsushi Miyake (pending a ruling on his eligibility) and Maxime Oosten.
Meanwhile, barring catastrophe, GT World Australia points leader Oscar Targett should stamp his ticket to Spa in Adelaide on 28/29 November.
Images © SRO Motorsports America
