19 cars will enter the opening round of the 2025 GT World Challenge America powered by AWS at Sonoma Raceway next week, the largest first-round grid for the series since 2022. Eight manufacturers will be represented with four entries in the Pro category, and 14 in Pro-Am.
The Pro category features two BMW M4 GT3s from Random Vandals Racing; the #51 of team newcomers Varun Choksey and BMW North America legend Bill Auberlen, and the #99 of Kenton Koch joined by BMW M factory driver Connor De Phillippi.
They’ll square off against GT3 newcomers JMF Motorsports, entering the #34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Michai Stephens and Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver, Mikaël Grenier. Returning to the Pro ranks is the 2023 class champion team RS1 and the #18 Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by past Pro-Am champion Jan Heylen, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America graduate Alex Sedgwick of Great Britain.
A loaded Pro-Am entry list is headlined by the reigning champions of the category: Turner Motorsport, drivers Justin Rothberg and Robby Foley, and their blue and black #29 BMW M4 GT3. Rothberg’s development in year two will be the key to standing out against a strong field of challengers, including BMW stablemates Flying Lizard Motorsports and the #8 of Elias Sabo and Andy Lee – who began last season in an Aston Martin before switching to the M4 GT3 mid-season.
Headlining the list of potential challengers for Turner Motorsport is 2023 Pro-Am champions George Kurtz, Colin Braun, and the new-look #04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG. This marks Kurtz and Braun’s long-awaited return to GT World Challenge America for the first time since May.
The Silver Arrows’ Pro-Am contingent also features Regulator Racing’s #91 with Utah’s Jeff Burton and AMG Performance Driver Philip Ellis, and the #27 CRP Racing entry of Jason Daskalos and Isaac Sherman, the latter of which is graduating from GT America.
Aston Martin will have two Vantage AMR GT3 ‘EVO’s in the field. Racers Edge Motorsports begins its newest chapter with Aston Martin as the #2 Vantage GT3 of Jason Bell and Michael Cooper makes its debut. The Heart of Racing Team also makes its GT World Challenge America debut with Gray Newell and Aston Martin racing legend, Darren Turner, in the #24 Vantage.
The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R will race at Sonoma for the first time in 2025, with two Pro-Am cars in the field. DXDT Racing’s #11 Corvette has a new look, new number, and two new drivers – Blake McDonald, and Matthew Bell. Chouest Povoledo Racing switched from Mercedes-AMG to Corvette in the offseason, and Ross Chouest & Aaron Povoledo hope for better results in their #50 Z06 GT3.R.
Porsche will have two solid Pro-Am entries of their own: Series stalwart GMG Racing returns with the #32 of Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent, and Lab Motorsport by GT Racing begins its first full season with the #92 of Jean-Frederic Laberge and Kyle Marcelli.
Two new faces from Brazil will drive the #16 Ferrari 296 GT3 from AF Corse, Marcelo Hahn and Allam Khodair. Archangel Motorsports brings the McLaren 720S GT3 EVO back to GT World Challenge – via the #88 of Todd Coleman and Aaron Telitz.
Sonoma will also be the venue where the Ford Mustang GT3 makes its GT World Challenge America debut, as Dollahite Racing introduces the #6 Mustang GT3 driven by second-generation driver Scott Dollahite, and Anthony Lazzaro, a veteran of 30+ years in sports cars, stock cars, and open-wheelers. For the moment the #6 Dollahite Mustang is listed as a Pro-Am entry despite the Bronze/Bronze ranking of both drivers.
Should they be moved to the Am category, they’ll compete for class honours against the #163 AF Corse Ferrari of Jay Schreibman and Oswaldo Negri Jnr, looking to test their skills for a full season after a good partial slate in 2024.
Qualifying and both 90-minute races for GT World Challenge America will be streamed live on the SRO GT World YouTube channel, and on the SRO Motorsports Twitch channel. Also, for fans inside the United States, MAVTV will have live terrestrial coverage of GT World Challenge America starting in 2025.
Feature image © SRO Motorsports America
