- CrowdStrike Racing program holds three leads in SRO America series championships
- George Kurtz, Colin Braun already with multiple wins in CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes
- Kevin Boehm seeks to add to win tally in TC America
- CrowdStrike is the Cloud and Internet Security Provider of SRO
AUSTIN, Texas (July 21, 2022) – The CrowdStrike Racing program returns to action in SRO Motorsports America competition this weekend at Watkins Glen International, with CrowdStrike drivers leading the race to the championship in three different categories.
It’s the first SRO event for CrowdStrike Racing since a banner weekend at Virginia International Raceway a month ago, which saw five victories for CrowdStrike-branded entries, setting a very high bar as the program heads to New York State.
CrowdStrike Racing will compete in three SRO series at Watkins Glen:
- Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS: George Kurtz and Colin Braun in the No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes-AMG from CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports
- GT America Powered by AWS: George in another No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes-AMG from CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports
- TC America Powered by Skip Barber Racing School: Kevin Boehm in the No. 9 CrowdStrike/AWS HPD Civic Type R TC from Skip Barber Racing School
CrowdStrike’s presence on the track mirrors its participation off it as the Official Cloud and Internet Security Provider of SRO. CrowdStrike is on the front line of protecting data and preventing security breaches, while also being on the starting line in many of SRO America’s racing categories – including the premier GT World Challenge America. The company’s powerful Falcon graphic is the dominant feature on all CrowdStrike Racing entries in SRO America competition.
In GT World Challenge America, Kurtz and Braun have won two races so far this year and hold a 13-point lead in the Pro-Am Drivers Championship after six of 13 races; 25 points go to the winners of each race.
The Kurtz/Braun pairing is riding a wave of consistency to the early-season championship lead with five podium finishes in six races – more than any other entry in the category. Each World Challenge race is 90 minutes in length with two drivers, which makes the consistency of the No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes duo even more impressive.
Kurtz has been similarly strong in the GT America series with three wins and two additional podiums in six rounds. He holds a 23-point lead in that championship after back-to-back victories at VIR. There are two more 40-minute races set for The Glen.
“Watkins Glen is one of the great, classic tracks in America,” Kurtz said. “I'm really excited to get back there with the Mercedes-AMG. We are fortunate in GT World Challenge America to compete at so many great venues, The Glen definitely ranks up there. The names and manufacturers who have won races at Watkins Glen in a number of different series is impressive, to say the least. It would be an honor to add our names to the list."
Kurtz and Braun have been close at The Glen as they posted runner-up finishes the last two years in IMSA prototype competition, including a month ago in a six-hour endurance race. Given that momentum and coming off a win at VIR, Braun feels there’s no reason he and Kurtz can’t contend again.
“I’m looking forward to returning to Watkins Glen as the CrowdStrike team had a good test there earlier this year,” Braun said. “I know both George and I really enjoy the track. The fast, flowing nature of Watkins Glen seems to really suit the Mercedes, too. George is a natural at this track so I look forward to putting on a good show for the CrowdStrike supporters!”
The story is the same for Boehm in TC America. After finishing second in the 2021 championship, Boehm has been on a mission so far with five victories in six races and a third-place showing in the one event he didn’t win.
The 2020 TCA champion, Boehm finished second in both Watkins Glen rounds a year ago and arrives at this year’s event with a 55-point lead in the standings. He won both races at VIR and opened the season with a sweep at Sonoma before taking a victory at NOLA Motorsports Park.
“This is a really good stretch of very fun and challenging race tracks in TC America,” Boehm said. “Each provides their own unique challenge with these TC cars. Watkins Glen is a bit like VIR in that there are a lot of elevation changes and some really strong mid- and high-speed corners. Anything can happen at a track like The Glen. That’s why we will continue to push and be at the top of our game.”
CrowdStrike and Operation Motorsport
Working together is a key to success in any venture, and there isn’t a much better example that of CrowdStrike and Operation Motorsport. Both organizations have the same goal of helping to serve retired and disabled veterans.
A not-for-profit, OpMo provides a chance for service members to use their skill sets in a variety of areas including paddock operations, car and tire prep, marketing, social media and other key areas that are part of a racing program.
Two OpMo members will continue to be part of the CrowdStrike family at Watkins Glen: Craig Neri, Retired – U.S. Air Force, and Retired Air Force Technical Sgt. Michael Neri. The brothers will continue working alongside Boehm on the No. 9 HPD Civic throughout the weekend. The Neri brothers will carry on the OpMo mantra of “Recovery Through Motorsports #OneAtATime.”
CrowdStrike is also a proud part of American Corporate Partners (ACP), which provides CrowdStrike mentors for service members looking to transition to the private sector, and a partner with HireMilitary, to provide meaningful internship experiences to service members exiting the military via the DoD SkillBridge program.
CrowdStrike Racing competes at Watkins Glen International in Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS GT America Powered by AWS and TC America Powered by Skip Barber Racing School from July 22-24.
For more information, visit CrowdStrikeRacing.com. Follow #CrowdStrikeRacing on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for updates.
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