It was a thrilling and exhilarating season for the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS competitors, but as the battles came to a close, only two teams were able to walk away as champions. The Pro title was awarded to Wright Motorsports, who fended off a rival threat and powered to victory in the final round. Meanwhile, in the Pro-Am class, Turner Motorsport proved that you should never count out the underdog.
Pro Class: Wright Motorsports
As the checkered flag waved to conclude the Indianapolis 8 Hour, the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 992 GT3 R crossed the finish line first, not only claiming the class win, but the Pro championship as a whole.
It truly came down to the final event, as they were being steadily chased down by DXDT Racing’s Alec Udell and Tommy Milner, but the Porsche pairing of Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer rose to the occasion when it matteread most. With three wins and seven podium finishes across thirteen rounds, their consistency was key in their title quest. For teammates Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer, after coming so close to clinching the title on many occasions before, the reward was extra sweet knowing what it meant to the whole team.
“I can’t thank Wright Motorsports enough,” said Adelson. “They took a chance on me when I moved to GT3 machinery earlier than planned. They’ve welcomed me like family and have so much experience and success, yet their drive never falters. They understood our pain from past championship losses and shared our determination to win. I’m grateful to John Wright and everyone at Wright Motorsports for believing in us. They made this championship possible, and I can’t imagine doing it with anyone else."
“The atmosphere within the team made me feel so at home,” he continued. “It has allowed me and the team to be able to perform at such a high level. Everyone has been working with each other for years, and there is so much wealth in terms of experience across the crew members. Their professionalism and capabilities are unmatched, and even with all the success they’ve had, their drive to keep winning only gets stronger. It’s a match made in heaven, and I wouldn't want to have done it with anyone else.”
Skeer echoed his teammate’s sentiments, adding; “We had some hard days this year, but ultimately those are the ones that made us stronger. To come away with three wins on the year, for them to be the first two during the season opener, and the last one in the finale, it was quite a spectacular way to win a championship. I’m just incredibly proud of everyone in the team and what they were able to extract out of our Porsche 992 GT3 R. There’s no other team I’d rather be with.”
“Becoming champions in motorsports is incredibly difficult,” he reflected. “There are so many variables and moving parts. It takes a lot of people to make the car run, and two or three drivers having to do everything right in the moment against everyone else on track. It’s unbelievable what the Wright Motorsports squad has been able to accomplish. This group is so special, and there is so much genuine passion and emotion between us all. It makes winning a championship even more special when you’re able to do it with these great people you care so much about.”
Pro-Am Class: Turner Motorsport
It was a tale of resilience for Pro-Am Team Champions Turner Motorsport, who had to battle hard all season long to claw back and insert themselves in the title fight. It came down to the final event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but their perseverance saw them recover from a points deficit, and go on to claim the championship win.
With three wins, including the coveted Indy 8 Hour, and five podium finishes, they finished off the season with a total of 230 points. In the end, they had a mere three point advantage over their title rivals.
Robby Foley and Justin Rothberg were a brand new teammate pairing in 2024, and the former credits the supportive and calm demeanor of the group for serving as a big contributor to their growth and success together.
“The team atmosphere is super easygoing,” explained Foley. “I feel lucky to be a product of that environment since joining Turner Motorsport full-time back in 2019. A lot of my progression as a driver happened with them. It’s truly a perfect learning environment where you can just be a sponge. I could see it happening with Justin too, he was able to learn from me, but also pick up on stuff from the crew. All these tiny details that could easily get overlooked ultimately can make the difference when it comes to race results.”
He also recognized the immense amount of experience and knowledge that comes with Team Owner Will Turner’s expertise.
“I feel privileged to work with Will Turner, someone who has been in sports car racing for multiple decades,” Foley added. “We have similar perspectives and we like to take a very realistic, big picture approach. He knows there's ups and downs, good days and bad days alike. I think together as a group, we can take those in stride.”
Rothberg also gave a lot of high praise to his co-driver and coach, in addition to all the support he has received from the Turner Motorsport team, who would offer him key advice before races.
“I felt like there were no expectations from the crew,” Rothberg elaborated. “It was a setting and workflow where they were able to give me whatever I needed. From there, I could go out on track, try to do my best, and they were happy with whatever the outcome was that I came back with.”
