From overcoming early-season challenges to delivering unforgettable on-track battles, SRO America has showcased that it is a cornerstone of global motorsport. To reflect on the year’s defining moments and look ahead to what’s next, the series sat down with John Dagys, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. In this exclusive interview, Dagys shares his insights into the standout moments that defined the past season, while offering his predictions for an even bigger 2025 season to come.
Reflecting on 2024, what were the standout moments or defining storylines of the SRO America season, both on and off the track?
The standout moment for me was right at the beginning of the season and seeing how the organization was able to quickly bounce back from adversity. The track challenges at Sonoma Raceway initially put the entire weekend in doubt. People were even looking at booking early flights home, yet together with Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, the track owner, SRO America pulled off a spectacular weekend of racing that helped set the tone for the remainder of an amazing season.
Were there any surprises or unexpected developments that shaped the championship?
Turner Motorsport’s triumph in the Pro-Am class in GT World Challenge America was a remarkable story, considering the points deficit they entered heading into Indianapolis. Given the strength of Samantha Tan Racing, I wasn’t honestly expecting them to overturn the points in the race, but with the unfortunate electrical issues for the No. 38 BMW, it made it possible for Turner to triumph.
In terms of team and driver performance, which competitors exceeded expectations, and which ones are poised to make an even greater impact in 2025?
DXDT Racing stood out as the benchmark team in GT World Challenge America. It was impressive to see how quickly they came to grips with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, including giving the car its first win in global competition at Circuit of The Americas, and then going on a remarkable eight-race Pro class win streak. They weren’t the fastest car every weekend but they proved to have the right strategy and driver combination in Tommy Milner and Alec Udell.
Are there any newcomers or rising stars you believe fans should watch out for next season?
I was extremely impressed with Justin Rothberg, in his first season of GT3 racing. Of course he had one of the best coaches in the business, Robby Foley, as his co-driver and mentor, but Rothberg had some amazing drives himself, both in GT America and GT World Challenge America. I can’t wait to see what he does next year.
Isaac Sherman also deserves a mention here too, for his dominance in the GT4 class in GT America, also in his respective first season of GT4 competition. It will be great to see if he’s able to step up to Pirelli GT4 America next year after dipping his toes in it at The Brickyard.
The multi-class racing format in SRO America is one of its hallmarks. How would you assess the competition across the classes and series this past year, and how do you envision the level of competition in 2025?
The Pro and Pro-Am classes of GT World Challenge America almost felt like a combined class this year, which in my opinion, was a good thing, as it provided intense and entertaining on-track action. It would be great to see more Am competitors step up to the series next year, as I think the Bronze-Bronze pairings deserve to also be in the spotlight.
Some of the best races of the year came in GT America, including the duels between Johnny O’Connell and Rothberg for overall honors in SRO3, as well as Sherman and Curt Swearingin in GT4. I was also impressed with the amount of green flag racing in Pirelli GT4 America, which marked a significant increase over recent years. While the car count was slightly reduced compared to 2023, it proved that you don’t need to have overflowing grids to have great racing.
Looking ahead to 2025, what do you think are the key changes or trends that will influence the direction of the series, both in terms of competition and fan engagement?
I think SRO America’s stability will help bring even more competition to the respective series. What series President and CEO Greg Gill and his team has achieved with calendar parity should be commended, while maintaining the core values of each series should deliver more growth.
GT3 and GT4 are two of the most popular car platforms in the world and SRO America, in my opinion, is one of the best-positioned series to take advantage of the growth we’re about to see in the coming years with additional new cars coming into homologation.
While we don’t directly cover the series, it will also be interesting to see how TC America performs under its new format and structure. Sometimes there’s a time for change and I think SRO America made the right choices for its longstanding touring car series.
How do you see the role of sustainability and emerging technologies shaping the series in the near future?
In terms of sustainability and emerging technologies, I think everyone should continue keeping an eye on hybrid and/or EV racing. I know it has mixed views amongst fans, but every series should be looking ahead for ways of creating sustainable motorsport. My daily driver is an EV and the technology those types of vehicles offer is amazing. It would be great to one day see an all-electric GT championship.
As someone deeply immersed in the sports car racing world, what’s your long-term outlook for SRO America? How does it compare to other global sports car championships in terms of growth and influence?
What I love about SRO America is that it fits directly into SRO’s global landscape. From GT World Challenge America, which is part of the global GT World Challenge, to Pirelli GT4 America, which counts as part of the GT4 Manufacturer Ranking, there’s a strong importance in these championships globally. As long as SRO America maintains those links, I’m convinced it will continue to grow in the years to come.