Four rounds of the 2026 GT World Challenge America powered by AWS season are now complete, and one driver remains untouchable in the North American SRO GT Academy standings.
Australia’s Tom Sargent has maintained a perfect record through every event so far this season, maximizing his score at each round and strengthening his grip on the championship as the battle for a fully funded Silver Cup seat at the 2027 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa has crossed over the halfway point.
Nine eligible drivers entered the season with hopes of earning the coveted opportunity, but after Road Atlanta, Sargent’s advantage has grown significantly as he continues to deliver exceptional performances in the areas that matter most to the GT Academy evaluation process.
Although he and teammate Kyle Washington finished third in Pro-Am competition aboard the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R (992) EVO at Road Atlanta, Sargent once again excelled in the categories that determine GT Academy points.
During his qualifying session, Sargent posted a lap of 1:19.613, good enough for fifth overall and third among the Pro-Am entries. More importantly, it established a comfortable margin over his fellow GT Academy contenders and positioned him to secure another maximum points haul.
His race pace proved equally impressive, and once again he recorded the fastest lap of the race outright, setting a blistering 1:20.277 that stood as the quickest time by any driver in the field.
The result was another perfect 36-point weekend, extending his flawless season record and bringing his total to 144 points after four rounds. That tally places Sargent 65 points clear of fellow Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver Ryan Yardley, who currently occupies second place in the standings.
Having already experienced the unique challenge of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in 2025, Sargent believes that prior knowledge could prove invaluable should he earn the opportunity to return through the GT Academy program.
"Last year I had the opportunity to contest the Spa 24 for the first time," said Sargent. *It's a big eye-opening event for anyone doing it for the first time with 75 other cars on track with you. You're going against hundreds of the best GT drivers in the world at one of the most famous circuits."
"Thankfully, being an SRO event, a lot of the rules carry over, but there are still some differences and things you need to be on top of to make sure you don't incur penalties,” he explained. “The biggest thing with European events is their track limits and how they're policed and enforced. There is very little room for error and the penalties are big."
"This race is so competitive and so hard to gain an advantage that any loss is multiplied, and it's so hard to get that time back. It would be nice to compete in this event again with experience now, knowing the rhythm and the flow.
Sargent also highlighted the importance of balancing outright performance with long-run consistency when preparing for the biggest GT racing race in the world.
"We had such a good debut when I was there last time with a brand-new team and three new drivers for the event," he explained. "As I mentioned, minimizing penalties and losses is so crucial there, but you also need a fast race car. You need to focus on building a car that is quick over one lap but is also driveable and compliant for 24 hours. This is a very hard balance to achieve, but something I hope my experience can help with."
Should he secure the GT Academy prize, Sargent believes his previous Spa experience could benefit the entire team effort.
"I would expect to be one of very few drivers in the GT Academy that has contested Spa before, and I think it would be nice to help bring that experience on board," he shared. "Lining up in a Silver Cup car is always nice when you're driving with people at a similar level. Although a lot of the year we may be competitors, for this one event we'll all come together as teammates, so I'm sure I'll be sharing everything that I've learned to help speed up the process."
The championship now enters its summer break before returning for Round 5 at the National Park of Speed. GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and the SRO GT Academy will resume competition at Road America from August 28th to 30th, where the chase for a trip to Spa continues. Get your #GTRoadAmerica tickets now!