After a couple of months away, the American branch of the global GT World Challenge championship returned to the track for Round 5 at Road America. While the North American championship was on its summer break, however, the global manufacturer fight continued to unfold, with plenty of action taking place across the world.
Mercedes-AMG remains firmly in control of the championship lead, now sitting on 898 points. Porsche continues to apply the pressure in second with 846 points, leaving just 52 points between the two manufacturers and setting up what could be a dramatic fight to the finish. Ferrari occupies third place with 729 points and remains within striking distance as the season enters its decisive stages.
With the next round of GT World Challenge America at Barber Motorsports Park just a few weeks away, the championship is rapidly approaching its conclusion on the American side. The season-ending Indianapolis 8 Hour is also looming on the horizon, adding another major opportunity for manufacturers to make their mark in the global standings.
Mercedes-AMG
Road America proved to be a highly successful weekend for Mercedes-AMG, with customer teams delivering another strong haul of points across the three-hour contest.
In Pro-Am, TR3 Racing’s Brayton Williams and Daniel Morad enjoyed a breakthrough weekend in the No. 9 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, securing the class victory after a thrilling and hard-fought battle that unfolded throughout a chaotic race. The result provided a significant boost to Mercedes-AMG’s manufacturer campaign while also marking an important milestone for the TR3 Racing pairing.
In the Pro class, JMF Motorsports continued its strong form with another podium for the No. 34 entry of Michai Stephens and Mikael Grenier. The result adds another valuable points haul to their championship pursuit as the American season enters its final stages.
Porsche
Porsche continued to challenge Mercedes-AMG at Road America, with two of its customer teams reaching the Pro-Am podium.
RS1, a regular fixture in the top three throughout the season, returned to form with a second-place finish in the No. 28 entry, this time with new driver Danny Dyszelski behind the wheel. The result was particularly rewarding following a difficult outing at the previous round at Road Atlanta, where the team’s race was ended early after contact with another competitor.
Third place at Road America went to Wright Motorsports’ Dave Musial Jr. and Ryan Yardley in the No. 31 Porsche. The result marked their third podium of the season and proved particularly valuable in the championship standings, as the pair moved into the Pro-Am class championship lead heading into the final two rounds.
Ferrari
Scuderia Corsa enjoyed a memorable weekend at Road America, making its debut in GT World Challenge America with an immediate victory in the Am class. Mitchell Green and Jon Morley delivered the perfect debut aboard the No. 67 Ferrari 296 GT3, taking the class win and giving Ferrari another strong result in its global manufacturer championship campaign.
There was also some frustration for AF Corse USA, however, as both of its entries encountered mechanical problems during the race. The No. 12 Pro-class Ferrari of Matias Perez Companc and Miguel Molina was met with mechanical issues that ultimately took them behind the wall for repairs. It was a heartbreaking outcome after earning pole position earlier in the day. Meanwhile, the No. 163 Am-class entry of Jay Schreibman and Benny Simonsen also suffered a mechanical problem.
Despite the setbacks, Ferrari remains comfortably in third place in the manufacturer standings and will have plenty of opportunities to add to its 729-point total before the season concludes.
Up Next
The global GT World Challenge calendar continues with the next rounds in Australia and Europe taking place on the same weekend, September 18th to 20th. GT World Challenge Australia will head to Sydney, while GT World Challenge Europe heads to Zandvoort for another important weekend in the global manufacturer battle.
On the American front, Barber Motorsports Park will play host to the penultimate round of the season from September 25th to 27th, 2026 for the UAB Medicine GT World Alabama benefiting Teal Wings of Hope.
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