Five rounds of the 2026 GT World Challenge America powered by AWS season have elapsed, and the SRO GT Academy championship battle continues to tighten as the series heads toward its final two rounds at Barber Motorsports Park and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Road America delivered a weekend of significant momentum, as well as some frustrating heartbreak, for AF Corse USA’s Matias Perez Companc, who emerged from the Wisconsin track with a strong haul of GT Academy points despite being denied a potential race victory.
Perez Companc and co-driver Miguel Molina started the weekend in style, earning the ROWE Pole Position Award for the second consecutive event aboard the No. 12 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO. Among the GT Academy competitors, Perez Companc was second-quickest in qualifying with a lap of 2:05.177, while his time topped the charts during the opening Qualifying 1 segment.
That pace translated directly into the race. Perez Companc converted pole into the race lead when the green flag flew and maintained his position at the front throughout his stint, putting himself in prime position to score a significant points haul.
He also delivered the fastest racing lap among the GT Academy competitors during his stint, recording a 2:08.466 to secure the maximum available points for that achievement.
However, the promising run came to an abrupt end after the driver change. The No. 12 Ferrari suffered a mechanical failure midway through the race, forcing the car behind the wall for repairs and ultimately ending its day early.
Despite the disappointment, Perez Companc still emerged with 28 GT Academy points from the weekend, a valuable addition to his championship tally.
At the top of the standings, GMG Racing’s Tom Sargent remains in control of the GT Academy championship, although his advantage was reduced following a difficult Road America weekend that saw the team’s race come to an early end.
Ryan Yardley continues to occupy second in the championship and enjoyed one of the strongest weekends among the GT Academy contenders. Yardley and teammate Dave Musial Jr. scored a podium finish in the No. 31 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) EVO, while the result also helped propel the duo into the lead of the Pro-Am championship by a narrow margin.
The championship now heads to Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama from September 25-27 for Round 6, the penultimate event of the 2026 season. From there, the GT Academy competitors will turn their attention toward the Indianapolis 8 Hour and the final stages of the championship fight.
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