- From Pole to P1 as Perez Companc and Schandorff Lead Pro Victory
- Telitz and Coleman Claim First GT World Challenge America Pro-Am Win
- Schreibman and Negri Reunite to Take Am Class Trophy
- Provisional Race Results
The feature GT World Challenge America powered by AWS race in the UAB Medicine GT World Alabama benefiting Teal Wings of Hope event was a thrilling throwdown as competitors challenged for valuable championship points. The three-hour contest featured multiple lead changes, strategic gambles and late-race drama across all three classes, but AF Corse USA ultimately prevailed to claim its second victory of the season at Barber Motorsports Park in Round 6. Archangel Motorsports also celebrated a breakthrough result in Pro-Am, with Aaron Telitz and Todd Coleman scoring their first victory.
Pro Class
Matias Perez Companc started from overall pole position in the No. 12 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, with Michai Stephens alongside in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
Stephens endured a chaotic opening but kept the Mercedes in second, with the two leaders quickly pulling away from Justin Rothberg in the No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
McCann Racing was the first Pro entry to make its move strategically, bringing Michael McCann Jr. and the No. 8 Porsche 911 GT3-R (992) EVO into pit lane for an early stop and driver change to Zach Vanier. Stephens stopped shortly afterward but remained behind the wheel, while AF Corse USA and Turner Motorsport also stayed on their respective strategies.
Traffic then became a factor at the front. Stephens took advantage as he and Perez Companc encountered slower cars, making a decisive move past the Ferrari after Perez Companc put a wheel outside the track at Turn 1.
Rothberg made his scheduled stop just before halfway, handing the Turner BMW to Robby Foley. Stephens came in one lap later to switch with Mikael Grenier, while AF Corse USA brought Perez Companc in to hand the Ferrari over to Frederik Schandorff.
Schandorff quickly began closing on Grenier heading into the final hour, but another round of pit stops shuffled the order once again. McCann Racing's alternative strategy briefly paid dividends, with Vanier moving into the overall lead with 49 minutes remaining. That lead did not last long. Schandorff rapidly closed the gap and muscled his way back into the overall lead, while Grenier eventually passed Vanier for second with 38 minutes remaining.
The final battle was for the last step of the podium, as Foley closed in on Vanier during the closing 10 minutes. Vanier held firm, however, allowing McCann Racing to secure third.
AF Corse USA ultimately crossed the finish line first, with Perez Companc and Schandorff earning their second victory of the season. Stephens and Grenier finished second for JMF Motorsports, retaining their championship lead in the process. Vanier's defense held off Foley to secure third for himself, Michael McCann Jr. and McCann Racing.
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster,” admitted Frederik Schandorff. “We started well, and Matias did a great job at the beginning. A few Safety Cars didn’t quite work in our favor, and we lost a few positions. Luckily, with a good strategy and some intense battles out there, we were able to fight our way back and make it onto the podium.”
“This is a great result for us,” Matias Perez Companc. “We needed it to keep our championship hopes alive. Frederick did a fantastic job out there. We traded a little paint with the AMG, but it was all fair racing. A great drive from Frederick and a great result for the team.”
Pro-Am Class
Danny Dyszelski led the Pro-Am field away in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 911 GT3-R (992) EVO, maintaining the top spot despite putting a wheel into the dirt.
The opening stages were immediately eventful. Slade Stewart in the No. 14 Riley Technologies BMW M4 GT3 EVO made contact with Kyle Washington's No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche, sending Washington into a spin. Stewart was subsequently handed a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility.
As the race progressed, the Pro-Am order continued to shift through strategy and on-track battles. Todd Coleman moved the No. 69 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO into second in class with 1 hour and 45 minutes remaining, passing Jason Daskalos' No. 27 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
After the next round of driver changes, Jan Heylen took over the RS1 Porsche and moved into the Pro-Am lead. Aaron Telitz, now aboard the Archangel McLaren, was quickly closing the gap and proved to be the fastest car on track with just over an hour remaining. Telitz eventually made the pass for the class lead and then set the fastest lap of the race.
The battle for the final podium positions became increasingly intense in the closing stages. Tom Sargent in the GMG Racing Porsche challenged Daniel Morad in the No. 9 TR3 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO for third, with contact between the two leaving Sargent with damage and allowing Scott Andrews to reclaim fourth in the No. 04 HP-TECH Motorsport Ferrari.
Morad's race unraveled further with just over 15 minutes remaining when he ran wide and went off track, allowing Andrews and Sargent through. After picking up additional damage in another off-track excursion, Morad was forced behind the wall.
Andrews subsequently ran Sargent wide while the pair battled for third, resulting in a 10-second post-race time penalty for Andrews. Sargent was determined to settle the matter on track, however, moving into the final podium position before JMF Motorsports’ Philip Ellis also passed Andrews and began closing in.
Telitz held on to the checkered flag to give Archangel Motorsports its first GT World Challenge America victory, a long-awaited result for Telitz and Coleman. Heylen and Dyszelski finished second for RS1, while Sargent and Washington completed the podium for GMG Racing. The result also moved GMG Racing back into the Pro-Am championship lead by six points.
“ It’s pretty special to get our first win in GT World Challenge America with Todd Coleman and Archangel Motorsports,” Aaron Telitz expressed. “What a great job, it was so cool to get it done here at Barber Motorsports Park. I've won here before in other cars, but this is just such an awesome feeling. Todd did such a great job. The team nailed it on the stops and the strategy, it all just paid off today.”
Am Class
Jay Schreibman and Oswaldo Negri secured the Am class victory for AF Corse USA in the No. 61 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO.
The pairing ran a strong opening stint and remained inside the overall top 15 during the early stages of the three-hour contest.
Their race took a dramatic turn with two hours remaining when Schreibman made contact with Michael Clark and spun. The Ferrari became stuck on track and was unable to immediately return to the race, prompting the second full-course caution of the event.
Racing resumed with less than two hours remaining, with Schreibman eventually returning to the track one lap down. Despite the setback, Schreibman and Negri ultimately took the Am class victory.
“ I’m so glad to be back,” exclaimed Ozz Negri. “I’m looking forward to Indy. It was an eventful race for us, believe it or not. We had to do a splash of fuel at the end. Otherwise, you know, a win is a win!”
“Much love my brother, Oz,” added Jay Schreibman. “It’s not how you want to really win a race, but it's okay, we'll take it. Onward to Indy and Forza Ferrari!”
Up Next
The GT World Challenge America powered by AWS field will return for the season finale, the DESDER Indianapolis 8 Hour, from October 8th to 10th, 2026, where the field will merge with the Intercontinental GT Challenge championship for the title-deciding event.
Buy your #Indy8H tickets now!