Driving the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, Kyle Washington and longtime coach and co-driver Tom Sargent established themselves as Pro-Am title contenders from the opening round. A familiar presence in SRO America competition, Washington has spent multiple seasons building experience and pursuing success in the series alongside Sargent. His parallel campaign in GT America has also provided additional opportunities to grow as a competitor and maximize his time behind the wheel.
That accumulated experience paid dividends from the outset of 2026. Washington and Sargent opened the season with victory at Sonoma Raceway, making an immediate statement in the championship’s new three-hour race format.
The challenge intensified at Circuit of The Americas, where the Porsche pairing finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium as championship rivals Dave Musial Jr. and Ryan Yardley of Wright Motorsports took the victory. Rather than allowing the result to disrupt their momentum, Washington and Sargent responded at the next opportunity, returning to the top step at Sebring International Raceway.
A third-place finish at Road Atlanta added another podium to their tally before the summer break, keeping GMG Racing firmly in contention as the championship entered its second half.
The return from the summer break brought the team’s most difficult moment of the season. At Road America, Washington was caught up in an early-race incident that eliminated several cars from contention and left the No. 32 Porsche without championship points. Wright Motorsports, meanwhile, secured a podium finish, allowing Musial Jr. and Yardley to take the Pro-Am standings lead for the first time that season. However, the points margin was still slim.
With the championship battle tightening, there was no room for error with fewer opportunities ahead. The team delivered at Barber Motorsports Park, where Washington and Sargent fought their way to a third-place finish in the penultimate round. The podium restored GMG Racing to the top of the Pro-Am standings and ensured the championship would be decided at Indianapolis, with double points on offer in the season finale.
For Washington, the result was especially important after the disappointment at Road America that put them on the back foot heading into the final events.
“We clearly needed this result after the shunt in Road America,” Washington said. “We’d been thinking about it all week leading up to the Barber. We sacrificed the GT America race so we could focus on performing well. We got unlucky in the first little bit of the race, but Tom did what he had to do.”
The Barber podium put GMG Racing back in control, but only narrowly. With just six points separating the team from Wright Motorsports, the Indianapolis 8 Hour would determine the champion.
The final round presented another challenge, as Sargent would not be slated to compete alongside Washington due to a scheduling conflict. While the duo have established a formidable relationship over the seasons, Washington was equipped with the skillset and experience he needed to be able to get the job done. In Sargent’s absence, GMG Racing instead welcomed Riccardo Pera and Ayhancan Güven to the driver lineup for the eight-hour race.
Washington began the race from the midfield and completed a double stint before handing the Porsche over to Pera and Güven for the remainder of the event. GMG Racing committed to an alternative pit stop strategy, carefully managing its approach while other competitors opted for a different sequence.
As the hours passed, the plan began to come together. The No. 32 Porsche moved into contention for the Pro-Am lead while also climbing to the front of the overall classification, putting GMG Racing in position to challenge for top honors.
With one hour and four minutes remaining, the team made its final pit stop and emerged with a commanding advantage over its closest competitors. Güven ultimately brought the Porsche across the finish line to secure both the overall and Pro-Am victories. The winning margin stood at 56 seconds, the largest gap in the history of the Indianapolis 8 Hour, marking a dominant conclusion to GMG Racing’s championship campaign.
With that, Washington secured the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am drivers’ championship, while GMG Racing’s overall victory also contributed to Porsche clinching the Intercontinental GT Challenge manufacturers’ title.
In the post-race celebrations, Washington expressed that he felt the team had exceeded expectations throughout the season, emphasizing that the championship reflected the collective effort of GMG Racing’s entire operation. Having gained a deeper appreciation for the complexity of running a professional racing program, he highlighted the importance of each team member’s role, noting that success depended on everyone executing their responsibilities. He praised the crew for consistently providing a competitive car and acknowledged that while luck will always play a part in racing, the team’s preparation and performance had consistently put them in a position to capitalize on the opportunities that came their way.
In the end, Washington’s Pro-Am championship was secured in emphatic fashion. It was not only a personal victory on one of motorsport’s biggest stages, and one that will forever stand out in the history books, but also proof what is possible when the right mindset is at the forefront of how a team comes together.
