Alton, VA - The GT World Challenge America powered by AWS series gets back on track July 10-12, at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) for Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2020 championship. The series has been on a four-month hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The weekend also marks the exciting debut of the GT Sports Club America series featuring GT3 and GT2 machinery.
Ferrari's Fuentes and Baptista Lead GT World Challenge Pro/Am Championship Heading into VIR
Coming into the VIR weekend the TR3 Racing team of Martin Fuentes and Rodrigo Baptista sit atop the Pro/Am division championship standings with 40 points. Fuentes, from Mexico, and Baptista, from Brazil, will co-pilot the team's #1 numbered Ferrari 488 GT3. The duo scored a win and a third-place finish in the two season opening rounds at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.
On the strength of two second place finishes at COTA, the American duo of George Kurtz and Colin Braun sit only four points behind the leaders. They will drive the #04 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. DXDT Racing also brings its #63 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for American David Askew and accomplished sportscar veteran Ryan Dalziel from Scotland.
Last season's Pro/Am champs Martin Barkey and Kyle Marcelli had an inauspicious start to 2020 finishing off the podium in both races at COTA, surprising given the team's consistency of typically finishing in the top 3 throughout the 2019 season. The Canadian driver duo will look to bounce back behind the wheel of their #80 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3.
Perennial championship contending team K-PAX Racing will have their #8 Bentley Continental GT3 on the grid in Virginia for the American tandem of Patrick Byrne and Guy Cosmo. K-PAX has had tremendous success in the series, since 2007 the team has accumulated 59 wins, four championships and 148 podiums. Rounding out the Pro/Am grid, Winward Racing brings its #33 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Russell Ward and veteran sports car racer Kris Wilson.
The Silver division team of Shelby Blackstock and Trent Hindman had an impressive 2020 debut in Austin winning both races in class as well as both overall race wins ahead of the Pro/Am division squads. The American driver duo will race the #93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3.
In the Am division, the Wright Motorsports tandem of Fred Poordad and Max Root had a perfect opening season weekend in Texas taking both race category wins and sit atop the division championship standings with an unblemished 50 points. The American pairing will co-drive the team's #20 Porsche 911 GT3 R. TR3 Racing brings its #31 Ferrari 488 GT3 for championship sports car driver Bill Sweedler and teammate John Megrue.
GT Sports Club America Series Features the Unbridled Energy of GT2 Machinery
The GT Sports Club series is a destination point for drivers looking for professional level motorsport. Featuring GT2 machinery from Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes, the 2020 GT2 iteration of race car shares many of the components from their road going variants with the aim of creating an affordable professional racing environment. With significantly less downforce and fewer driver aids, success in the modern GT2 race car is more so in the hands of the drivers. Drivers come from a diverse mix of motorsports background and are placed in classes based on age and level of experience. Drivers in the bronze level of FIA driver rating are eligible for the three classes of competition including an Overall class and an Iron (ages 50-59) and a Titanium class (over 60 years of age). Additionally older generation GT3 and Cup cars are welcomed on a per case review basis.
In the overall class, SRO Motorsports America veterans GMG Racing bring their #2 Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport to the grid with Jason Bell set to race the machine. Another veteran of SRO Motorsports America competition returns to race in the GT Sports Club series at VIR. With over 50 starts and two career wins in World Challenge competition Jason Daskalos will race the #27 Daskalos Motorsports Audi R8 LMS Ultra. Karl Leinsing will race the #54 Atech Design Porsche 911 GT2 RS CS, while Ryan Gates will get behind the wheel of the #311 311RS Motorsport Porsche 911 GT2 RS CS.
Stu Frederick, another World Challenge veteran will race in the Iron Class, piloting the #57 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT2 RS CS.
On-track action at VIR begins Friday, July 10 at 9:05am Eastern for the first GT World Challenge practice session of the weekend, followed by the GT Sports Club America first practice scheduled at 9:20am. Saturday, July 11's 90-minute Round 3 race (Round 1 for GT Sports Club) is scheduled to go green at 1:45pm Eastern, while Round 4 (GT Sports Club Round 2) is scheduled to start at 1:45pm Eastern on Sunday, July 12. Both races and qualifying will be streamed live on youtube.com/GTWorld, as well as broadcasted live on CBS Sports Network.
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