Grid Set for Showdown in the Golden State. GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, GT Sports Club America Back in Action at Sonoma Raceway

Grid Set for Showdown in the Golden State. GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, GT Sports Club America Back in Action at Sonoma Raceway

Sonoma, CA - The GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and GT Sports Club America Series return to action August 7-9 at Sonoma Raceway presented by CrowdStrike. Set in the picturesque rolling hills of California's wine country, the challenging 12-turn road course located just north of San Francisco will host GT World Challenge Rounds 5 and 6, and GT Sports Club Rounds 3 and 4. 

Kurtz/Braun and Fuentes/Baptista Square Off in California

After an impressive Round 4 win at VIRginia International Raceway, the DXDT Racing duo of George Kurtz and Colin Braun come into the Sonoma weekend tied atop the Pro/Am Drivers Championship standings. The American duo will take to the grid in their #04 Mercedes-AMG GT3 and will square off with the team they are tied with, Squadra Corse's Martin Fuentes and Rodrigo Baptista. Fuentes from Mexico and Brazilian Baptista won Round 2 at Circuit of the Americas in Texas earlier this year and will drive the #1 Ferrari 488 GT3. Both teams have 73 points coming into the weekend.

Sitting third in the standings with 65 points is the 2019 Pro/Am championship team of Canadians Martin Barkey and Kyle Marcelli. The defending champs will drive the #80 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3. After a tough start to the season in Texas, the duo bounced back in Virgina scoring a win in Round 3 and a second in Round 4. They will look to carry the momentum gained in Virginia to the races at Sonoma.

DXDT Racing also brings its #63 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for American David Askew and Scot Ryan Dalziel. The team sits fourth in the standings with 38 points and will look to close the gap on the top three teams.

Southern California based GMG Racing brings its familiar #14 Porsche 911 GT3 R (991) for team principal and veteran series driver James Sofronas and Jeroen Bleekemolen who hails from the Netherlands. The duo won Round 1 at COTA. Championship winning driver Sofronas will make his 256 and 257 SRO America starts at Sonoma and continues to close in on Peter Cunningham’s record for most series starts (265).

Two American driving duos round out the Pro/Am division grid. TR3 Racing brings its #24 Ferrari 488 GT3 for Ziad Ghandor and Jeff Segal, while Winward Racing enters its #33 for Kris Wilson and Russell Ward.

In the Am Division, the Wright Motorsports tandem of Americans Fred Poordad and Max Root come into the weekend atop the drivers championship standings. They will drive the #20 Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.II).

In the Silver Division, Racers Edge Motorsports brings its #93 Acura NSX GT3 for U.S. drivers Shelby Blackstock and Trent Hindman.

Gates Leads GT Sports Club Field into Cali

Ryan Gates won both Overall Division wins in the series' inaugural weekend in Virginia. He leads the overall drivers championship coming into the weekend and will drive the #311 311RS Motorsport Porsche 911 GT2 RS CS. 

Competing against Gates in the Overall Division, GMG Racings' Jason Bell will drive the #2 Porsche 911 GT2 RS CS, while Jason Daskalos, a former GT World Challenge competitor, makes his debut in the series in the #27 Daskalos Motorsports Audi R8 LMS Ultra. 

Stu Frederick, who took both Iron Division wins at VIR, will pilot the #57 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT2 RS CS. GMG Racing will also bring another Porsche to the Sports Club grid for Kyle Washington.

On-track action at Sonoma begins Friday, August 7 at 9:35am Pacific for the first GT World Challenge practice session of the weekend, while the GT Sports Club America first practice commences at 9:50am. Saturday's 90-minute Round 5 race (Round 3 for GT Sports Club) is scheduled to go green at 1:45pm local time, while Sunday's Round 6 (GT Sports Club Round 4) is scheduled to start at 1:15pm. Both races and qualifying will be streamed live on youtube.com/GTWorld. Sunday's race will be broadcasted live on CBS Sports Network.

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GTWCA Entry List - PDF Link

GTSC Entry List - PDF Link

Schedule - PDF Link