SONOMA, Cali., (April 13, 2022) – Just a few days after the team’s hard-charging performance at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Porsche customer racing team Wright Motorsports continues the April California swing with the start of the SRO America season opener at Sonoma Raceway. Wright Motorsports will contest the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS in the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R and the GT America powered by AWS in the No. 30 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
“It’s great to be back in SRO America, defending our championship titles from the last two years,” said Team Owner John Wright. “We had an incredibly successful 2021 season, and we still have more to accomplish this year. Both Charlie Luck and Hutton McKenna are taking new challenges this year, stepping up into new series to continue their driver development, and we’re with them every step of the way. It’ll be an exciting season for everyone involved.”
As previously announced, 2021 GT America champion Charlie Luck will advance up to contest in the GT World Challenge America championship with 2021 champion Jan Heylen. Luck swept the championships both within his class as well as the overall title last season. Wright Motorsports clinched top honors in the team category in GT World Challenge America and GT America and will return to defend both series titles again in 2022. This move will bring Luck into endurance racing, transitioning from single-driver, 40-minute races to sharing his car with co-driver Jan Heylen over the course of a 90-minute race. A mandatory stop will take place at around the halfway point in each race where the car will take fuel, tires, and undergo a driver swap.
While also running with the team in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands, Hutton McKenna will race the No. 30 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport in GT America. Now in its second year, the GT America championship is strictly for bronze-rated drivers in GT2, GT3, and GT4 machinery. The single-driver sprint championship will again consist of two 40-minute races each weekend, running in support of the GT World Challenge America championship.
Official practice sessions for all SRO America series begin on Friday, April 15, and Saturday will host qualifying and race one. The weekend will close out with race two on Sunday, April 17. All qualifying and race sessions will air live on YouTube.com/GTWorld.
DRIVER QUOTES
Charlie Luck
I began my SRO America driving experience last year and after competing in GT America, I’m excited about doing GT World Challenge. To move into endurance racing, where we’ll do driver changes and have Jan and I jointly set up the car, will be a lot of fun and will be a new challenge. I know we have a bigger field this year, and I’m sure it’ll be plenty competitive. I’m looking forward to it!
Jan Heylen
I’m looking forward to getting the SRO America season started again. It’s nice to come back as defending champions. Sonoma Raceway is a nice place to get the season going. Charlie has been training hard all winter and it’s nice to come to the track with someone who’s highly motivated and ready to do well. I can’t wait. We’ve got a new tire this year, so we have some learning to do. I’m excited and ready to go.
Hutton McKenna
I’m very excited to join SRO with Wright Motorsports in GT4. This is the first year for me and I think we will have some good results. I am also looking forward to some of the tracks we get to go to. We don’t get to Sonoma in IMSA, so I’m glad to be able to start the SRO season here.
Event Schedule // All Times U.S. Pacific
Friday, April 15
8:55 AM – 9:25 AM SRO Bronze Test
9:25 AM – 9:55 AM GT America Practice 1
10:55 AM – 11:55 AM GTWCA Practice 1
2:25 PM – 2:55 PM GT America Practice 2
3:55 PM – 4:55 PM GTWCA Practice 2
Saturday, April 16
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM GT America Qualifying
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM GTWCA Qualify Driver 1
10:20 AM – 10:35 AM GTWCA Qualify Driver 2
12:15 PM – 12:55 PM GT America Race 1
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM Support Series Autograph Session
2:15 PM – 3:45 PM GTWCA Race 1
4:55 PM – 5:55 PM GT4 America Race 1
Sunday, April 17
9:30 AM – 10:10 AM GT America Race 2
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM GTWCA Autograph Session
1:00 PM – 1:30 PM GTWCA Grid Walk
1:45 PM – 3:15 PM GTWCA Race 2