DXDT Racing Brings Double-Podium Momentum to CTMP

DXDT Racing Brings Double-Podium Momentum to CTMP

DXDT Racing brings the momentum of podium finishes with each of its Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries one race ago to this weekend’s Blancpain GT World Challenge of America race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), May 17 – 19.

Team owner and driver David Askew and Ryan Dalziel share the No. 63 USALCO/Security National Mortgage Mercedes-AMG GT3 alongside DXDT Racing teammates George Kurtz and Colin Braun in the No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS/DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3. 

Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge America season, the twin 90-minute Saturday and Sunday races on the fast 2.59-mile road course just outside of Toronto could prove to be pivotal in the battle for the 2019 series championships.

Saturday’s opening race is scheduled to start at 2:10 p.m. EDT with the weekend’s second and final 90-minute round set to go green Sunday at 10:10 a.m. EDT. Both races, and qualifying Friday at 4:40 p.m. EDT, will be streamed live on gt-world-challenge-america.com. Sunday’s race also airs in same-day coverage on the CBS Sports Network at 2 p.m. EDT.

In last month’s most recent Blancpain GT World Challenge America race weekend at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), both DXDT Racing teams stepped up for their first Pro-Am-class podium finishes of the season.

“We had a good result at VIR,” Askew said. “It was good to see both cars on the podium and build momentum for Canada. Both the No. 04 and No. 63 squads have decent experience at CTMP, so we should be up to speed quickly even though we didn’t have a test.”

Askew and Dalziel finished third in Saturday’s first race at VIR and Kurtz and Braun co-drove to second in Sunday’s finale. The podium results are the first for DXDT since expanding to a two-car GT3 team for 2019.

“For sure, at VIR both cars were capable of being on the podium together, but in both races we had some attrition for each car,” Dalziel said. “The No. 63 was very fast in both VIR races, and David has been consistently improving. Canada will be a new track to David in GT3 and is one of the fastest and toughest we have. The good thing is David learns tracks quickly, and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be a good car for the fast corners of CTMP.”

Kurtz and Braun scored VIR’s runner-up showing in only their second race with DXDT and as co-drivers in the top-tier GT3 category.

“I’m looking forward to racing at CTMP,” Braun said. “There are a lot of elevation changes and the track has a good rhythm to it, it’s very unique. The CrowdStrike team had a great second race at VIR and we’re certainly looking to build on that at CTMP. George and I have started to find our groove in the Mercedes-AMG GT3, and I think it’s going to be a good weekend for us!”

Full of twists, turns and elevation changes, CTMP is considered one of the fastest and most demanding road courses in North America.

“The Mercedes-AMG GT3 likes fast, flowy tracks like CTMP, so we looked forward to going across the border,” Askew said. “Turn one always gets my total attention. Also, the blind crests where you are flat to nearly flat and require total commitment. Pretty much every corner is total commitment!”

The CTMP Blancpain GT World Challenge America race schedule begins today with a 30-minute opening practice late this afternoon. A 60-minute practice session Friday at 10 a.m. EDT sets the stage for qualifying that afternoon at 4:40 p.m. EDT.