· Kurtz and Braun capture first championship together in No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG GT3
· CrowdStrike by Riley earns first championship in GT World Challenge
· Kurtz, Braun, Nolan Siegel claim Pro-Am race victory at Indianapolis Eight Hours
· Kevin Boehm, Kenton Koch win for third time in No. 92 CrowdStrike/AWS BMW M4 GT4 to close Pirelli GT4 America season
INDIANAPOLIS (October 11, 2023) – CrowdStrike Racing’s George Kurtz and Colin Braun captured the Pro-Am Drivers Championship in Fanatec GT World Challenge with a dominating victory in the Indianapolis Eight Hours presented by AWS.
The duo drove Saturday with Nolan Siegel in the No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the CrowdStrike by Riley team, which won in class by a full lap. It was the second Indy Eight Hours victory for Kurtz and Braun. The double-points also secured the Pro-Am Team Championship for CrowdStrike by Riley.
The CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG battled with the class-leading Porsche throughout the eight-hour race, exchanging positions before the Falcon-liveried car took the lead for good just past the halfway point. The winning trio, which started in 17th place, gained an impressive 11 spots to win the race and secure the Drivers and Team championship.
Saturday night wasn’t the only time Kurtz climbed the IMS podium. He closed the GT America powered by AWS season with a third-place result and a CrowdStrike Fastest Lap award for Friday’s 40-minute sprint race. For Sunday’s finale, Kurtz began on pole position and placed second in another hard-fought battle.
Kurtz ended the GT America season with three victories and seven additional podiums.
Also in GT America, CJ Moses returned to racing in the No. 58 CrowdStrike/AWS Audi R8 LMS GT2. He placed third in Friday’s race and ended the season second in a strong run that resulted in earning the GT2 Drivers Championship.
The first-year partnership between CrowdStrike Racing driver Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch concluded with a victory in Pirelli GT4 America on Friday and a third-place finish Sunday for Random Vandals Racing in their No. 92 CrowdStrike BMW M4 GT4.
The pairing closed the season with two wins in the final three races and finished either first or second in seven of their final eight races of the season. Those results were enough to elevate Boehm and Koch to third place in the GT4 America Silver class Drivers Championship.
At the annual SRO Awards Gala, CrowdStrike Racing’s Bob Page presented awards to the drivers earning the most “CrowdStrike Fastest Laps” of the season. Class winners Colin Braun, Memo Gidley, Zac Anderson and Dai Yoshihara received recognition for exhibiting an element that is vital both cybersecurity and racing: speed.
A strong contingent of CrowdStrike guests and VIPs followed the CrowdStrike Racing entries throughout the entire event. Following a CXO Summit for cybersecurity executives, guests took the racetrack and were able to experience programs such as driver and team meet-and-greets with CrowdStrike by Riley, a walk through the pre-race grid ahead of the green flag for the Indianapolis Eight Hours, trackside hospitality and a private dinner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.
The Saturday night victory celebration capped a full weekend of immersive activities for the group in an unforgettable close to the GT World Challenge America season.
CrowdStrike & Operation Motorsport
Just like in racing, success in any business is the result of teamwork and collaboration. One of the biggest partners of CrowdStrike Racing is Operation Motorsport (OpMo). A not-for-profit, OpMo provides an opportunity for medically retiring or disabled veterans to use their skill sets in a variety of areas of racing, including paddock operations, car and tire prep, marketing, social media and other key areas that are part of a racing program.
CrowdStrike Racing welcomed OpMo beneficiaries at multiple events during the season, during which each team member exemplified the OpMo mantra of “Recovery Through Motorsports #OneAtATime.” Their strong performance and invaluable presence at Indianapolis was a cog in the successes of CrowdStrike Racing throughout the weekend:
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● Peter McDade: Beneficiary embedded with CrowdStrike by Riley’s No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG for George Kurtz in both GT World Challenge America and GT America
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● Mike Neri & Tyler Einarson: Beneficiaries on the Random Vandals No. 92 CrowdStrike BMW M4 GT4 in GT4 America
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● Brandon Mateo: Beneficiary with GMG Motorsports and CJ Moses’ No. 58 CrowdStrike/AWS Audi R8 LMS GT2 in GT America
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● Craig & Donna Neri: OpMo volunteers and event coordinators who helped with pit tours throughout the weekend
OpMo leadership, Diezel Lodder, CEO and co-founder, Tiffany Lodder, Executive Director and co-founder and Jason Leach, COO, supported the events throughout the weekend as well.
Driver Quotes
George Kurtz, No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG GT3: "What a fantastic way to end the season, so credit to the team. These guys did an amazing job, and we never gave up. There were highs and lows throughout the season, and I don't think you could have asked for anything more than to end it with a one-race shootout with the No. 120. The team did a fantastic job all
year and I couldn't be prouder. It's been a long time coming, and it's been so close for many years. But we finally got it done."
Colin Braun, No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG GT3: "This is fantastic. George and I have been trying to get this done for awhile. I'm super proud of everyone at Riley, CrowdStrike and Mercedes. It was a phenomenal year, obviously. We had super high highs and a couple of lows to put us in a situation where we had to come in and get it done today. It's pretty cool to win the championship but also win the race at the same time. Really proud of these guys. It was a lot of fun battling the No. 120 guys all year. They did a heck of a job and kept us honest, for sure."
Nolan Siegel, No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG GT3: "It's incredible. I've heard so much about the CrowdStrike and Riley program on the GT3 side. To be able to work with all these people is an honor to begin with, and to help them win a championship and win the biggest race of the year against a lot of super-strong competition is incredible. It's a huge honor. Thanks to Bill (Riley), George and everyone on the team for having me. I had a great time.”
Kevin Boehm, No. 92 CrowdStrike BMW M4 GT4: “With CrowdStrike Racing taking a step into GT4 America, I knew there were going to be a lot of challenges this year. I went into it with open eyes and knowing I was going to need to learn a lot. I looked for every opportunity that I could all year. When I look back, I realize that we accomplished a lot. There were lots of times where we always wished there was a little more luck, but even with what we accomplished we can be proud as a team. It’s been a complete pleasure to learn from Kenton and the Random Vandals guys. It’s been an incredible year. As we look into the future, I think I have a lot more experience to build on and it’s only up from here.”
Kenton Koch, No. 92 CrowdStrike BMW M4 GT4: “It’s been awesome to be with Kevin this year. He’s brought a lot of things to the table that has made this program better and better. It’s nice to work with someone like that. He’s also gotten better as a driver in a GT4 car, and this weekend was the best he’s been all year. It’s cool to fly the CrowdStrike logo on the side of this BMW and I’m very fortunate to be part of it. I hope it’s not the last time because it’s been great driving with Kevin this year.”
CJ Moses, No. 58 CrowdStrike/AWS Audi R8 LMS GT2: “It’s always great to finish the season at a place like Indianapolis and driving a car like this. The GT2 category looks like it is entering a tremendous growth period with some new cars here this weekend. It’s great to see other drivers and teams notice this formula, and I’m happy that we can help lay the groundwork for this category.”
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