Alex Job Retires; Team Sold for Restoration Business

Legendary IMSA team transitions into restoration business...

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/alex-job-retires-team-transitions-into-ajr-restorations/

Wishing Alex Job a happy retirement.

Double Stint: Le Mans Test Day Cancelled & More (3-31-20)

The latest Double Stint Podcast, updating the latest news in the world of sports car racing.

https://sportscar365.com/podcasts/double-stint-le-mans-test-day-canceled-and-more/

Revisiting the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo lap record

A special treat this Tuesday.  Revisiting the lap record run of the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo at Circuit de Spa Francorchamps in Spa Francorchamps, Belgium.  360 kilometers per hour, 225 miles per hour, from a car, that in unrestricted form, with it's 2.0 liter turbocharged 4 cyliner engine, and it's hybrid system, combined, produces 1,200 brake horsepower. This run was filmed in 2018 and is not to be confused with the record setting lap that this very car put in at the Nurburgring Nordschleife which is just as spectacular.

Weekly Racing Roundup (3-30-20)

COVID-19’s continued impact on motorsport plus more news from the past week...

https://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-3-30-20/

ENDURANCE: The Documentary about Porsche at the Two Toughest GT Races In The World

Sunday is movie day.  Check out Porsche’s documentary about tackling two of the world’s biggest 24 hour endurance races in the span of two straight weekends.  ENDURANCE.

more IMSA news

Right now there may not be racing on the track, but there’s still plenty of news from the world of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.

Dane Cameron’s latest column.

CAMERON: Staying Busy During Racing Downtime

https://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/cameron-testing-biking-family-time-during-racing-downtime/

ICYMI.  Repeating a story also included in the latest World Endurance Championship update about LMDh regulations being nearly set to go.

IMSA: LMDh Regs “Very Close” to Completion
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/imsa-lmdh-regs-very-close-to-completion/

Tincknell: Joest to Multimatic Transition “Very Seamless”

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/tincknell-joest-to-multimatic-transition-very-seamless/

Townsend Bell’s latest column.

BELL: IMSA Rader, IndyCar Broadcaster & School Teacher?

https://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/bell-imsa-racer-indycar-commentator-and-school-teacher/

Toyota Hopeful of LMH in IMSA; Rolex 24 Prospects

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/toyota-hopeful-of-lmh-allowance-in-imsa-rolex-24-prospects/

FIA WEC news you can use

Lots of headlines also coming out of the FIA World Endurance Championship as of late.  Here's what's been going on as we have a pause in the action due to the Coronavirus, which is having a major impact on the racing world, and especially the sports car racing world, at this point in time.

De Chaunac Stresses "Urgent Need to Agree" on LMDh Regs
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/de-chaunac-stresses-urgent-need-to-agree-on-lmdh-regs/

Nakajima: Japan Options Useful for Keeping Sharp During Break

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/nakajima-japan-options-useful-for-keeping-sharp-during-wec-break/

Oh FIA, where art thou?

IMSA: LMDh Regs "Very Close" to Completion
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/imsa-lmdh-regs-very-close-to-completion/

The test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been cancelled.

ACO Cancels Le Mans Test Day
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/no-test-day-for-postponed-24h-le-mans/

Pandemic Having "Huge" Impact on Toyota LMH Development
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/pandemic-having-a-huge-impact-on-toyotas-lmh-development/

How has the ACO responded to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic?  President Pierre Fillon has the answers.

Q&A With Pierre Fillon on ACO's Response to Pandemic
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/qa-with-pierre-fillon-on-acos-pandemic-response/

Racer's In Isolation: Matt Campbell
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/racers-in-isolation-matt-campbell/

Hasselgrove Out in SRO America Restructuring

Longtime WC Vision/SRO America executive out as part of company restructuring...

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/haselgrove-out-in-sro-america-restructuring/

Michelin Pilot Challenge headlines

Missed a couple of these stories when they first appeared, but now is a good time to highlight them since there is no racing going on and we are on indefinite hiatus due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus.  A couple stories from Michelin Pilot Challenge that appeared after the season opener at Daytona International Speedway that yours truly attended.  Both of these stories come from March 9th, so, just over two weeks ago.

MIA Returns with Lewis, Monk in McLaren GT4
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/impc/mia-returns-with-lewis-monk-in-mclaren-gt4/

...and

Priaulx Confirmed in Multimatic Mustang GT4 for Season
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/impc/priaulx-confirmed-in-multimatic-mustang-gt4-for-season/

Five Movies For IMSA Enthusiasts

Sports car racing fans, stay safe, stay healthy, and you can still get your sports car racing fix by checking out five great movies, and there are still more that aren't on this list.  Check it out.

IMSA news (continued)

More news from the IMSA paddock as we continue to go through the COVID-19 Coronavirus.  Stay safe and stay well everyone.

Revised Dates for Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, Petit Le Mans

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-confirms-revised-dates-for-mid-ohio-laguna-seca-petit-le-mans/

IMSA Rules Out Double Header Replacement for Long Beach

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-rules-out-double-header-replacement-for-long-beach/

Era Launches Livery Design Contest for Petit Le Mans

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/era-launches-livery-design-contest-for-petit-le-mans/

Racers in Isolation: Ricky Taylor
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/racers-in-isolation-ricky-taylor/

Teams Uncertain on “Economic Fallout” of Virus Pandemic

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-teams-uncertain-on-economic-fallout-of-virus-pandemic/

Dane Cameron’s latest column.

CAMERON: Staying Busy During Racing Downtime

https://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/cameron-testing-biking-family-time-during-racing-downtime/

IMSA: LMDh Regs “Very Close” to Completion
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/imsa-lmdh-regs-very-close-to-completion/

more IMSA headlines

It has been at least a week or so since checking in with the goings on in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship since the announcement of the rescheduled 12 Hours of Sebring slated hopefully for November if the COVID-19 Coronavirus is brought under control.  Here is the latest news update.

Mazda Confirms Multimatic Takeover from Joest

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mazda-confirms-multimatic-takeover-from-joest/

Shank Expecting to be Racing into December
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/shank-expecting-to-be-racing-into-december/

The teleconference is scheduled to take place, today.

IMSA to Update Teams on Rescheduled Events

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-to-update-teams-on-rescheduled-events-calendar-adjustments/

Pfaff Replaces Porsche Chassis After Rolex 24 Damage
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/pfaff-replaces-porsche-911-gt3-r-chassis/

Racers in Isolation: Bryan Sellers
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/racers-in-isolation-bryan-sellers/

Weekly Racing Roundup (3-23-20)

Updates of the impact of COVID-19 on global racing, plus other news from the past week...

https://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-3-23-20/

SRO to Stage Monza Esports Race on March 29

SRO to organize charity esports race at Monza next weekend…  Next Sunday. 

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-europe/sro-to-stage-monza-esports-race-on-march-29/

SRO America to Reschedule Races to Existing Weekends

Canceled Pirelli GT4 America, TC America races to be rescheduled into existing race weekends...

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/sro-america-to-reschedule-impacted-rounds-on-existing-weekends/

RACE REWIND: 12H Sebring (2019)

Just caught the one hour NBC Sports Network highlights program of last year's 12 Hours of Sebring, but, if you want to relive the race, in full, here's the link to the full race broadcast with IMSA Radio commentary.  My favorite team, Action Express Racing, of course, were victorious on this day, a year ago. 

https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/race-rewind-12h-sebring-2019/

See you, (hopefully) for this year's rescheduled 12 Hours of Sebring, coming up in November.

Best of Super Sebring 2019

From Lanky Turtle.  A montage of all the racing action from last year’s Super Sebring weekend, featuring everything from IMSA Prototype Challenge, to Michelin Pilot Challenge, to the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the WeatherTech Championship, in practices, qualifying sessions, and racing.  Enjoy.

IMSA news

More news from IMSA and the WeatherTech Championship.

Compass, McLaren Complete 720S GT3 Endurance Testing

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/compass-mclaren-complete-720s-gt3-endurance-testing/

The IMSA race at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio has been postponed due to new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control regarding the COVID 19 Coronavirus.

Mid-Ohio Postponed due to New CDC Guidelines

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mid-ohio-postponed-due-to-new-cdc-protocols/

Also due to the pandemic, all private testing has been banned by IMSA until further notice.

IMSA Bans Private Testing
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-bans-all-private-testing/

Developing the Corvette C8.R

As we know, the Grand Prix of Long Beach has been cancelled, again due to the virus, and so IMSA is looking for alternatives to round out the schedule.  Hang in there, sports car racing fans.  We just have to wait this out.

Long Beach Cancelled; IMSA Looking at Alternative Event

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/long-beach-officially-canceled-imsa-looking-at-alternative-event/

Double Stint: Reaction to Postponement of 24H Le Mans (3-18-20)

A special Double Stint Podcast, with reaction to the news of the postponement of the 24 Hours of Le Mans until September due to the COVID 19 Coronavirus.

https://sportscar365.com/podcasts/double-stint-special-report-24h-le-mans-postponed/

24H Le Mans Postponed to September

ACO confirms this year’s Le Mans will take place on September 19-20...

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/24h-le-mans-postponed-to-september/

WEC Teams Reacting, Adapting to Pandemic Situation

WEC team bosses explain their approaches to the disruptions caused by COVID-19...

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/wec-teams-reacting-adapting-to-pandemic-situation/

NLS Series news

NLS is the new name for what was called VLN, and it is the sanctioning body that runs sports car races at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.  Here is news from that championship, from February, until now, including a postponement of the Nurburgring 24 Hours due to C0VID 19 Coronavirus.

Falken Sells BMW Chassis; Will Run Two Porsche's in NLS
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/falken-sells-bmw-chassis-will-run-two-porsches-in-nls/

New Glickenhaus GT Car Completes First Shakedown
https://sportscar365.com/industry/new-glickenhaus-gt-car-completes-first-shakedown/

Phoenix in Lineup Change for N24 Title Defense

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/n24-winner-phoenix-announces-lineup-changes-for-defence/

Frikadelli Returns to NLS, N24 With Porsche Factory Lineup
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/frikadelli-returns-to-nls-n24-with-factory-porsche-lineup/

Manthey Confirms New Lineup for 'Grello' Porsche's N24 Return

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/manthey-confirms-new-lineup-for-grello-porsches-n24-return/

NLS Set to Cancel First Two Rounds Due to Virus Measures
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/nls-set-to-cancel-first-two-rounds-due-to-virus-measures/

In response to COVID 19 Coronavirus, the Nurburgring 24 Hours, for 2020, has been moved back from May to September.

Nurburgring 24 Moved from May to September
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/nurburgring-24-moved-from-may-to-september/

Cadillac Puts Its Engines Through the Paces on The Racetrack

An article in the Wheels section of the March 12th, 2020 issue of The New York Times about Cadillac's sports car racing program.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/business/cadillac-racecar-daytona.html?te=1&nl=wheels&emc=edit_ws_20200317&campaign_id=13&instance_id=16837&segment_id=22322&user_id=8ab978c9677e6c9c99dee5c826556945&regi_id=4450395920200317

A Letter to Our Fans | IMSA

IMSA President John Doonan has written a letter to the fans.

https://www.imsa.com/news/2020/03/17/to-our-fans/

Double Stint: Coronavirus Shuts Down Sports Car Racing (3-17-20)

This week’s Double Stint Podcast looks at news and listener questions but also highlights the greater issue that the Coronavirus has put on hiatus, the sport we love.

https://sportscar365.com/podcasts/double-stint-news-recap-listener-questions-3/

FIA WEC headlines

More headlines from the FIA World Endurance Championship on this St. Patrick’s Day.  Instead of anticipating a wonderful weekend of sports car racing, we are left instead, to look at news articles about how the rest of the FIA WEC season in 2020 will pan out due to the epidemic of COVID 19 Coronavirus.  I reiterate, sports car racing fans, please, stay healthy.

Neveu Explains Details of Sebring Cancelation Decision

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/wec-explains-details-of-sebring-call-off-decision/

LMDh Regulations Announcement Likely to Be Delayed by “A Little Bit”

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lmdh-regs-announcement-likely-to-be-delayed-by-a-little-bit/

Spa-Francorchamps Closed Until April

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/spa-francorchamps-closed-until-april-drastic-belgian-measures-imposed/

6H Spa Postponed; WEC Working to Secure New Date

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/6h-spa-postponed-wec-working-to-secure-new-date/

For now, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is still scheduled to happen.  We shall know by April 15th, if indeed that is still the case, or if it will be cancelled due to COVID 19 Coronavirus.

Fillon: Decision on Le Mans Postponement by April 15

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/fillon-decision-on-le-mans-postponement-by-april-15/

Weekly Racing Roundup (3-16-20)

Super GT testing report, COVID-19 disruptions and news from the past week...

https://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-3-16-20/

Lone Star Le Mans Race Broadcast

The full race replay of the FIA World Endurance Championship Lone Star Le Mans, and we join the commentary team of Jim Roller and Allan McNish in the broadcast booth, and reporting from the pit lane, Duncan Vincent, for all the action.

more IMSA stories

More IMSA stories, via motorsport.com.

Porsche is happy with the 911 RSR-19 after their results at the Rolex 24 and this carries weight in both IMSA and the FIA WEC.

Porsche RSR-19 doubts allayed after Daytona result
https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/porsche-911-bahrain-daytona-doubts/4679540/

Kristensen named Grand Marshal for 'Super Sebring'
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/kristensen-grand-marshal-super-sebring/4679941/

Of course, as we well know by now, "Super Sebring" will not take place in 2020, due to the COVID 19 Coronavirus.

Braun Joins Era Motorsport for IMSA Enduros
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/braun-era-motorsport-enduros-lmp2/4683165/?nrt=207

Corvette C8.R "more on balance" with rivals than predecessor
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/corvette-balance-rivals-cota-wec/4691104/?nrt=207

Wright adds second Porsche for IMSA Sprint Cup rounds

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/wright-second-porsche-bleekemolen-imperato/4700344/?nrt=207

 GPA Long Beach "monitoring" California coronavirus threat

https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/long-beach-monitoring-coronavirus-threat/4724517/?nrt=207

Sebring 12 Hours is a go, WEC race under threat
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/imsa-sebring-on-wec-doubt/4741087/?nrt=207

Of course, since this article was published, both races have been called off due to to Coronavirus, and the 12 Hours of Sebring has been rescheduled for November.

European IMSA stars facing Sebring travel headaches
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/european-drivers-coronavirus-travel-ban/4742928/?nrt=207

'Tis true.  The 12 Hours of Sebring has been postponed 'til November.

IMSA postpones Sebring 12 Hours to November

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/imsa-postpones-sebring-november-coronavirus/4743402/?nrt=207

Sebring postponement to delay LMDh unveiling 'a bit'

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/sebring-postponement-lmdh-rules-announcement/4746050/?nrt=207

Organizers of the Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle, hope their race will go on when it is scheduled in May, and so, they are preparing for it.

Detroit GP continues preparing for IndyCar, IMSA

https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/detroit-grand-prix-preparation-continue/4747713/?nrt=207

Creventic 24 Hour Series news

As we know, due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, sports car racing of all kinds, has been put on hiatus for the time being.  These were some of the news stories from the world of the 24 Hours Series, during February.

Creventic, WSC Confirm TCR Spa 500 Return for May
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/24hseries/creventic-wsc-confirm-tcr-spa-500-return-for-may/

After that confirmation, due to the extent and severity of the virus, there was more schedule reshuffling to be done.  The 12 Hours of Monza was postponed, and for a while, a race at the Estoril circuit in Portugal was to have taken it's place.

12H Monza Postponed; Estoril to Open European Season

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/24hseries/12h-monza-postponed-estoril-to-open-european-season/

Further race cancellations had to occur, due to the Coronavirus. 

12H Estoril Canceled; European Season to Start in Spa
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/24hseries/12h-estoril-canceled/

Doonan Excited at Prospect of ‘Truncated’ Off-Season for Fans

IMSA President John Doonan on postponement of Sebring that will result in 58 hours of racing over five-month period...

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/doonan-excited-at-prospects-of-truncated-off-season/

St. Pete Called Off; IndyCar Cancels All Races Through April

All professional road racing in North America now canceled through April amid Coronavirus pandemic...

https://sportscar365.com/industry/st-pete-called-off-indycar-cancels-all-races-through-april/

Long Beach GP Postponed; Cancellation Likely

Long Beach Grand Prix suspended due to citywide restriction on public events; promoter seeking replacement date...

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/long-beach-postponed-due-to-coronavirus/

Sebring disruption pushes back convergence regulations

With the cancellation of the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 1,000 Miles of Sebring, the sports car racing community now faces a dilemma of not knowing what the new regulations will be that are planned to be implemented during the latter half of the 2021, and into the 2022 seasons.

https://racer.com/2020/03/12/sebring-cancellation-pushes-back-convergence-regulations/?fbclid=IwAR3vUsWyojhdsFOtQZjgqQWNIYJ2srXulD3KOouaHZrx5BiTi4hj2vCJ5JY

IMSA Postponement of the Twelve Hours of Sebring to November 11-14, 2020

Because of the COVID 19 Coronavirus and the suspension of travel from Europe due to the virus' impact, the 12 Hours of Sebring originally scheduled for next weekend, has been moved to become the season finale of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, and will be the marquee event along with IMSA Prototype Challenge and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, from November 11th-14th, 2020.

https://www.imsa.com/news/2020/03/12/imsa-postponement-of-the-twelve-hours-of-sebring-to-november-11-14-2020/

Sebring WEC Race Cancelled due to Travel Restrictions

This news is fairly obvious.  With the COVID 19 Coronavirus becoming more prevalent and more of a concern, travel restrictions have been put in place by President Donald Trump and the United States government, and these travel restrictions meant for the safety of the population of the United States means that the 1,000 Miles of Sebring FIA World Endurance Championship race has been cancelled.  So, we have seen the one and only appearance of the WEC cars in the states in Austin, Texas, and now we will wait and see if the final two races of the season, the Spa 6 Hours at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium in May and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the cornerstone of the WEC schedule at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France, do take place.  Sports car racing fans, stay safe out there, wash your hands, and be careful.

Sebring WEC Race Cancelled Due to Travel Restrictions

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/sebring-wec-race-canceled-due-to-travel-restrictions/

IMSA news heading for the 12 Hours of Sebring

News headed for the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway next weekend.  Like everywhere else in the world, the situation surrounding the COVID 19 virus is being monitored extremely closely.  It appears the racing weekend at Sebring may go ahead as scheduled.  We shall keep you posted.

Inside Porsche’s GTLM Success with Nick Tandy

Wright Motorsports is tackling three sports car championships in 2020.  IMSA, SRO America, and Porsche GT3 Cup.

Wright Juggling Logistics in Expansive Porsche Operation

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/wright-juggling-logistics-in-expansive-porsche-operation/

The entry list for the 12 Hours of Sebring is fairly identical to that of the Rolex 24, with 37 cars entered for the race down one from the 38 that started the Rolex 24 and a fair number for this race.

37 Cars on Sebring Enrry List
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/37-cars-on-12h-sebring-entry-list/

David Heinemeier Hanson has opted not to race due to concerns, and legitimate ones, of the COVID 19 virus.

DHH Opts Out of 12H Sebring Over Coronavirus Fears
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/dhh-withdraws-from-12h-sebring-over-coronavirus-fears/

Double Stint: COTA Recap; News; Listener Questions (3-10-20)

The latest Double Stint Podcast, recapping the action yours truly blogged about at the season opener for SRO America at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

https://sportscar365.com/podcasts/double-stint-cota-recap-news-listener-questions/

more news from the FIA WEC

More FIA WEC news, heading for the second U.S. round at Sebring, and more pertinently, how the COVID 19, Coronavirus epidemic is affecting sports car racing at a global level.

Sinault: LMDh Presents "An Opportunity" for Signatech
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/sinault-lmdh-presents-an-opportunity-for-signatech/

Ledogar Confirmed in MR Racing Ferrari for Sebring
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/ledogar-confirmed-in-mr-racing-ferrari-for-sebring/

ACO Monitoring Coronavirus Situation "Closely"
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/aco-monitoring-coronavirus-situation-closely/

Eurasia Enters 6H Spa as Precursor to Le Mans
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/eurasia-to-enter-spa-as-precursor-to-le-mans/

FIA Approves "General Principles" of Convergence
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/fia-approves-general-principles-of-prototype-convergence/

LMP1 Success Handicap Confirmed for Sebring
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/success-handicaps-confirmed-1000-miles-of-sebring/

Ferrari Not Expecting Sebring Coronavirus Disruption
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/ferrari-not-anticipating-coronavirus-disruption-for-sebring/

Ginetta Pushing for Inclusion in Next-Generation LMP2 Regs
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/ginetta-pushing-for-inclusion-in-next-gen-lmp2-regs/

Corvette, Porsche Receive GTE-Pro BoP Changes for Sebring
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/corvette-porsche-receive-gte-pro-bop-changes-for-sebring/

Cetilar Pulls Out of Sebring; Donates to Italian Hospitals
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/cetilar-pulls-out-of-sebring-donates-costs-to-italian-hospitals/

Lone Star Le Mans (6 Hours of COTA) 52 minute highlights program

The 52 minute race report from the Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas, round five of the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship.  Martin Haven narrates the highlights program, taking you through all the action. 

GT World Challenge America: Austin, Race Broadcasts

The broadcasts of both races from Circuit of the Americas in the opening event of GT World Challenge America for 2020.  Let's join the commentary team of Gregg Creamer and Calvin Fish in the commentary box, and Ryan Myrehn in the pit lane, for all of the racing action.

Weekly Racing Roundup (3-9-20)

Pirelli GT4 America, TC America reports, plus British GT entry list, driver news and more...

https://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-3-9-20/

Racers Edge Acura Sweeps COTA Weekend

Shelby Blackstock, Trent Hindman take another dominant victory in Race 2 at COTA...

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/racers-edge-acura-sweeps-cota-weekend/

GT World Challenge America: Circuit of The Americas: Race 2

It is time for race two for GT World Challenge America at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.  We have an hour and a half on the clock.  It is up to the polesitter to set the pace.  What can Matteo Cressoni do to fend off Trent Hindman.  Once Hindman is in the acceleration zone, we can go racing.  We're off!  Green flag at Circuit of the Americas as Kyle Marcelli dives inside Cressoni for an Acura 1-2.  Rodrigo Baptista goes off the road and Colin Braun goes around him.  Ryan Dalziel lets Baptista in.  The two Racer's Edge Acura's are really going for it.  Ryan Dalziel is defending from Jeroen Bleekemolen, running globally in Porsche's.  He wants to move in on Dalziel and the Scotsman defends from the Dutchman.

Bleekemolen gambled in a damp qualifying session on Saturday and is in the back of the grid.  Watch out so you don't carry too much speed through turn 19.  Bleekemolen has to be thinking, "OK.  Now I'm finished being Generous Jeroen, and I have to go for it!  Out of my way, fools.  I'm moving ahead!"  Of course, he will be a little more circumspect than that.  These blokes are racing drivers, not jousting knights.  SRO will be enforcing track limits.  Meanwhile, Max Root was being monstered by Greg Liefooghe.  Max Root in the Porsche is 20 years old, but he still has a great racing resume.  These chaps are stacked up behind the Park Place Racing Porsche in the hands of Alain Metni, car #73 he is sharing with David Ducote.  Metni has had a pole and a win in Porsche GT Cup.  Oh boy!  Some argy bargy early, look.

Guy Cosmo is right on the back door of Greg Liefooghe and, kathunk.  Around he goes!  Good evasive driving there, by Max Root who avoids the shemozzle entirely.  Root tucked his nose into no man's land, and Liefooghe turned in while Cosmo didn't see him and, bish bash bosh, you know the rest.  No real damage.  Just a couple of blokes trying to restart their stalled GT3 cars so they can get back in the race.  We have a single file running order and the leaders are all around on the other side of the circuit.  Trent Hindman is opening his margin over the sister car, Kyle Marcelli at the wheel of it.  Let's take a squizz at the replay of this little melee between Cosmo and Liefooghe.  Greg Liefooghe was turning in to make a pass and Guy Cosmo had his nose already into the corner.

Liefooghe got turned and Max Root was a lucky chap that evasive driving saved him from being casualty number three.  In the meantime, focus forward and keep going is Liefooghe's motto.  He's back on track.  Rich Baek in the second Vital Speed Ferrari almost made contact but avoided the spinning duo.  Trent Hindman and Kyle Marcelli in the Acura's are moving ahead swiftly of the two Ferrari's of Matteo Cressoni and Jeff Westphal who are in hot pursuit.  Colin Braun rounds out the top five in the Mercedes AMG GT3.  We are settling into a rhythm and a sweet spot with the Pirelli P Zero tires as Rodrigo Baptista is moving away from Ryan Dalziel.

Baptista, the Brazilian ace, looks inside Colin Braun and yes indeed, he makes the pass.  Colin Braun wants to counter attack but thinks better of it, deciding discretion is indeed the better part of valor right now.  Discretion the better part of valor?  Not so much.  Here comes Braun back on Baptista and Ryan Dalziel is in the pound seats if these two tangle with each other.  Baptista won here with K-PAX Bentley last year piloting that car with Maxime Soulet.  The brand new Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo, is racing against the Ferrari 488 GT3 which is a previous generation car, not the evo version.  Evo of course, stands for evolution.

The tail on that Ferrari stepped out big style, and so Baptista had to correct to avoid spinning.  Rodrigo Baptista is not done yet.  He wants by Colin Braun in a hurry.  Baptista keeps wanting to step into the next room but Braun is right there to slam the door in his face.  Let me in!  Let me in!  Not on your life, Mister.  All this scrapping is allowing Jeff Westphal to be cackling like a madman and saying, "OK, boys.  If you're going to fight, then I'll just pull away and whistle off into the distance."  Track position is crucial, but don't hold people up.  The #87 BMW M6 GT3 for Stephen Cameron Racing is in the pit lane, and Greg Liefooghe waits to have the damage on the car repaired.

Steven Cameron Racing won the GT4 SprintX Series last year. But this is a new season and they want to make the car drivable.  Jeroen Bleekemolen was lagging behind and now, he's gotten the Pirelli tires up to pressure.  Bleekemolen will have to motor if he wants to move up.  Trent Hindman leads this motor race with team mate Shelby Blackstock.  Circuit of the Americas has lots of racing room.  These cars are so aerodynamically dependent espcially through the turns as Hindman turns a 2:05.634 lap time.  Hindman is flying right now, managing his tires.  They are on a long stint and will do over half the race on one set of tires before the mandatory pit stop to change them.

Matteo Cressoni has been driving Ferrari's for a long while now.  Jeff Westphal is next up, sharing the Vital Speed car with Trevor Baek.  Colin Braun has put some daylight between himself and Rodrigo Baptista.  Baptista is very persistent at this point.  Martin Barkey says Kyle Marcelli is running well right now.  We have tire warmers allowed in this championship now, as SRO has changed the rules.  Martin Barkey says that there are lots of strong teams competing against them.  Racer's Edge is running 1-2 right now and Martin Barkey, team manager and driver, he is running real well.  Trent Hindman runs an Acura in GT3 competition for a different team in a different championship, and he knows the car in and out, both here in SRO and in the other championship he races in.

The battle for third continues between the two Ferrari's of Matteo Cressoni and Jeff Westphal.  Westphal is racing in four championships in 2020.  He won in GT4 last year.  Trevor Baek is a young man who is moving up from Ferrari Challenge and so he can only improve.  Colin Braun is fifth overall and fourth in Pro Am.  Max Root leads the Am category.  TR3 Racing with their Ferrari, with Gregory Romanelli, team owner, they showed up at St. Petersburg in Florida on the street course with driver Daniel Mancinelli and made a real statement.  Baptista, Dalziel, Bleekemolen, and Root are next in the top ten running order.

TR3 has a great deal of experience racing Ferrari's especially in GT3.  So much elevation change between turns one and two.  Turn one opens to the apex, but gravity allows for late braking.  The apex flattens out and you risk overshooting the corner.  We watch again, Max Root in the #20 Porsche.  He is gaining experience, has the speed, and the potential.  Colin Braun will turn over the #04 Mercedes to George Kurtz soon.  Kurtz won a GT4 Am championship a few years ago and he is working onn his race craft.  George Kurtz is now really comfortable driving the car.

This is a tough field even though we've lost the Pro/Pro driver combinations.  Jeroen Bleekemolen and Ryan Dalziel are two more professional drivers who run very well.  How will the Am drivers stack up?  They have various degrees of speed and experience.  We'll see more ebb and flow when the second half comes after the pit stops that include tire changes, fueling, and driver changes of course.  Jeroen Bleekemolen recognizes that James Sofronas, his co-driver is extremely experienced.  We mentioned yesterday, that Sofronas has raced this championship for many, many years.  Alain Metni in the Park Place Porsche is second in the Am division.

Greg Liefooghe is back on track as well after some time in the lane.  We wonder what is going on with Guy Cosmo.  His co-driver Patrick Byrne says they are coming from the back of the field.  The tire regulations for the Pirelli tires have changed, and the rain washed out their qualifying setup.  The team is very capable, but the new tire caught them out.  They will have time to test between now and the next race that you'll hear about at the end of this race report.  Guy Cosmo is going for it right now.  Patrick Byrne explaining about losing track time and then, not getting it back, puts you behind the eight ball.

Driving a race car is a learning process.  The minutest changes can affect performance of a race car and that is something that we've talked about in several races before.  Max Root is making an unscheduled pit stop after being in the Am class lead.  The pit crew opens the passenger side door and goes in to look for something.  Root was running consistent times of 2:07 dead.  Alain Metni is going to make a fw more starts this year, a legendary team that has run a number of championships globally.  Metni is also looking into the new Sports Club championship coming up later in the year.  Baptista is being reported to the stewards for track limits.  The rules must be enforced.  Baptista will have to be cautious.

Something is amiss with a loose seat belt in the Wright Motorsports Porsche and so now, Max Root is back on his way.  But, a loose seatbelt is spooky and uncomfortable.  It cost them time as well.  Colin Braun is catching Jeff Westphal while Matteo Cressoni has pulled away.  Rodrigo Baptista was a little wide.  Be careful so you don't get a drive through penalty.  This track is a stewards nightmare as was mentioned yesterday.  Trent Hindman has runa 2:06.5 and Kyle Marcelli ran a 2:08 dead.  The battle continues between Baptista, Dalziel, and Bleekemolen.  You cannot hit the disappear button if you are the driver trying to get out of the way.

Cressoni is closing on Marcelli, and fast.  Kyle Marcelli leads Pro Am and is second in the overall.  Cressoni has the carrot dangling in front of him, and the pit stop window will open in six minutes and will last for ten minutes, where anyone can hit the pit lane.  The delta is 80 seconds.  One hiccup anywhere can really put you behind.  If anything goes wrong, you'll lose track position.  Marcelli responded to Cressoni, opening the gap, as Ryan Dalziel is pushing Rodrigo Baptista.  Dalziel has been ill this weekend.  Adrenaline is great short-term medicine.

Hindman leads followed by Marcelli and Cressoni.  Matteo Cressoni was the fastest man on the road as we look at the window for pit stops being between the next three and 13 minutes.  With the Pro/Am driver teams, you want to keep your pro driver in the car a little longer than your Am driver although the duo of Trent Hindman and Shelby Blackstock is a Silver/Silver duo.  Ryan Dalziel is pressing Rodrigo Baptista.  Matteo Cressoni is doing likewise, chasing down Kyle Marcelli.  The esses are very tight.  Don't get behind in your steering input through this section of track.  Trent Hindman is coming up to lap Greg Liefooghe in the #87 BMW M6 GT3.  That is the Steven Cameron Racing, BMW of San Francisco entry.

Who will hit the lane?  Circuit of the Americas can suit the Acura really well.  The ride height is kept under control to stop understeer.  The pit window is now open.  Cressoni is pushing but Marcelli may be pushing even harder.  Now, we also see Guy Cosmo eating up Alain Metni.  The Porsche and the Bentley are fairly equal despite being two totally different platforms as we have seen here in GT America and also in GT Europe and in the endurance events of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.  Metni is running really well.  Guy Cosmo has been in discussion with team manager Darren Law about adjusting and dialing in the car.  Cosmo is trying to make a move on Metni but might not have enough confidence in the car to be able to do it.

Metni saw that move coming.  He's still looking.  The pit window is open.  Metni is doing well to keep Cosmo at bay but into turn one, he passes Metni.  The Porsche plants the power really well with the engine over the drive wheels and here comes Trent Hindman to the lane.  Trent Hindman is out of the car, and now, Shelby Blackstock is into the car.  Two mechanics, and one wheel gun, to make the tire changes.  80 seconds is the minimum delta.  Rich Baek is also in the lane turning the #6 Vital Speed Motorsports Ferrari over to Mark Issa as well.  Blackstock was gunning the engine and on the rev limiter and the mechanic was counting down over the radio.

They were delayed, four and a half seconds outside the minimum pit delta.  Hindman came in with a seven second lead.  Shelby Blackstock has fresh Pirelli P Zero tires now.  Kyle Marcelli has stayed out longer.  You have to book it, put the welly down right now.  Ryan Dalziel is in the lane as well coming from seventh in class and Greg Liefooghe is in the lane as well handing over to Henry Schmitt.  Also, David Askew will take over from Ryan Dalziel.  Get the new tires into the sweet spot.  That is the key.  Askew has fine tuned his racing over the winter, the winter festival race at Thermal Club in California, to work on race craft, speed etc., kind of like spring training in baseball.  Managing stress is also a big deal.

Matteo Cressoni, meanwhile is pushing the Acura, the Racer's Edge car.  Next time by they will pit.  There's three minutes left in the pit stop window.  Rodrigo Baptista is in the lane and will hand the #1 car over to Martin Fuentes who has won three GT Am titles in the last four years.  The lead battle is hot now between Marcelli and Cressoni.  Pit stop time for the #1 Ferrari and they had to wait and gun the engine on the car.  Shelby Blackstock is cutting into the gap, although he lost time in the lane.  Squadra Corsa got that stop done extraordinarily well.  Into the lane now, the #80 Racer's Edge Acura.  The pit lane speed limit is 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles an hour).  That's really slow.

Box, box, box for the Racer's Edge Acura.  Any hiccup will cost serious time.  Pit stop time as well for the #31 Ferrari.  Cressoni out of the car and Ziad Ghondour now in.  One of the Vital Speed Ferrari's has rotated.  That's Mark Issa in the #6 car.  Ghandour is back out and so is Martin Barkey.  It'll be close between Barkey and Blackstock and Shelby Blackstock goes right around the outside.  That was a crucial moment now that the pit window is closed.  We will race to the finish as Ziad Ghandor is being pressurized by George Kurtz.  James Sofronas has taken over from Jeroen Bleekemolen but their pit delta was 18 seconds too long!  Ouch!  That hurts!  Shelby Blackstock is going for his second victory in his GT3 debut weekend.

We shall know very soon how the order falls with just under 40 minutes to go.  George Kurtz is monstering Ziad Ghandour.  Kurtz has a run and he gets chopped and here comes Henry Schmitt as well.  Ziad Ghandour is going in for a shallow entrance to the corner and now, Martin Fuentes has a huge head of steam, pressurizing Henry Schmitt.  Schmitt allows Fuentes by and George Kurtz has to take evasive action and here comes Martin Fuentes and Ziad Ghandour, but Kurtz parks Ghandour and Fuentes will have the juice to maybe go by both of these chaps.  George Kurtz is going for it.  Kurtz has the door slammed firmly in his face.

David Ducote has taken over the Park Place Porsche from Alain Metni but he's off into the gravel trap.  Ducote has beached the car and it might just sit there, but there's too much time left in the motor race for it to be down there.  Ziad Ghandour was very quick in Ferrari Challenge.  He's done GT3 Cup in the Middle East and he also did some rallying in which he earned the nickname "Z Hog".  The #6 Ferrari is out.  Game over.  Mark Issa explains that he was looking for an opportunity and he spun the car.  It's game over and now, we have a safety car on track.  Issa has a good quote, "sometimes rock bottom teaches you what a mountaintop won't."

That's a good one.  David Ducote spun across the esses and landed in the gravel trap.  He didn't make any contact with the wall.  The complexion of this motor race is going to change in the last half hour.  James Sofronas is back into a contending position.  Martin Fuentes is as well.  The field is formed up behind the Acura NSX GT3 safety car and James Sofronas is in the lane, making a tire pressure adjustment.  David Ducote is back in the race and we will get back to gren soon.  That was quite a spin for Ducote, pinning the aero.  He got a last minute callup to come and race.  He was thrown in at the deep end, and is surely a Pro Am driver.

Metni called Ducote and asked him, "hey, man, what are you up to this weekend?"  Ducote replied, "I don't know" and Metni said, "dude, get off the sofa, and come and race!"  Ducote probably replied, "OK.  I will bring my firesuit and my helmet and be ready to rumble."  Again, we've just seen the pit stop on the #14 GMG Racing Porsche with team manager, Brad Kettler, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times as a team boss.  The safety car will pick up the pace to give the drivers speed on their restart.  Here we go again.  We have the two Acura's and then George Kurtz and Martin Fuentes right on their six.

Fuentes gets a run on Kurtz.  Kurtz defends the inside.  Patrick Byrne is way down on thwe inside too and the #7 Trevor Baek driven Vital Speed Ferrari was tipped into a spin but also, there's heavy damage to the left rear wheel.  Over and out for that Ferrari by the look of it.  We will have another yellow flag too here it seems.  Yikes!  No yellow called yet.  These drivers are still fighting.  Kurtz defends from Fuentes down the back straight.  Yikes!  Fuentes moves past the Mercedes of George Kurtz.  Every team is monitoring radio from Race Control and we now have a Full Course Yellow.  Martin Fuentes will gain and poor old James Sofronas will be on the back foot.

Big damage and no front bonnet on Patrick Byrne's #8 Bentley.  He and Guy Cosmo will have to go for it at the next race.  The marshals are retrieving cars and bodywork from the track.  Three Acura's at the front, including the safety car.  How will the battle for the lead play out between Martin Barkey and Shelby Blackstock?  We'll find out here very shortly.  Guy Cosmo says that the partnership with K-PAX and Bentley has been something to be proud of, but they have to focus on planning for the next event.  They are just not in it.  Patrick Byrne did say that there is damage and Cosmo says he feels badly for the Vital Speed team as well.

It wasn't an egregious move but it was something that did cause massive damage to the Bentley and that was quite the wallop.  K-PAX team boss Darren Law shakes his head in disbelief.  This is a teachable moment.  Remember to present yourself in someone's mirror when you want to make a pass.  Byrne also is a champion in prototype competition in the Asian Le Mans Series.  Bentley will come back.  K-PAX has won four titles and won 59 World Challenge races.  We have a restart with 17 minutes left on the board.  Martin Barkey is caught behind Blackstock and Shelby Blackstock runs away from the rest of the field.

Poor old Barkey is being challenged by Martin Fuentes.  He has to regroup.  Fred Poordad has gotten into the #20 Wright Motorsports Porsche and leads the Am class running sixth overall.  James Sofronas makes a move on David Askew.  Sofronas is coming in a hurry.  We are watching the Fuentes/Barkey and Sofronas/Poordad scraps.  George Kurtz is behind Martin Fuentes.  The Pro Am battle is covered by the proverbial blanket.  Barkey si finding room over Fuentes.  He is pressing hard.  Barkey moves ahead of Fuentes and now, George Kurtz is not going to sit around and wait.  He lights the afterburners on that Mercedes and flies 'round both of them!  Yikes!  Oh my!  There's some contact there between Barkey and Kurtz!

Martin Fuentes says, "muchos gracias" and goes right by.  Fuentes makes it stick.  Did any of those cars sustain damage after that concertina effect?  Trent Hindman is scampering away.  Kurtz wants Barkey and he makes the move and slams the door in Zaid Ghandor's face.  All of this argy bargy is allowing James Sofronas to catch up.  Wow!  A wild spin for Fred Poordad!  He made contact with Martin Barkey and got pitched off the road!  Thank heavens for runoff room!  That was close.  Things are going off the charts here at Circuit of the Americas!  Yikes!  Martin Fuentes is the Pro Am leader, second on the road.

Sofronas should be OK.  Fred Poordad is backing the Porsche into a safe zone.  Kurtz dives for the apex, releasing the brake and he clobbers Martin Barkey who clobbers Martin Fuentes.  Barkey did have some damage and Poordad got a run on Barkey and three into one won't go.  James Sofronas is in the lane and Sofronas had Poordad come across his front end before he cannoned off the road and thankfully didn't crash!  Barkey is in the lane and the left front tire is change.  These GT3 cars have ABS but it's not as much of a panacea as you'd like it to be.  Bleed out the brake pressure to get the brakes back in your corner.

Shelby Blackstock leads by five seconds followed by Martin Fuentes and George Kurtz.  Kurtz's Mercedes is relatively healthy.  Ghandour has shown controlled aggression.  We have half a dozen races to race this year.  This is round one.  Eight minutes left in the motor race.  Fuentes and Kurtz are running quicker than Ghandor although Fuentes has a tire chatter on that car.  It's too bad to see the #14 GMG Motorsports Porsche.  The suspension is damaged and it's game over.  It's a scrap between Fuentes and Kurtz in Pro Am and yes, the GMG Porsche has a flat tire on the right rear.  The right side of the car is completely pancaked.

Kurtz is going to throw everything bar the kitchen sink at Fuentes before the end of the motor race.  This Fuentes/Kurtz scrap is pretty incredible.  Is the Ferrari entirely healthy?  This is for the Pro Am class win.  You can hear the tire squeal on the Ferrari.  These two blokes have a lot of daylight between themselves and Zaid Ghandor.  David Askew and Martin Barkey are next.  Kurtz got close and then lost air on the nose.  The car washed out.  Shelby Blackstock will have two laps remaining and this is good news as George Kurtz can keep battling Martin Fuentes.

Fred Poordad is back on track to get the victory in the Am class for himself and Max Root.  Randy Hembry is the new Race Director for GT World Challenge America.  He will have a lot on his plate to analyze after this weekend.  One lap to go for Shelby Blackstock.  This Silver/Silver driver combination class will be interesting as the season goes on.  Will we see more Silver/Silver driver pairings?  The Hindman/Blackstock team have the magic potion for winning here in Texas.  Colin Braun is probably on the radio to George Kurtz saying "bring it home, and think of the big picture."  Six rounds, a dozen races.  A few corners to go and it'll be time to break out the broom.

Yes indeed.  Break out the broom!  Shelby Blackstock and Trent Hindman sweep the weekend as Martin Fuentes and Rodrigo Baptista win Pro Am.

Overall/Silver: #93 Blackstock/Hindman     Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3
             Pro Am: #1 Baptista/Fuentes           Squadra Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3
            Am: #73 Ducote/Metni                     Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R

The next event on the schedule, will be the doubleheader on Victoria Day weekend at Mosport Park (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park), in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, as GT World Challenge America goes north of the border, the third weekend in May.  Stay tuned for the action in that race.  It ought to be very exciting.  So long for now.

        

Hindman, Blackstock Dominate Race 1 at COTA

Silver Cup NSX GT3 Evo takes overall win in Race 1 at COTA...

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/hindman-blackstock-dominate-race-1-at-cota/

GT World Challenge America: Circuit of the Americas: Race 1

It is a new season for SRO GT World Challenge America powered by Amazon Web Services.  This is race one of two in the first round at Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas.  This year, unlike the same championships in Europe and Asia, the U.S. championship of the SRO has changed to Pro/Am driver lineups.  Professional drivers are no longer eligible to compete in the series in the United States.  It is a cool and overcast day at Circuit of the Americas, a Formula 1 caliber palace of speed.  We have new evo cars and cars that are not upgraded.  Pro/Pro driver combos are not allowed, but Silver/Silver are.  Shelby Blackstocn and Trent Hindman, and loads of other drivers, are in this race.  Fred Poordad for Wright Motorsports in a Porsche is one of the drivers, sharing with Max Root.  James Sofronas who is a veteran campaigner in this series, is ready to roll.  It's a slick track and it's cold.

Watch the #1 Ferrari for Rodrigo Baptista and Martin Fuentes.  The BMW M6 GT3 for Steve Cameron Racing of Henry Schmidt and Greg Liefooghe will be tough to beat and the sole Bentley will be Guy Cosmo and Patrick Byrne who drove prototypes together in Asia last year but are now in the World Challenge in the U.S.  Watch for the two Vital Speed Ferrari 488 GT3's.  We look at the esses at Circuit of the Americas.  Max Root, Fred Poordad's co-driver says that the Wright Motorsports Porsche is back together after a crash.  However, Max Root has one start and Fred Poordad makes his first start, today.  He tested for Porsche at Sebring and ran the rookie test in Bahrain for the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2019.

Matteo Cressoni, Mark Issa, Rich Baek, Bryce and Russell Ward, are other drivers we will keep an eye out for today.  Lights out on the safety car and we are ready to race.  Green flag.  Go!  James Sofronas and Shelby Blackstock are racing each other and here comes Zaid Ghandoor and George Kurtz.  Patrick Byrne gets shuffled back.  We have an hour and a half on the board in this race.  Ghandor is being monstered by Martin Fuentes and he has already gone around George Kurtz sharing with Colin Braun.  We have cool weather for this race.  All of the Ferrari's are not evolution cars.  Two of the three Mercedes' are and so are the Porsche's.

Patrick Byrne in the Bentley slides a little bit but stays in it.  James Sofronas slams the door in shelby Blackstock's face, but Blackstock comes back and still gets chopped.  Will the stewards have something to say?  Maybe.  It's a stewards nightmare because this track at COTA has so much runoff. It's undulating and twisting, with lots of elevation change.  Many of these cars are very evenly matched.  Zaid Ghandoor is pushing hard.  These cars can use heated tires in a tire blanket.  Martin Fuentes is up to third and we continue to watch Shelby Blackstock monstering James Sofronas.

Sofronas is a full-season campaigner as Ghandor tries the apex but can't do it.  James Sofronas has Jeroen Bleekemolen as his co-driver.  Martin Barkey is also in the fight in the #80 Racer's Edge Acura NSX GT3.  Lots of heaving in the race track and lots of bumps from hard winters in Austin, and the track has been repaved in places.  No one wants to deal with track limits but they will have to.  Shelby Blackstock has gone around James Sofronas again.  Traction control will help on this track but don't strain the tires.

These GT3 cars do have ABS.  George Kurtz has a run on Said Ghandoor.  Martin Barkey is still in the fight as well as this scrap continues from third through seventh place.  Shelby Blackstock is motoring right now, three seconds ahead of James Sofronas and Martin Fuentes.  His co-driver Trent Hindman is a great driver as well.  Shelby Blackstock has gone through open wheel racing and is now a sports car driver.  He is the son of country music singer, Reba McEntire and her husband, record producer Narvel Blackstock.  Shelby and Trent did a road trip to get here from Los Angeles to race.  2:07.249 for Shelby Blackstock, fastest lap so far.

Hindman is also a wheel man.  Meanwhile, Martin Fuentes is reeling in George Kurtz.  Kurtz is sharing with Colin Braun.  He is also successful in prototype cars in a different championship.  Henry Schmidt and Bryce Ward, BMW vs. Mercedes are battling for ninth place.  They are catching Trevor Back in one of the Ferrari's and another Mercedes for David Askew.  Patrick Byrne in the Bentley chases Mark Issa who shares the second Vital Speed Ferrari of Rich Back.  These boys need a yellow to catch the leaders even though just 14 cars are in this race.

Martin Barkey, the Canadian, won three races last year sharing with Kyle Marcelli.  Last year they ran against RealTime Racing who are not competing in 2020.  They ran with Dane Cameron, Mike Hedlund and/or Bret Curtis.  Said Ghandoor is known as "Z Hog" from his days as a rally driver.  Martin Fuentes is still trying to catch James Sofronas, but the Porsche driver is a couple seconds ahead.  Rodrigo Baptista is confident, as he raced a Ferrari last year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and he is now racing against his old team, K-PAX Bentley.

The Pirelli P Zero tires are very identical to the ones from last season.  Martin Fuentes is right in the game as well.  The Fuentes/Baptista duo will be one to watch.  Bryce Ward is pushing David Askew. The Winward team has taken over the HTP Racing program in Europe and they get tech support from Mercedes.  Patrick Byrne in the Bentley has caught these two blokes.  K-PAX won one of the races here at COTA last year.  Guy Cosmo will drive the second half of the race.  Bryce Ward is the father, Russell Ward is the son, and they drive together in the Winward Mercedes.

The third generation Bentley Continental GT3 is a much better driving car than it's predecessor.  They are looking at the big picture in this championship at K-PAX with team manager, Thomas Blom.  Askew almost runs into Ward.  Some argy bargy between those two.  These drivers, some of them, raced their cars during the winter for Bronze rated drivers.  Work on race craft and manage stress.  Be calm and focused, not uptight and worried.  David Askew is improving as a driver and right now Patrick Byrne is giving him a run for his money.

James Sofronas' best lap is 2:07.4.  Seven minutes before the window for pit stops opens.  Martin Fuentes is pushing like no tomorrow to try and catch Fuentes.  Byrne has passed Bryce Ward and David Askew went around Byrne before that.  The drivers study the cleanest routes for passes while they are going for it.  Be disciplined, go on the attack, and be in damage control all at the same time.  In the next five minutes we will see pit stops.  This race is in the SprintX format, so, 90 minutes in length, identical length to a typical Formula 1 race.

Shelby Blackstock's margin has ballooned to nine seconds before he turns the car over to Trent Hindman.  James Sofronas is matching or bettering Blackstock's pace, before he hands over to Jeroen Bleekemolen.  Sofronas has run in World Challenge for 27 years.  Bleekemolen is running for the global Porsche Cup.  He is driving Porsche's this year, having run with other manufacturers.  Last year, the Porsche Cup went to Alan Brynjolfsson who ran many SRO races last year along with Trent Hindman.  Pit stop time for Martin Fuentes who will hand the Hublot Ferrari to Rodrigo Baptista.  You are allowed one joker pit stop this weekend.

One glitch makes a mess of the pit stop.  Sticker Pirelli tires onto the car.  Eight of the 14 cars have pitted, so over half the field.  Put your professional driver into the car as we are near halfway.  Shelby Blackstock will be ready to hand the Acura to Trent Hindman.  Trevor Back turns over his Ferrari to Jeff Westphal.  Sofronas in the lane to turn over to Jeroen Bleekemolen.  George Kurtz has handed off to Colin Braun, Fred Poordad has handed over to Max Root.  We've also seen a slow stop in which Martin Barkey handed the Racer's Edge Acura to Kyle Marcelli.  Drop the car off the air jacks, and wait a couple seconds before the release.

Uh oh.  Guy Cosmo has spun on cold tires.  No tire warmers in GT3.  That's a correction from something mentioned earlier.  Colin Braun has leapfrogged Rodrigo Baptista by the look of it.  Mark Issa was second overall and is now in the lane and so is Shelby Blackstock.  Tires, fuel, and a driver change to Trent Hindman.  Two mechanics, and one rattle gun for tire changes.  The team seems happy with their pit stop not leaving anything on the table.  Colin Braun to third, Rodrigo Baptista to fourth.

We are past halfway in the race and have 40+ minutes on the board yet.  Colin Braun is racing at his home track.  He has run here already in another series.  Colin Braun has set fastest lap of the motor race at 2:05.8.  Trent Hindman is pushing and has run a 2:06.1.  Racer's Edge team boss John Mirachi is confident.  Kyle Marcelli in the sister car is running well.  The team had to serve a penalty for contact that Barkey was involved in.  This team also has a strong position for the Sunday race.  Trent Hindman, meanwhile has the advantage over Jeroen Bleekemolen.

Max Root, driving the #20 Wright Motorsports Porsche is also running really well.  He didn't get to qualify for race two but will still run.  Matteo Cressoni aboard the #24 TR3 Racing Ferrari is surely pushing hard.  We watch Jeff Westphal and Trevor Baek racing.  Westphal is running in four different sports car championships this year.  Colin Braun has taken over the #04 Mercedes from George Kurtz who is running his second season in GT3.  Kurtz says the evo kit is making the Mercedes easier to drive.

The sun is coming out after some rain in qualifying with less than half an hour to go in this motor race.  Kurtz was a GTS-Am champion and the sister car is in the lane, Ryan Dalziel at the controls sharing with David Askew and there is a problem with the bodywork on the car, a vibration perhaps.  Matteo Cressoni is scrapping in Pro Am with Jeff Westphal.  Ryan Dalziel was dealing with a vibration in the front splitter on the Mercedes.  This is not a worrisome issue, though.  Trent Hindman leads Jeroen Bleekemolen, Colin Braun, Rodrigo Baptista and Kyle Marcelli.  20 minutes to go.  Hindman has a big lead and Jeroen Bleekemolen might just have to settle for second as we see the sun breaking through, warming the track up a little.

Bleekemolen is really good at this circuit and he ran the GT4 SprintX race earlier in the day, a race you might just hear about pretty soon on the blog.  Max Root leads the Am class and he has been running in Porsche Cup and tested at Sebring for Porsche last weekend.  He has had 45 podiums in 49 races and few DNF's.  To finish first, you have to finish.  That's how motor racing works out.  Trent Hindman laps past poor old Guy Cosmo.  The K-PAX Bentley has just not been set up right.  The team won races last year but they did not have the season they wanted.  Yet, they are very capable.  Jeroen Bleekemolen continues to run second, and lead in Pro Am.

James Sofronas says they want the overall win, but now, they know they can win the class in Pro Am and they are pacing it to the end of the motor race.  Sofronas is the team owner for GMG Racing and he is involved with five cars, 25 crew members and a lot of support staff.  Joe Foster and Brad Kettler, two people who have lots of sports car racing experiencing are helping out in both GT4 and GT3 as well as getting into the new GT2 division coming up soon at Virginia International Raceway. They raced in the winter at The Thermal Club, a race track country club for motorsports enthusiasts.  Sofronas is formulating plans for customers and is ready to go for it in GT2 at Virginia International Raceway.

He has brought on Brad Kettler, the man who led Audi to so many wins over the years.  Kettler immerses himself into the technical end of racing.  Root and Westphal are scrapping for position but not in class as we get closer to the end of race one at COTA.  Jeff Westphal is still being chased by Am class leader Max Root.  The classes here are separated by driver ratings not by car.  All these cars are GT3 cars of course.  Max Root goes around Jeff Westphal.  No risk.  Westphal ran a shade wide.  Less than five minutes on the clock.  Root is racing the same Porsche that was driven by Scott Hargrove and Patrick Long last year.

Kyle Marcelli has been digging deep chasing after Rodrigo Baptista.  Just two and a half minutes to go in the race now.  No dramas.  Trent Hindman is a metronome, running consistent 2:06 laps.  These new driver regulations have paid dividends for Racer's Edge and team boss John Mirachi as we mentioned earlier.  It's the final lap.  A clinical performance and Hindman will have pole for tomorrow's race that you'll hear about, tomorrow night.  They've driven this race right.  Five turns left.  Circuit of the Americas is quite the track.  One corner left.  Acura, Racer's Edge and the team of Blackstock and Hindman are your winners!

Jeroen Bleekemolen and James Sofronas are second.  Colin Braun and George Kurtz complete the podium.  Max Root and Fred Poordad have rebounded and will win the Am class.

Overall/Silver: #93 Blackstock/Hindman         Racer's Edge Acura NSX GT3
             Pro Am: #14 Sofronas/Bleekemolen   GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3R
             Am: #20 Root/Poordad                        Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R

Stay tuned.  There's more SRO America racing to come, from Austin, Texas.  See you for race two, tomorrow night.  So long, for now.

Saturday pre-race news from Circuit of the Americas

Pre-race news before Saturday's action kicks off at Circuit of the Americas.

GT3 Drivers Praise New Pirelli DHE Tire
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/gt3-drivers-praise-new-pirelli-dhe-tire/

Sofronas, Hindman Take COTA Poles
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/sofronas-hindman-take-cota-poles/

COTA to 'Continue As Scheduled' Amid Austin Coronavirus Order

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/cota-to-continue-as-scheduled-despite-austin-coronavirus-event-restrictions/

Friday GT World Challenge America headlines from Austin

More news on Friday ahead of this weekend's racing action for SRO GT World Challenge America at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Comprehensive Global TV, Online Coverage Announced

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-europe/comprehensive-tv-coverage-announced-for-gtwc/

HPD: Expanded Acura Effort Building Driver Development

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/niffenegger-expanded-acura-effort-building-driver-development/

Dalziel Tops Opening Practice at COTA
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/dalziel-tops-opening-practice-at-cota/

Braun, DXDT Mercedes Quickest on Friday at COTA

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/braun-dxdt-mercedes-quickest-on-friday-at-cota/

COTA Friday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/cota-friday-notebook-8/

SRO America stories from Austin, Texas, continued

Still more headlines from Circuit of the Americas before the SRO America 2020 campaign gets underway.

GMG Embracing ‘Customer Focused’ SRO America

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/gmg-embracing-new-look-customer-focused-sro-america/

Braun Excited to “Turn Up the Intensity” in DXDT Return

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/braun-excited-to-turn-up-the-intensity-in-second-year-with-dxdt/

Bleekemolen Chasing Porsche Cup Title In Busy Year Ahead

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/bleekemolen-chasing-porsche-cup-title-in-busy-year-ahead/

COTA Thursday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/cota-thursday-notebook-8/

GT World Challenge America PrixView

A preview of the 2020 GT World Challenge America season from North American Racecar on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/nasportscar/permalink/1287357614795163/

Gradient Switches to IMSA; Confirms Sprint Cup Program

Marc Miller, Till Bechtolsheimer to drive Acura NSX GT3 Evo in WeatherTech Sprint Cup rounds...

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gradient-switches-to-imsa-confirms-sprint-cup-program/

2020 WEC COTA Race Review

Toyota Gazoo Racing recaps their race in the Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas.

Double Stint: Le Mans Entry List Recap; Listener Questions (3-3-20)

The latest Double Stint Podcast, recapping the news in sports car racing, including the Le Mans entry list, previewing SRO America and their season opener at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. 

https://sportscar365.com/podcasts/double-stint-le-mans-entry-list-recap-listener-questions/

news and developments in GT World Challenge America before the races in Austin, Texas

A couple stories being followed in anticipation of this weekend’s season opening races in SRO America at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

A smallish field of 14 cars will take the green flag for both races this weekend,

14 Cars Set for COTA Season-Opener
https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/14-cars-set-for-cota-season-opener/

Wright Confirms Root, Poordad for Full Season Effort

https://sportscar365.com/sro/world-challenge-america/wright-confirms-root-poordad-for-full-season-effort/

Plenty more news to come as race weekend approaches.