SRO GT World Challenge America powered by AWS has five races remaining in the 2023 season and they start here a Road America. A fan and driver favorite with a rich history which, in the decades past, hosted races on the streets of the town. Since 1955, sports cars have been racing here. We have Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth and D.J. Clark reporting from the pit lane. This track has recently been repaved and so, drivers are reacquainting themselves with the circuit. This is a 4-mile thrill ride. Uphill t start the lap, rolling speed to turn one using all the runoff area. Heavy braking and a clean exit into turn three.
Up through the gears under the cheese bridge, into turn five with the biggest braking zone, second gear. Watch turn six which is blind crest. Nearly flat out into corner seven. Tight on exit. Hard braking downhill into turn eight and into The Carousel, carry the speed, keep it tight, and focus on a super good exit. The Kink is next and it is so narrow. If you get it wrong, you will be off the road in a big hurry. Through Kettle Bottoms and into Canada Corner, a wonderful passing opportunity and a huge braking zone. Don't go offline. No grip out there. Off the corner, the curbs are aggressive. Take turn 13 but don't use too much track.
Turn 14 is crucial to fly up the hill and the front straightaway. You are braking and turning at the same time and get the exit square for maximum drive to the start/finish line. Our mate Calvin Fish tells us what a special vibe it is here at Road America with the village of Elkhart Lake and this new surface is a brand-new challenge. So, recycle the old setup notebooks and sharpen your pencils to write down more information you will need for today and into the future. Control the racing line and don't come a cropper off the circuit. Manny Franco vs. George Kurtz on the front row and we saw Kurtz win in race one in GT America earlier this morning.
Colin Braun blitzed the field for race two tomorrow as well. So, the #04 Mercedes-AMG GT3 has the pace. Minimum pit delta is 86 seconds on a long, long pit lane in this 90-minute race. We have new driver lineups and a new car. Madison Snow is going to share the #45 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R filling in for Charlie Luck along with Jan Heylen, moving up to the Pro class. The Porsche 911 (992) GT3R needs to find the sweet spot. It handles well but needs the speed. 171 feet of elevation change and long straightaways.
It is a test of car balance for speed and for handling. D.J. Clark on the grid, we are ready to get set for the formation lap. Everything will be all over the shop as we get the race started. A blended candy dish of cars, with several flavors as D.J. Clark alluded to. We have not seen many yellow flags this year, but if you veer off the road, you are going for a rollercoaster ride. The engines fire up and we are set for the formation laps. This is only the second full track repave for Road America and the first since 1995. Global manufacturer points sees Mercedes over Porsche, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, McLaren, and Lamborghini.
Cars from all classes scoring points from all classes on all continents. Manny Franco, hometown hero on the pole. We have a field of 17 cars ready to start. Stevan McAleer is excited for this race and we are getting ready for a start. it will be a hot race. Stevan McAleer and Eric Filgueiras dominated the early portion of the year and have had to climb back into the ring, but now, they are looking to find a purple patch again. It is hot this afternoon for the race start which will change the grip and balance on these fantastic race cars. 90 minutes with a pit window at the halfway mark. Here we go. Up the hill they climb and the green flag waves and away we go!
Franco leads the field down the 4,400 foot frontstretch. Filgueiras fighting with Anthonyu Bartone who runs wide and opens the door for Seth Lucas in the #53 MDK Motorsports Porsche. Side by side down through turn three and Franco is eking out a gap. Here comes Adam Adelson past Chandler Hull up- to turn five. Madison Snow battling with Ashton Harrison as well. Hull drops a place to Snow. Lucas and Bartone, two GT3 neophytes, scrapping for position. Manny Franco has the jimp over Kurtz as they scream into The Kink for the first time. Watch out through here. Things could get sticky.
Manny Franco leading the motor race but has George Kurtz and Eric Filgueiras both on his six as Chandler Hull in the #94 Bimmerworld BMW M4 GT3, he clears Madison Snow. The new 992 Porsche's are fighting to find the grip. They had a weight addition onto those cars. Kurtz the meat in the sandwich between Franco and Filgueiras. In the background, look, Adam Adelson makes the pass on Chandler Hull. Adelson in the second-generation Porsche in GTWC America while running the 992 model in GT America in the sprint races.
Ashton Harrison, she is moving up and is now eighth after starting 12th as they scream through Kettle Bottoms into Canada Corner. Lucas fighting it out with Harrison and here comes the other BMW M4 GT3 of Samantha Tan, the #38 Samantha Tan Racing car. The BMW M4 GT3 is a rocket ship down the straightaway. Adelson in the older generation Porsche might have more aerodynamics in a straight line compared to the new 992 model. Adelson taking it deep into turn five. It was a tough weekend for Wright Motorsports at VIR last time out.
Manny Franco from nearby Milwaukee, Wisconsin, leads as Filgueiras sets Crowdstrike Fastest Lap at 2:07.017 so far. Safety Car on the speedway. What is this for? Is this true? Yes. Something happened at the exit of The Kink and Will Hardemann has had a big clonk with the wall kicking up the dust and has damage to the undertray and whole left side. The left front is locked up. He isa definitely in limp home mode. Tough break for Esses Racing, Hardemann sharing with Adam Carroll, the Englishman, who is a sports car racing and open wheel veteran. But he will not take a stint today with the severe damage to the silver Mercedes-AMG GT3.
It could be game over for Esses Racing. Each of these cars will have their strengths and weaknesses based on their engine configurations. Madison Snow drives a BMW M4 GT3 in a different sports car championship and says the Porsche 911 GT3R is very different. He is a quality driver who has done a lot including winning championships. Madison Snow and Jan Heylen co-drove together in 2015. Madison Snow's parents Martin and Melanie Snow ran with Wright Motorsports back in the day. Great to see Derek DeBoer and Valentin Hasse-Clot racing together in the sole Aston Martin in the field for The Racer's Group and team boss Kevin Buckler. VHC brushed the wall in Free Practice but the car was repaired.
We've got a restart with Manny Franco at the top of the shop as Chandler Hull has a head of steam. Now then, George Kurtz gets squeezed by Adam Adelson and in the meantime, Seth Lucas goes off the road and back on. This scrap between Hull and Adelson not done yet. Not enough room and now Madison Snow can grab a bite of the cherry reading the situation after Chandler Hull goes deep and Adelson has rotated and crunched the barrier! Ouch! That was totally unsighted by Paul Kiebler I think who dodged the bullet and now, a second safety car interventjon. Adeson went wide, the car whipped around and smashed into the barrier with the left rear corner.
I don't think Paul Kiebler ever saw what was going on with all the dust. Elliott Skeer did not even make a qualifying run for tomorrow's second race of the weekend. This is the first time they have had two chassis' on site and they do have the new 992 model for GT America and could press it into service for race two in GT World Challenge America tomorrow. The rear clip has been torn off but everything else might be OK. The team though will have to check the pickup points on the chassis. In replay, he pinches it on the curb and whacked the tire barrier.
The left front really copped a whack there as well. He has been a revelation, but Road America has shown no mercy. James Sofronas not racing because he had an off here in testing and hurt his back. Ditto for a smashup with Bill Auberlen in qualifying this morning. Auberlen in the BMW was perfectly OK. Samantha Tan and Neil Verhagen had a solid race weekend at Virginia International Raceway. Madison Snow was a lucky luck boy to miss his teammate spearing across the road. This new surface is very green, and you get onto the dirty part of the road it is like driving on ice and there is zero traction.
Again, we remain under safety car conditions. Bill Auberlen says that with all the restarts the BMW M4 GT3 will have the speed to do a slingshot pass. Bimmerworld have the handling on the car, and the straight-line speed, down. Straight line speed, drafting by another car, is the easiest thing you can do and a shiver of fear just went down the spines of the competition now, hasn't it. BMW run P5 currently with the Bimmerworld team. Including this race, we have only four regular distance races left and we have the Indianapolis 8 Hours at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the fall at the end of the year, come October.
The pit window will be coming into focus fairly soon. But the yellow flags might not be a factor in this. With the smoothness of the new surface, the Pirelli P Zero tires are not going off a cliff. The window will open in 16 and a half minutes. How will you slice the cake within the window? We'll see, soon. Green flag. Manny Franco punches it and now, George Kurtz has his hands full with both Madison Snow and Chandler Hull. Mercedes vs. BMW vs. Porsche. The top two are now whistling off into the distance. Anthony Bartone is second in Pro-Am and now, Hull passes Snow. Hull and Snow are like fencers with a thrust and a parry.
Ashton Harrison now is moving up on the Pro fight and Mario Farnbacher will take over for the second half aboard the #93 Racer's Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3. They were here racing the IMSA event a handful of weekends ago. They are chasing the #28 RennSport1 (RS1) Porsche with Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer. Harrison catching Madison Snow for fifth overall and fourth in class. Manny Franco leads Eric Filgueiras by 6/10ths of a second. Ferrari 296 GT3 vs. Porsche 911 GT3R 992 model. Third to George Kurtz, then Madison Snow, Ashton Harrison, Anthony Bartone, Sammantha Tan, Scott Smithson, Derek DeBoer, and more.
Filgueiras is closing in on Franco hand over fist as George Kurtz at 2:06.619 sets the Crowdstrike Fastest Lap of the motor race and this is a cut and paste of what George Kurtz did earlier today in GT America where his car came alive midway through his stint. Filgueiras has fastest sector times in sectors two and three. Chandler Hull, too, is getting quicker. I mentioned about tire degradation, and it is no worry. The fuel load burns off, the car gets lighter, and goes faster. Ten minutes from now the pit window will open. The BMW M4 GT3's can stretch their legs. Samantha Tan uncorks the fastest top speed at 167 miles an hour.
Manny Franco resets fastest lap at 2:06.5 and so the lead is seven tenths of a second. Under an hour to go. Derek DeBoer leads Jeff Burton and Seth Lucas. Aston Martin, Mercedes, Porsche. Lucas trying to pass Jeff Burton in turn five and this fight continues uphill through six. Lucas makes the move. This is great rhythm through the middle sector and the curbing is an extension of the road. Chandler Hull is keeping George Kurtz honest through The Kink, into Canada Corner and up through Billy Mitchell corner, the final turn.
Franco ups the ante and resets Crowdstrike Fastest Lap once more. Franco and Filgueiras have the two fastest hot rods out here this afternoon. Manny Franco is being realistic that he has zero expectations for the first few years and by year three I want to fight towards the front. He is gaining, sponging up information from co-driver Alessandro Balzan of Italy, thinking of the big picture, and a man who has been really successful in GT3 Ferrari's in the past. Balzan sat out from racing for a while with health issues and is a clean driver who does not scrap too much. He races hard but fairly. Team leader Eric Bachelart at Conquest Racing really does a good job, a former driver himself.
Derek DeBoer is being pressed by DXDT and GMG Racing. Seth Lucas wants by Derek DeBoer. Jeff Burton is also back there at arm's length. Seth Lucas has made the jump to GT3 with very little racing experience after winning the Am class at the Indianapolis 8 Hours in 2022. In two laps we will see the pit window open and Manny Franco has uncorked a sub-2:06 lap as Scott Smithson is right on Anthony Bartone's six in the Pro-Am class, a couple Mercedes' going at it. DXDT are tweaking the Mercedes and they are not giving up in spite of the pace we have seen from the Crowdstrike by Riley Motorsports operation.
If you run over the curbs, the brake rotors rattle around causing kickback on the pads. Tap the brakes and this will smooth out the situation. Smithson tries the outside in Canada corner but Bartone slams the door in his face. This is compromising lap time and poor old Bartone is squirming around on his tires. Seth Lucas makes a late lunge on Derek DeBoer in Canada Corner, throwing caution to the wind. Offline moves do not have the same grip level. Samantha Tan at 2:06.5, she is racing Ashton Harrison. Neil Verhagen will take over that car and then Bill Auberlen, too, will drive the #94 Bimmerworld car.
Everyone answering the bell for the pit lane here and the Pro drivers will get into the Pro-Am cars. Pit stop delta = 86 seconds including service from pit in to pit out. Franco is in the lane and Alessandro Balzan will take over. Fresh Pirelli P Zero tires being bolted on and fuel into the car. How fine do you want to cut the margin. At RS1, Stevan McAleer takes over from Eric Filgueiras and Balzan is down and away. He will be ahead of the RS1 Porsche and the rest. Kurtz beats Heylen and Heylen too, is ahead of Auberlen now into the car.
Balzan is way down the road from everyone else, consolidating their lead and it has grown. Balzan scampering away from McAleer and now, Colin Braun is applying the blowtorch to McAleer. Halfway home. The battle is afoot between Mario Farnbacher and Neil Verhagen. Colin Braun tries Stevan McAleer but gives it up, reasonably because it is not for class placing. The Porsche and the Mercedes evenly matched on the astraightaway and now, Bill Auberlen is chasing down Jan Heylen, two of the most experienced drivers in the field.
Alessandro Balzan is your race leader. Balzan, McAleer, Braun, Heylen, Auberlen, the top five. "Super Mario" Mario Farnbacher is racing Neil Verhagen for position, and he made a move through turns seven and eight but the two were not fighting for class positions. The fast times are being uncorked and now Auberlen passes Heylen. Nothing Jan Heylen can do about it. Now he is making a move on Colin Braun down into turn five. They have found the sweet spot with the BMW as he makes two moves in half a lap. Balzan seems to be in the catbird seat currently.
The BMW M4 GT3's have the speed. That is for dead sure. Mario Farnbacher in seventh place in the Acura and now, Auberlen moves inside of McAleer and McAleer late on the brakes. Auberlen makes the pass. McAleer fighting back to the outside and the Scotsman is pushing. The move we saw from Verhagen on Farnbacher, he had to give it up and Jan Heylen fought Colin Braun and Bill Auberlen. Overlap in the lane on pit exit means you have to give it up and fall in line. Bill Auberlen is pushing Alessandro Balzan as Daniel Morad is pinged by the stewards. Drive through penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
38 minutes to go. Balzan leads Auberlen by 6.7 seconds but plenty of time on the board for the BMW veteran to get a wriggle on and get in the game. Alessandro Balzan, through The Carousel, leading the motor race as poor old Stevan McAleer has Colin Braun right on his six. Billy Mitchell corner used to have a bridge there. Not anymore. You can exceed the grip levels out of the re and go off the road if you are not careful. Auberlen is catching Alessandro Balzan in a big hurry. Another penalty as Scott Smithson, and now, Bryan Sellers, has to serve a penalty for speeding in the pit lane as Daniel Morad is serving his penalty as we speak. That is a 30 second delta.
Daniel Morad and Kenton Koch swept the weekend at Virginia International Raceway last time out. Neil Verhagen closing in on Jan Heylen hand over fist, but not for class position. Alessandro Balzan is continaually harried by Auberlen who goes purple in sector three, fastest of all. Verhagen is now on Heylen's back door. The Belgian ace has his hands full as Verhagen passes through the Moraine Sweep. Jan Heylen did not fight it and knew he was a sitting duck with the 992 Porsche 911 GT3R vs. the BMW M4 GT3. 2:04.814, Neil Verhagen resets CrowdStrike Fastest Lap.
Verhagen is closing on Colin Braun. Quite a redemption drive for Bill Auberlen after his off-course excursion in Q2. Balzan motoring ahead. He has run a 2:05.5 but Auberlen cuts a 2:04.6. Same as Colin Braun I believe. Braun in the slipstream of the BMW. In sector two, the BMW is struggling. They are fine as wine in sectors one and three and in sector two, the handling benefit goes to Balzan and the Ferrari. He locks in the wheel and carves the corner instead of thrashing the wheel. The gap first to second is 4.7 seconds. Colin Braun is ten seconds ahead of Neil Verhagen and now, Verhagen is going to put an inside pass on Stevan McAleer. Done and dusted.
I think with McAleer, they have to wonder where Mario Farnbacher is. Ayberlen closing on Balzan. Manny Franco says with more green flag racing they could have built more of a buffer. The pit stop went very well and things are working out well at Conquest Racing. Inside one of these cars you are always hot, and it is not at a point where it bothers the drivers. They have a job to do. Balzan has just uncorked a 2:04.9 and the gap increases to five seconds as the gap plateaus a wee bit. The Ferrari shines in the middle sector and in the Carousel.
Colin Braun sticking with Bill Auberlen in Pro-Am, but Neil Verhagen seems to be turning it on. Auberlen is giving up too much time in the middle sector here at Road America. Braun is pushing. Balzan's gap balloons to 5.4 seconds. DXDT have called Bryan Sellers to the pit lane for the long, slow drive through penalty which is the drive of shame, and you lose 40 seconds. That is a body slam and a sucker punch. Mario Farnbacher still pushing, and he can see Stevan McAleer, his nearest rival, right ahead. The pole man for tomorrow will be Colin Braun in the #04 Mercedes as Auberlen's lap times are yoyoing. Auberlen loves to win, the winningest North American GT sports car driver.
"Super Mario", Mario Farnbacher is giving it everything. Ashton Harrison did likewise. She put her head down and forged forward. Farnbacher has reeled in the Porsche's of Heylen and McAleer. McAleer won the title last year in Pirelli GT4 America and nearly won another GT3 championship here in North America. Racer's Edge, a smaller team that does a lot with a little, celebrating 30 years of Honda Performance Development with a poster and commemorative decals. Racer's Edge have worked with Honda and Acura in the last five years.
Farnbacher poking his nose inside Heylen in turn five and up to six. Valentin Hasse-Clot resets fastest lap again at 2:04.6 halfway through the stint, the Frenchman in tenth spot. McAleer sees the big picture. VHC too is really pushing and it is CrowdStrike Fastest Lap for VHC at 2:04.634. He has to find 25 seconds to get to Trenton Estep and he along with the other Pro drivers will start race two tomorrow. Jeroen Bleekemolen is back in the SRO paddock as well, in the #32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3R sharing with Kyle Washington. McAleer pulling slightly ahead of Jan Heylen but there is not much in it between these three. McAleer, Heylen, Farnbacher.
Mario Farnbacher goes right to the edge of the curbing. Farnbacher is going for it passing Heylen and Farnbacher pulls ahead to sixth place in the overall and fourth in class. McAleer vs. Farnbacher for third, a couple Floridian teams as they play chicken through The Kink. Balzan answers Auberlen with his personal best lap as Neil Verhagen is now within three seconds of Colin Braun reetting fastest lap at least twice. Mario Farnbacher trying to pass Stevan McAleeer. McAleer guarding the inside. Can Farnbacher repeat what he did to Jan Heylen last time?
Farnbacher blitzingaround the putside and McAleer cannot do anything with it. Yeah right. He goes wide though and now Jan Heylen smells blood in the water. There was a rub there betweent hose two, the Porsche drivers. McAleer will not concede the line and Farnbacher says, see ya!, and punches it to make a clean getaway. Colin Braun, new fastest lap at 2:04.235. Balzan as well with the lead is gapping Auberlen by 4.2 seconds currently. It is nip and tuck in the waning moments of race one here at Road America. Mama Mia! This is bonkers! Still 13 minutes left on the board.
George Kurtz looking on as his teammate Colin Braun leads Pro-Am and is third overall. Verhagen closing on Braun, and fast. ST Racing based for a long time in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, now based in California and they have a Pirelli GT4 America team and a team in SRO GT World Challenge America as well. The aero wash from the BMW is affecting negatively, the Mercedes. Balzan is answering the bell and rebuilding the gap back to 5.3 seconds. Manny Franco, the Wisconsinite, from Milwaukee, hoping to win at his home circuit. Not in the bag yet, with ten minutes remaining. Balzan has had the pressure applied by Auberlen all race but hitting his marks.
Amazing because Conquest could not find the setup during testing. They thought they had a successful test at Road America, but the car was extremely loose, after having a great test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was just not on. But now, the handling seems to be in the sweet spot. Neil Verhagen continues closing in on Colin Braun hand over fist. Braun has to buckle down for their third win in three races after sweeping at VIR. George Kurtz has a win streak in Fanatec GT World Challenge America and in GT America, as well being on the podium in LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Auberlen uncorks his best lap of the race at 2:04.6. Verhagen reeling in Colin Braun.
In Porsche land, McAleer has the edge on Heylen, currently. Mario Farnbacher wants to see the #45 ahead of the #28 so the Acura can gain points. The Kink is so incredibly fast as they crack the throttle. This part of the course is treacherous. Maybe about one more lap to go for Alessandro Balzan and Manny Franco. Auberlen goes deep into the corner missing the braking point as he tackles The Carousel. The stopwatch will tell the tale and he gave up time to Balzan and Verhagen is still pushing trying to catch Colin Braun but time is of the essence. White flag this time by.
One more lap to go. 4 miles, 14 corners. Verhagen again resets fastest lap again but time will run out for him I'm afraid. We are not seeing tire degradation with this new racing surface. Neil Verhagen giving it everything in the runner-up spot in Pro-Am. Colin Braun is on pole for race two tomorrow. For Conquest Racing, they are going to give the first win to the Ferrari 296 GT3 here in North America. 2:04.117 is Verhagen's fastest lap of this motor race. Manny Franco and Alessandro Balzan scored pole, managed starts and restarts with aplomb, and Balzan and Franco, and Conquest Racing win for the first time!
Overall/Pro: #21 Franco/Balzan Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3
Pro-Am: #04 Kurtz/Braun Crowdstrike with Riley Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
Am: #77 Branam/Kiebler TR3 Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
Am class victory to Jon Branam and Paul Kiebler, 14th on the road. Pro-Am, Colin Braun, and George Kurtz win. But the long awaited overall victory has come for Conquest Racing. They have been so close with some runner up finishes and then could not find the speed. Congratulations to Manny Franco and Alessandro Balzan. Tomorrow's second race here at Road America should be great. Conquest had a horrid weekend of racing at Circuit of the Americas in May, then finished fourth in both races at VIR and now they have won a popular victory at Road America. Conquest Racing does the job in race one of GT World Challenge America here at Road America.
Neil Verhagen, too, a wonderful drive. Another win too for George Kurtz and Colin Braun. Two wins on the day for George Kurtz in GT America and here in GT World Challenge America. We know how quick they will be tomorrow on overall pole, and they take the championship lead after troubles for Adelson and Skeer. Cue the house/dance music for the results. What will tomorrow hold for ST Racing? We'll see. TRG gets the final podium place in Pro-Am, Derek DeBoer and VHC, Valentin Hasse-Clot.
Onward to tomorrow, and race two at Road America. We'll see you tomorrow. For now, we say so long. But don't go anyplace. Pirelli GT4 America race one, final race of the Saturday slate here at Road America is coming up soon. For now, so long. We'll see you in a few minutes for GT4 action.
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