GT America powered by AWS, for the mixture of SRO3 (GT3) and GT4 cars enters the penultimate races of the championship season at the fabled, rough concrete palace of speed that is Sebring International Raceway among the central Florida orange groves. Championships in SRO3 and GT4 are both up in the air. Memo Gidley and Jason Daskalos battle in SRO3. While, in GT4, it is a scrap between Ross Chouest and Robb Holland. We join Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth and Amanda Busick in the pit lane, with Jason Daskalos on the front row alongside Memo Gidley. Jason Daskalos has no choice today but to win. We are readying to fire the engines.
The latest GT3 cars have much better suspension systems than they used to. The bones, the wrinkles of Sebring are still here. Don't resurface this place, whatever you do. Aeronautical engineer Alec Ulmann wanted to host a sports car race here in the 1950s and chose Sebring to do so. Manufacturers who have won the 12 Hours of Sebring, posted over the pit garages. Johnny O'Connell has had eight class wins at Sebring and an overall win here too. SKI Autosport could have a new car coming for next year. We have a 24-car field for GT America race one this afternoon at Sebring. This is a simple, 40-minute sprint, with no pit stops, and no driver changes, with multi-class racing. This is a throwback to what World Challenge racing used to be.
This grid is so tight. It's incredible. George Kurtz cannot get the same feel out of the GT America Mercedes-AMG GT3 compared to the same car he races in Fanatec GT World Challenge America, as the drivers get the Pirelli P Zero tires up to pressure, up to temperature. At Pirelli, there are tires mounted and balanced for the race teams. Two compounds are provided. Grease the wheel, slip the tire over, and seat the bead of the tire so the tire holds air. After a session, the tires will be recycled. A dry tire is one of two compounds with no tread for maximum grip.
The wet tire has grooves to siphon water away from the tire. Tire management and double stinting is crucial especially in what we will see in a few weeks at the Indianapolis 8 Hours. The tire fitters have their work cut out for them in the Florida heat at Sebring this weekend. The naturally aspirated Porsche Cayman will have a hard time in this heat. Robb Holland has his work ahead of him. Jason Bell is waiting for his rivals to make mistakes. Bell has been a champion before. Holland still looking for the elusive first title in GT America and ditto for Ross Chouest.
Safety car in the lane. Memo Gidley brings the field to the green flag. It waves, and we are underway! Go! The GT4 field does likewise and at the front, Gidley leads Daskalos, Adelson, Kurtz, and Bartone. Jason Daskalos protecting the inside and now, Todd Treffert scraps with Johnny O'Connell, and Jason Bell moves on Robb Holland while Tony Gaples fights with Gray Newell. Chevrolet Camaro vs. Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. Ross Chouest makes up a place behind Gray Newell and he wants by. Chouest looking to go back-to-back.
Gaples under pressure from Tim Savage. Scott Blind makes a move and so does Tim Savage. Gaples leaning on Scott Blind a wee bit. Gaples wisely gives it up. Savage tries Gaples in turn 16 but no dice. Gaples' car has a bent dive plane on the nose. Adam Adelson has George Kurtz all over him and Todd Treffert passes Johnny O'Connell in the #41 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Memo Gidley might just be putting Jason Daskalos in the shade. So, Gidley is scrapping and wants to get back to the top. Gray Newell and Ross Chouest and Scott Blind, three Aston Martin Vantage GT4's. Team manager Mike Johnson is high on Scott Blind.
Jason Bell, pulling double duty, and he will race with Michael Cooper in Pirelli GT4 America later this afternoon. Robb Holland has to drop no points while Jason Bell does. Memo Gidley is building a margin and fast. He is a second clear over the majority of the field. Daskalos defending from Adam Adelson and George Kurtz, both. Adelson in the 992 Porsche 911 in GT America while racing the 991 II. model in GT World Challenge America. Traffic overlap between the GT3 and GT4 cars is something we will see. Meanwhile, Elias Sabo is beginning to monster Robb Holland which will help Jason Bell's cause.
Jason Bell is in a rhythm already eking out a massive gap on Robb Holland. Watch out for the steering input over the bumps, zero contact patch with the tires thundering through turn 17, Sunset Bend. You never hit that turn the same way twice. Drivers always feel they leave something on the table over those bumps. Gray Newell running well in the fourth place. Tony Gaples doing all he can to keep up with a flipped-up dive plane, on driver's right. That will compromise him on turn in in places like Tower Corner at turn 13. Gray Newell holds fourth ahead of Ross Chouest, who also raced in the GT4 race last night with Aaron Povoledo, team co-owner and co-driver.
Jason Bell did not race last night in the GT4 NOLA makeup race. But he will enter the other two, this afternoon, and tomorrow. Memo Gidley's delta has dropped a wee bit, but he is still uncorking fastest laps. That is tough sledding for his rivals. Adelson, Kurtz, and Daskalos at ahead of them. Anthony Bartone is running fifth with ten minutes already on the board. 1/4 distance. Memo Gidley, new CrowdStrike Fastest Lap at 2:01.996. Sebring has been a happy hunting ground. TKO Motorsports, the name means Teaching Kids Options. Memo Gidley has run in the old Champ Car series and in sports cars as well. Todd Treffert and CRP are running well today, with much history with the Mercedes brand.
Todd Treffert has been a winner in vintage racing but stepping into professional racing this year for the first time. Gaples catching Blind, Chouest, and Newell. Poor old Ross Chouest really needs to get a wriggle on. Consistency was the key to his 2022 season success, podium after podium, taking little risk. But now, he has to push to stay in the hunt. Andy Wilzoch bounding over the curbs in the #460 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R. Adam Adelson a couple tenths off Memo Gidley's pace but Gidley has five seconds in hand over Dakalos, Adelson, and Kurtz. Andy Wilzoch will have his final races of the weekend here at Sebring.
His first motorsport event was 24 years ago in 1999. Flying Lizard Porsche's raced and won in this livery in decades gone by. It is an iconic livery, the silver and orange colors. Wilzoch is a Porsche guy through and through. Robb Holland on the defensive being chased down by Elias Sabo. Sabo looking for clean air as Robb Holland is next up. Holland may be seeing temperatures of the motor and the radiator going up. He was banking on leading and getting clean air. Scott Blind in the meantime still has his hands full with Tony Gaples. Gaples has been there and done that at this level while Scott Blind is a rookie.
Blind has dropped back and Gaples is applying the pressure. Chouest and Newell have scampered away. Gray Newell finding an extra turn of speed or so it appears. Tim Savage also on the move and having a good run for The Racer's Group, TRG. They will be racing a GT3 spec Aston Martin in Fanatec GT World Challenge America later today. Is the diffuser on Ross Chouest's car askew? I think it is. It is indeed. That is not fun. The downforce under braking and cornering will be inconsistent. The aerodynamic aids are effective on these GT4 cars. Memo Gidley has a tendency to be quick out of the gate and now, Daskalos is making inroads. Daskalos under attack from Adelson! Adelson wants the second spot and bring George Kurtz right with him, look.
Halfway home. Adelson to the inside in turn ten, has to give it up, and Kurtz's front-end washes out. Yikes! Nick Shanny, swallowed up by the SRO3 cars, in the GT4 Toyota Supra. Through turn 16, down the Ulmann straightaway and into Sunset Bend, Adam Adelson fending off the challenge from Kurtz in the new 992 spec Porsche 911 GT3R which he races in GT America and then using the 991.II in Fanatec GT World Challenge America. Tim Savage cannot just push a disappear button. Tony Gaples does pass Scott Blind for sixth in GT4. Gaples has caught Chouest. Again, this is multi-class racing, something George Kurtz has experience with, in prototypes.
Kurtz also races LMP2 cars in another series, in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, and has done so, winning in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chouest runs out wide and I was sure he was going to hit a slow car and Tony Gaples attacking Ross Chouest in turn one. Kurtz crawling all over the back of Adam Adelson in this great scrap. Daskalos has made good his escape. He has bolted. Same with Gidley up to 6.7 seconds over Jason Daskalos. Chouest Povoledo Racing says Ross Chouest is not worried about handling. Tony Gaples is still locked in right on his six.
15 minutes left on the clock as Chouest has caught Gray Newell hand over fist. Johnny O'Connel battling with Todd Treffert. Mercedes fastest in the top speed department over Mirco Schultis in the Callaway Corvette. Four brands in the top five speeds between 156 and 159 miles an hour. George Kurtz swept the weekend at Road America and made some setup changes for that race even though it has been a rough season for him in GT America, leveraging the time for the points championship in GT World Challenge America.
George Kurtz won his class in the 2021 12 Hours of Sebring. He walked over a Mario Andretti brick and Mario Andretti texted him to congratulate him. Holy smokes. That's cool. Robb Holland is now falling into the clutches of Elias Sabo, probing, trying to find a way through. Elias Sabo is not afraid to push the envelope. Holland balks Sabo. Don't try stuffing it down the inside through the hairpin turn. Robb Holland has been on a tear lately. It all started at Virginia International Raceway carrying into the races on the street course at Nashville, Tennessee.
The gap from first to third going into Road America was 23 points and now it is 25 points. That is an old stat about Road America last time. Forgive me. Memo Gidley's 2:01.996 remains fastest lap of the motor race with less than ten minutes on the board. Gidley leads by eight and a half seconds over Daskalos and Adelson. Adam Adelson steadily closing in on Jason Daskalos. Johnny O'Connell having a good run, in seventh place. Eight-time winner here at Sebring, once an overall winner. He has not raced in the 12 Hours of Sebring now in the 12 Hours of Sebring winning overall in 1994 and in class in 1993, '94, '95, 2002, '03, '04, '08, and '09. Tom Kristensen has six wins at the 12 hours and has a corner named afrer him on the track. Now we need to get Johnny O'Connell's name on a turn here.
Bell leads GT4 while Robb Holland is still being chased by Elias Sabo. Less than seven minutes to go in race one. These two are having fun. Holland has to be frustrated that he does not have the pace Jason Bell does as Bell has rocketed away. The grid for race two will be set by fastest laps from this race, for the second event tomorrow. Robb Holland has been the most successful GT4 GT America driver to not win a title, and he ahs myriads of touring car experience as well. Kurtz popping out to try to pass Adam Adelson. No dice into Sunset Bend.
Under five minutes to go in race one, three races to go after this one is done and dusted. Drivers are like boxers, doing body punches to get a knockout blow. It is so much fun to watch. Kurtz dropping wheels off course at the exit of the hairpin which is easy to do. Adelson drawing a bead on Daskalos, the concertina effect on the three-way battle for the podium places. Gidley's margin has ballooned to over 12 seconds. Elias Sabo closing in on Robb Holland, Holland defending in the middle of the road on the run to the hairpin. It was thought the Porsche would struggle in the heat, but that has not been the case thus far.
Sabo though, he might just have a lunge towards the end of this motor race. He has a real outside shot. He has to throw a haymaker and jump into this fight. Andy Wilzoch in trouble, slowing, in his final weekend of 2023. Gidley leads Daskalos, Adelson, Kurtz, and Anthony Bartone. The top five in GT4 is Bell, Holland, Sabo, Gaples, and Newell. This will be a large championship swing between Holland and Jason Bell. Kurtz has damage to the front of the car, getting hard into the ABS taking away stopping power. There is symmetry between the leaders in SRO3 and in GT4.
White flag. One more lap for Memo Gidley, looking for another win to add as a feather in his hat. Chouest's spin we saw earlier he had a tire issue and a damaged diffuser of course. A disaster for a championship contender. Chouest in limp home mode with Nick Shanny closing fast. It is well down in the top ten in GT4. Shanny has caught him. Memo Gidley clearing the traffic. He will extend his points advantage over Jason Daskalos. Memo Gidley wins at Sebring in race one!
Holland protecting from Sabo on the final lap for second. Jason Bell leads the class. Sabo closing in under braking. Bell is closer to these two, managing the final lap from Tower Corner through Bishop Bend. Does Bell have trouble? Can he hold off Elias Sabo and Robb Holland? Bell is managing things and trying to avoid risk. Bell passed Holland early, never looking back, and Jason Bell and Flying Lizard Motorsports win race one with Robb Holland second and Elias Sabo third while Tony Gaples and Gray Newell complete the top five in GT4.
Gidley scores the win and the fastest lap which means pole for race two tomorrow, three races left in the season. 75 points on offer yet in 2023.
Overall/SRO3: #101 Memo Gidley TKO Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3
GT4: #2 Jason Bell Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4
Cue the synthesizer dance music for the results. Need to find some kind of a recording of that music, not the same theme music we have heard on SRO broadcasts in past years. So, race one for GT America in the bag. We'll see you tomorrow for race two with 25 points in the bag for Memo Gidley and Jason Bell also in the GT4 title fight. Good racing here at Sebring today and we have more to come tomorrow. For now, so long, everyone.
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