Welcome back, everybody, to the streets of Long Beach, California, for the second and final race of the weekend for SRO GT America. It is the final race of the day, the final race of the weekend on Sunday evening. Race one yesterday was truly a barnburner that ran clean from green flag to checkered flag. It was a fabulous duel between the winner, Jason Daskalos, and runner up Johnny O'Connell who has raced here for many years, since 1986. We have blue skies and a slight breeze, similar weather to yesterday's race. The IndyCar race was just finished. Is their Firestone rubber compatible with the Pirelli tires on these GT cars? We'll have to see. We join Ryan Myrehn, and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth, and Amanda Busick in the pit lane.
The plan for the runner up contender, Johnny O'Connell plans to race smartly today. In GT2, Aaron Farhadi hopes he can match the Mercedes' straight-line speed for Dan Knox. In the GT4 class, it is truly the story of the teacher and the student at Rotek Racing, with Robb Holland, the veteran driver and the teacher, and his teammate, Isaac Sherman, the pupil. In the GT4 battle it is also car owner vs. one of the drivers. At a certain moment, Robb Holland believes himself to be a racing driver far more than a car owner. Once the helmet goes on, the thought process goes out the window. We have SRO3 cars (GT3 cars), GT4 cars, and GT2 cars.
This is the biggest grid we have had of GT2 cars in the United States. That's pretty incredible. Aaron Farhadi hopes to get track position over the Mercedes-AMG GT2 of Dan Knox. Great to see Knox, Lone Star Racing, and their team manager, A.J. Peterson. The Mercedes-AMG GT2 has loads of power but not loads of downforce. The GT2 cars are likely the most powerful cars here next to the IndyCars and possibly the IMSA GTP prototypes as well. Brent Holden is also in this GT2 field and so is C.J. Moses. You have the Lamborghini Super Trofeo GT2, the Mercedes-AMG GT2 and the Audi R8 LMS GT2 of C.J. Moses. Moses loves that car.
These are the dream cars that young fans have posters of on their bedroom wall. Southern California is a car crazy part of the country. There are some mouthwatering exotic cars even in the parking lots around Long Beach. So, we are setting up for another great race in GT America. Jason Daskalos' team at CRP Racing, they did not change the car in any way from the win yesterday. Again, Sheldon Miller, Jason Daskalos' crew chief has stage four cancer. God Bless Him. A wreck in a preceding race earlier today caused some track and catch fence repairs in the hairpin turn before the start/finish line.
We have a great mix of experienced veterans and fresh-faced rookies in this race. Long Beach, an iconic circuit. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the Long Beach Grand Prix. The field is beginning to pack together for the rolling start, and 40 minutes of racing action. Johnny O'Connell and Jason Daskalos on the front row and away we go! Daskalos in the lead and now, James Sofronas is side by side with O'Connell and Kyle Washington in the Porsche goes to second and the two Audi's get together and trade paint!
Johnny O'Connell may have lost some bodywork as the GT4 class starts and Gray Newell ducked out of line. Nick Shanny, Elias Sabo, and Todd Coleman go three deep at the back of the pack. Oh no! Nick Shanny taps Todd Parriott and turns right into the Aston Martin driver who gets off the course and almost has a clatter with the barriers! Parriott in the #13 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. Parriott is able to continue. It was hit square in the wheel well, but I am not sure if there is damage. He was tagged on the right rear corner.
Single driver, 40-minute races, no pit stops. It is go time. Jason Daskalos has sprinted away by 8/10ths of a second over Johnny O'Connell and now, Kyle Washington is up to second. Johnny O'Connell has slid behind James Sofronas and there is bodywork damage to the left side of the #3 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3. Kyle Washington has a lot of focus and coaching him this weekend is his co-driver and teammate Thomas Sargent who is paired with him in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America championship. Washington is running down Daskalos, but he has been issued a penalty for a start procedure violation.
GMG has brought in an ace engineer who has worked in Europe with Manthey Racing Porsche. Sofronas is bullish about what this engineer is bringing to the table and another incident between Parriott and Shanny is under review. So, the SRO America race stewards are busy. O'Connell bogs down and Daskalos accelerates and then, Washington changes columns before the control line. Meanwhile, James Sofronas is now up to second in the #14 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3. GMG has three cars this weekend and over 200 people checking out the team operations. James Sofronas' son Jenson is giving his dad the most pressure. So far, Sofronas seems to be putting his money where his mouth is and has uncorked the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap right off the bat at 1:21.253.
Sofronas typically does not race a full season, as he is managing the racing and the aftermarket parts business here in southern California. Jenson Sofronas has been racing go karts and will get a chance to drive a Porsche soon. Isaac Sherman is leading in the GT4 class currently. Kyle Washington on the rebound as one of the GT2 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Huracan's spins. That is Alan Grossberg and he is running again but he is off the race. Now, Kyle Washington is coming through all this traffic with the GT2, SRO3, and GT4 cars all in a bunch. Traffic was a massive deal for the leaders in race one yesterday and it is again for this second event.
Nick Shanny serves his drive through penalty and we watch the battle between the GT3 Porsche and the GT2 Lamborghini. The Lambo has the acceleration but the aero of the GT3 cars makes them better performers in the corners. Sofronas is chasing Jason Daskalos. Not too much tire degradation even on these bumpy and rough streets around Long Beach. Without tire falloff the pace increases. Right now Dan Knox leads GT2 again, the winner from yesterday's race. Mirco Schultis in the SRO3 Callaway Corvette had no transponder yesterday. He was extremely fast in race one yesterday, though, but he is getting stymied behind the GT2 cars who are steaming away from him.
Dan Knox finished third in the Pirelli World Challenge GTA championship in 2014 and that is the precursor to the modern SRO America championship we see today. That too was with Lone Star Racing, but Knox was driving a GT3 spec Dodge Viper at that time. How cool is that?! Sorfronas is right on Daskalos' six. Daskalos is hitting his marks and getting back to power quickly. We saw Daskalos, Sofronas, and O'Connell battling for victory in yesterday's race and now the same three characters are going for it again.
Looking at the sector times in sector one on the Race Vision tracker powered by AWS, it seems everyone in sector one is hitting the 23 second bracket. In GT4, Todd Coleman is traffic stymying Daskalos. Sofronas has a run on Daskalos as they pass the GT4 Aston Martin of Todd Coleman. Sofronas nearly chops Coleman, but they coexist. Now, guess who else is coming into the frame? It is Justin Rothberg in the #29 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3. Rothburg is a Ferrari Challenge driver, and it was actually the Monegasque driver Cedric Sbirrazuoli who was Rothburg's Ferrari Challenge driving coach. We have seen Cedric Sbirrazuoli racing in other SRO championships like Intercontinental GT Challenge and GT World Challenge Europe.
Rothburg is a tall lad at 6"6'. His crash helmet is rubbing against the roof and fits well into the BMW. He tested two or three other GT3 cars but could not get his frame into the car. Robby Foley needs to see over the dashboard, and so, they are making the adjustments for the two driver races in SRO GT World Challenge America. Everyone will be at the next races at Sebring International Raceway. Looking forward to bringing those events to you. We'll talk about them soon, at the end of this race. Now, Robb Holland from second in GT4 is in the pit lane. That makes me wonder.
This sets Isaac Sherman loose to go for it. Second place belongs to Samantha Tan and it is her debut here at Long Beach as she is back in a GT4 spec BMW M4 GT4 compared to the GT3 spec model she normally races. This is the new BMW M4 model which she did not drive last year. Samantha Tan will be racing in the GT4 European Series support races for the 24 Hours of Spa which is the crown jewel of GT3 racing that takes place in Belgium later this summer and we'll cover it for you. I am really excited about that one. One of the best sports car races on the face of the planet.
American drivers are migrating to the European waters to go racing. I wonder if the front end of Johnny O'Connell's Audi has been damaged. We'll have to get a good camera angle and see what the scoop is. I think the left front fender and the dive planes are missing. The leaders pass by Isaac Sherman in the GT4 Porsche Cayman. Isaac Sherman raced in oval track racing with modifieds and legends cars. He got to go road course racing in the Legends cars. Now we watch the GT4 battle between a couple really good teams both racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4's. Todd Coleman for Archangel Motorsports and Elias Sabo for Flying Lizard Motorsports.
Mike Johnson is the leader of the Archangel team while the Flying Lizard team is led by Darren Law. A couple real legends of the sports car racing scene. Almost half of this race is done and dusted and the top three remains Daskalos, Sofronas, and O'Connell. 1.8 seconds separating the top three. Mercedes has the edge in two of the three sectors while the Audi also has speed. Daskalos sets the fastest lap and now O'Connell steals it at 1:20.412. Some teams thought the tire situation would be OK and others said, no. The Pirelli rubber is not compatible with the Firestone rubber from the tires the IndyCars use. Meantime, Samantha Tan is being harried by The Heart of Racing Aston Martin with Gray Newell at the controls.
Curt Swearinging in the Porsche is reeling them in. Oh man! Now the SRO3 battle is coming to a boil! They pass Alan Grossberg in the GT2 Lambo and right here, look, it is Johnny O'Connell back on James Sofronas' six once again! Is O'Connell slowing? He cannot get a low gear to accelerate out of the corner with the paddle shifter. Dear, oh dear. Jason Daskalos' margin is now a second and a half as we are halfway home. Daskalos' car came alive in the second half of race one yesterday. Could that be the same today?
A couple GT4 retirements. Robb Holland had a puncture; the pit crew changed the tire and sent him back into the fight. But he has come back in and has retired. Same story for Nick Shanny with splitter damage on the BMW. Game over. Sebring is in less than two weeks. They will focus on those races, coming up very soon. In the meantime, Jason Daskalos resets the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap at 1:20.243. He wants to break out the broom and sweep the weekend. The lead has ballooned to over two seconds between Daskalos and Sofronas. He has a tenth or two over the chasing Audi's. They could be picking up a tow. Hard to tell.
Johnny O'Connell has reported to the team at SKI Autosport that the engine has been cutting in and out and he was able to refire it. He has caught up to James Sofronas. The key is now, he will be ready to hit the start or the ignition switch. In the meantime, at the tail of the SRO3 field, a battling is brewing between Jason Bell in the #2 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3, the new evolution Aston Martin, and the #32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3R (991.II) of Kyle Washington. Washington has the second generation 991 model, not the new 992 version of the Porsche. Washington is flying, though. He is closing in.
I think Kyle Washington is really becoming a serious GT3 racer while Jason Bell is a GT4 champion but is a GT3 rookie. Bell pulls out to pass Washington but decides discretion is the better part of valor. Track surface troubles at Sonoma Raceway did not allow for testing and so, Jason Bell is on the back foot but at Sebring he will be able to find his feet and acclimate to the car. The GT3 car and the GT4 car are so different from each other. In the month of May, SRO America has their own big events. We think of the Indianapolis 500 in the month of May and that is true. But there are two big race weekends for SRO America. One at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. The other at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Johnny O'Connell has been closing more on James Sofronas, although Mirco Schultis has just uncorked a 1:19.87! The Callaway Corvette has speed! Somewhere, Reeves Callaway, is smiling. The late, great Reeves Callaway, whose family has also been in the golf business. This old dog can still fight and still bite. New CrowdStrike Fastest Lap of the motor race to Mirco Schultis at 1:19.875. He is reeling in Justin Rothburg in the BMW M4 GT3 hand over fist. Schultis loves GM power. He digs in to set up the car with his team. In Germany, to haul his dirtbikes around, he ended up with a Chevrolet Blazer.
Mirco Schultis is a former class winner at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. There are reports this could be the final event for Mirco Schultis. I hope not. Let's hope that is not the case. There is a new GT3 Corvette Z06 with the mid-engine format. However, I don't believe Mirco Schultis intends to have a new Corvette and is sticking only with the Callaway because the old girl still has life left in her. We'll have to see what he will do. Only 12 minutes of the race remaining.
Schultis continues to chase Justin Rothberg. Many experienced Bronze-rated drivers can race against the rookies in GT3 competition. The Callaway Corvette is based on the old C7 which was very successful even though the Callaway is long in the tooth. Robby Foley is bullish on Justin Rothburg. The sponsor, Ladycrete, that company was founded by Justin's grandfather, and what they make is concrete adhesive. Just ten minutes to go. Jason Daskalos could indeed win again which would be great for him and his team, after telling the story of crew chief Sheldon Miller dealing with cancer. Again, God Bless You, Sheldon. Keep up the good fight.
Traffic giveth. Traffic taketh away. Domination though, in GT4 from Isaac Sherman. He is dominating again at Long Beach. He was a late entry at Sonoma last time out and won, and so, he has now committed to a full season. He has a ten second gap over Samantha Tan in second place. Dan Knox continues to lead in the GT2 class over Aaron Farhadi. Farhadi has slipped away by some 20 seconds. Ross Chouest is the second Mercedes in the picture but is in SRO3. I wonder if Farhadi went off the road or clonked the barriers or something. The GT2 Mercedes is based on the track series Mercedes-AMG with a twin turbocharged 4-liter V8 putting out 707 brake horsepower, unrestricted.
It is the first Mercedes race car with a swan neck rear wing on it. That was popularized in recent years by Porsche. The swan neck rear wing design came about because the track series car has a double rear wing on it. Meanwhile, Mirco Schultis is pouring on the steam, chasing down Justin Rothberg. Curt Swearingin in the Porsche Cayman in the GT4 class. Many of the SRO drivers got a t chance to see the IndyCar race earlier on. A lot of these amateur drivers are thrilled that they can actually race on the streets.
Schultis tries to pass Rothburg but has to give it up. What an iconic race the Long Beach Grand Prix is. Everyone circles the race on the calendar going for the win. James Sofronas is uncorking some great laps and Daskalos has been stymied in traffic and now James Sofronas is catching up in a big hurry. Lap 25 was a traffic lap for Daskalos. Yesterday's wnner, who loves street course racing, is going for the sweep. James Sofronas is going for it, being rooted on by his son Jenson and his daughter Chloe. They will be moving to a new shop over at the Thermal Club this summer, running 30 customer cars. GMG will retain a presence in southern California.
James Sofronas raced the first ever World Challenge event here at Long Beach back in 1994. Jason Daskalos is using all of the road on the corner entrances and creating a massive radius. The setup on that CRP Mercedes, Daskalos is feeling it. Daskalos has gained more of a lead on James Sofronas. New CrowdStrike Fastest Lap to Kyle Washington in the Porsche at 1:19.774. Meanwhile, the GT4 battle is still spicy, too! It is Samantha Tan being harried by Gray Newell. BMW vs. Aston Martin. Newell right in the tire tracks.
The BMW looks really strong down the straightaway! Time is running out. Through the hairpin they go. Newell has to be frustrated that he cannot get there. Traffic ahead. It is Jason Bell. Daskalos and Sofronas play through. This is the final straightaway. Checkers are waving. Daskalos does the sweep! He takes the win by 8/10ths of a second with James Sofronas second and Johnny O'Connell third. In the GT4 class, Isaac Sherman has made four GT4 starts and has won all of them! Isaac Sherman and Rotek Racing have had a perfect beginning to the 2024 season in GT America!
Samantha Tan holds off Gray Newell for second. In the GT2 class, Dan Knox has done the double and sweeps the weekend!
Overall/SRO3: #27 Jason Daskalos CRP/Daskalos Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3
GT2: #10 Dan Knox Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT2
GT4: #098 Isaac Sherman Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
We have told the story about Jason Daskalos and Sheldon Miller, Miller in his valiant battle with cancer. Jason Daskalos had great results with an older Audi R8 in the past and has transitioned now to modern GT3 cars with the Mercedes. What a fabulous weekend for Jason Daskalos and for the CRP team. The car took a while to settle in but it worked. No mistakes, a cushion built up in traffic. Daskalos is now the points leader in GT America heading for the next event on the calendar. CRP Racing can celebrate as we cue the dance music and look at the results sheets.
Rothburg held off Mirco Schultis by half a second. Ross Chouest and Kyle Washington did well for a while but did not have the results they wanted today. Dan Knox is thrilled with his GT2 results. A double winner. More dance music, and the GT2 results sheet. Brent Holden completes the GT2 podium. GMG Racing had some great results. Isaac Sherman is batting a thousand in GT4! It is a team effort at Rotek Racing. Isaac Sherman did not see any walls today and focused on the win, and he got it. He has a bright future.
More dance music, and the GT4 results. Sherman won this race by 12 seconds. So, that's all she wrote for the SRO GT America races at Long Beach. We will join you next, at the fabled concrete of the WW. II. B-17 and B-25 bomber training base turned into a racetrack at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida, the first weekend in May. Very excited to bring you all the action. We'll see you at Sebring, everybody, as we celebrate three classes being swept by all the respective winners. We were treated to a wonderful weekend of racing in GT America.
We're off to Sebring and it will get bumpier. We'll see you in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.
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