It is time for the opening race of the year for SRO Pirelli GT4 America. Sonoma Raceway has been an American classic circuit since its opening in 1968 as we head into the dusk. We join Ryan Myrehn, and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth, with Amanda Busick in the pit lane. We have a deep field with new cars and combinations. We have also seen track repairs that are curing as we speak through today's races. At the top of the shop, we see Techsport Racing with the new Nissan Z GT4's right at the top of the shop. Eric Powell with Jonathan Neudorf alongside. Charlie Postins seventh overall, the double Am champion for Bimmerworld with co-driver and team boss, James Clay. A great mix of cars and manufacturers in SRO GT4. We are on the second of two formation laps.
The two Techsport Nissan's are starting on sticker Pirelli P Zero tires. Most of the grid starting on scrubbed tires. This is a brand new surface, completely repaved. The braking zones will be much shorter with the new pavement. A great field of cars as I mentioned. Pro-Am and Silver the two classes for the two Nissan's. John Geesbreght has reigning Toyota GR Cup champion Tyler Gonzalez as his co-driver. We have tons of drivers and cars to talk about. Here we go. Green flag and it is go time! Eric Powell leads from pole alongside Jonathan Neudorf.
Neudorf hanging tought on the outside and they are still side by side at Techsport! They are on stone cold tires. No tire warmers in GT4. Powell leads from pole. Jonathan Neudorf drops a place. Here's a move as John Geesbreght is going for second around Neudorf. Geesbreght is the former Am class GT4 America champion. Kevin Boehm also going for it in the #92 Random Vandals CrowdStrike BMW M4 GT4. Boehm sharing with Kenton Koch. Poor old Dan Hanley has fallen down the order for Hanley Motorsport sharing with Parker Thompson and he may have damage, emergency lights flashing. BMW vs. Aston Martin.
James Walker Jr. fighting Gray Newell. Charlie Postins is also in there. James Walker Jr. is giving it everything. Gray Newell sharing The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 with Roman De Angelis, the Canadian. Demi Chalkias, one of the two new drivers in the JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 and she is being chased by Hannah Greenmeier. The resurfacing job at Sonoma Raceway seems to be holding up fine so far. Eric Powell has been shot from a cannon. Eric Powell sharing with Colin Harrison for the second season in a row.
Eric Powell had a tooth abscess and will need a root canal on Monday. So he is driving through the tooth pain today. There are four Nissan Z GT4's. The Silver class in GT4 is stacked. John Geesbreght leading Kevin Boehm. Colin Garrett teaming with Zac Anderson in the BMW M4 GT4 of Auto Technic Racing. James Walker Jr. is being harried still by Gray Newell and by Am class leader Charlie Postins. Bimmerworld knows how to maximize their program. Tyler McQuarrie is sharing with James Walker Jr. in the #82 sister car at Bimmerworld.
This year, Pirelli GT4 America is so much more competitive. Hannah Grisham raced with Rianna O'Meara-Hunt, and Hannah Greenmeier, who is Hannah Grisham's new teammate comes from a background in open wheel and in Mazda MX-5 Cup. Neudorf is passing by Geesbreght. Michai Stephens is Neudorf's co-driver this year now ij the Nissan camp. The Nissan Z GT4 is much edgier to drive than the Mercedes-AMG GT4 he has driven for the past few seasons. Jonathan Neudorf ran in Spec Miata and in Mazda MX-5 Cup. The MX-5 Cup cars run nose to tail all race long. '
Jonathan Neudorf sets CrowdStriek Fasteast Lap. Not sure of the time. Neudorf is getting stronger, running a 1:41.8. Charlie Postins running a smart race currently, back with the same team he has raced with. Every year they say they will rest on their laurels, but then, he and James Clay are back at it. Deeper in the field we see Todd Parriott scrapping with Matt Bell. Matt Bell, from California, in the #43 P1 Group Mercedes-AMG GT4 at P1 Groupe. Alex Vogel has raced GT3 cars in GT America in recent years. He will learn from his teammate, Vogel will. Scraps beginning to develop now between Geesbreght in the Supra and Boehm in the BMW.
Don't sleep on Colin Garrett and the Auto Technic BMW team. Eric Powell leading from pole over his teammate by two seconds, that is Jonathan Neudorf. The Hanley Motorsports Toyota Supra has had contact on lap one, potentially damaging the automobile. So, they will be searching for points. They were bullish about their prospects for today and tomorrow. Daniel Hanley sharing with Parker Thompson, the Canadian driver for Toyota/Lexus.
Through The Carousel and into turn seven. In turn seven you carry much more speed than you used to. There is a different regulation. Gone is the mandatory ten-minute pit window. There are minimum and maximum stint lengths. If you hit the pit lane with 23 and a half minutes on the board, you would not exceed the 35 minute maximum drive time for your pit strategy. Maximize your Pro driver's seat time. Eric Powell's lead is increasing and he has snagged the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap. You are not locked into the Pro or Am driver starting or finishing the race. Teams can nominate drivers to start and finish.
Trouble in turn seven and that is the #07 Toyota Supra GT4 EVO of Harry Cheung sharing with Ryan Eversley. That is the car for Precision Racing L.A. After many years with Honda, we will see Ryan Eversley in a Toyota. Eversley a longtime Honda driver known now as HRC, Honda Racing Corporation. Something might be amiss with the Toyota. There is some suspension askew on the Cheung/Eversley automobile. Harry Cheung did not hit anything. Eversley is bullish about his opportunities as a Toyota driver.
Colin Garrett has reeled in Kevin Boehm. Colin Garrett won the title last year in TC America in the TCX class in 2023. The Rotek Racing Porsche Cayman of Jaden Lander is chasing both Matt Bell and another Mercedes of Michael Auriemma. Nissan, Nissan, BMW, BMW, Toyota, the fastest lap earners in the 1:41-1:42 range. Auriemma is sharing the #89 RENNTech Mercedes-AMG GT4 with former IndyCar racer Mattheus Leist, the Brazilian. We have had a lot of big movers including James Walker Jr. up seven places in the Pro-Am class.
Auriemma falling into the clutches of the Rotek Am class Porsche Cayman of Jaden Lander. Yikes! The two Nolasport Porsche Cayman's just ran into each other! Egad! #052 is David Peterman sharing with Lee Carpentier, and the #60 is Steve Schneider sharing with Seth Thomas. The pit window will be opening very soon. James Walker Jr. and Gray Newell might be getting set to pit. Austin Krainz and Roland Krainz are sharing a Porsche Cayman as well. Roland Krainz came in from a business trip this morning and thankfully the two of them made it back to race with RS1 and in their Porsche Cayman.
John Capestro-Dubets and Eric Filgueiras are together in GT4 America and there was no chance for Filgueiras to be in GT3. Capestro-Dubets and Filgueiras are sharing the #28 car. Community Beer Works sponsoring the car and the boss of that company, Tom Kopcinski was supposed to drive but I don't know if that is true. Pit stop time for a driver change for the #20 Carrus Callas BMW M4 GT4. Nick Shanny and Terry Borcheller. Michai Stephens taking over at Techsport Nissan from the Canadian, Jonathan Neudorf.
Rotek Porsche in the lane. Robb Holland into the car. He is sharing with Jaden Lander in the #099 Porsche Cayman. A team that used to race Ford Mustang GT4's. James Clay and Charlie Postins going deep into the pit window, and I think Clay will get into the car for the second half of the race which starts in another minute. Eric Powell still leading and has not made the pit call yet. Here he comes now. He will hand off to Colin Harrison for the second stint. The car is running like a Swiss watch. They are led in by the #5 Flying Lizard Motorsports Nissan Z GT4 of Stefan Rzadzinski and Damir Hot.
Rzadzinski and Hot had a wreck yesterday and needed a backup car. Techsport Racing are really showing what they can do. This is a new GT4 spec Nissan Z car. Black Dog Speed Shop and Flying Lizard are also both racing the new Nissan. Kenton Koch has come through and made a pass. Oof! Michai Stephens spins out of the exit of The Carousel! Yikes! I think he was pushed. He didn't jump off the diving board there. Matt Bell has yet to pit. He will be in the lane in the next couple minutes. We are watching now, Tyler Gonzalez, the 2023 Toyota GR Cup champion.
Kenton Koch is chasing Geesbreght. Koch in the #97 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4. Matt Bell pits from the lead, handing over to Alex Vogel. John Geesbreght passing Lee Carpentier in the Nolasport Porsche Cayman, the #52 car. Kenton Koch chasing. Random Vandals will be racing in Fanatec GT World Challenge America for Kenton Koch and IndyCar driver Connor Daly. Connor De Philippi, BMW factory driver, will be in the car too, at the Indianapolis 8 Hours at the end of the year. De Philippi has run at the Indianapolis 8 Hours in the past.
Zac Anderson hs been fast but has an incident under review. 1;41.727, the new CrowdStrike Fastest Lap and it is Matteus Leist! Wow! He has been an open wheel racer all his career, the native of Novo Hamburgo in Brazil. He won the title in 2016 in British Formula 3. He raced with Lando Norris and Colton Herta, Formula 1 and IndyCar drivers of current fame. Tyler McQuarrie is now chasing hard after Colin Harrison and Michai Stephens. These are the two Nissan teammates. Stephens has been pushing hard and trying to get into a rhythm.
Incident to be reviewed post-race between Anderson and Stephens. Oh boy. Anderson committed to the middle of the turn and tagged Stephens. The marshals, the stewards need a better look at the incident. That being said, the writing could be on the wall. Again, we look at it, and Stephens was right where he needed to be. At first blush, he could have wriggled, but he didn't. Just hit your marks. Tyler McQuarrie has been closing in by a second or a second and a half relative to Colin Harrison, and he is dragging Roman De Angelis right with him.
Many BMW drivers in Pirelli GT4 America, say that the repave here at Sonoma has helped the handling of their cars. Hannah Grisham has caught James Clay. BMW vs. Aston Martin. Hannah Grisham and Rianna O'Meara-Hunt swept the finale doubleheader at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last fall. Credit goes to starting driver Hannah Greenmeier, the Hannah and Hannah show. James Clay's experience is really paying off, but he will try everything to keep Hannah Grisham behind. Grisham having a Captain Cook on Clay there.
Clay is not afraid to get his elbows out and sharpen them. Hannah Grisham trying for a run, and she has almost made it work. I think she tagged James Clay. Sean Gibbons is not on the lead lap, and he is the cork in the bottle in the Porsche Cayman. Gibbons driving with Sam Owen for OGH Motorsports in a Porsche Cayman. Gibbons gives way. Hannah Grisham is decisive trying to make her move on James Clay. Gibbons gives both of them racing room. Someone might have locked up or dropped a wheel and Damir Hot's #5 Nissan Z GT4 is smoking, and he is quite literally hot, is the Canadian. Stefan Rzadzinski crashed earlier in the weekend. Game over for today.
13 minutes to go as Colin Harrison is hounding and passing by, James Clay. Roman De Angelis makes the move, too. We used to have a one-line track here at Sonoma but not anymore. The overall lead battle is being turned up. Kenton Koch is turning it on and so is Zac Anderson who may face a potential post-race penalty. Tyler Gonzalez chased by Kenton Koch chased by Zac Anderson. CrowdStrike Fastest Lap for Anderson at 1:41.350. Koch passes Terry Borcheller as do the other leaders. Kenton Koch looking to the outside. Gonzalez is not blinking, not budging.
Anderson and Koch both want a bit of the cherry. Ten minutes to go. The Am class battle is being turned on as well. Tom Dyer the interloper in the #13 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin sharing with Todd Parriott. Gonzalez running a solid motor race. There are shared engines between the Toyota Supra and the BMW M4. Gonzalez over the curbs. Can he hang on for nine more minutes? No matter what car you put him in, Tyler Gonzalez goes fast. He has driven a front wheel drive Hyundai Veloster touring car and is now in GT4. Completely sideways, Gonzalez, and now, the BMW's are beginning to pour on the steam!
Gonzalez, Koch, Anderson. Mattheus Leist still has fastest lap at 1:41.208. Under ten minutes to go. Leaders nose to tail. Tyler Gonzalez is in his first GT4 race with Smooge Racing and ran a partial scheduled for Copeland Motorsports in a Supra GT4 last year. In the Pro-Am class, there is a half second between McQuarrie and De Angelis. Hannah Grisham closing in on James Clay, behind the two-time and defending class champion. Almost trading paint up the hill. It is so hard to follow a car so closely up the hill and down dale here at Sonoma.
Roman De Angelis is closing in fast. He is hunting for a class lead, setting up a pass on Tyler McQuarrie, a champion at this level in GT4. McQuarrie is really going for it. A big launch off the Carousel. Tyler Gonzalez uncorks fastest lap for his car and so did Kenton Koch. Koch with one hundredth quicker. Grisham makes the move on James Clay in the Am class. She is eking out a massive gap! Braking zone, turn nine, a clean pass. Two laps to go at the start/finish line as Tyler Gonzalez is trying to hold on.
Kenton Koch mirroring Tyler Gonzalez. Gonzalez using all the road and a little more, on the ragged edge over the BMW's who are fighting for second. Koch vs. Anderson. While the other two blokes scrap Gonzalez is whistling into the distance, but locks the brakes just a wee bit. Great lap from Gonzalez. One lap left. Tyler Gonzalez looking for the overall and Silver class win. In Pro-Am the battle is on between Clay and De Angelis. Grisham in the lead in Am. Heart of Racing want to double up. McQuarrie's defense has been robust.
McQuarrie disappointed by a championship loss in 2023. They want it. Meanwhile, Tyler Gonzalez, stepping into the Smooge Racing operation, and he is drifting it, Scandinavian flick into the braking zone for turn 11. Gonzalez wins for Smooge Racing with John Geesbreght! In the Pro-Am division it is Tyler McQuarrie vs. Roman De Angelis. McQuarrie and Walker Jr. win Pro-Am. In the Am class it will be the other Heart of Racing Aston Martin of Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenmeier.
Overall/Silver: #68 Geesbreght/Gonzalez Smooge Racing Toyota Supra Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo
Pro-Am: #24 Newell/De Angelis Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT4
Am: #25 Grisham/Greenmeier Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT4
There are incidents needing to be adjudicated by Race Control as we cue the house music for the results. We see a lot of great results for drivers in the results sheet. Kris Wilson at Random Vandals nipped James Clay at the very end of the race. Well, well, well. We have another Pirelli GT4 America race tomorrow at Sonoma. Excited to bring it to you. From the northern California wine country, we bid you good night. Sleep well. We have plenty more to come tomorrow.
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