We have arrived deep in the heart of Texas, in Austin, Texas, a motorsports venue, Circuit of the Americas, joins in the cultural melting pot of food and music in Austin, the Texas state capitol. We also have a sprint event for GT World Challenge Europe Sprint, in Misano, on the Adriatic coast of Italy. But today, it is the Texas sized drama. The minimum drive time is a big deal now that the pit window. We will have a rodeo. Saddle up. These cowboys and cowgirls are riding, not literal horses, but fast, four wheeled horses made of carbon fiber, Kevlar, and steel.
Hello, and welcome back, everybody, to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, as we get set for one of the three or four marquis events on this SRO GT racing weekend at Circuit of the Americas. This is the first of the "marquee" events for the day with race one of SRO GT World Challenge America for the GT3 cars, on tap. We had a 16-car field slated for this event, now reduced to 15. I don't know why. But car #92 still has not shown up for one of these races, the MMG Porsche 992 GT3R that has been slated all season to be driven by the Canadian duo of Alexandre Tagliani and Jean-Fredric Laberge, still has not appeared. Sorry, I have no news, no explanation as to why that could be.
That being said, we have a couple new entries this weekend which are drawing much attention already. DXDT are debuting their second Chevrolet Corvette ZO6 GT3.R to team with Scott Smithson and Bryan Sellers in the #08 car. This is the #63 which is to be driven by factory Corvette driver in IMSA, Tommy Milner, teaming up with Alec Udell. We also have the polesitter, on debut, the AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 #88 being shared by Custodio Toledo of Brazil and Ricardo Agostini of Italy.
We join Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth, and Amanda Busick in the pit lane on a day that is hot, hot, hot, here in Austin. AF Corse back on the grid. Again, it is the aforementioned Ferrari of Custodio Toledo and Ricardo Agostini who will start the race. The battle will be on between Agostini and the #91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Philip Ellis sharing with Jeff Burton. Alec Udell says he and Tommy Milner want to get the most out of the car in the race today. Seat time for the two of them, will be going for it.
Bill Auberlen starting the #28 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3. Here is our track preview at Austin. Everything is bigger and better in Texas. Look at the hill, 100 feet, 11 degrees of elevation. There are tons of pavement at this track. Turn one, keep it simple, braking at the 100-meter board. So many turns are modeled after famous Grand Prix tracks like the Senna S at Interlagos in Brazil, then Maggots, Becketts, Chapel, at Silverstone in England. Track limits are a true consideration. Open your hands, jump the car over the curb through turn eight.
Lots of resurfacing as we go to turn 11. Watch your exit, square the car, and punch it down the one-kilometer-long backstretch. Brake into the turn, look for the apex, be patient, like the Hockenheim track in Germany, the stadium section. Low speed at apex going back to corner through the triple apex corner modeled after turn eight in Istanbul in Turkey. Now, for turn 19, modeled after Indianapolis corner at Le Mans in France as we launch off the final turn, get the roll speed and nail the exit. What a lap! It is an immense challenge and loads of fun!
Philip Ellis on row one outside, alongside Custodio Toledo. Ellis knows he must pass the Ferrari to break away from the pack with their team's alternate strategy. Get a clean start and coexist through the apex with the rest of the GT3 contenders. Watch your crossover into the turns. Ellis is a GT3 racing star in North America. Wins in IMSA endurance races at Daytona and Sebring, and poles in SRO America GT World Challenge. He Googled race car teams, sending 300 letters to racing teams, went to test a go kart in Spain, and he had no money.
Eventually he got the opportunity, and he is a Mercedes-AMG factory driver. The field rolls off behind the safety car. Keep an eye on Elias Sabo. He is 14th even after doing a clutch change before the race. He starts in his qualifying place alongside co-driver Andy Lee. The field is forming up. Alright. Here comes the field out of turn 20. Ricardo Agostini on the pole. Green flag and away we go! It is a drag race to turn one. Agostini goes wide, and it is a scramble. Ellis spins, George Kurtz and Adam Adelson off the road. Right front tire cut down on the #93 Acura NSX GT3 EVO22 of Luca Mars in the Racer's Edge car he shares with former IndyCar racer Zach Veach.
Mars is in limp home mode around this three-and-a-half-mile track. Adam Adelson and Elias Sabo are in a battle of their own and Alec Udell seems to be moving up. Agostini is ahead of Bill Auberlen. Poor old Philip Ellis is dropping like a stone and making the climb back up the mountain again. Does he have damage? Lap one in the bag. Ricardo Agostini leading followed by the two ST Racing BMW M4 GT3's of Bill Auberlen and Samantha Tan as Jake Perdersen tries passing the Esses Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Will Hardemann, the #19 car, sharing with Alan Metni.
The former team manager at Esses Racing is overseeing the IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 efforts of driver Romain Grosjean of France as Racer's Edge Motorsports are in the pit lane assessing the damage. They could have suspension and steering damage to repair. The steering is cattywampus as Ross Chouest is muscling Kyle Washington out of the way. Philip Ellis, too, is carving his way through the field in ninth place with a drive through penalty handed by the stewards. So, take your medicine and get this out of the way, after the avoidable contact with Ricardo Agostini.
Kyle Washington came from 15th to seventh. A brilliant start, going halfway through the field, racing with Ross Chouest in the #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. There was already a rub with the Ferrari in the replays and Luca Mars was probably innocent in this shemozzle through the first couple corners. It is game over for the #93 Acura with a broken toe link. Zach Veach will not be able to drive in race one this afternoon. Justin Rothberg is rebounding from a poor qualifying session in the #29 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 sharing with Robby Foley.
Adam Adelson tries passing Kyle Washington, goes wide, and Washington almost gets into a contretemps with George Kurtz, on a wide approach to that corner across the apex. That was very close to being a disaster! They scream through the esses and plunge downhill again into the braking zone. Ricardo Agostini has six seconds in hand over Bill Auberlen, on the alternate strategy and Washington is into the turn super deep, again! Blimey! That was close. Washington is on the ragged edge! Goodness gracious!
Adam Adelson now in the Pro class vs. the CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes of George Kurtz and Colin Braun. Adelson making his move and here comes Scott Smithson in the #08 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R and now, Alec Udell is pressuring Bill Auberlen for the Pro class lead. Auberlen ahead of Alec Udell and Samantha Tan. Corvette vs. BMW. Corvette the meat in the sandwich, Alec Udell at the wheel of it, his first race in this automobile. Tommy Milner, his co-driver is extremely complementary of Udell's driving. Milner did all the development on the GT3 Corvette and is a Corvette factory driver in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.
Udell raced in the old Pirelli World Challenge and in 2019 he was a runner-up in GT4 Europe powered by Rafa Racing Club. Samantha Tan working the throttle and the brake through the esses. We have seen more resurfacing on this track and there will be more to do before the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in the fall as 2:06.298 is CrowdStrike Fastest Lap by Agostini. So he is doing exactly what he needs to do and now, another warning for weaving down the frontstretch to Philip Ellis in the #91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Auberlen, Udell, and Tan, scrapping for second, third, and fourth place in the overall. Udell is giving Auberlen a tough run for his money. Auberlen, 2:07.1 but is 9/10ths slower than race leader Ricardo Agostini. Ellis too, on the charge in 13th place but 40 seconds down on the leaders. The lap times and performance are being hammered by this intense heat in Austin, Texas. Udell is side by side with Auberlen into turn 20. Auberlen out over the sleeping policemen. Udell to the right in the run to turn one and Udell nips him.
This is wonderful racing. Alec Udell in his home track is the Pro class leader. Samantha Tan is chasing her teammate, Bill Auberlen, teamed with Varun Choksey, and Neil Verhagen is co-driving with Samantha Tan as always. Meanwhile, Justin Rothberg and George Kurtz are scrapping and so is Scott Smithson in the second DXDT Corvette. Rothberg goes wide through the corner and now, George Kurtz is probing him. The BMW M4 GT3 is significantly larger than the others as Smithson is trying the inside of Kurtz and Kurtz slams the door in his face.
Turner Motorsports,with the BMW, the car is wide enough where it is harder for the mechanics to run around the car to change tires and get the service done with fueling and the air jacks as well. Rothberg is new to GT3 after years of racing Ferrari Challenge while George Kurtz is the defending Pro-Am class winner and he has GT3 championships in GT World Challenge America and in the single driver GT America series where both men compete, and Kurtz has won titles there. That race is coming up later this afternoon and we will have it for you.
Kurtz right on the inside of Rothberg who has to give it up. Rothberg tries again and Kurtz goes deep and gets passed by Smithson as well, look. Kurtz will regroup and get back on the charge. Smithson has a head of steam and Rothberg chops his nose off! Holy mackerel! OK. A swap of position on purpose at ST Racing between Samantha Tan and Bill Auberlen. Rothberg, Smithson, Kurtz, for positions eight, nine, and ten in Pro-Am and the overall. Elias Sabo is 11th ahead of Philip Ellis who is in recovery mode. Ellis brings the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap down to 2:05.740 having passed Will Hardemann and Kyle Washington, now reeling in Elias Sabo.
It's a drag race now between Smithson and Kurtz! Corvette vs. Mercedes. This is great racing! I mean it. You all best be watching this on GTWorld on YouTube. You can watch the tape, but live, this is awesome! Bill Auberlen, in fourth, something dragging underneath the car. The splitter is fine. But maybe the rear diffuser is dragging, flapping around. Samantha Tan is matching Alec Udell's lap times. 2:07 flat for Tan. She is gaining confidence in a GT3 car under the tutelage of Niclas Jonsson. Ellis has made passes on Scott Smithson and has caught George Kurtz and these two are racing each other and Elliss passes by Kurtz, look.
Rothberg given a reprieve from being under duress by Kurtz. Pit strategy, in a minute, anyone who wants to swap to the Pro driver, go for it now. What are you feeling with tire degradation? These Pirelli tires could be getting squirmy and slimy in this intense Texas heat. Now we resume the Justin Rothberg and George Kurtz story. It could come down to the co-drivers later on, Jeff Burton vs. Colin Braun. Justin Rothberg is able to withstand the pressure. One hour to go. Half an hour of racing on the board. We will have race two of GT World Challenge America for you here at COTA tomorrow. This is the unofficial home track of SRO America as Kurtz makes a run on Rothberg and now, Scott Smithson is probing both of these two blokes.
Rothberg handling the pressure in the eses and Kurtz takes the spot away! High commitment through the esses! Smithson being patient. He was kicking himself after Sebring but is now really letting himself get into the mix here. Ricardo Agostinit, two-time Italian GT Sprint champion and one-time Italian GT Endurance champion. He has also succeeded in Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Porsche Carrera Cup Europe. 16 seconds is the lead for Agostini. Kurtz has taken off after solving the riddle posed by Rothberg and now, Rothberg has a puzzle to solve against Smithson as well.
These GT3 cars share a lot with their road going supercar cousins you can buy in a showroom if you have the passion and the cash. Smithson is really giving Rothberg everything he can throw at him. Shallow corner entry for Rothberg, and momentum stymied for poor old Smithson. He has more speed through turns 18 and 19. The Corvette is glued to the ground while the BMW is sort of wallowing, dancing around through the esses. 54 and a half minutes left on the board. Smithson and Rothberg both new to GT3 racing and Smithson is a touring car veteran, while also racing the old Mercedes-AMG GT3 before making the jump to the Corvette.
Ross Chouest, Adam Adelson, and Philip Ellis are in a battle of their own for sixth place. There is some superficial damage to the front end of the Chouest Povoledo Racing Mercedes. Chouest and Aaron Povoledo had a top five finish at Sebring last time out, as Ross Chouest is breaking old habits from racing a GT4 car compared to a GT3 car. He is thrilled by the challenge and learning what the car can do. He has already seen victory lane in GT America in spite of a disqualification, at Sonoma Raceway a couple events ago. The level of complexity on the GT3 cars with the crew, is much more than a GT4 machine.
Adam Adelson sharing with Elliott Skeer, the two of them, were joined last year at the Indianapolis 8 Hours with Callum Ilott. Callum Ilott is an IndyCar driver and Callum Ilott had a great win in World Endurance a few weekends ago, now, we will have more highlights of FIA WEC later as we are off piste, and now, we see Adelson gobbling up Chouest and Ellis has also gone by. Anticipation is of a pit stop and now we are closing on halfway and we see all the Am runners hit the lane for service. It is a driver change to Tommy Milner at Corvette while both Ricardo Agostini and Phil Ellis will stay out as long as possible.
Jake Pedersen is now handing off to Trent Hindman in the #85 RS1 Porsche 992 GT3R. The elevation change into turn one is a monster, with seven degrees incline and 100 feet of elevation change, going up. Elias Sabo and Andy Lee for Flying Lizard stepping back into GT3 racing with team manager Owen Hayes. Into the lane, the #28 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3. Bill Auberlen would have stayed out as long as possible, but they have that dragging bodywork piece to take care of. I don't see anything dragging. The diffuser may have been tweaked. I think Varun Choksey has gotten into the car and Chouest Povoledo Racing also pitted to get Aaron Povoledo into the car.
Right now, Ricardo Agostini continues to lead but when he comes in and hands over to Custodio Toledo, the Brazilian will be at the deep end of the pool. It does not look comfortable, the handling, for Varun Choksey and there is a loose rear diffuser on the #28 BMW M4 GT3 for ST Racing. The downforce is very inconsistent which makes the handling and the ability to drive the car, a living nightmare. Into the second half of the race now. Agostini must go as fast as possible and as long as possible. What is the pit delta? I think Custodio Toledo will be slower when he gets into the Ferrari. Agostini has one more lap and needs to be on the pit lane before the clock reaches 40 minutes to go.
Tommy Milner leading the Pro class and is third overall and may cycle to the overall lead. The #91 is now in the lane, for Regulator Racing. Philip Ellis is handing over to Jeff Burton. Pit lane speeding drive through penalty for the #19 Esses Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 now in the hands of Alan Metni. Meanwhile, Neil Verhagen is turning it on and is running in the 2:05 lap time range. Agostini to the lane now. He is going to hand over to Custodio Toledo. Elliott Skeer is now chasing down Varun Choksey. Choksey fades to the inside. Skeer wants a bite of the cherry but knows discretion is the better part of valor.
AF Corse of course are operating the Ferrari 499P prototype in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Now, Elliott Skeer is right on Varun Choksey's six! Choksey twitches the BMW which is a wounded duck. Jeff Burton is hanging tough with these two boys up ahead. AF Corse had a slow pit stop, hung up on the driver change, nine seconds over the minimum time. That lead for Agostini has fizzled out. These two have been campaigning the car in Italian GT and in Le Mans Cup. Elliott Skeer, too, has a diffuser problem on the Porsche! My gosh!
Both of these drivers have blunted weapons and Choksey slides past and does the crossover on Skeer! This is wonderful motor racing as Jeff Burton can smell blood in the water. Toledo's lead over Milner is now 5.7 seconds and Neil Verhagen closing on Tommy Milner. Trent Hindman in the fourth place. Varun Choksey is defending from Elliott Skeer and trying to defend from the equally wounded Porsche. 36 minutes left on the board. Door to door at the hairpin exit. Choksey just clears him, the BMW M4 GT3 with a bit more straightaway speed than the Porsche.
They run into the downhill for turn 12. Choksey punts him. Milner might clear Toledo and Verhagen will do the same. Does Verhagen chase down Tommy Milner for the overall win? Both drivers in different classes. Milner to the inside of Toledo and makes quick work of the Brazilian with 34 minutes on the board. Massive diffuser damage to the #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche that could force a meatball flag to be acknowledged, the mechanical black flag. The diffuser is hanging on by a thread. The diffuser on the Porsche was already loose before Choksey nerfed the green and yellow Porsche. I cannot believe it is hanging on there by a thin piece of wire or something.
Now the diffuser dislodges itself. It is off to the right-hand side of the road. This could mean a Full Course Yellow with just over half an hour left on the board. Verhagen has passed Toledo in the Pro-Am class. Trent Hindman is also closing aboard the #85 RS1 Porsche 911 GT3R. That is the car he shares with musician and racing driver Jake Pedersen. He is a guitar player. Hindman all over Toledo like a cheap suit but Toledo closes the door in his face. Jake Pedersen grew up racing dirt bikes and his dad raced Trophy Trucks at Baja in Mexico in the desert.
Inside of 30 minutes to go as Varun Choksey continues racing this wounded BMW M4 GT3. Robby Foley has passed Aaron Povoledo for tenth and Tommy Milner has gapped Neil Verhagen by another second. Verhagen not concerned about the overall win and could still take the championship lead this evening. Tommy Milner is in the lead of the motor race which would be an amazing thing for Corvette and for Pratt & Miller. A spin for Jeff Burton in the middle of the esses for the #91 Regulator Racing Mercedes. Robby Foley on the march back through the field. Burton is back on the button but is being harried by Andy Lee in the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
Three cars running in the 2:05.5 bracket after Philip Ellis uncorked the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap for the race earlier on. This field is so competitive. Corvette vs. BMW vs. Porsche vs. Mercedes. A big week for Turner Motorsports, breaking BMW Team Schnitzer's record for the most BMW starts at 557 which will be 561 or 562 by the time this race weekend is completed. Bryan Sellers and Colin Braun are both chasing down Varun Choksey. Lots of excitement around this new Corvette program announced at the Indianapolis 8 Hours last October.
These two chaps have caught Choksey as Verhagen and Hindman are both reeling in Tommy Milner at the top of the shop. Choksey taking the air off Colin Braun. Choksey is the cork in the bottle ahead of Braun, Sellers, and Foley. Braun, Sellers, and Foley are all Pro-Am championship contenders. Under 20 minutes to go now in GT World Challenge America race one here at COTA. Sellers is feeling the pressure. Foley to the outside of Sellers and Sellers comes right back in the braking zone, going deep on the resurfaced runoff.
Foley gobbled up Sellers and Sellers tried to push, push, push down the backstretch. Push it! Push it! OK, I'll push it! Bryan Sellers ran a BMW in a different GT3 championship last weekend. So, Robby Foley has now made his move past Sellers, and he must now pass Colin Braun, the series points leader. Varun Choksey is doing a great job with again, a race car that is a wounded duck. Foley is scrapping hard with Braun and Bruan keeps him at bay and now, Sellers hopes to be a bit closer and now this could be a three-car race. Braun showing the way in the battle pack for fourth, fifth, and sixth in the Pro-Am class.
16 minutes left on the board in the motor race. Tommy Milner has now answered the bell in his battle against Neil Verhagen and Trent Hindman. Colin Braun has built up the gap over Fley and Sellers. The yin and yang between Balance of Performance on these GT3 cars is amazing as we now see Custodio Toledo hanging onto the coattails of Elliott Skeer. Braun, Foley, Sellers, these three have raced each other a lot in North America the last few years. Braun has made good his escape and the battle now is on between Robby Foley and Bryan Sellers.
Tommy Milner is now continuing to lead in the #63 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R from DXDT. He and Alec Udell have had radio troubles, and they needed a pit board to signal the driver change. Erin Geohagen, the team manager, is Tommy Milner's brother, and they worked together last time on their father's team, Tom Milner Sr. with BMW and the Prototype Technology Group back in 2005, almost 20 years ago. Tom Milner ran the Panoz team in Pirelli GT4 America several years ago. Tom Milner Sr. has been a part of the sports car racing scene for many, many years.
Ten minutes to go now. I wonder if poor old Foley has used up that BMW and is now having to struggle for a wee while. Milner leading Verhagen now by 3.2 seconds. The Pro-Am field is really tight and extremely competitive. Colin Braun has just uncorked a 2:05.528 as we get deeper into the race, and he is getting quicker and quicker which proves the longevity of the Pirelli P Zero tires used by every team here in GT3. Colin Braun reeling in Custodio Toledo. Mercedes vs. Ferrari. Colin Braun is closing with each successive lap.
Toledo and Braun now within striking distance of each other. Braun chasing the Brazilian. Braun sets up the crossover into turn 20 and it is cut and dried for Braun who gains a podium place and now, Robby Foley and Bryan Sellers are right on Toledo's tail. Foley to the inside, and book it, Foley makes his move on Toledo. Sellers gets the best of Toledo for fifth in class. Sellers bearing down on Foley in the waning moments of this motor race. At the front, it is Tommy Milner, a possible poetic victory for the man who developed this automobile for Pratt & Miller and General Motors. Pratt & Miller have been running the factory cars, and we have seen customer cars with AWA in IMSA and TF Sport in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and they have not won yet.
Oh dear! Aaron Povoledo beached, off the road, and we could see a Full Course Yellow. He just ran deep and spun off into the gravel through turn one, fighting with Varun Choksey. Not a good ending to the motor race for Chouest Povoledo Racing. No white flag. Will this be the final lap? DXDT of course have had radio troubles. A local yellow for the spun Mercedes from Chouest Povoledo Racing. Smantha Tan was the fastest qualifying Am graded driver in a Pro-Am lineup, while co-driver Neil Verhagen has been driving the wheels off that BMW this afternoon. Third on the road, second in Pro-Am, Trent Hindman, Jake Pedersen, and RS1, could Pedersen score a podium in a traditional, 90-minute SRO America race? It is possible.
Pedersen was a third driver in the Indianapolis 8 Hours last fall. Tommy Milner, Alec Udell, and DXDT Racing Corvette win! Neil Verhagen and Samantha Tan finish second and get the Pro-Am win with Jake Pedersen and Trent Hindman completing the podium. Elliott Skeer and Adam Adelson fourth overall and they are on the podium in Pro-Am. Foley holds off Sellers by just 4/10ths of a second. What a motor race this was! What a motor race! Custodio Toledo finishes eighth with co-driver Riccardo Agostini. What a great story for DXDT with the first win for DXDT and their new Corvette. Team owner David Askew did a lot of driving for his own team but has stepped back to being the team owner.
Cue the dance music for the results.
Overall/Pro: #63 Milner/Udell DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
Pro-Am: #38 Tan/Verhagen ST Racing BMW M4 GT3
We have race two coming up tomorrow, and plenty more racing still to come at SRO America's home track. Excited for the second race of the championship tomorrow! This was a great one! See you tomorrow for race two, and more action still to come.
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