This weekend, some of Pirelli World Challenge’s classes will be in action at Road America on the undercard to the Verizon IndyCar Series’ Kohler Grand Prix. Unlike the last three Pirelli World Challenge weekends, Road America is a Sprint weekend, meaning no driver changes. Just all-out running.
The combined races for the GT, GTA and GT Cup Classes will have 29 cars in each race. Likely the most notable absence is R. Ferri Motorsports’ No. 61 Ferrari 488 GT3 for Alex Riberas. The team is still repairing the chassis after Riberas had a big crash in qualifying last month at CTMP. That crash has forced the team to miss the four Sprint-X races at CTMP and Lime Rock and ruined their season. The team has entered their Ferrari 458 GT3 in the GTA class with Marc Muzzo driving.
Las Vegas-based Dream Racing Motorsport is entered in the GT class with Cedric Sbirrazzuoli entered in the No. 27 Lamborghini. The team used to be full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona class, but chose to drop out after Sebring. They have been entered for the Sprint-X races earlier this year with the No. 07, but did not compete. The GT entry joins the already existent GT Cup No. 55, which will be driven solo this week by Yuki Harata.
McCann Racing is back for the first time since VIR in April. Team owner Mike McCann, who was forced to sit out the races due to illness, will drive his own Audi (pictured above) in the GTA class.
Entry List: Pirelli World Challenge, GT/GTA/GT Cup Classes at Road America
| Class | Team | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTA | 04 - De La Torre Racing | Jorge De La Torre | Aston Martin Vantage GT3 |
| GTA | 013 - R. Ferri Motorsport | Marc Muzzo | Ferrari 458 GT3 |
| GT | 2 - CRP Racing | Ryan Dalziel | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| GT | 3 - Cadillac Racing | Johnny O'Connell | Cadillac ATS-V.R. |
| GT | 4 - Magnus Racing | Pierre Kaffer | Audi R8 LMS GT3 |
| GT | 6 - K-PAX Racing | Bryan Sellers | McLaren 650S GT3 |
| GT | 8 - Cadillac Racing | Michael Cooper | Cadillac ATS-V.R. |
| GT | 9 - K-PAX Racing | Àlvaro Parente | McLaren 650S GT3 |
| GT Cup | 11 - Precision Driving | Marko Radisic | Ferrari Challenge Evo |
| GTA | 14 - GMG Racing | James Sofronas | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| GTA | 16 - Wright Motorsports | Michael Schein | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| GT | 17 - GMG Racing | Alec Udell | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| GT Cup | 25 - Dime Racing | Ricco Shlaimoun | Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo |
| GT | 27 - Dream Racing Motorsport | Cedric Sbirrazzuoli | Lamborghini Huracan GT3 |
| GT | 31 - TR3 Racing | Daniel Mancinelli | Ferrari 488 GT3 |
| GT | 43 - RealTime Racing | Ryan Eversley | Acura NSX GT3 |
| GTA | 44 - Magnus Racing | John Potter | Audi R8 LMS GT3 |
| GTA | 54 - Black Swan Racing | Tim Pappas | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| GT Cup | 55 - Dream Racing Motorsport | Yuki Harata | Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo |
| GT | 58 - Wright Motorsports | Patrick Long | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| GTA | 69 - Champ 1 | Pablo Perez Companc | Mercedes-AMG GT3 |
| GTA | 77 - Calvert Dynamics | Dr. Preston Calvert | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
| GTA | 78 - Absolute Racing | Yufeng Luo | Bentley Continental GT3 |
| GTA | 82 - McCann Racing | Mike McCann | Audi R8 LMS GT3 |
| GT | 88 - Absolute Racing | Adderly Fong | Bentley Continental GT3 |
| GT | 92 - MCC Motorsports | Alexandre Negrao | Mercedes AMG-GT3 |
| GT | 93 - RealTime Racing | Peter Kox | Acura NSX GT3 |
| GTA | 98 - K-PAX Racing | Mike Hedlund | McLaren 650S GT3 |
| GT | 99 - GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing | Jon Fogarty | Porsche 911 GT3 R |
GTS has 23 entries (nine in regular GTS, 14 in GTSA) and some new entries. Ginetta is back with a vengeance. After no Ginettas have raced since St. Petersburg in March, four are on the entry list for this weekend. PMG Autosport has returned with their two entries for New Braunfels, Tex. residents Parker Chase and Harry Gottsacker. The two teenagers have been racing recently in Europe and made their IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at COTA last month for The Racers Group.
PMG Autosport is joined by two Ginettas from Ian Lacy Racing, which is making their season debut this weekend. Drew Staveley is in the No. 12 Ginetta, bringing experience with him from eight career starts in the Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, mostly in a Pontiac GXP.R for Racers Edge Motorsports (Note: This was a racing version of the Pontiac G6 Coupe). Staveley is joined by Frank Gannett.
PF Racing is back with Ernie Francis Jr. driving the No. 40 Ford Mustang GT4. James Pesek is entered as well in the GTSA class, however, he’s also listed in the No. 40. That will have to change because GTS and GTSA race together on track.
Entry List: Pirelli World Challenge GTS Class at Road America
| Class | Team | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTSA | 04 - GMG Racing | George Kurtz | McLaren 570S GT4 |
| GTSA | 017 - Case-It Racing | Adam Merzon | Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR |
| GTSA | 018 - Case-It Racing | Cameron Cassels | Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR |
| GTSA | 2 - Racers Edge Motorsports | Jason Bell | SIN R1 GT4 |
| GTS | 3 - Flying Lizard Motorsports | Rodrigo Baptista | Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR |
| GTSA | 9 - ANSA Motorsports | Bill Ziegler | KTM X-Bow GT4 |
| GTS | 10 - Blackdog Speed Shop | Lawson Aschenbach | Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R |
| GTSA | 11 - Blackdog Speed Shop | Tony Gaples | Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R |
| GTSA | 12 - Ian Lacy Racing | Drew Staveley | Ginetta G55 GT4 |
| GTSA | 13 - ANSA Motorsports | Austin Versteeg | KTM X-Bow GT4 |
| GTS | 14 - Flying Lizard Motorsports | Nate Stacy | Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR |
| GTS | 19 - PMG Autosport | Parker Chase | Ginetta G55 GT4 |
| GTSA | 24 - Ian Lacy Racing | Frank Gannett | Ginetta G55 GT4 |
| GTS | 40 - PF Racing | Ernie Francis Jr. | Ford Mustang GT4 |
| GTSA | 40? - PF Racing | James Pesek | Ford Mustang GT4 |
| GTSA | 45 - Racers Edge Motorsports | Chris Beaufait | SIN R1 GT4 |
| GTSA | 47 - NolaSport | Keith Jensen | Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR |
| GTS | 50 - Team Panoz Racing | Ian James | Panoz Avezzano GT |
| GTSA | 62 - KPR | Mark Klenin | McLaren 570S GT4 |
| GTS | 69 - PMG Autosport | Harry Gottsacker | Ginetta G55 GT4 |
| GTS | 80 - Mantella Autosport | Martin Barkey | KTM X-Bow GT4 |
| GTSA | 89 - JCR Motorsports | Fred Roberts | Maserati GT4 |
| GTS | 99 - JCR Motorsports | Jeff Courtney | Maserati GT4 |
The TC class was a late addition to the weekend schedule and is not running for points. Regardless, a small field of 10 will join the 23 GTS competitors in a race within a race. Eight BMW M235iRs will take on two Hyundai Genesis Coupes from the GenRacer stable.
Entry List: Pirelli World Challenge TC Class at Road America
| Team | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 05 - Max Fedler Racing | Max Fedler | BMW M235iR |
| 1 - Classic BMW | Toby Grahovec | BMW M235iR |
| 18 - Zima Motorsports | Stefan Sajic | BMW M235iR |
| 26 - Classic BMW | Jayson Clunie | BMW M235iR |
| 27 - Classic BMW | Gino Carini | BMW M235iR |
| 36 - Zima Motorsports | Marko Radisic | BMW M235iR |
| 38 - ST Racing | Samantha Tan | BMW M235iR |
| 75 - GenRacer | Nicholas Barbato | Hyundai Genesis Coupe |
| 78 - GenRacer | Jeff Ricca | Hyundai Genesis Coupe |
| 91 - ST Racing | Nick Wittmer | BMW M235iR |
About the author
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.
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