2023 GT World Challenge America

[NaBUru38]

2023 GT World Challenge America schedule:

• April 1-2: Sonoma
• April 29-30: New Orleans
• May 20-21: Austin
• June 17-18: Virginia
• Aug 18-20: Road America
• Sept 23-24: Sebring
• Oct 7-8: Indianapolis

[NaBUru38]

Breaking news: no format change for 2023. Unbelievable!

https://sportscar365.com/sro/sro-ame...nuity-in-2023/

[BRANDON102287]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Breaking news: no format change for 2023. Unbelievable!

https://sportscar365.com/sro/sro-ame...nuity-in-2023/

Shocker have heard the #6 Mercedes in pro will likely not be back and if they are different driver lineup (part of the team was running the Arrow sponsored lambo at daytona) and the tiriasi group that ran a car in both pro am and am are not running from what I have heard so worried about car count on GT3 seems like its been up and down over the years and last year good year but seems like a step back this year granted still have always to fo before first race

[Bcarr6]

GTWC America - 8 Cars


Pro Class

Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR Andretti - Acura NSX GT3 - Mario Farnbacher / Ashton Harrison

Pro Am Class

Conquest Racing - Ferrari 296 GT3 - Manny Franco / Alessandro Balzan
Esses Racing - Mercedes AMG GT3 - Will Hardeman / Adam Carroll
MDK Motorsports - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Trenton Estep / Seth Lucas
RennSport1 - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Stevan Mcaleer / Eric Figueiras
ST Racing - BMW M4 GT3 - Samantha Tan / Ben Edwards
The Racers Group - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 - Derek DeBoer / Ross Gunn
Turner Motorsport - BMW M4 GT3 - TBC / TBC
Wright Motorsport - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Charlie Luck / Jan Heylen
Wright Motorsport - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Adam Adelson / Elliott Skeer

Drop the silly pro class already.

Given where this grid is compared to others at this point around the world, it’s safe to say the grid is going to be in the mid to late teens

[GT3_Fan]

https://sportscar365.com/sro/sro-ame...season-opener/

GT America entry list.. Wow Mercedes is so popular! What about Sofranos? Is he still driving the dinosaur Audi R8? Or is this the current spec car?

[broadrun96]

Not listed as Evo II so I would guess no, think they do list the cars as named and homologated with SRO

Callaway must have found some more spare LS9s to build another engine to run at St Pete. That car has to be ancient by now too

[joeb]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Not listed as Evo II so I would guess no, think they do list the cars as named and homologated with SRO

Callaway must have found some more spare LS9s to build another engine to run at St Pete. That car has to be ancient by now too

Maybe the Callaway is older, but also the best car on the grid???

[Bcarr6]

Little update, getting there, but I think given the first race is at the end of the month, its unlikely to hit 20 cars...

Still feels like the format of SRO racing in the US is messed up. The 90 min races feel a bit boring, maybe because of the low grid numbers.

GT America sort of solves part of the problem, but also potentially takes a little away from GTWC America...

Theres enough cars for 2 very solid categories, probably not enough for 3...

My prefernce would be to adopt the British GT format, mixed grids. 15-20 GT3's, 15 or so GT4's, some weekends you do 2x 60 mins, some weekends you do 1x 120 or 180 mins. Plus the 8hr race as the finale.

Then you do GT4 America as the support series as the overflow.

Not sure pandering to everyone by offering GT America as a way of doing single driver races really helps. Just spreads things too thin by giving one too many options

GTWC America - 13 Cars


Pro Class - 1 Cars

Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR Andretti - Acura NSX GT3 - Mario Farnbacher / Ashton Harrison

Pro Am Class - 12 cars

ACI Motorsports - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Spencer Pumpelly / Pedro Torres
Bimmerworld - BMW M4 GT3 - Chandler Hull / Bill Auberlin
Conquest Racing - Ferrari 296 GT3 - Manny Franco / Alessandro Balzan
Crowdstrike Racing - Mercedes AMG GT3 - George Kurtz / Colin Braun
Esses Racing - Mercedes AMG GT3 - Will Hardeman / Adam Carroll
MDK Motorsports - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Trenton Estep / Seth Lucas
RennSport1 - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Stevan Mcaleer / Eric Figueiras
ST Racing - BMW M4 GT3 - Samantha Tan / Ben Edwards
The Racers Group - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 - Derek DeBoer / Ross Gunn
Turner Motorsport - BMW M4 GT3 - TBC / TBC
Wright Motorsport - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Charlie Luck / Jan Heylen
Wright Motorsport - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Adam Adelson / Elliott Skeer

[GT3_Fan]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

Little update, getting there, but I think given the first race is at the end of the month, its unlikely to hit 20 cars...

Still feels like the format of SRO racing in the US is messed up. The 90 min races feel a bit boring, maybe because of the low grid numbers.

GT America sort of solves part of the problem, but also potentially takes a little away from GTWC America...

Theres enough cars for 2 very solid categories, probably not enough for 3...

My prefernce would be to adopt the British GT format, mixed grids. 15-20 GT3's, 15 or so GT4's, some weekends you do 2x 60 mins, some weekends you do 1x 120 or 180 mins. Plus the 8hr race as the finale.

Then you do GT4 America as the support series as the overflow.

Not sure pandering to everyone by offering GT America as a way of doing single driver races really helps. Just spreads things too thin by giving one too many options

GTWC America - 13 Cars


Pro Class - 1 Cars

Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR Andretti - Acura NSX GT3 - Mario Farnbacher / Ashton Harrison

Pro Am Class - 12 cars

ACI Motorsports - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Spencer Pumpelly / Pedro Torres
Bimmerworld - BMW M4 GT3 - Chandler Hull / Bill Auberlin
Conquest Racing - Ferrari 296 GT3 - Manny Franco / Alessandro Balzan
Crowdstrike Racing - Mercedes AMG GT3 - George Kurtz / Colin Braun
Esses Racing - Mercedes AMG GT3 - Will Hardeman / Adam Carroll
MDK Motorsports - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Trenton Estep / Seth Lucas
RennSport1 - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Stevan Mcaleer / Eric Figueiras
ST Racing - BMW M4 GT3 - Samantha Tan / Ben Edwards
The Racers Group - Aston Martin Vantage GT3 - Derek DeBoer / Ross Gunn
Turner Motorsport - BMW M4 GT3 - TBC / TBC
Wright Motorsport - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Charlie Luck / Jan Heylen
Wright Motorsport - Porsche 911 GT3 R - Adam Adelson / Elliott Skeer

I agree with adopting British GT format for sure! The current 90 minutes for every race has worn its welcome and GTWC America should have abandoned that at the start of the decade. They need shorter races to appeal differentiate from IMSA GTD.

Side note..the Audi from Sofranos in GT America I think is a new Audi at least!

[Akrapovic]

I'm hoping to watch a bit more of this this year. Is it 2x90 min for each event?

[broadrun96]

I can never remember what the format is cause I think there are single driver 45 min races for GT2, GT3 and GT4 but also a 2 driver race so guess that would be 90 min? And the GT Americas page is slightly out of date. The fan guide is 2022 and doesn't have a format page, at least IMSA gives race length at each race page, and guide shows mostly pictures from other series including multiple IMSA cars in the ads

[Akrapovic]

Honestly one of the reasons i never tune in GTWC America is because i never know what race I'm getting lol. I'm sure at one point it was GT3 and GT4. Now it seems to be GT3 and longer.

[GT3_Fan]

The best grids was when it was all 50 minute single driver races. Personally I think GT WC America and GT America can consolidate together under this format. The issue in the 2010's when GT3 first got in World Challenge was the standing starts, which finally solved a ton of the problems when the got rid of it.

[broadrun96]

I do miss the standing start though, especially watching the cameras down the front stretch. Standing start and shaved street tires made for fun races. Audis popping out and passing near everyone with Quattro and then Caddy coming up to catch them when Andy Pilgrim decided it was time to stop saving the tires and go.

Always forget that GT America and GT WC America are separate things under the banner, usually why I end up forgetting what is running. Sometimes catch them on YouTube when bored

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

I do miss the standing start though, especially watching the cameras down the front stretch. Standing start and shaved street tires made for fun races. Audis popping out and passing near everyone with Quattro and then Caddy coming up to catch them when Andy Pilgrim decided it was time to stop saving the tires and go.

Always forget that GT America and GT WC America are separate things under the banner, usually why I end up forgetting what is running. Sometimes catch them on YouTube when bored

I run an iPhone app for schedules and GTWC vs GT confused me for ages when populating data. I had a whole bunch of people on Twitter who were also shocked these were different series.

SRO hasn't managed GTWC/GT well in the US.

[fergus_r]

I agree with the comments re. GTWC, but - having seen most of the SRO America season last year - there's some big grids and fantastic racing from the GT4s, TC and quite often GT America too. GT4s in particular are in rude health right now.

The excellent coverage on YouTube also makes it very easy to follow.

GT America actually got underway at St Pete over the weekend. The first (night) race was fun but the second was mostly under yellow.

[broadrun96]

Yeah, GT4 in both IMSA and SRO may be the best show for a single large class out there. Usually close and decent drivers in so not as much carnage

[GT3_Fan]

What is everyone's favorite GT4 car? Mine is the Chevy Camaro. Don't see too many of those unfortunately. I wish GT4 cars were allowed larger rear wings. Would help make them look better. The Camaro's wing thankfully fits with the aesthetics of the car well.

[GT3_Fan]

https://sportscar365.com/sro/sro-ame...season-opener/

We got our Sonoma GT WC America grid for Sonoma. Great to see the Sofranos Audi (new Audi) there. Always seem to be one or two steps away from a real real good grid though. The major problem this time is no Lamborghinis. After GT WC America had a ton of them in recent years. Get somebody to enter a Lambo guys. I don't have the cash to do it myelf. Sorry.

[Bcarr6]

18 cars is just too few, its been years of high teens grids now for GTWC America, which has arguably the most boring racing of any GT3 series out there. They need to change format

[GT3_Fan]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

18 cars is just too few, its been years of high teens grids now for GTWC America, which has arguably the most boring racing of any GT3 series out there. They need to change format

That too, the 90 minute race thing does not work at all. Perhaps Race 1 can be 90 minutes. Race should be 60 or 50. Not both.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by GT3_Fan

What is everyone's favorite GT4 car? Mine is the Chevy Camaro. Don't see too many of those unfortunately. I wish GT4 cars were allowed larger rear wings. Would help make them look better. The Camaro's wing thankfully fits with the aesthetics of the car well.

Enjoy it while you can, Camaro is done now sadly. Likely to be an electric version next after some time off, sold 12k of them last year

Feels like the scattered multiple entries available for GT3s means you get a weird small field when the combined number could be better with fewer options. But running alone without good support often means you need cars on track.

[fergus_r]

The first race of the season is later today, followed by the 42-car(!) GT4 race. The new Toyota GR Cup also makes its debut with an impressive 31 cars.

We've already had the first touring car race, which was pretty dull, and GT America is on at the moment - much cleaner than their chaotic trip to St Pete.

[GT3_Fan]

Sonoma GT WC was a good watch. Cars looked great. And having KPax not there made it better in some ways. The key is continue to have grids of 18 cars or more with at least 8 different manufacturers like we had at the first 2 races here. Hope someone will enter a Lamborghini and a McLaren. That was all that was missing. Notice that Ashley Harrison's Acura got a ton of TV time during the race.

[Firehawk505]

Originally Posted by Bcarr6

L
Still feels like the format of SRO racing in the US is messed up. The 90 min races feel a bit boring, maybe because of the low grid numbers.



Not sure pandering to everyone by offering GT America as a way of doing single driver races really helps. Just spreads things too thin by giving one too many options



Pro Class - 1 Cars

Nowadays, the only motorsports tours I follow are IMSA WeatherTech, NASCAR Cup Series, and IndyCar. Back in my childhood in the 80's and early 90's, anything "beneath" that had the potential to be fun to watch, too. I had a fascination with the old IMSA Firehawk series, even though it was never covered all that well, but for photos and highlight reels.

And touring cars were of interest. Very aggressive looking, but the bodywork was seemingly stock. Just what looked like aftermarket spoilers and skirts and such.

Skip to today, and I feel like there are too many categories that are disorganized or just don't stay around that long, or have poor car counts. SRO has always been so confusing to me. Their website is not kept as well as it should be. I was looking for TCRs in some context besides the Pilot series, because I like touring cars to be on their own (nothing against GT4's, or GT classes in general. They can be fun.)

I found, tonight, an SRO YouTube channel, and watched a TC America race from VIR. Not the hugest car counts, but could be worse. It was pretty good racing overall. In the later stages, pretty tight. Sometimes he cars seem a bit hard to handle, but that's not necessarily bad. They all look great. Especially the BMW's and Hondas.

But I was coming upon conflicting (or hard tounderstand) info. Is TCR part of this (just rebranded as TCA or TC or TCX?)? Or was TCR dropped, like another source says?

The Australian Touring Car Championship, before Supercars, sometimes had a second category, and I thought it was great. I'd much rather watch TCR's with SRO than as part of the Pilot series.

I suppose as I write all this, I am contradicting myself, but cheers to the poster(s) upthread who are being honest about SRO's shortcomings. I think SRO has a lot of great ideas, but the execution is too complicated (or something). Definitely get rid of the Pro Class. That just seems like a liability. Change the rules if you have to to bring in that sole Pro car into the main fold (if that's still the case this year. I think I last saw it last season).