Cooper sets SRO America win record as No. 33 McLaren doubles up at home
Blackdog Racing recorded another milestone in its long and successful history with a weekend sweep of Pirelli GT4 America’s Pro-Am class at Road America.
Michael Cooper and Tony Gaples took an overall victory in the first of two races at the team’s home track. They followed that with a fourth straight class win in their No. 33 Blackdog Performance Cars McLaren Artura GT4 to give the team 50 all-time – the most in series history.
The weekend’s biggest winner was Cooper, who qualified on the overall pole for Race Two and took the checkered flag in Friday’s opening one-hour contest. That gave him 44 all-time wins to break the career record in SRO America. Number 45 came Saturday in a wet and caution-filled race.
The record-setting win started with Gaples on the front row. He began second overall and on the Pro-Am pole – his first fastest-qualifier honor in his career. The Blackdog veteran held the lead in class for the entirety of his 25-minute stint before bringing in the McLaren for the race’s mandatory pit stop and driver change at the tail end of the race’s only full-course yellow. Cooper rejoined sixth but it took four laps for him to drive to the lead and stay there.
Saturday, Cooper and the McLaren started where they ended Friday… albeit on a damp track and rain tires. He stopped from the race lead just shy of halfway during a long FCY period with Gaples in for the final stint. The race went green with 12 minutes to go with the McLaren first in Pro-Am but the second-place car directly behind. That didn’t affect Gaples as he steadily extended the lead until a race-ending FCY with four minutes left.
With the results, Cooper and Gaples climbed to within 17 points of the Drivers Championship lead, as did Blackdog Racing in the Teams standings with four rounds to go.
Blackdog Racing returns to Pirelli GT4 America action September 25-27 from Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. All races will stream live on SRO Motorsports’ GT World YouTube channel.
MICHAEL COOPER, NO. 33 BLACKDOG CARS McLAREN ARTURA GT4: “An unbelievable weekend. There are so many people that have played a part in my career to reach this mark, and two of the most important are Tony and Ray (Sorenson, team manager). I’ve been with them for a lot of years, a lot of wins and a lot of championships. It’s really nice to get these two wins at Blackdog’s home track. The team was on it all weekend and we didn’t put a foot wrong at any point. It’s a great weekend for McLaren, and now we’re ready to go to Barber and fight for the championship.”
TONY GAPLES , NO. 33 BLACKDOG CARS McLAREN ARTURA GT4: "This has been a fabulous weekend, just like Road Atlanta. Except finally this was at our home track where we've never had a lot of luck. What a weekend... I'm so happy for all this! Everything is just clicking for us and I hope we can keep it going. I love everything about Road America so this is extra special. I probably have more laps around this track than anyone here, except maybe Johnny O'Connell. For me personally, I got passed by a few Silver guys at the start Friday but I maintained the Pro-Am lead. I didn't want to see the full-course yellow but thank goodness it lasted long enough for me to put Michael in the car. We had a great pit stop and Michael just took over. In my opinion, he's going to go down as the best driver ever to be here."
RAY SORENSON, TEAM MANAGER: “We’ve been coming to Road America for a long time, which makes what happened this weekend even more satisfying. I can’t say enough about what Michael brings to the team and he deserves all the accolades and praise that has come his way. More than that, everyone on the team has been at their best the last two races and that effort shows. To come here and win two more races, have Michael set the win record, get back in the championship fight and do it all in front of a lot of our family and friends that were here… I can’t imagine how this could have been better.”
About Blackdog Racing
Ever dreamed of piloting a real SRO GT race car? Blackdog offers rental and “arrive and drive” racing in addition to purpose-built cars. Email sales@blackdogspeedshop.com to discuss the best way to put you in the driver’s seat!
About Blackdog Performance Cars
At Blackdog Performance Cars, luxury and performance converge in an exclusive collection of high-end vehicles, each designed to deliver an unparalleled driving experience. Our curated inventory is a testament to exceptional craftsmanship and innovation, while our GT4 America McLaren Artura race team subtly underscores our passion for precision engineering on the track. Discover the ultimate blend of sophistication and speed at www.blackdogperformancecars.com.