Burton, Kozarov Secure SprintX West Am Championship with 9th Win in Rearden Racing Audi R8

Burton, Kozarov Secure SprintX West Am Championship with 9th Win in Rearden Racing Audi R8

LAS VEGAS, Nev.  – The Rearden Racing team kept a tradition going this weekend by racking up another road racing series championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Blancpain GT World Challenge season finale, as Jeff Burton and Vesko Kozarov captured the Pirelli GT4 American SprintX West Am title at the 2.513-mile circuit north of the Las Vegas Strip.

 

Entering the GT4 SprintX doubleheader weekend at Las Vegas with eight SprintX Am class race wins in 2019, the combination of Burton and Kozarov, both of Salt Lake City, Utah, continued their impressive GT4 SprintX performance with an overall pole position and another SprintX West Am victory in the No. 91 Burton Lumber/Rearden Racing Audi R8 LMS sports car.

 

In addition, Kozarov, who won the 2018 Touring Car series crown for Rearden Racing, also recorded the fastest race lap in the SprintX West Am division to go with his overall pole.

 

The ninth 2019 race triumph for Burton and Kozarov clinched the GT4 SprintX West Am series championship and adds to Rearden Racing’s legacy of championship runs. The pair won races this year at seven different Pirelli GT4 America road courses including Circuit of the Americas (COTA). WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, VIRginia International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway, Portland International Raceway, Watkins Glen International and LVMS.

 

In addition to winning the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX West Am title, Rearden Racing also captured the Purple Monkey Garage Business Mechanics Award in 2019.

 

“It is always exciting to win a series championship,” said Lara Tallman, Rearden Racing team owner. “Vesko took the TC title last year and Jeff and Vesko teamed together to bring us another championship in the GT4 SprintX West Am class. I’d like to congratulate Jeff, Vesko and the whole Rearden Racing team for their great effort with the No. 91 Burton Lumber/Rearden Racing Audi R8 LMS car this year. Racing against strong competition in the Pirelli GT4 America series can be tough on everyone on the team and winning nine races in 2019 is a great feat. Like every season, you’ll have your ups and downs and Rearden Racing had those this year. But in the end taking home the series championship is the goal and we took another one in 2019.”

 

The Rearden Racing weekend performance also saw several other podium presentations in the GT SprintX national Am class with Dmitri Novikov and Anthony Lazzaro driving the No. 64 Rearden Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 machine to second Saturday in the 60-minute, two-driver competition at Las Vegas as well as third Sunday. In addition, Sarah Cattaneo and Owen Trinkler scored a third place Saturday in the GT4 Sprint West Pro-Am category with the No. 43 Rearden Racing Audi R8 LMS sports car.

 

Novikov also drove the GT4 Sprint 50-minute contests at LVMS this weekend in the No. 64 Rearden Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, taking fourth Saturday and fifth Sunday in the Am division.

 

CBS Sports Network highlights coverage for GT4 SprintX races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will air on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 2 p.m. EDT with an encore at 10 p.m. EDT. GT4 Sprint race highlights from Las Vegas will be televised on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 3 p.m. EDT with an encore showing at 9 p.m. EDT.