Pirelli GT4 America Kicks Off 2021 Season With Strong 32-Car Grid in Wine Country

Pirelli GT4 America Kicks Off 2021 Season With Strong 32-Car Grid in Wine Country
  • 64 drivers across 32 entries for season opening rounds at Sonoma Raceway
  • 8 manufacturers represented with Toyota making their debut in the series
  • Entry List - PDF

Sonoma,Calif. - Pirelli GT4 America returns to the track for its 2021 campaign on March 5-7, complete with a robust field of 32 cars ready to battle it out in picturesque Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. The very best from Audi, Aston Martin, BMW, Mercedes, McLaren, Porsche, KTM, and Toyota will be on display, competing nose to tail for the top step of the podium in the championship’s opening two rounds. 

Of the 32 entries, 15 will battle for Pro-Am honors with star-studded lineups through the grid.

Toyota will debut the new-for-2021 GR Supra GT4 with Forbush Performance, based out of Memphis, Tennessee, running the #18 with Matt Forbush and Damon Surzyshyn. The second of the new Toyota GR Supra GT4s comes from the #68 Smooge Racing entry for former NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght.

Aston Martin and the Vantage AMR GT4 are well-represented on the grid with long-time SRO America competitor GMG Racing bringing the #2 Aston Martin for Jason Bell and Andrew Davis, switching from Porsche machinery. Bsport Racing, who finished on the Pro-Am podium 7 times in 2020, will field the #15 Aston Martin entry for Bryan Putt and sportscar star Kenton Koch. Heart of Racing joins SRO America competition with Gray Newell and 2019 Pirelli GT4 America Sprint Champion Ian James behind the wheel of the #24. Rookie Pirelli GT4 America team WR Racing brings along the #59 Aston Martin for Paul Terry and former World Challenge GT Champion Brandon Davis with the always-quick NOTLAD Racing by RS1 team campaigning the strong duo of Matt Dalton and Patrick Gallagher in the #00.

Along with their Aston Martin entry, GMG Racing will field the sole Audi R8 LMS GT4 in the series for Elias Sabo and SRO America veteran Andy Lee, the navy blue machinery aptly covered in the #8. 

NOLASPORT, who finished just two points shy of the class title in 2020, returns with the #47 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 for Matt Travis and Jason Hart representing the German manufacturer. Veteran crew TRG - The Racers Group returns to the series with two cars, one in Pro-Am, featuring star driver Spencer Pumpelly and Derek DeBoer in the #66 entry. Long-standing team Blackswan Racing will field the last-generation #54 Porsche Cayman GT4 CS MR for owner/driver Tim Pappas and Porsche Jedi Jereon Bleekemolen. 

BMW is the most popular brand on the grid with ST Racing once again running two cars with the Pro-Am lineup featuring 2018 TCR champion Ryan Eversley and veteran Ferrari Challenge racer Joe Rubbo in the #28 M4 GT4. BimmerWorld Racing, who finished third overall in the Pro-Am division last season, returns with an expanded three-car lineup, two in Pro-Am, featuring legend Bill Auberlen and James Walker in the #34 and team owner/driver James Clay and Nick Galante sharing the #36. 2019 Champions Stephen Cameron Racing return with their bright orange and blue-liveried machine for Gregory Liefooghe and Sean Quinlan, looking to regain their crown in the #119. RHC Jorgensen/Strom will field an entry in the competitive category with Brett Strom and Daren Jorgensen behind the wheel of the #450. 

Florida’s RENNTech Motosports will field a sole Mercedes AMG GT4 in the Pro-Am division with their beautiful red and gray #89 for Ross Chouset and Aaron Povoledo.

Silver Cup brings a competitive 7 car grid to the field with Dexter Racing returning to the series, but with a new manufacturer as the team switches from Ginetta to Aston Martin power in the #062 for Warren and Ryan Dexter. 

Texas’ Murillo Racing returns to Pirelli GT4 America with two cars from two different brands, Porsche and Mercedes. The team’s #43 Porsche lineup features the series’ first all-female squad of Christina Nielsen and Aurora Straus with the second entry running for Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak in the #72 Mercedes.

CCR Racing/Team TFB, who won Round 8 in 2020, will field the #22 BMW for Cole Ciraulo and Tim Barber. ST Racing’s second pairing of Bryson Lew and former TCA driver Tomas Mejia in the #38 will make them the youngest driving pairing in SRO America history, each starting the season at 17-years old . BimmerWorld’s third entry will see Jon Miller and Chandler Hull pair in the #94.

Marco Polo Motorsports, who finished third overall in the Teams Championship in 2020, returns with their #71 KTM X-Bow GT4 Evo for Nicolai Elghanayan and former ADAC GT4 Germany champion Mads Siljehaug. 

Am will see 10 cars battle for class honors with defending class champions NOLASPORT fielding the #7 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 for Sean Gibbons and Sam Owens and the #46 for Russell Walker. TRG will prep the #17 Porsche for Jim Rappaport and Robert Orcutt.

McLaren sees an uptick in entries with three cars from Motorsports USA, 2020 Round 13 winners. Memo Gidley is set to return to pro racing at Sonoma co-driving with Cavan O’Keefe in the #23, Michael McAleenan and Dan Rogers the #5, and Todd Clarke and Ty Clarke in the #111.

SRO America rookie team Random Vandals Racing will field the #98 BMW M4 GT4 for Paul Sparta and Al Cater with Mercedes represented by Capstone Motorsports, formerly John Allen Racing, running the always quick #16 Mercedes-AMG GT4 for John Allen and Kris Wilson, who won an impressive 4 times in 2020. 

Don’t miss an action-packed season opener at Sonoma Raceway. Each race will be streamed live for free via SRO’s GT World YouTube Channel with Race 1 taking place Saturday, March 6th at 4:05pm PST and Race 2 going green on Sunday, March 7th at 10:55am PST. 

Follow along on social media at @gt4america on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

____

SONOMA Event Schedule - PDF Download