Level Up: Talent and Competition On the Rise In Pirelli GT4 America

Level Up: Talent and Competition On the Rise In Pirelli GT4 America

The competition and level of talent in the 2021 Pirelli GT4 America season has risen to heights it has never seen before. Between the Pro, Silver, and Am divisions, the skilled drivers flooding the series will make this year’s campaign one for the ages.

The grid represents a stellar assortment of Pro drivers that have all won multiple races or championships throughout the highest levels of North American sports car racing such as 2018 SRO TCR title winner Ryan Eversley. Eversley’s career includes wins in almost all levels of SRO America competition and he looks to add the GT4 hardware this year.

With 2nd and 3rd overall finishes in his single-driver GT4 credentials, veteran Spencer Pumpelly returns to contest the two-driver format and once again vie for the top overall spot. “The GT4 class has traditionally been packed with tons of talent and this season appears to be no exception,” Pumpelly stated. “We have a good mix of veteran drivers… and some hungry young newcomers trying to stand out in this stacked field. The only thing certain is that the competition will be intense.”

Another seasoned veteran, Andrew Davis, brings his five overall top-five season finishes, including two championships in GT3 and GT4-level competition, back to the SRO paddock after a fourth-place overall finish last year.

Andy Lee brings his pair of 2nd overall season finishes in SRO Competition back to the paddock from a partial-season run last year in GT4 ProAm two-driver competition.

With a fifth overall position in the two-driver division of the series last year, Kenton Koch hopes to add an SRO title to his nine auto and kart championship titles this year. 

2019 single-driver GT4 America Pro champion Ian James also returns to raise the bar, competing in the standardized two-driver format this year under a new team banner and behind the wheel of a different car, but with the same mindset and abilities that afforded him 33 wins and 75 podiums over the course of his career.

Storied BMW-pilot Bill Auberlen brings his eleven Top 3 overall season finishes, spearheaded by 4 championship titles, into the SRO paddock once again to contest the field and add to his legendary status behind the wheel of a Bavarian chariot.

Another flying Dutchman, Jeroen Bleekemolen, continues to make the trek across the pond to continue his co-driving duties in GT4 two-driver contests, attempting to best both his fourth place overall series finish in 2019 and match a third-place overall finish in a GT3 car in 2017.

2019 ADAC GT4 Germany champion Mads Siljehaug highlights the young driving talent in the Silver division of the pool, with his twin Norwegian Formula Basic championships in tow.

Co-driving with him is Nicolai Elghanayan, who has worked his way up the SRO championship series to a career-best fourth overall in the GT4 Silver division in 2020. His standout KTM X-bow is an easy spot on the track, usually near the front of the field. 

Jon Miller, the 2019 GT4 America West Pro-Am champion, has stepped up into the Silver division in search of the matching championship hardware and is sure to provide the pressure to keep the field’s pace toward its upper limits.

GT4 America competition also features a number of hot-shoe amateurs that are just as comfortable at the front of the pack as they are fighting their way through traffic to showcase class and overall winning capabilities. In 2020, Matt Travis took it down to the wire with a 2nd place season-ending finish that landed him just 2 points behind the champion. “The level of competition keeps going up every year and this season looks to be no exception,” Travis explained. “There’s nothing quite like seeing 30 cars in your rearview mirror, which is our goal at Sonoma!” continued Matt Travis, “On a more serious note, the competition in GT4 America is exceptional and we look forward to swinging for overall wins in this massive field.”

Bryan Putt’s efforts first in TC America and then GT4 America in 2020 garnered him a total of 7 podium appearances across SRO series, finishing fifth overall last season. This makes him not only one to watch but one that GT4 competitors need to watch out for.

Having captured two second-overall positions in GT4 America Am competition, Kris Wilson is hard at work at making this year the one where he comes out on top.

Paul Terry, hot off his single-driver second-overall placement in GT4 America last year, is ready to combine forces to attack the two-driver format this year.

Finally, jumping series with a fresh TC America Championship title under his belt, TC-class Champion James Clay will also join the ranks of the two-driver GT4 series and attempt another championship run this season.

Strap in and enjoy the show. It’s guaranteed to be a season that is unpredictable, highly-competitive and completely intense when Pirelli GT4 America competitors make their way to Austin, Texas for the next rounds of competition at the famed Circuit of the Americas on April 30th to May 2nd.