Back to the Bayou: Pirelli GT4 America Features a Bumper Grid for New Orleans

Back to the Bayou: Pirelli GT4 America Features a Bumper Grid for New Orleans
  • Conquest Racing is conquering the Silver Class
  • Local team Nolasport is off to a stellar start in PRO-AM
  • AM class continues to shake up the competition
  • Entry List | Timetable | Event Tickets

The Pirelli GT4 America Championship is returning to NOLA Motorsports Park for only the second time. A total of 41 cars across three classes will battle it out on track in two 60-minute races to claim top honors over the course of the weekend.

The 2.75, 16-turn circuit offers the seven manufacturers competing plenty of challenges with tight corners and long straightaways. Traffic will become a test as the large grid gain confidence over the weekend. In addition, local teams and drivers will aim to make good on the home track advantage proving its more than a trope. Race One will take place on Saturday, April 29th with the second race being held the following day on Sunday, April 30th.

SILVER CLASS

Conquest Racing drivers Michai Stephens and new teammate Jesse Webb had a flawless and utterly dominant start to the season, claiming both pole positions and both wins during the opening round. The No. 34 Conquest Racing / JMF Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4 certainly has a target on its back now, and it remains to be seen how they will handle the pressure.  

Stephens and Webb were involved in thrilling battles with Random Vandals Racing duo Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch. The duo’s No. 92 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 received many bumps and bruises from competitors in Race Two after finishing second the day prior. As one BMW team steps aside, this could present an opportunity for the No. 88 STR38 Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 of Chandler Hull and Harry Gottsacker to climb up the ladder and bring the fight to Mercedes after also stepping on the podium at the opening event. 

As for the remaining Silver competitors, their true performance remains to be determined. The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsports of ACI Motorsports and OGH/Valkyrie Velocity had mixed results, with both teams looking strong in the first race, only to then fall behind on pace the following day. Toyota also has some ground to gain at NOLA and will hopefully turn their luck around with the No. 74 Copeland Motorsports and the No. 999 Hanley Motorsports Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO. 

 

PRO-AM CLASS

Last year’s PRO-AM championship winners came out swinging in the season opener, with the No. 47 Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Matt Travis and Jason Hart pulling off a completely dominant clean sweep at Sonoma, and even claimed an overall win. The New Orleans-based outfit has been nothing short of mesmerizing, and crowds will surely be treated to another excellent performance from their local team. They represent one of three Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS entries in the PRO-AM class, joined by ACI Motorsports and OGH / Valkyrie Velocity. 

You can always count on Aston Martin to be in the mix, earning two podium positions in the previous round thanks to the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 of local Ross Chouest and Aaron Povoledo and the notorious No. 8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 commandeered by Andy Lee and Elias Sabo. If history continues to repeat itself, they will once again be frequent faces on the podium, and their focus will be razor sharp, ready to pounce at any moment if the Nolasport crew falters. Also, in PRO-AM, Aston Martin will be welcoming Heart of Racing, Archangel Motorsports, and van der Steur Racing to the lineup in the second round.  

Matt Forbush and Carter Fartuch brought home some hardware the last time around with a second-place finish in Race Two at Sonoma. The No. 37 Skip Barber Racing School Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO has clearly demonstrated that it has the pace to compete at the front of the pack, and as one of two Toyota entries in the class, the team will be doing everything in their power to make an impact. The other entry is fulfilled by Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght in the No. 68 Smooge Racing. 

BMW will be proudly represented in class with a second entry under the German brand, the No. 82 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4. Nissan enters NOLA with two PRO-AM entries, the No. 22 and No. 23 TechSport Racing Nissan Z GT4 cars well prepared to bring the heat. Comparatively, McLaren will be represented by the No. 54 Black Swan Racing McLaren Artura GT4 of Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen.

 

AM CLASS

The AM class saw Nicholas Shanny and Terry Borcheller pull off a spectacular feat by claiming both the overall and class win in the second race at Sonoma. They’ll be climbing back in the No. 20 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra at NOLA, faced with the likes of other seasoned teams such as Conquest Racing, RS1, and Smooge Racing, to name a few. 

Last year’s title winners have not had the start they were hoping for, with the pairing of Charlie Postins and James Clay eager to have another chance to return to their former glory in the No. 36 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4. A third-place finish in Race One was the best they fared in the last round, an outcome that is not representative of their high standards. BimmerWorld’s inconsistent weekend allowed the No. 38 STR38 Motorsports BMW M4 GT4 of Chris Allen and Robert Mau to prevail and soar onto the podium. They will be followed by another two BMW entries with the likes of Auto Technic Racing and Random Vandals Racing.  

Aston Martin is featured with two entries on the grid, the No. 25 of Heart of Racing of Hannah Grisham and Rianna O’Meara-Hunt and the No. 77 TR3 Racing of Paul Kiebler and Jon Branam hoping to take strides and move up the rankings. In addition, to the Conquest Racing No. 35 Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Custodio Toledo and Paulo Carcasci, Mercedes is accompanied by the No. 89 RENNtech Motorsports machine.  

Meanwhile, Porsche remains the most popular manufacturer in the AM Class with a total of eight entries consisting of Zotz Racing/ CCDP Racing, RS1, ACI Motorsports, OGH/ Valkyrie Velocity, Extreme Velocity Motorsports, Rotek Racing, and two for NOLAsport.  

There are 20 total entries in the AM class, making up nearly half of the total field. With so many different teams and drivers in contention, audiences will have to keep their eyes peeled as it’s still anyone’s guess as to who will come out on top. Spectators in attendance at NOLA Motorsports Park can eagerly await another weekend of thrilling on-track action and top-quality wheel-to-wheel battles. 

 

LETS GO

The Pirelli GT4 America field is set to kick off the season during Practice 1 on Friday, April 28. Click here for the full schedule of the GT4 America weekend.

All race sessions are streamed live on the GT World YouTube page. Join Ash Vandelay on Twitch by following the SROMotorsports channel. Vandelay hosts six-hour programs Saturday and Sunday, where she is joined by drivers while chatting with fans and giving an interesting insight into that day's races. 

Tickets are on-sale at www.showpass.com/sro-nola with enhanced offerings including the Patriot Car Corral, recently announced car show – NOLA Motor Showoff presented by The Bomb Factory – and trackside camping. Starting at just $10, its fun for the whole family with kids 12 and under free with paid adult.