- Walker Jr. and McQuarrie Hold Two-Point Lead
- Travis, Hart Ready to Strike from Second Place
- Chouest, Povoledo Have Seven Points Reach to Second Place
The Pirelli GT4 America series has had large car counts all season and with nearly 40 cars on track, the battles have been close, albeit occasionally a little too close for comfort. The Pro-Am Drivers Points Championship will shape up as drivers attempt to build a lead and breathing room.
Driving duo James Walker Jr. and Tyler McQuarrie have 99 points and the lead. Round Three gave them their first podium finish. They’ve since accumulated one more podium finish and two wins while sharing the No. 82 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4. They don’t have any amount of comfort with the competition hot on their heels.
“Boy does it feel good to see our names at the top of the list,” Walker said. “We knew this team was capable of such a performance, and here at the season’s halfway point we are, narrowly, leading the rest of the Pro-Am field.”
"Coming into the 2023 season, James and I set a goal to go after the championship. Yes, many other teams set this same goal, but we had a specific plan in place, and we executed that plan very well, which is why we are currently sitting in the lead,” said teammate McQuarrie. “I was fortunate enough to win a GT4 championship a few years ago and I think it's all about knowing when to attack and knowing when to pull back the reins. Consistency wins championships.
“We certainly have had our moments this year where we knew we had to attack and take advantage of situations, which helped us get to the championship lead. Although our lead is very small, it's all about stacking points and not making any mistakes. We have wins and many podiums under our belt, so from here on out, it's all about making high-percentage moves with low risk. With a championship this competitive, the championship winner will be the team and drivers that make the least amount of mistakes. Our entire Bimmerworld team is laser-focused on achieving the goal we set during the pre-season."
Matt Travis and Jason Hart have 97 points as they sit second in the points standings. The duo has one win and three podium finishes with the No. 47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. Ever competitive, fans are sure to see them out front at future races.
Aaron Povoledo and Ross Chouest in the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 have 90 points apiece, nine points from the lead. Poveledo and Chouest have collected three podium finishes and one win thus far this season.
Elias Sabo and Andy Lee have 77 points and sit fourth in the points standings. While the duo has come close to garnering more hardware, they have taken home one podium finish. That finish was third place in Round One at Sonoma Raceway.
Kevin Conway and John Geesbreght are fifth in the standings with 65 points. Their season high came at COTA Race One when the No. 68 Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO took the win in the PRO-AM Class.
In sixth place is Colin Garrett and Johan Schwartz of the No. 44 Rooster Hall Racing BMW M4 GT4 entry. The drivers have collected 49 points over the season along with two podium finishes. Race One at COTA was also this pairing’s high note with a second-place finish.
Sitting in seventh are the drivers of the No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Curt Swearingin and Kay van Berlo. A string of unfortunate events on track have tried to keep a good team down but to no avail. Swearingin and van Berlo have gain ground in the last few races earning their first podium appearance.
A good pairing is a good pairing. Although this duo has only contested two rounds together, they made quite the impact. Jason Bell and Michael Cooper sit eighth in the points standings. They won Round Six or Race Two at COTA. In all, they have 37 points.
Gray Newell and Roman De Angelis follow in ninth place with 34 points. The duo runs the No. 24 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. Together they claimed the win in Round Three at NOLA Motorsports Park.
Eric Powell and Colin Harrison have 28 points placing them 10th in the driver points standings. The duo has a third-place finish to their names. Matt Forbush and Carter Fartuch follow closely behind with 23 points and a second-place finish to claim 11th overall.
The lone 12th place position goes to Rob Ferriol who collected 18 points in his five outings. He sits above a four-way tie for the 13th position. It is the two driver pairings of Anderson Tanoto and Jaden Conwright versus Bryan Heitkotter and Tyler Stone who will duel it out for the advancement in position.
The next race for the Pirelli GT4 America series takes place at Road America Aug. 18-20. The drivers have three calendar events with seven races remaining to make a lunge for better standing. To follow their progress, subscribe to the SRO Motorsports YouTube page, GT World, or join the conversation on Twitch with the live stream hosted by Ash Vandelay.