- 22 Entries Set for NOLA Field
- Past World Challenge Champion O’Connell Joins in SRO3 Class
- Five Points Separate GT4 Class Championship
- Entry List | Schedule | Tickets
GT America powered by AWS presents rounds five and six at NOLA Motorsports Park from Friday, April 28, through Sunday, April 30. The action-packed weekend showcases 22 entries, with 12 cars making up the SRO3 Class grid and 10 in the GT4 Class.
Four of the finest manufacturers in sports car racing are represented in each class by the 19 teams set to fight in the swamp land. The 2.75-mile, 16-turn circuit offers tight, technical turns and fast straightaways for passing. This is the second appearance the GT America powered by AWS series is making at NOLA, so seasoned professionals and beginners will find the track a level playing field as any.
SRO3 CLASS
Sonoma Raceway concluded the third and fourth rounds of racing for the GT series. Memo Gidley in the TKO Motorsports No. 101 Mercedes-AMG GT3 kicked off the weekend with a win. His second win of the 2023 season put him in the points lead going into NOLA. The Race Two win went to Anthony Bartone in the RealTime Racing No. 427 Mercedes-AMG GT3. But the consistency of Jason Daskalos in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 gave him a championship points edge; sitting behind Gidley by 19 points. Bartone sits third in the championship.
Reigning Champion George Kurtz in the No. 4 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 is one to watch, taking home a second and third-place finish at Sonoma. Todd Treffert in the No. 41 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 may have finished off the podium, but he’s yet to finish outside the top 10 in the field. Teammates Scott Smithson and Jeff Burton with DXDT round out the Mercedes-AMG entries on the field; while they’ve shown speed, the duo needs a solid finish to build a rhythm.
Similarly, Adam Adleson in the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R will want to build cohesion in race finishes after finishing second in Sonoma Race One and showing speed in Race Two In addition to Adelson’s, two more Porsche race cars join the grid with Alex Vogel and the No. 043 OnlyFans Racing with P1 Groupe by MRS Porsche 911 GT3 R and Andy Wilzoch in the No. 460 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Legendary racer Johnny O'Connell joins the chat with the No. 56 SKI Autosport’s Ferrari 458. The lone Ferrari on the grid is in the company of Mirco Schultis and the solitary No. 70 MISHIUMOTORS Corvette C7 GT3 R. This is O’Connell’s first weekend with the series in 2023. Schultis will be building on solid performances.
GT4 CLASS
New Orleans local, Ross Chouest in the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMG GT4 is proving his title defense as he took home two third-place finishes at Sonoma Raceway. The consistency is paired with arriving at a track his family both built and owns. Though the advantage in GT4 still belongs to Jason Bell and his No. 2 Flying Lizard Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4, who leads the driver points standings.
They’re joined by four more Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 cars on the grid. This includes Paul Kiebler in the race-winning No. 77 TR3 Racing Aston Martin Vantage and Elias Sabo in the No. 8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage, who took second place in Race Two at Sonoma. Gray Newell represents in the No. 25 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage and sits second in the points standings. Todd Coleman rounds out the British invasion with Archangel Motorsports.
Robb Holland in the No. 99 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport won Race One at Sonoma, making him the lone win and leader of the list of entries for the German paramount. He’s joined on the grid by Matt Joffe in the No. 99 Extreme Velocity Motorsports Porsche. Nicholas Shanny will raise the banner for Toyota in the No. 21 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota Gazoo Racing Supra GT4 EVO. In contrast, Tony Gaples in the No. 5 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevy Camaro GT4 R represents the only American brand in the class.
LET’S GO
Practice makes for the perfect Friday, April 28. Saturday, April 29, is packed with action, with Qualifying beginning the day at 8 a.m. CT, followed by an autograph session at 11 a.m. and Race One ending the day with the green flag flying at 12:55 p.m. The weekend winds down Sunday, April 30, with Race Two. The race goes green at 9:30 a.m.
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.