James Sofronas is a name known by many in the SRO America paddocks, and with good reason. As an experienced and talented driver and savvy businessman, his impact in the racing community cannot be overstated.
This year, he has been running a partial-season GT America powered by AWS program in the No. 14 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3, scaling back his on-track endeavors in order to focus more on his off-track duties within the highly successful team. Nevertheless, he still greatly enjoys the thrill of close competition.
“Tight racing alongside all different types of cars with varying levels of performance, it keeps it interesting,” said James Sofronas. “You have some machines, like the Audi, that thrive in high speed corners, but others are stronger down the straightaways. You have to find ways to stay ahead and know how to manage your car better than others. It makes me happy to be able to race against some of these young, talented drivers. I’ve been racing for many years, and I was determined to get another win under my belt this season.”
Sofronas ran his first professional race back in 1994 in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge, a predecessor to what we currently know as SRO today, equipped with an Oldsmobile Achieva touring car. When reflecting on how he got started and where the journey has taken him, he looks back fondly on those formative years in his racing career.
“I took a chance,” he explained. “Back then, I spent all my savings on renting a backup spare car. It’s pretty cool to now fast forward thirty years and take in the fact that I do what I love, and have built a business around a great team and wonderful clients.”
His objective for 2024 was to shift his focus towards the business operations side of the race team as opposed to committing to a full season of racing.
“The plan this year was always to run a partial season depending on which races made sense for the business and where it fit within my schedule,” he elaborated. “We’re moving our shop to a new location and we have new clients within our program to prioritize. I was on track at Sonoma and COTA, and ran into some issues in both events, and came into Road America with an all-or-nothing mindset. To pick up the win in Race 2 felt really, really good. Now, the plan is to be back in Indianapolis to finish out the year. It’s a great event and I want to be there.”
When looking ahead to the season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sofronas is excited about the array of opportunities on the table for GMG Racing. The team has a presence across both Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and GT America powered by AWS championships, and will be vying for victories at the Brickyard.
“It’s such an iconic track,” he added. “The mere aura of that place gives it a lot of credibility. It’s great to go racing there because the layout flows so well. I’m glad we have our season finale event there with the Indy 8 Hour. I think it’s a great venue to host a longer endurance race, and we’re excited to be a part of it. We’ve achieved a podium finish before, and we’re looking forward to challenging for another.”
Sofronas is exceptionally proud of GMG Racing’s ability to foster and nurture top drivers and gentlemen drivers over the years.
“We pride ourselves on being able to help drivers across all levels. We’ve had top drivers come into our team, including factory drivers such as Laurens Vanthoor and Matthew Jaminet, as well as pros like Alec Udell and Tom Sargent. We can cater to young, upcoming drivers, as well as gentlemen drivers who start their careers a little later. This year, we have Tom partnered with Kyle Washington, and they’ve been an amazing pairing. Tom has been guiding and coaching him, and Kyle has really improved his craft as a result.”
Sofronas and the team have big aspirations, and he particularly recognizes the importance of a hardworking, committed crew.
“This team has certainly come a long way,” he concluded. “We’re trying really hard to bring in the right people, and everyone is blending together so well. I think the results speak for themselves. We’re on a good roll, and our goal is to win the Indy 8 Hour."
Join us from October 3rd to 6th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch all the action from the thrilling season finale race weekend event, tickets are available for purchase now!