- Almost 100 entries throughout SRO’s 4 championships will take the grid
- Debut race weekend for GT America powered by AWS
- Entry List
After a busy offseason of planning and preparation, the celebs and automobiles of SRO America are able to wave the inexperienced flag on the 2021 season at picturesque Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. New groups, drivers, producers, and collection companions are set to hitch collection stalwarts for a yr of racing that guarantees to be as aggressive as ever.
Almost 100 automobiles throughout 4 SRO America championships are anticipated for the season opener at a circuit that’s as revered as it’s difficult. Sonoma Raceway has hosted a few of the most interesting highway racing drivers on the earth because it opened in 1968, and its highly-technical 12-turn format that options 160 toes of elevation change over the two.385-mile lap has challenged all of them.
Numerous Grid Shaping up for Fanatec GT World Problem America powered by AWS
Headlining the motion would be the Fanatec GT World Problem America powered by AWS collection, that includes world GT3-spec automobiles from producers like Lamborghini, Acura, BMW, and Aston Martin. For the third consecutive yr, the race format will characteristic a pair of 90-minute races over the race weekend with stay pit stops that embrace refueling, tire modifications, and a driver swap. 2021 marks the return of the all Professional class after a year-long hiatus, however the format and sophistication construction of SRO America’s premier collection stays unchanged in any other case.
This consistency, coupled with further incentives from the collection and producers alike, has led to vital year-on-year progress in collection. New for 2021, collection champions will earn entries and logistical help to compete within the 2022 Whole 24 Hours of Spa, the SRO’s crown jewel occasion. Moreover, producers have upped the ante by offering vital prize bonuses to their companion groups participating within the full seven-event marketing campaign.
DXDT Racing, a rising power inside the championship, will step as much as fielding three Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo automobiles this season. Defending groups’ championship winners Racers Edge Motorsports are again within the fold as effectively and can as soon as once more marketing campaign an Acura NSX GT3 Evo. They are going to be joined by the Sonoma-based outfit Okay-PAX Racing which returns to the collection on a full-time stage. They are going to be racing within the Professional class with a brand new producer this yr: Lamborghini.
Sequence veterans Wright Motorsports are again within the combine with a Porsche 911 GT3 R, alongside a Mercedes from Winward Racing and a BMW M6 GT3 from Turner Motorsport. TR3 Racing additionally returns for the brand new season, however switching from Ferrari to Lamborghini equipment. The grid additionally options a number of groups stepping as much as GT3 competitors from Pirelli GT4 America corresponding to Ian Lacy Racing (Aston Martin), Compass Racing (Acura), and Rearden Racing (Lamborghini). And becoming a member of the collection for the primary time can be world-renowned Ferrari squad AF Corse, with extra groups prone to finalize their packages within the coming weeks.
New for 2021, GT dash racing is again with GT America powered by AWS
Model new underneath the SRO America umbrella is the GT America powered by AWS collection that options GT3 and GT4-spec equipment in fast-paced, single-driver dash races for aspiring FIA Bronze-rated drivers to check themselves in opposition to their friends. The collection will once more characteristic a pair of races on a race weekend, every 40 minutes in period with no stay pit stops.
GT America is seen each as a possible coaching floor for these drivers who want to acquire expertise in high-level racing automobiles in preparation for becoming a member of GT World Problem America, in addition to a vacation spot for racers who wish to expertise knowledgeable racing paddock with out the excessive calls for of racing in opposition to totally skilled lineups.
21 automobiles are set to take up the problem throughout the GT3 and GT4 classes, together with entries from established groups like DXDT Racing, GMG Racing, Basic BMW, Wright Motorsports, and extra representing producers like Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Mercedes-AMG
Extremely Aggressive Pirelli GT4 America Championship Awaits
With the single-driver race format for GT4 automobiles now nestled into the GT America collection, Pirelli GT4 America returns as a totally two-driver affair. Persistently in style with followers, groups, and drivers alike, the SprintX format of 60-minute races with a driver change has continued to flourish.
With 32 entries representing eight totally different producers able to reply the bell at Sonoma, that is probably the most aggressive GT4-based collection in North America. Confirmed by lots of final yr’s championships coming right down to the ultimate race of the season.
Established groups like NOLASPORT, GMG Racing, BimmerWorld Racing, The Racers Group, and Stephen Cameron Racing are again however will face competitors from newcomers like Coronary heart of Racing Crew, WR Racing, Smooge Racing, and others with the Professional-Am, Silver, and Am class championships all anticipated to be as hard-fought as ever.
Touring Vehicles Prepared for New Look TC America
TC America powered by Skip Barber continues to go from energy to energy, welcoming the famend racing faculty on board as a brand new presenting sponsor in addition to the introduction of the brand new TCX class to the championship for 2021. TCX will concentrate on the way forward for touring automotive racing with the brand new BMW M2 CS Cup automotive set to show its mettle on North American shores.
The TC class continues to develop with increasingly producers adopting the turn-key mannequin that enables groups and drivers to buy a race-ready touring automotive immediately from the OEM. The BMW presence can be as robust as ever within the class with a number of M240iR Cup automobiles entered, however they are going to be joined by choices from Mazda. Hyundai and Honda, in addition to the trusty Nissan 370Z TC Spec from the veteran TechSport Racing crew.
Within the TCA class, an eclectic mixture of small-displacement touring automobiles is as soon as once more on supply. Entries this yr embrace the ever-popular MINI Cooper, the Hyundai Veloster Turbo TCA, the Honda Civic Si, and a trio of Toyota 86s.
Groups and drivers will take to the monitor for a Sequence Take a look at Day on Thursday, March 4th earlier than Official periods start on Friday. Each race can be streamed stay without spending a dime by way of SRO’s GT World YouTube Channel for followers to comply with all of the motion from Sonoma Raceway.
