2020 was the thirty-first consecutive year for the World Challenge championship, now managed by the SRO Motorsports Group America. The series premiere division is the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS.

The GT World Challenge America category is the series quickest class with cars prepared to FIA GT3 rules. These are two-wheel drive vehicles that may use normally aspirated or turbocharged engines, which produce approximately 500 horsepower. Examples of cars competing in this category include the Porsche 911 GT3 R, Lamborghini Huracan GT3, Mercedes AMG GT3, Acura NSX GT3, Bentley Continental GT3, Audi R8 LMS and Ferrari 488 GT3.

There is a total of seven rounds with the championship kicking off in March at Circuit of the Americas. This event is followed by races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Virginia International Raceway. Then the teams travel to the West Coast to compete at Sonoma Raceway. In late August, competitors participate at Road America. The penultimate rounds are at Watkins Glen International with the season concluding with an eight-hour contest the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The races are ninety-minutes in length with two events each weekend. A mandatory pit-stop is scheduled to take place between the 45 and 55-minute mark. At this time, the driver change will be completed. It will also provide teams with an opportunity to refuel and change tires.

Drivers are categorized as Gold, Silver or Bronze based on their racing experience and success. Competitors are matched-up to compete in one of three classes - Professional and Amateur (Pro/Am), Silver or Amateur (Am).

The opening rounds for the 2020 GT World Challenge America powered by AWS took place at the Circuit of the Americas’ twenty-turn 3.4-mile road course. Fourteen teams were entered to compete in two ninety-minute races.

The first lap of round two for the GT World Challenge America competitors. Leading the field of fourteen starters into Circuit of the Americas’ corner two is the pole-sitter, Trent Hindman, driving the Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3. Behind Hindman in the second Racers Edge Acura is the fourth-place starter, Kyle Marcelli. Chasing Marcelli down the hill into turn two is Matteo Cressoni in the TR3 Racing Ferrari 488 GT3.
The only team entered in the Silver category was the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports prepared Acura NSX GT3 piloted by Shelby Blackstock and Trent Hindman. Blackstock started round one gridded on the outside of the front row. He took the lead on lap-2 and the pair won by a margin of 21.590-seconds. Hindman started the final event on the pole. The duo dominated the race and scored their second victory of the weekend.
World Challenge veteran, James Sofronas began his season by putting the GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R on the pole. His time at the front of the field only lasted two laps in race one. Sofronas had to relinquish the position after shortcutting the ‘Esses.’ He and his co-driver, Jeroen Bleekemolen finished second but won the Pro/Am category. A late-race incident in round two caused the pair to finish fifth in class.
Sweeping the Amateur category at Circuit of the Americas were newcomers, Fred Poordad and Max Root. They were sharing the Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R campaigned last season by Patrick Long and Scott Hargrove. Poordad spun in qualifying and damaged the Porsche, which prevented the two drivers from recording a time. Despite starting at the back of the grid both days, they captured a pair of class victories.
The race one GT World Challenge America overall podium at Circuit of the Americas. Standing on the top step from Racers Edge Motorsports are Shelby Blackstock and Trent Hindman. On the left side of the rostrum are the runner-ups and Pro/Am winners, James Sofronas and Jeroen Bleekemolen. Occupying the final sport on the podium are the second-place finishers in Pro/Am, George Kurtz and Colin Braun.
Mexican, Martin Fuentes won the 2019 Amateur GT3 championship. Joining him this year was Rodrigo Baptista, who was part of the K-PAX Bentley Continental effort last season. Baptista qualified the No. 1 Ferrari 488 GT3 third fastest. At the conclusion of race one, they were third in Pro/Am. Fuentes started Sunday’s event in third place with the duo finishing second overall and first in class.
DXDT Racing’s, George Kurtz and Colin Braun returned for another season driving the No. 04 Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the Pro/Am category. Kurtz performed the qualifying duties for round one and was seventh fastest. During Saturday’s race, the pair moved through the field finishing, third overall and second in class. The next day, Braun started fourth, but another excellent performance earned them another runner-up finish.
One of the three Amateur pairings entered was David Ducote and Alan Metni in the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. Ducote and Metni were both graduates of the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series. The two drivers adapted quickly to the new car and Circuit of the Americas. They captured class runner-up finishes on Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday’s rostrum for the GT World Challenge America Pro/Am class at Circuit of the Americas. In the center from Squadra Corse are the winners, Rodrigo Baptista and Martin Fuentes. On the left side of the podium, capturing their second runner-up finish of the weekend, are George Kurtz and Colin Braun. Completing the rostrum are the drivers of the No. 24 TR3 Racing Ferrari, Matteo Cressoni and Ziad Ghandour.

FINISHCLASSDRIVERENTRANT / CARLAPS
1SprintX - GT SilverBlackstock / HindmanRacers Edge Motorsports / Acura NSX GT342
2SprintX - GT Pro/AmSofronas / BleekemolenGMG Racing / Porsche 911 GT3 R42
3SprintX - GT Pro/AmBraun / KurtzDXDT Racing / Mercedes-AMG GT342
4SprintX - GT Pro/AmFuentes / BaptistaSquadra Corse / Ferrari 488 GT342
5SprintX - GT Pro/AmBarkey / MarcelliRacers Edge Motorsports / Acura NSX GT342
6SprintX - GT Pro/AmGhondour / CressoniTR3 Racing / Ferrari 488 GT342
7SprintX - GT Am/AmPoordad / RootWright Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R42
8SprintX - GT Pro/AmBaek / WestphalVital Speed / Ferrari 488 GT342
9SprintX - GT Pro/AmWard / WardWinward Racing / Mercedes-AMG GT342
10SprintX - GT Pro/AmByrne / CosmoK-PAX Racing / Bentley Continental GT341
11SprintX - GT Pro/AmSchmitt / LiefoogheStephen Cameron Racing / BMW M6 GT341
12SprintX - GT Am/AmDucote / MetniPark Place Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R41
13SprintX - GT Am/AmBaek / IssaVital Speed / Ferrari 488 GT340
14SprintX - GT Pro/AmAskew / DalzielDXDT Racing / Mercedes-AMG GT329

FINISHCLASSDRIVERENTRANT / CARLAPS
1SprintX - GT SilverBlackstock / HindmanRacers Edge Motorsports / Acura NSX GT340
2SprintX - GT Pro/AmFuentes / BaptistaSquadra Corse / Ferrari 488 GT340
3SprintX - GT Pro/AmBraun / KurtzDXDT Racing / Mercedes-AMG GT340
4SprintX - GT Pro/AmGhondour / CressoniTR3 Racing / Ferrari 488 GT340
5SprintX - GT Pro/AmAskew / DalzielDXDT Racing / Mercedes-AMG GT340
6SprintX - GT Am/AmPoordad / RootWright Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R38
7SprintX - GT Am/AmDucote / MetniPark Place Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R37
8SprintX - GT Pro/AmSofronas / BleekemolenGMG Racing / Porsche 911 GT3 R34
9SprintX - GT Pro/AmBarkey / MarcelliRacers Edge Motorsports / Acura NSX GT340(*)
10SprintX - GT Pro/AmBaek / WestphalVital Speed / Ferrari 488 GT328
11SprintX - GT Pro/AmByrne / CosmoK-PAX Racing / Bentley Continental GT330(**)
NCSprintX - GT Pro/AmSchmitt / LiefoogheStephen Cameron Racing / BMW M6 GT323
NCSprintX - GT Am/AmBaek / IssaVital Speed / Ferrari 488 GT322

  • (*) - Penalty - Loss of three-positions.
  • (**) - Penalty - Loss of one-position.
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