2019 Circuit of the Americas - World Challenge

2019 was the thirtieth consecutive year for the World Challenge series. In the offseason, the Grand Touring category was renamed the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. With the new title came some additional changes:

The SprintX Championship has three classes:

The sixty-minute races in 2018 would be replaced by ninety-minute contests – two each weekend. There would be a mandatory pit-stop scheduled to take place between the 45 and 55-minutes. At this time the driver change would be completed. It will also provide teams with an opportunity to refuel and change tires.
Race weekends would offer six-hours of total track time to competitors.
Drivers compete in Professional (Pro), Professional and Amateur (Pro/Am), Silver or Amateur (Am) categories.

There are a total of seven rounds with the championship kicking off in March at Circuit of the Americas. This event is followed by races at Virginia International Raceway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Then the teams travel to the west coast to compete at Sonoma Raceway. On the Labour Day weekend, competitors participate at Watkins Glen International. The penultimate rounds are at Road America with the season concluding at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October.

The Blancpain 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: Porsche 911 GT3 R, Lamborghini Huracan GT3, Mercedes AMG GT3, McLaren 650S GT3, Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R, Bentley Continental GT3, Audi R8 LMS and Ferrari 488 GT3.

The opening rounds for the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge America championship took place at the Circuit of the Americas’ twenty-turn 3.4-mile road course. Twenty-three teams were entered to compete in two ninety-minute races.

The first lap of Sunday’s Blancpain GT World Challenge America race at Circuit of the Americas. Leading the field into corner one is the Racers Edge Motorsports prepared Acura NSX driven by the pole-sitter, Kyle Marcelli. Behind Marcelli is the other front row starter, Maxi Buhk in the P1 Motorsports Mercedes-AMG. Trailing the leaders is the Ferrari 488 of last season’s World Challenge GT3 champion, Toni Vilander.

The 2019 season opened with an all Bentley front row. But it was drivers, Rodrigo Baptista and Maxime Soulet who grabbed the victory in race one. Soulet qualified the K-PAX Racing prepared Bentley Continental GT3 for Sunday’s contest and was gridded fifth overall and second in the Pro category. A penalty for contact dropped Soulet to the rear of the field but the pair recovered for a fourth-place finish.

In the Amateur division, drivers of the Squadra Corse Garage Italia prepared Ferrari 488 GT3, Caesar Bacarella and Martin Fuentes swept the opening rounds. In race one, Bacarella qualified second in the class but he and his co-driver, Fuentes were out front before the checker. On Sunday, Fuentes started from the pole to score the team’s second victory of the weekend. They lead the title chase by a twenty-eight-point margin.

Sharing the No. 31 TR3 Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 were Wei Lu and Jeff Segal. Last season this duo won the Pro/Am category in round two at Circuit of the Americas. Lu qualified the Ferrari eighth overall and second in class for Saturday’s race. The pair captured the victory and finished fifth overall. On Sunday, Lu was behind the wheel when he was hit by a Mercedes-AMG. The damage took the team out of contention – they finished ninth in class.

Andy Soucek put the No. 9 K-PAX Racing Bentley Continental on the pole for the season’s opening round. At the start, Soucek pulled away but an early caution bunched the field. Unable to hold off the other Bentley, Soucek and his teammate, Alvaro Parente finished second. In the second qualifying session, Parente was blocked on his fast lap and started twelfth overall. The duo mounted a charge and grabbed another runner-up finish.

The round one podium for the Pro division of Blancpain GT World Challenge America at Circuit of the Americas. The center of the rostrum is occupied by the race winners from K-PAX Racing, Rodrigo Baptista and Maxime Soulet. To the left are their teammates and the runner-up finishers, Andy Soucek and Alvaro Parente. Completing the podium are the Wright Motorsports duo of Patrick Long and Scott Hargrove.

Toni Vilander and Miguel Molina were back driving the No. 61 Ferrari 488 GT3. Molina qualified the Ferrari for the opening round of the season and was third fastest. Unable to hold off the Wright Motorsports Porsche, they finished fourth. The following day, Vilander was gridded third but the pair moved into a comfortable lead. A late caution, allowed Maxime Soucek to take first place but Molina retook the lead and won by 1.249-seconds.

Wright Motorsports entered two Porsche 911 GT3 R. The No. 58 competed in the Pro category and was shared by Patrick Long and Scott Hargrove. Round one qualifying duties were performed by Long who was fifth quickest. The pair moved up the race order and finished third – but they were no match for the Bentleys. The following day, Hargrove started tenth overall – again the duo made good progress and grabbed the final spot on the podium.

Sharing the No. 80 Acura NSX prepared by Racers Edge Motorsports were Canadians, Martin Barkey and Kyle Marcelli. The pair were competing in the Pro/Am category. Barkey qualified and started the Acura for the season’s first contest, he qualified sixth in class and the pair grabbed the final position on the podium. Marcelli began Sunday’s event on the pole. They won their category and left the Circuit of the Americas with the points lead.

The second Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R was driven by Anthony Imperato and Dennis Olsen and was entered in the Pro/Am division. Imperato started fourth in class for Saturday’s contest but he and Olsen finished second. Olsen was gridded ninth in race two but contact with the Bentley of Maxime Soulet dropped him to the rear of the field. He and Imperato recovered to finish eighth overall and earn the final spot on the class podium.

Sunday’s Blancpain GT World Challenge America podium at Circuit of the Americas for the Pro driver category. On the left are Andy Soucek and Alvaro Parente who earned their second runner-up finish of the weekend. On the opposite side of the rostrum and securing their second third-place result of the event are Patrick Long and Scott Hargrove. In the center are the defending champions and race winners, Toni Vilander and Miguel Molina.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	ENTRANT / CAR	LAPS
1	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Baptista / Soulet	K-PAX Racing / Bentley Continental GT3	38
2	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Parente / Sourek	K-PAX Racing / Bentley Continental GT3	38
3	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Hargrove / Long	Wright Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	38
4	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Molina / Vilander	R. Ferri Motorsport / Ferrari 488 GT3	38
5	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Lu / Segal	TR3 Racing / Ferrari 488 GT3	38
6	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Imperato / Olsen	Wright Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	38
7	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Barkey / Marcelli	Racers Edge Motorsports / Acura NSX	38
8	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Perez / Buhk	P1 Motorsports / Mercedes-AMG GT3	38
9	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Eversley / Bechtolsheimer	Gradient Racing / Acura NSX	38
10	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Aghakhani / Antinucci	US RaceTronics / Mercedes-AMG GT3	38
11	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Fuentes / Bacarella	Squadra Corse Garage Italia / Ferrari 488 GT3	37
12	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Schmitt / Liefooghe	Stephen Cameron Racing / BMW M6 GT3	37
13	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Caiola / Plumb	One11 Competition / Ferrari 488 GT3	37
14	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Mulacek / Lazzaro	Risi Competizione / Ferrari 488 GT3	37
15	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Braun / Kurtz	DXDT Racing / Mercedes-AMG GT3	37
16	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Cagnazzi / Kaminskey	One11 Competition / Ferrari 488 GT3	37
17	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Morad / De Quesada	Alegra Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	36
18	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Sofronas / Holden	GMG Racing / Porsche 911 GT3 R	36
19	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Baek / Baek	Vital Speed Motorsports / Ferrari 488 GT3	36
20	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Millstein / Barron	K2R Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	36
21	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Toussaint / Metni	Autometrics Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	36
NC	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Henzler / Holzer	Alegra Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	19
NC	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Askew / Dalziel	DXDT Racing / Mercedes-AMG GT3	3

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	ENTRANT / CAR	LAPS
1	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Molina / Vilander	R. Ferri Motorsport / Ferrari 488 GT3	40
2	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Parente / Sourek	K-PAX Racing / Bentley Continental GT3	40
3	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Hargrove / Long	Wright Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	40
4	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Baptista / Soulet	K-PAX Racing / Bentley Continental GT3	40
5	SprintX - GT Pro/Pro	Morad / De Quesada	Alegra Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	40
6	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Barkey / Marcelli	Racers Edge Motorsports / Acura NSX	40
7	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Eversley / Bechtolsheimer	Gradient Racing / Acura NSX	40
8	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Imperato / Olsen	Wright Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	40
9	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Braun / Kurtz	DXDT Racing / Mercedes-AMG GT3	40
10	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Fuentes / Bacarella	Squadra Corse Garage Italia / Ferrari 488 GT3	40
11	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Aghakhani / Antinucci	US RaceTronics / Mercedes-AMG GT3	40
12	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Perez / Buhk	P1 Motorsports / Mercedes-AMG GT3	40
13	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Toussaint / Metni	Autometrics Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	39
14	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Caiola / Plumb	One11 Competition / Ferrari 488 GT3	39
15	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Sofronas / Holden	GMG Racing / Porsche 911 GT3 R	39
16	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Baek / Baek	Vital Speed Motorsports / Ferrari 488 GT3	39
17	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Mulacek / Lazzaro	Risi Competizione / Ferrari 488 GT3	39
18	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Millstein / Barron	K2R Motorsports / Porsche 911 GT3 R	37
19	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Lu / Segal	TR3 Racing / Ferrari 488 GT3	36
20	SprintX - GT Pro/Am	Schmitt / Liefooghe	Stephen Cameron Racing / BMW M6 GT3	34
NC	SprintX - GT Am/Am	Cagnazzi / Kaminskey	One11 Competition / Ferrari 488 GT3	29

Copyright Notice:

All content (photographs and text) appearing on this website are the exclusive property of © www.zoompics.com and are protected under International copyright laws. The subject matter on this website may not be reproduced, copied, stored or manipulated.