Gill: Fanatec GT America Format “Needs to Adjust” for 2025

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS “needs to adjust” to the evolving sports car racing landscape according to SRO America President and CEO Greg Gill, who said evaluations to the series’ format are underway for the 2025 season.

A total of 12 GT3 cars took part in last weekend’s season-opening rounds at Sonoma Raceway, marking a decrease in 2023’s average of 18 entries, which has sparked discussion in the paddock on possible adjustments to attract additional entrants.

While no changes are expected over the course of this season, which is expected to see incremental growth with several new entries already having been announced, Gill told Sportscar365 that preliminary talks are ongoing with series stakeholders for the future.

“When we finished up at the Indy 8 Hour [last year], we met with all of the manufacturers and the the overwhelming sense after the results from Indy were very positive about the grid for 2024,” he said.

“We were very conservative on our estimates that initially came out, much lower than what everyone told us was going to happen. We were flattered by the European teams saying how great the grid was and what they viewed for racing in SRO America.

“Then the reality of the entires [for 2024] was there and it didn’t match what everyone had set was so good.

“There were commercial reasons that people expressed, whether it was vehicles not being available and several other [reasons].

“However, we agree with the paddock and have been in conversations with the teams having those type of conversations about what’s best.

“Using Watkins Glen in 2018 that had six [GT3] cars, [you could say] we’re double that, but no, [it’s] not good.

“The rest of SRO around the world runs grids in the lows 20s, certainly in the 30s and as high as the 50s.

“To have 12 cars is absolutely unacceptable to us.

“We need to adjust and do what’s right for the marketplace so we’re having the discussions with the teams now about what that will look like for 2025.”

Gill downplayed the prospects of adding GT4 cars to the Fanatec GT America grid, as suggested by several competitors.

“We haven’t really thought about combining with GT4,” he said. “I don’t think that’s something [that’s for us].

“Certainly in British GT it’s done there but it hasn’t been something we’ve heard from a lot of teams here.

“We have success with that in British GT but it does max out really rapidly.

“When you have 28 cars [last] weekend in GT4 and you have even 12 [Fanatec GT] cars, then you have 40 cars. How’s that going to work out?

“On most grids in North America that would be very challenging.”

Gill instead believes that growth could come with the burgeoning GT2 platform, which is eligible in the series this year but has yet to see a confirmed entrant, outside of cars in GT America powered by AWS.

“It looks like at Long Beach in GT America, we’ll have four or five GT2s,” he said. “There’s a possibility there with something [for Fanatec GT America].

“I think format is [also] going to be the big [focus]. We’ve heard this since 2015 and talking with manufacturers that consider the format.

“When we increased [race lengths] and added refueling, that was at the request of the paddock. Now as everyone is looking at increased expenses, they’re now thinking about it differently.

“We’ll continue to get feedback here, this weekend [at Sonoma], and again at Sebring and then we’ll move forward, start sharing the feedback at COTA.

“I believe at VIR we’ll be able to talk with the paddock and say, ‘This looks like the direction we’re all in line with for 2025.'”

Gill said any potential changes will then be confirmed at its annual ‘State of the Series’ address at Road America in August.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John