Defending GS Champions KohR to Miss Sebring

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Defending GS class champions KohR Motorsports will miss next week’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge round at Sebring International Raceway, which features a 35-car entry.

The Michigan-based team, which switched back to its Ford Mustang GT4 after a title-winning season with an Aston Martin Vantage GT4, completed only nine laps in January’s season-opener at Daytona with drivers Chuck Cassaro, Kyle Marcelli and team owner Dean Martin listed as drivers.

Marcelli, who co-drove with Nate Stacy to the 2020 drivers’ title, said on social media that it’s “never the news you want to receive as a racing driver” but he “respects” the decision made to forgo Sebring as a team.

The Canadian driver said KohR will be back for the third round of the season at Mid-Ohio in May as it seeks its third win in the last four years at the track.

KohR is one of five GS cars that were on the grid at Daytona that are not listed for the second round of the season.

Among the other teams include Notlad by RS1 (Aston Martin), FraSun Racing (BMW M4 GT4) and BGB Motorsports (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport), which had its last scheduled GS race at Daytona before moving to the new-for-2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

Only a single BimmerWorld BMW is entered for Sebring, meanwhile, for Alex Papadopulos and James Vance.

A total of 15 TCR cars are listed compared to the 17 that took part in January’s four-hour enduro.

Track action for the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 gets underway on Wed. March 17 ahead of the two-hour race on Friday at 2:35 p.m. ET.

Live coverage will be available on Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold as well as IMSA Radio.

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