20 Entries for GT4 Sprint Season Opener at St. Pete

Photo: Brian Cleary/SRO America

A total of 20 cars are set for this weekend’s Pirelli GT4 America Sprint season-opener in St. Pete, in the first of two consecutive headline rounds for the series formerly known as Pirelli World Challenge GTS. 

The entry list, released by SRO Motorsports America on Tuesday, features a number of teams and drivers making their season debuts on the streets of St. Petersburg, following last weekend’s first round of the season for GT4 SprintX, as well as the East and West regional series.

Among those include Blackdog Speed Shop, which has made the off-season switch from Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R to McLaren 570S GT4 machinery for team owner/driver Tony Gaples, plus newly minted McLaren factory driver Michael Cooper.

Robinson Racing, which now becomes the lone-remaining Camaro GT4 team on the grid, has committed to the 50-minute Sprint format with drivers Shane Lewis and Gar Robinson, while Ian James and Jade Buford will be two other drivers expected to fight for overall wins this weekend, driving for Team Panoz Racing and Mustang GT4 squad PF Racing, respectively.

TRG, meanwhile, is set for a full-season GT4 Sprint Pro program with Spencer Pumpelly at the wheel of its new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, which swept the COTA SprintX weekend with entries fielded by nolasport and Park Place Motorsports.

Alan Brynjolfsson, who was part of the winning lineup in the Park Place entry, is among those entered in the GT4 Am class this weekend, along with the debuting Mustang GT4s from Ian Lacy Racing for Frank Gannett and reigning SprintX Am champion Drew Staveley.

GMG Racing will have a two-car Audi R8 LMS GT4 operation in St. Pete for full-season driver Jason Bell as well as CJ Moses, who makes his GT4 America debut as part of a four-race program in a Crowdstrike-backed entry.

Track action kicks off on Friday with practice sessions, while the pair of 50-minute single-driver sprint races are set for Saturday and Sunday.

TC America will also be in action this weekend, with the TCR class joining invitational entries from TCA.

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