Gaples to Become All-Time Start Leader at Road Atlanta

When Tony Gaples takes the green flag at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the first of two Pirelli GT4 America races this week, he will add another chapter to one of the longest and most accomplished careers in SRO America/World Challenge completion.

More importantly, he will stand alone at the top as the driver with the most race starts ever in series history.

Gaples currently sits tied with James Sofronas, another legend in the sport, with 272 starts.

For Gaples, the milestone is less about numbers and more about a lifetime spent doing what he loves.

“This record means I’ve been doing this a long time,” he said. “It doesn’t really feel like it.

“It means I haven’t found anything in life I enjoy more than racing cars. I hope I’ll be able to do another 272 starts before I retire from racing.”

As a veteran competitor with Blackdog Racing, his roots date back to the early 2000s before moving into what was then Pirelli World Challenge.

Gaples and the Blackdog team have seen many eras and different machinery over the years.

It all began with racing Corvettes in World Challenge, which eventually transformed into a six-year period campaigning fifth and sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaros in partnership with GM before transitioning into two McLaren 570S GT4s in 2019.

In recent years, Blackdog took on a GT America campaign with the Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R car before switching to the Nissan Z NISMO GT4 in 2024 in GT4 America.

Now, while the team still remains in GT4 America, this time they are back to representing McLaren with the Artura GT4.

“What has kept me coming back? All the people,” he explained. “Race car drivers are all like-minded and just great individuals.

“There’s simply nothing better than competing in a race car. We all share the same intense passion for racing and driving. It’s a unique niche in life, and I’m so happy to be part of it.”

Few drivers have had a front-row seat to the transformation of North America’s premier GT racing championships quite like Gaples.

From the early days of the series to the modern SRO America paddock, he has seen nearly every aspect of the championship evolve. One aspect of the past he remembers particularly fondly was the standing-start format.

“We used to have standing starts and 50-minute sprint races,” he recalled. “Those standing starts were really exciting for the fans and the drivers. I miss those dearly.”

No career spanning hundreds of race starts is built alone, and Gaples is quick to acknowledge the people who have helped shape his path.

Among the first names he mentions is longtime co-driver Michael Cooper, team manager Ray Sorenson, as well as longtime crew members Marc Engberg and Shawn Warnke.

“Ray brought a significant amount of professionalism to our program at Blackdog,” Gaples stated. “He keeps everything moving forward smoothly and at the highest level.

“Marc and Shawn have also played a critical role, they have kept me going in a well-prepared race car for over 20 years now. I’m very fortunate to have that.”

Another pivotal figure was Lawson Aschenbach, a four-time World Challenge champion, whose influence helped open the door to one of the most successful chapters in Blackdog Racing history with the aforementioned GM partnership.

“Lawson was instrumental in getting us a program with General Motors. That was a dream come true,” Gaples explained. “It kicked off an era of championships and race wins.”

The GM connection traces all the way back to a personal decision made nearly three decades ago when Gaples bought a Corvette.

What followed were numerous race victories, five drivers and teams championships for Blackdog Racing.

“Now here I am, 27 years later, still racing cars,” Gaples said fondly. “Your choices define you. Thank God I bought that Corvette.”