Stable Grids Maintained for VIR

Photo: Brian Cleary/SRO

This weekend’s Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS round at Virginia International Raceway will again feature a 16-car field for the third event of the season.

The provisional entry list sees no car or team changes and only a handful of driver changes since the most recent round at Circuit of The Americas.

Mikael Grenier will sub for the Nürburging 24-bound Philip Ellis in the No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo while Michael Di Meo takes the place of Rodrigo Sales in Compass Racing’s Acura NSX GT3 Evo.

Sales also has a conflict but with this weekend’s European Le Mans Series race at Paul Ricard.

While currently on the entry list, Giacomo Altoe is not expected to be at VIR due to his N24 commitments, with the Italian’s replacement in the No. 31 TR3 Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo not yet announced.

Jacob Abel will make his second consecutive start in the No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura, meanwhile, in what is a splitting of season-long co-driving duties with Dakota Dickerson, who drove alongside full-season driver Taylor Hagler at the Sonoma season-opener.

The GTWC America grid is again represented by eight GT3 manufacturers, currently led by Lamborghini following K-PAX Racing’s sweep of the weekend at COTA.

Jordan Pepper and Andrea Caldarelli hold a 20-point lead over teammates Corey Lewis and Giovanni Venturini, who broke through for their first win of the season in Race 2 in Texas.

In Pro-Am, Wright Motorsports’ Jan Heylen and Fred Poordad currently hold a seven-point advantage over Colin Braun and George Kurtz in the DXDT Racing Mercedes.

Action Heats Up for GT America, Pirelli GT4 America

Twenty-four cars, meanwhile, are set to do battle in the pair of GT America powered by AWS rounds, in a season that has so far seen three different overall winners in four races.

While James Sofronas will not be back in his GMG Racing Lamborghini, COTA Race 2 winner Brendan Iribe will again be pulling double duty between GTWC America and GT America action in his inception racing McLaren 720S GT3.

Pirelli GT4 America action over the weekend will feature 29-car grids, with 15 cars listed in Pro-Am.

It includes Nolasport’s Jason Hart and Matt Travis, who will be looking to keep their undefeated streak going into VIR.

Track action for SRO America series kick off on Friday, with races scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday. 

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