GT4 Sprint, GTSC Absorbed into New GT America Series

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

Pirelli GT4 America Sprint and GT Sports Club America have been absorbed into the newly named GT America series for 2021.

Confirmed by SRO America on Friday, the championship, reserved primarily for Bronze-rated drivers, will feature 40-minute single-driver races aimed to maintain the 30-plus year heritage of World Challenge.

GT2, GT3 and GT4-spec cars will be permitted in the races, which will run on GT World Challenge America powered by AWS weekends.

According to SRO America President and CEO Greg Gill, the emphasis in GT America will be placed on Bronze drivers after recent struggles to attract a field of pro drivers in GT4 Sprint.

“We had great plans for Sports Club and even had 15 entries,” Gill told Sportscar365. “Then COVID started up.

“The goal was to try to give Bronze drivers a home in a single-driver format.

“On the same token, what we thought would happen has continued to happen [in GT4 America Sprint].

“GT4 Sprint hasn’t grown in the Pro class. So how can we pay homage to what this series has always been about?

“I called Stephane [Ratel] and said, ‘Let’s stop messing with the restaurant menu and let’s give people the single-driver Sprint format people want.”

Sportscar365 understands that the 40-minute format from GT Sports Club has been retained due to the capabilities of the GT2-spec machinery, which have been designed for shorter-style sprint racing.

Gill said he expects to have around 20 entries next year, considering the half-dozen GT2 customers that have already committed along with existing GT4 Sprint Am competitors that have made up the majority of that seres. 

As has been the case this year in GTSC America, GT3 cars will also be permitted, and for the first time, could see drivers and teams double-up with the same GT3  car undertaking the GT America and GTWC America races on the same weekend.

GT4 America SprintX, meanwhile, will remain unchanged for 2021, other than being re-branded as the sole Pirelli GT4 America series.

The 2021 schedule is expected to be released on Saturday. 

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