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Pirelli GT4 America

Gibbons, Anderson’s “Incredible” SprintX Am Title-Winning Season

Unlikely pairing on race-to-race budget pick up Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Am class championship…

Photo: Sarah Weeks/SRO

Most championships come down to the final round, but exceptions sometimes occur, and no one proved this better than Nolasport’s Sean Gibbons and Zac Anderson.

The Dallas-based drivers, racing together for the first time this year, proved to be an extraordinary pair.

The No. 7 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport duo maintained a perfect podium record with a top-three finish in every race they entered.

Eight class wins, along with several second and third-place finishes, earned the pair enough points to claim the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Am class championship with three races left in the season.

Despite the amateur moniker, Anderson and Gibbons fought like pros for every point throughout a season confused by COVID-19 and off-track battles to acquire the funding necessary to continue the championship assault race-by-race.

Their championship-winning effort was made possible thanks to their various partners throughout the season, including Porsche Fresno, Trattore Wines and Stewart Title McKinney.

“I would have never imagined having this result when we started this,” said Gibbons. “We took the entire season race by race, and it took everyone involved to make it possible.

“The entire team at Nolasport and OGH Motorsports did a fantastic job.

“Whether it was the car that the crew gave us every weekend, the hospitality executed, or the help from Porsche Fresno and Stewart Title McKinney, it was a team effort.

“Amazing drives every weekend by my co-driver Zac, and our teammates Jason Hart and Matt Travis don’t get enough credit for all of the help that they give us.

“This season has been an incredible experience; I am so thrilled and love that Porsche Cayman.”

The duo missed the final weekend of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway although still took a commanding win in the championship with Anderson also awarded with Rookie-of-the-Year honors.

The Texan returned to sports car racing after a 15-year hiatus

When funding forced him out of the seat after a celebrated start in karting, he never wavered from his commitment to get back behind the wheel and show he had not lost the impressive speed and competitive drive that hallmarked his early career.

Anderson remained involved in the industry through automotive marketing programs and as a Driving Coach and New Vehicle Delivery specialist at the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles.

“I’ve been laid off; I’ve struggled to find work and we absolutely scrambled all day every day putting this championship run together,” he said. “Even still, the sour makes the sweet taste so much better.”

Their teammates, Jason Hart and Matt Travis, earned second in the SprintX Pro-Am championship, only two points away from the title.

The Pro-Am pair kicked off the season with a weekend sweep at Circuit of the Americas and continued with a podium finish for eight of the fifteen races in their No. 47 Porsche.

Nolasport’s third SprintX entry, the No. 46 Porsche, also placed in the top three of its championship.

The Am class father-son duo of David and Russell Walker had a weekend sweep in the season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The strong finish pushed them into third-place to wrap their pro season debut.

The season-long performance that accumulated three top-three championship finishes also earned Nolasport the honor of being named the 2020 SprintX Team of the Year.

The New Orleans-based team has created a name for themselves in Porsche racing in recent years.

The Porsche specialist shop entered its first race in 2015 with the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA. In 2016, the inaugural year of the Cayman GT4 Clubsport race car, the team claimed both Pro and Am championships in PCA Club Racing’s GT4-spec class.

Since then, the Jon Scheurich-led organization has remained active in PCA Club Racing, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and SRO America.

The latest news, photos and video features from the trusted Sportscar365 web staff.

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