101 Entries for Utah as PWC Championships Heat Up

Photo: PWC

A total of 101 entries are set for this weekend’s Pirelli World Challenge round at Utah Motorsports Campus, which features the return of SprintX competition. 

The 3.048-mile, 14-turn circuit, formerly known as Miller Motorsports Park, will play host to a packed weekend of racing, including SprintX, GTS and Touring Car races, represented by 25 manufacturers and 44 different models.

ENTRY LIST: Utah

SprintX, which returns to action for the first time since Lime Rock Park in May, features an increased 33-car grid, with a number of world-class drivers rejoining their full-season co-drivers in the GT3 ranks.

The first five rounds of the season have delivered five different winning teams and manufacturers, although it’s Michael Cooper and Jordan Taylor that hold a sizable lead in the GT3 Pro-Pro championship.

The Cadillac Racing duo enter Utah with a 23-point advantage over VIR winners Ryan Dalziel and Daniel Morad of CRP Racing, with Spencer Pumpelly third on 82 points and Absolute Racing’s Adderly Fong and Vincent Abril still in the title fight in fourth.

In addition to the return of the Taylor brothers, Morad and Abril, Porsche factory drivers Joerg Bergmeister and Wolf Henzler will be on the grid, with Bergmeister returning to Wright Motorsports alongside Patrick Long and Henzler set for his SprintX debut in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R with Jon Fogarty.

Michael Lewis, meanwhile, steps up to the Pro-Pro class in the No. 6 K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S GT3, replacing Jonny Kane, as part of a consolidated two-car effort for the team following the withdrawal of Mike Hedlund.

The GT3 Pro-Am class sees a number of new faces to the PWC paddock, namely Will Stevens, who will team up with Andrew Kim in the No. 78 Absolute Bentley Continental GT3, while Porsche Young Professional Mathieu Jaminet also makes his series debut in the No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche alongside James Sofronas, who sits second in the SprintX title race.

Wright’s Jan Heylen and Michael Schein hold a 15-point margin over Sofronas in the Pro-Am championship, halfway through the SprintX season.

DXDT Racing is set to debut its Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Aaron Povoledo and David Askew, while the GT3 Am-Am class sees the return of M1 GT Racing with drivers James Dayson and Jason Bell. 

Four GT Cup entries are set for Utah, including two Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeos, while the SprintX GTS division has five cars currently listed, with a handful set to pull double-duty in also competing in the standalone GTS races.

Eighteen cars are entered for the 50-minute Sprint GTS rounds, which has seen a number of changes since last month’s round at Mid-Ohio.

Ian Lacy Racing returns with its pair of Ginetta G55 GT4s, while GMG Racing has entered a Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR for Carter Yeung. 

Performance Motorsport Group’s Parker Chase and Harry Gottsacker, however, are currently not listed for Utah, as well as the second JCR Motorsports Maserati GT4 of Fred Roberts or PF Racing’s Ford Mustang, which has contributed to the slight decline in entries.

Lawson Aschenbach extended his lead in the GTS title race with the first PWC victory for the Camaro GT4.R last time out at Mid-Ohio.

The Blackdog Speed Shop driver now holds an 87-point advantage over the No. 50 Panoz Avezzano GT of Ian James, who has moved into second, with Mantella Autosport’s Martin Barkey third and Nate Stacy, of Flying Lizard Motorsports, sitting fourth.

All races this weekend will be live streamed on Motor Trend OnDemand and World-Challenge.com and six feature races (SprintX, GTS and TC) will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The SprintX doubleheader will be shown on CBS Sports Network on Aug. 20 at 2:30 p.m. EDT, while GTS will be televised on Aug. 23 at 9 p.m. and TC on Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. EDT.

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