Barber Saturday Notebook

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

***The No. 242 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo of Therese Lahlouh and Thomas Merrill has been withdrawn from the remainder of the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS weekend at Barber Motorsports Park following an acute illness and allergic reaction for Lahlouh that occurred prior to the weekend. The pairing entered the weekend sixth in the Pro-Am class championship.

***Wright Motorsports team manager Bob Viglione said: “Therese’s health and well-being are our only priority. There is no question that giving Therese the time needed to recover is the right decision. The entire Wright Motorsports team is behind her, and we’re looking forward to seeing her back at the track at the Indianapolis 8 Hour.”

***It will result in an expected 18-car starting field for tomorrow’s final three-hour race of the season, with the No. 50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R having also been withdrawn, as the car was only entered for Ross Chouest to take gain extra practice time for his GT America powered by AWS races, which has been the case all year.

***TechSport Racing’s Frankie Muniz and Tyler Stone’s Am category victory in Saturday’s Pirelli GT4 America race has put the duo in the No. 30 Ford Mustang GT4 with a single-point lead over BimmerWorld’s James Clay and James Walker Jr. heading into next month’s season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It came in a dramatic finish that saw Muniz make the pass for the class win.

***Muniz said: “It’s so hard to pass here and I was just trying to set it up. Yesterday I tried to make a move and it didn’t go to plan. I was passing for the lead and took out the leader and got a penalty and took away a potential win yesterday. I learned from that. You’ve got to be aggressive… I shoved it in there and it somehow worked and held it out for the win. Tyler did such an amazing job to start the race. We’re in the hunt for the championship.”

***VPX Motorsport, which was forced to swap from an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 to its tried and trusted Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport following a heavy accident on Thursday, is aiming to have the Vantage back in action at The Brickyard according to team owner Vince Partap.

***GMG Racing team owner James Sofronas revealed there’s a “good chance” that he and his son Jenson will share driving duties of a McLaren Artura Trophy EVO in the McLaren Trophy America season finale. Jenson, who has been competing in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama this year, turns 16 the week of the Indy event, making him eligible in the SRO America-run single-make series.

***It would mark the first time that James and Jenson would share a car in a race. Sofronas explained that its No. 5 entry has opened up as drivers Jeff Cook and Deniz Teoman have a conflict that weekend.

***Sofronas told Sportscar365: “The first time Jenson and I raced in competition, we were both in GT3 Audis and he profoundly beat me. It was humbling but more importantly it was exciting. He’s just going to keep getting faster and I’m just hoping to maintain. The gap will widen as he develops over the next few years, which is obviously very exciting for me.”

***The Thermal-based team, which is aiming to continue in GTWC America next year with Kyle Washington, is also eyeing a return to GT4 America with the new Porsche 911 GT4 R, which Sofronas has already placed an order for. The 58-year-old five-time SRO America champion said he’s personally considering a full-time return to competition with the car, which is based on the Type 992.2 Porsche 911 Cup.

***Additional factory drivers are still expected to be announced for the Desder Indianapolis 8 Hour, in the wake of Connor De Phillippi joining the Pro class title-contending Turner Motorsport squad for the race. Sportscar365 understands that a Porsche works pilot will join Washington and Tom Sargent in the No. 32 GMG Porsche, with an announcement due next week.

***A Corvette works driver is expected to be part of DragonSpeed’s lineup with its Pro class Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, which essentially takes the place of JMR Johor Racing which walked back plans of entering the race in what would have been a two-car effort with a car each in Pro and Pro-Am.

***Random Vandals Racing is also due to announce its third pilot for the No. 99 BMW M4 GT3 EVO shortly.

***It was confirmed in recent weeks that Laurin Heinrich and Kevin Estre will complete Wright Motorsports’ Pro-Am lineups, while Kellymoss will add Lars Kern, Kay van Berlo and Aaron Jeansonne to its three-car Porsche effort for the season finale.

***While it was stated that SRO America’s move from Indianapolis to Circuit of The Americas, as the venue of the U.S. Intercontinental GT Challenge round next year, was made due to uncertainties over a potential repave of the famed 2.5-mile oval, IMS track president Doug Boles said it’s highly unlikely the speedway will need to be resurfaced next year.

***Boles explained to Sportscar365 that promoter agreements have clauses in the event of unexpected conditions that could jeopardize the Indianapolis 500. “If we came out of a winter and had an issue, and we needed to resurface, we would have to do it at the checkered flag of the [NASCAR] Cup race so you could get it resurfaced, let it cure and actually test to make sure it would be ready for next May. In the contracts with everybody we just say, if it happens, we’ll just have to do it.”

***Indianapolis is still scheduled as the season-ending round for SRO America next year, but as a regular three-hour GTWC America race. A SRO America spokesperson told Sportscar365 they’re “excited once again” to finish the season at Indianapolis in 2027.

***It has also been clarified that the Texas 8 Hour will be held on Sat. May 8 and will run into the night, instead of being a Sunday race, maintaining the tradition of a Saturday enduro for the American leg of the IGTC season.

***The location of the annual GT4 America three-hour endurance race, which has been staged at COTA up until now, has not yet been finalized for 2027. Sportscar365 understands that a survey was sent out to teams this afternoon to vote on whether the race should be moved to Road America, which has gained popularity in the paddock, or remain at COTA as a Sunday feature.

***Conquest Racing, which was last present in GTWC America competition in 2023, could return next year with a Ferrari according to team principal Eric Bachelart, who confirmed he’s in talks with a Ferrari Competizione GT driver for a partial season effort.

***Random Vandals, which is poised to return to a two-car BMW operation in GTWC America in 2027, has faced approximately a $150,000 overspend across its pro racing operations this year that’s strictly tied to increased travel, transporter fuel, race fuel, tires and spare parts costs according to team principal Paul Sparta.

***The trend of increased costs, largely since the onset of the Iran war, has been seen throughout motorsport paddocks in North America and the world, with diesel fuel prices, for example, now having reached $7 a gallon in some states.

***Sparta confirmed Random Vandals will defend its win in the second running of the CrowdStrike Veterans Race of Remembrance powered by AWS, which is scheduled for Nov. 8 at Virginia International Raceway in an expanded eight-hour format.

***Sparta, a U.S. Navy veteran, will again team up with Kevin Boehm and CJ Moses in a BMW M4 GT4 EVO, in a planned two-car effort. The race, organized by Operation Motorsport, is expected to see a boost of entries with the addition of Sebeco NP01 and Radical prototypes to the grid.

***Out There Brands, a leading custom motorsports branding solutions for teams, sponsors, manufacturers and event organizers, is having its first public activation at a SRO America event this weekend according to sales manager Jordan Bolden, who along with company founder and Chief Operating Officer Mikey Taylor, are on-site in the paddock.

***The 2.238-mile, 17-turn complex drew a sizable crowd on Saturday, thanks in part to the Birmingham Car Festival presented by Corsa Crew, which provided cash prizes in a fan-voted judging panel for the cars on display. SRO America’s autograph sessions were also held in the festival location.

***More than 50 cars from the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational were also on site, packing autocross, road course time trial and other challenges for production machinery ranging from a current era Mercedes-AMG GT and Tesla Model S, equipped with a custom wing and splitter package, to old-school and modern muscle and sports cars, including a late 1960’s AMC Javelin.

***Sunday’s action at Barber will kick off with the second qualifying session for GR Cup, followed by GTWC Qualifying at 8:30 a.m. CST. Race 2 for GT America takes the green flag at 9:25 a.m., followed by the final GR Cup race of the weekend at 10:25 a.m. and the three-hour GTWC America feature at 12:30 p.m.

***All races, plus GTWC America qualifying, will be streamed live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel, with Ryan Myrehn and Calvin Fish calling the action for all three multi-class series and Jonathan Grace and DJ Clark on the commentary duties for GR Cup action, with Amanda Busick returning from Kansas to report from the Barber pit lane.

***A 60-minute recap show from the weekend, featuring the GTWC America and GT4 America races will air on Sun. Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. EST on FS1.

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