Barber Thursday Notebook

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

***SRO America teams kicked off its GT World Alabama event at Barber Motorsports Park with test sessions for both Pirelli GT4 America and Toyota GR Cup North America, as well as opening practice for the GT4 series.

***McLaren Trophy America is not in action this weekend but will hold its season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway next month with a triple header, including the makeup round for Miami Race 2, to cap off its partnership with SRO America before switching to IMSA sanctioning next year.

***The second GT4 America test session came to an abrupt halt following a massive accident on the straight upon entry into Turn 5 involving the No. 44 VPX Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo of series rookie Jaden Harry and Zach Lumsden’s No. 413 Colorado Motorsport with Flying Lizard BMW M4 GT4 EVO, which reportedly was thrust into the air.

***While the VPX Aston is understood to have been totaled in the accident, Zach Lumsden and co-driver Kris Wilson will use Zach’s father, Craig’s GT America powered by AWS BMW chassis for the two GT4 America races, with Craig sitting out GTA Race 1 on Saturday but the car to be handed back to him for GTA Race 2 on Sunday according to Flying Lizard Motorsports program manager Darren Law.

***The accident, which brought the session to an early end, led to a nearly 90-minute delay due to extensive armco barrier repairs. The stewards found Harry to be “wholly responsible” for the incident, with the 19-year-old Canadian docked five behavioral warning points and a pit lane start in the next SRO America race he participates in.

***Earlier in the day, 89x Motorsport was fined $10,000, of which all but $3,500 is suspended provided no further infraction, for having participated in the opening test session with a non-authorized set of tires.

***There have been several changes to the GT America entry list, with both Rodin Younessi (AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo) and Scott Barry (HP-TECH Motorsport Ferrari 296 Challenge) having been no-shows, although the No. 19 RS1 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Joel Cortes has been a late addition.

***In GR Cup, there have been four withdrawals, dropping the entry to 25 cars: Joseph Maley (No. 12 Eagles Canyon w/Fast Track), Massimo Sunseri (No. 51 BSI Racing), Patrick Brunson (No. 93 Eagles Canyon w/Fast Track) and Maite Caceres (No. 812 RAFA Racing Team).

***It comes as a double blow for Maley, who was entered as Harry’s co-driver in the VPX Aston Martin.

***The No. 11 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4 of Jenson Altzman and SRO America debutant Carlton MacFarlane, meanwhile, has been confirmed to be running in the Pro-Am class after its category was listed as TBC on the provisional entry list. This is because 18-year-old MacFarlane, who is stepping up from Mustang Cup USA competition, has been derogated to Bronze* this weekend.

***Altzman’s previous co-driver, Zachary Lee, meanwhile, will utilize the same Mustang GT4 chassis for GT America action this weekend, with all three drivers’ names on the car.

***GMG Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo has been wrapped in Buc-ee’s colors this weekend. The popular chain of travel centers, primarily located in southern states, has gained a cult-like following, with its largest location, in Luling, Tex., spanning over 75,000 square-feet. Sportscar365 understands that Kyle Washington decided to wrap the car ‘purely for fun.’

***Ozz Negri returns to the wheel of the No. 163 AF Corse Ferrari this weekend after missing the last two rounds due to a ruptured achilles tendon, which required surgery. “It was a long and hard month of recovery after my surgery but I’m ready to get back in the car and I can’t wait,” Negri told Sportscar365.

***Negri revealed that he’ll have to right-foot brake due the injury having been on his left foot. The Brazilian, who has only been off crutches for the last three weeks, said he got some laps in a Ferrari Challenge car recently and it “came right back again.”

***As confirmed on Thursday by SRO Motorsports Group, Motopark will field the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo that will run with an all-SRO GT Academy driver lineup in next year’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. GMG driver Tom Sargent currently leads the standings for the seat reserved for the highest-placed driver in GTWC America.

***GT4 America Silver class points leader Spencer Pumpelly, a staunch vegan, lost a bet with RS1 co-driver Luca Mars that they would win last month’s Road America race with a borrowed Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport from Nolasport, resulting in Pumpelly eating his first piece of steak in 23 years since becoming a vegetarian, and 16 years a vegan.

***Pumpelly told Sportscar365: “It was quite some time but it tasted just like I remembered it. I was never a big steak guy anyway. A bacon cheeseburger would have been better! The thing I forgot is how long it takes to chew. So I thought I would take a bite, chew it, swallow it and be done with it. But a minute later I was still chewing it trying to get the whole experience over with!”

***The duo, who are on a remarkable seven-race class win streak dating back to the Lone Star Enduro at Circuit of The Americas, could lock up the Silver class title this weekend. Pumpelly and Mars are again utilizing the same chassis that the team borrowed from Nolasport at Road America, but now fully wrapped in RS1 colors.

***Pumpelly’s 13-year-old son, Ryder, will be taking part in his third-ever car race on Saturday, in the Bandolero Championship Nationals at EchoPark Speedway, formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway. Andy Lally will be filling for Spencer as the “driver coach and transport driver” according to Pumpelly, who will be on track at Barber in his RS1 Porsche at the same time as his son races the quarter-mile oval around the start/finish line of the 1.540-mile speedway.

***Brexton Busch, the son the late Kyle Busch, was last year’s winner of the event in the Bandits class.

***Blackdog Racing is on a four-race win streak in Pro-Am and have closed the gap to class points leader Sam Craven to just 17 points. Cooper, meanwhile, is coming off another victory in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition last weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, also in a McLaren Artura GT4.

***Cooper said: “Mathematically, if you look at it after COTA it was a long shot for this to be in this position. But no one on this team ever gave up, and now you see it. We’re back in the fight. We’ve had some good fortune. Now we’ve got four races left so let’s see who can do the best job.”

***The paddock is racing with heavy hearts this weekend following the recent passing of Matt Dalton at the age of 62. Dalton, a former Ferrari Challenge North America class champion, competed in both GT4 America and GT America competition with RS1, under his ‘Notlad’ branding, which spelled Dalton in reverse.

***SRO America President and CEO Greg Gill said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Matt Dalton. Matt was a valued member of the SRO America paddock, competing in both GT4 America and GT America with Notlad by RS1. More than a competitor, Matt was part of our racing family, and his presence in the paddocks will be greatly missed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, teammates and everyone who had the pleasure of working with him.”

***Friday’s action will kick off with a second practice for GT4 America, followed by test and Paid Bronze test sessions for GTWC America and GTA competitors, two practice sessions for GR Cup and opening practice for both GTA and GTWC America.

***GT4 America also qualifies, and has its first race of the weekend, with the 60-minute contest set to get underway at 3:30 p.m. CST with live coverage on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel with the commentary team of Ryan Myrehn, Calvin Fish and Amanda Busick.

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