Ericsson Embracing SRO’s “Good Platform” in First Year of GT3

Photo: Hampus Ericsson FB

Hampus Ericsson said he’s embracing the “really good platform” that GT World Challenge America powered by AWS offers for first-year GT3 drivers, as the Swede continues to make his way through the sports car racing ladder.

The 23-year-old, the younger brother of NTT IndyCar Series star Marcus Ericsson, has embarked on his first full season of GT3 competition, sharing Random Vandals Racing’s Pro-Am class BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Derek DeBoer.

Ericsson, the reigning Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Pro class champion, only made his GT3 debut in last year’s Michelin 12H Malaysia race in Sepang, alongside Marcus, but said he’s found a great environment to further develop his skills.

“Random Vandals won the Pro championship here in GT World Challenge America last year, which says a lot,” he told Sportscar365.

“This is my first ever season in GT3 machinery. You really have to have a good team around you, especially with me as a driver who doesn’t have the experience.

“To have Random Vandals, to be able to drive for them, and to be within the team, with these mechanics and engineers and driver coaches like Kenton [Koch] who won it last year, it means everything and it helps me so much every race weekend.

“When I go to a new track, I have the best team behind me to help me do my absolute best out there on track, and I think that’s essential, especially for a rookie season, you have to have the whole package behind you, which I’m confident I have.”

While a veteran of Porsche and Lamborghini single-make racing, Ericsson said moving into the GT3 arena has provided him with new opportunities to further hone his craft.

“I’m brand new to it and have so much to learn, and driving in Pro-Am, there’s a lot of Pro-Ams and a lot of fast pros,” he said.

“It’s a good mix and to do it in Pro-Am this year with Random Vandals this year, for me, together with Derek, my teammate, it’s mega for me.

“At the end of the day, I want to get to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“I think GT World Challenge America offers a really, really good platform for me with these very, very fast Pro drivers, very fast Am drivers and these tracks as well.

“I get to race on so many more tracks that I haven’t done yet.

“It’s the perfect platform for me to gain experience, get up to speed as fast as possible. But GT World Challenge America is not like a ‘B’ series.

“It’s a proper racing series with a lot of great, professional drivers and people and teams.

“I’m not here just to learn. Me, Derek and Random Vandals, we want to win.”

This weekend’s round at Sebring International Raceway marks the first track that Hampus has previously raced at on the GTWC America calendar, having swept the Super Trofeo event here last year in his U.S. racing debut.

“I started racing in the U.S. last year and there were so many new tracks to learn,” he said. “Sebring is one of those tracks that I have really, really enjoyed.

“As a racing driver, to enjoy a track, of course you have to have a good result from that track, and I had a really good results these few times I’ve been to Sebring, so I’m very excited [for this weekend].

“This car is very different to the Lambo but I feel like the transition, I’ll feel so much more familiar with the track.

“I think we’ll be an even further step from the start going into the weekend.”

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