Pro-Am Points Leader Sargent to Miss Indy 8H Due to ELMS Clash

Photo: Tom Sargent FB

Tom Sargent, who along with co-driver Kyle Washington re-took the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS Pro-Am points lead in last weekend’s round at Barber Motorsport Park, will miss next weekend’s season-ending Indianapolis 8 Hour due to a clash with the European Le Mans Series title-decider in Portimao.

The Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver made the announcement on social media that Barber was his final GTWC America race outing of the season.

It came after a come-from-behind podium result that put he and Washington with a six-point lead over fellow PMNA Selected Driver Ryan Yardley and Dave Musial Jr., who finished seventh in the race on Sunday.

However, Sargent, who won on his ELMS debut earlier this year, holds a chance of the LMGT3 title, with the U.S.-based Australian and co-drivers Richard Lietz and Matt Kurzejewski sitting fourth in a tight championship race, just 12 points from the lead.

“My deal was to prioritize the ELMS championship if we were in contention at the final race,” Sargent told Sportscar365.

“So this season I’ve been pushing to give Kyle the maximum amount of breathing room in points he could have going into the final race

“It is really tough for me to miss the final round of GTWC America. I looked at every possibility to do both races but it’s physically not possible with the time zones.

“Kyle and myself have done a lot of racing over the years together and his development has been amazing. So I knew we would be in close contention come the end of it.

“I have maximum faith and confidence in the team and the replacement lineup we have coming for the race though and I’ll be eagerly watching from Portugal that’s for sure.”

It has not yet been announced who the James Sofronas-owned team will replace Sargent with at the double points finale at Indy, although it’s understood the team already has a Porsche factory driver  lined up for the third seat.

Additionally, it’s unclear if Sargent’s non-participation in the GTWC America season finale will impact his score and/or eligibility in the SRO GT Academy, where he currently holds a significant lead.

The winner of the GT Academy in GTWC America, Asia, Australia and the GT3 class in the British GT Championship, will earn an all-paid seat in next year’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo fielded by Motopark.

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