Sargent Eyeing Move Up Porsche Ladder in Promising GT3 Debut

Photo: GMG Racing

Tom Sargent says he feels like he’s been thrown in the “deep end” in his first season of GT3 racing, amid his career ambitions of continuing to move up the Porsche Motorsport ladder.

The 22-year-old Australian, who moved to the U.S. in 2023 to take part in Porsche Carrera Cup North America, has shifted gears to GT3 competition this year with GMG Racing and co-driver Kyle Washington in Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS.

The pairing are coming off a breakthrough maiden Pro-Am class victory last time out at Virginia International Raceway.

Sargent, who finished runner-up in the single-make series last year with ten podium finishes, including one win with McElrea Racing, has set his focus on Fanatec GT America this season, while serving as a driver coach to Washington at the same time.

While a veteran of Porsche’s 911 GT3 Cup car from his time racing in Australia and Carrera Cup North America, Sargent admitted that the combination of learning new tracks as well as the Porsche 911 GT3 R has been his latest task at hand.

“It’s been thrown in the deep end for sure,” Sargent told Sportscar365. “I was fortunate enough to do an Indy 8 Hour start last year, which gave me at least some bit of knowledge. That was still only one weekend.

“Carrera Cup last year was a great prep for this for sure. You learn a lot of racecraft there. I learned a lot of the tracks, which was crucial for me moving from Australia here to the U.S., everything was new.

“That helps a lot. But even this year, out of the seven rounds, I don’t think I had been to three or four of the tracks.

“It really makes it tough but it’s good. I’ve got a really great crew and team which make it really easy for me to adapt and get there. The car is always really good as well.

“It lets me focus on my driving, and also help Kyle as well, which is the big part of this type of racing, is trying to make sure that not only one driver but both drivers are as quick as they possibly can be.”

Sargent is coming to grips with multi-driver racing for the first time as well, particularly in a Pro-Am environment alongside Bronze-rated Washington.

“That’s probably been one of the biggest adjustments is adapting to that Pro-Am style,” he said. “I’ve never done this before. I had always been focused on myself and just making myself the best I can be.

“Where now, it’s a little bit different. It’s making sure I’m the best I can be but also focusing on making sure Kyle is up to speed and is doing the best he can.

“We’re both jumping in the deep end here. He’s very new to racing still, in his fourth year, and very new to GT stuff.

“He does a lot of racing outside of this, a massive amount, but as for GT3 stuff, he’s very limited. It’s tough to get up to speed but he’s been doing really well so far.”

Sargent was part of McElrea’s U.S. expansion last year in Carrera Cup North America although was left without a full-time ride for 2024 when the team elected to shift its full focus back in Australia.

That opened the door for Sargent to join forces with Washington and GMG for a unique 2024 campaign that also sees the young Australian serve as Washington’s driver coach in other sports car racing series.

“McElrea Racing was the key component of moving me here to the U.S.,” said Sargent. “They gave me an opportunity to come here and race Carrera Cup last year.

“I took that opportunity and really committed to it. I wanted to devote myself to that, so I moved here at the start of last year full-time to the U.S.

“I live just south of Mooresville, N.C. in the motor racing capitol there and have met a lot of great people there. It’s been a really great area for me.

“I feel like it made my life a bit easier rather than having to travel back and forth all the time.

“I was then able to sign the deal with Kyle and GMG at the end of last year to come here and do this when things were not looking as promising in Carrera Cup. It was going to be tough to do another year.

“We were trying to find a way to make it happen and I was able to come across this deal with Kyle.

“I’m absolutely in-debt to him and everything for what he’s been able to do for me and hopefully I can return the favor for him.”

Sargent said he has high aspirations in the sport and sees his relocation to the U.S. as an opportunity to continue to climb the Porsche ladder.

“I’m based right next door to Porsche Penske, which is great,” he said. “I know a few of those drivers; I’m very good friends with Matt Campbell, who’s obviously Australian.

“That’s helped settle me on where I want to be. I definitely know that’s my goal. I want to be part of the IMSA series, the GTP stuff. That’s my goal.

“I still want to be based here in the U.S. I really like the USA. But for sure my ultimate goal is to be a professional sports car driver and do that.

“I’d love to work my way up through the GT3 ranks and hopefully one day into a GTP/Hypercar.”

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