AUSTIN, Texas – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams bring a record entry roster to this weekend’s SRO America Championships competition at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). A combined 10 Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams compete across three SRO racing series on the 3.427-mile COTA Formula 1 circuit, April 30 – May 2. The Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, Pirelli GT4 America and GT America powered by AWS series each run doubleheader race schedules Saturday and Sunday in the second event weekend of the 2021 SRO America season.
The record COTA entry follows a previous record entry of eight Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer competitors, which entered the season-opening SRO America Championships event weekend at Sonoma Raceway in California nearly two months ago.
Once again anchoring the record Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer entry is a five-strong lineup of Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams competing in the top-tier Fanatec GT World Challenge and the new GT America series. The stout GT3 presence is joined at COTA by five Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams – two more than Sonoma – competing in Pirelli GT4 America and GT America.
Fifth year Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer team DXDT Racing arrives at COTA with a four-car Mercedes-AMG GT3 entry and the momentum of a winning weekend at Sonoma.
In Fanatec GT World Challenge, co-drivers George Kurtz and Colin Braun secured a Pro-Am class victory at Sonoma in the No. 04 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the second of the weekend’s two 90-minute races.
Kurtz and Braun compete alongside DXDT Racing teammates David Askew and Ryan Dalziel in the No. 63 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the third-straight GT World Challenge season in 2021.
Team owner Askew and Dalziel co-drove to a second-place Pro-Am finish in Sonoma’s first GT World Challenge race and target their first victory of the season this weekend at COTA.
A third DXDT Racing entry competes in GT World Challenge this year with the duo of Erin Vogel and Michael Cooper in the No. 19 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Vogel and Cooper finished fourth in Pro-Am in Sonoma’s second race and look for their first World Challenge podium showing together at COTA.
Winward Racing and team drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis secured a GT World Challenge Pro-class podium showing in race two at Sonoma in the No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The Texas-based Winward team seeks a “home” victory this weekend at COTA with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 updated to the latest specifications.
In only its second race, the new GT America powered by AWS series is a single driver championship made up of primarily amateur (“Am”) or bronze rated drivers. The championship, which runs a pair of 40-minute races each weekend, is open to both GT3 and GT4 competitors.
Kurtz returns to GT America this weekend after dominating the series debut doubleheader at Sonoma in a second No. 04 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Kurtz won both 40-minutes Sonoma races overall from the pole in the single-driver series and set the fastest race laps in both sprints.
Completing DXDT’s GT3 lineup at COTA is team driver CJ Moses, making his 2021 racing debut and first career race start in a Mercedes-AMG GT3. Not competing in the Sonoma opener, Moses takes the wheel of the No. 58 DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the first time during a race in this weekend’s GT America doubleheader.
The five Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams entered at COTA is the most to ever compete in an SRO America Championships weekend.
Christian Szymczak and Kenny Murillo come to COTA after a Pirelli GT4 America victory and second-place finish in the Silver class in the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 at the Sonoma opener.
Capstone Motorsports and co-drivers John Allen and Kris Wilson also bring some podium momentum to COTA. Allen and Wilson scored a pair of Pirelli GT4 America Am-class second place finishes at Sonoma in the No. 16 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4.
Ross Chouest and Aaron Povoledo made their Pirelli GT4 America co-driving debut at Sonoma in the No. 89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4.
RENNtech expands to a two car and two series program this weekend with the addition of a second No. 39 Mercedes-AMG GT4, for Chris Cagnazzi and Guy Cosmo in Pirelli GT4 America. Cosmo secured Pirelli GT4 race wins and a string of podium finishes in a RENNtech Mercedes-AMG GT4 in 2019.
The RENNtech team is also set for the GT4 class in the single driver GT America doubleheader at COTA, with Chouest in the No. 89 and Cagnazzi in the No. 39 in both races.
Jeff Courtney, a former series champion in SRO Americas competition, makes his 2021 debut at COTA in his No. 999 RecStuff Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. Courtney finished third in the Am class in 2020’s final race last October at Indianapolis and looks for even better results this weekend in his first start in the new GT America series.
Following a full day of practice Friday and qualifying for all series Saturday morning, the weekend’s schedule of six races begins Saturday afternoon at COTA.
Pirelli GT4 America’s first 60-minute sprint kicks the racing off at 11:30 a.m. CDT. The first 90-minute Fanatec World Challenge race of the weekend follows with a 1:15 p.m. CDT race start while the opening 40-minute GT America sprint race closes out the first day of racing action with a 4:45 p.m. CDT green flag.
Sunday’s schedule begins with the final Pirelli GT4 America race at 11 a.m. CDT. The GT World Challenge series closes out its weekend with a 1 p.m. CDT start for its second 90-minute race before the GT America finale brings the weekend to a close with a 3:50 p.m. CDT scheduled start time.
Saturday morning qualifying and all six weekend races livestream free on the SRO GT World YouTube channel.
Additional coverage airs on the CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) with a GT World Challenge highlights and live racing package this Sunday, May 2, at 2:00 pm EDT. An encore presentation airs that evening at 10:00 p.m. EDT. that evening.
The weekend schedule, live timing and scoring, as well as session reports and one-stop video viewing for GT World Challenge, are available at gt-world-challenge-america.com.
Ryan Dalziel, Driver – No. 63 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Circuit of The Americas has always been a good track for me and it’s for sure a great track for the Mercedes-AMG GT3. A couple of cars were pulled back on performance since the Sonoma opener. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is one of them, so it will be interesting to see where our speed is after these recent rules adjustments, but we had a really good test at COTA in Austin about a month ago. So, hopefully the hard work from that test translates into a fast car straight off the truck. As always, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 shines in braking and high-speed corners, and COTA has plenty of both. The track just changes so much with the weather, so it’s always tough to stay ahead of the conditions at COTA, but rain or shine we’ve put in the hard work. Now it’s time to execute.”
Russell Ward, Driver – No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “The older car did its job really well for us in our first GT World Challenge races. We still have it, and have some plans for it, but it is really important to be on same playing field. We have the Evo update on this new car, it is a fantastic upgrade, and we took it out for a rollout last week in Houston. It’s good to go, it’s fast and we are looking forward to getting back at it at COTA. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 likes COTA a lot, it’s a really good track for the car with a lot of high speed and flowing turns. It suits the Mercedes-AMG GT3 very well. In my opinion, COTA is the most beautiful racing facility in the United States. It’s a home race, only about a three-hour drive for us, and I am looking forward to getting back out there.”
CJ Moses, Driver – No. 58 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I’m really looking forward to getting into the GT America powered by AWS fight. The competition at Sonoma looked very strong, and of course George had a great weekend. I’m excited to race the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with our DXDT team in this new sprint series! Stepping up from TCR to GT3 this year is a big jump, and my expectation is for a lot of personal growth and to gain experience. My wife and I have daily driven Mercedes-AMGs for the past decade, and one has even been credited with saving her life, therefore I have confidence in the platform and the engineering behind it. I was excited to jump into the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and it did not disappoint! It has already been very successful, and it is my intention to add to that success. A podium and a good haul of championship points would be a great way to start.”
Guy Cosmo, Driver – No. 39 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I’m thrilled to be back with RENNtech Motorsports in the Mercedes-AMG GT4, pairing with Chris Cagnazzi. I have a lot of experience with the Mercedes-AMG GT4, and in the short period of time I was last with RENNtech we had great success straight away. The Pirelli GT4 America grid is looking highly competitive, but we are up for the task and ready for action.”
