STATESVILLE, N.C., (March 23, 2023) – A new season for the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS begins at Sonoma Raceway on March 30 and DXDT Racing will return for an eighth year competing in the North American sports car racing series. The Mercedes customer racing team will contest two Mercedes AMG GT3 entries, driven by team veterans Scott Smithson and Bryan Sellers, and newcomers Jeff Burton and Corey Lewis.
The GT World Challenge America series is a thrilling and highly competitive championship that showcases some of the best sports car racing action in North America. Featuring the best auto manufacturers around the world, the series hosts 13 races in seven events across the country. With the exception of the Indianapolis 8 Hour season finale, each race weekend will consist of a pair of 90-minute races, in which a pair of co-drivers split the drive-time during each race. Both the No. 08 and No. 91 DXDT Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 entries will compete in the Pro/Am class, reflecting the combination of professional and amateur ranking of each driver in the car.
In the No. 08 Mercedes AMG GT3, Smithson and Sellers have partnered together for a second year as co-drivers. In his rookie season the GT World Challenge series last year, TC America alumni Smithson earned two podium finishes and six-top five results. He and Sellers together celebrated a second-place finish at the iconic Road America road course. Sellers, a Rolex 24 At Daytona race winner and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship champion brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the effort, making a strong co-driver for Smithson as he begins his sophomore years in the series.
Though new to DXDT Racing, Burton is no stranger to GT World Challenge or series sanctioned by SRO America. He achieved champion status in 2019, racing in the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX West’s Am category, then advanced to Pirelli GT4 America’s Sprint series, closing out the season in third place in the Am class. In 2021 he finished second in the Masters class of GT America Powered by AWS, earning eight wins and two podiums. Burton is joined in the No. 91 by Corey Lewis, a four-time champion in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Series. The pro-ranked driver competes worldwide in various sports car racing series, having recently won the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January 2020.
The season will begin with Rounds One and Two, March 30 to April 1 at Sonoma Raceway, nestled in the rolling hills of Wine Country. The event will host all three series under the SRO America umbrella, creating an exciting race weekend for fans and competitors. For more information, visit sro-america.com.
DRIVER QUOTES
Scott Smithson | No. 08 Qelo Mercedes AMG GT3
I’m excited for another season with DXDT! It’s nice to have a year in the GT3 under my belt. I’m surrounded by a great team and great drivers. Bryan has taken me under his wing and has gone above and beyond to help me improve as a driver. It’s great to have Corey Lewis and Jeff Burton in the sister car. I look forward to learning from them and being pushed by some really fast drivers.
Bryan Sellers | No. 08 Qelo Mercedes AMG GT3
To say I’m looking forward to this season would be an understatement. After last year and all of us being teamed together for the first time we showed some great potential and a lot of growth. Hopefully, all the work we have done in the off-season will help to produce some results for the year. Scott has done nothing but continue to grow with speed, and with his ability to understand a race. He’s a great teammate. I’m also looking forward to the addition of Jeff and Corey. They are a great pairing and will help to push the team forward to where we ultimately would like to see ourselves be.
Jeff Burton | No. 91 Burton Lumber Mercedes AMG GT3
It looks like DXDT as a group has tremendous potential in the GTWC (Pro-Am) class. Scott and Bryan have already shown their skill levels with the success they had last year. The comfort level they have in the AMG platform is fun to see already. Corey and I have a little less time in the car since we have moved from the Lamborghini to AMG. I know that with the small amount of time we have spent in the car, our confidence is developing quickly. The competitive nature that exits already between the 08 and the 91 car looks to be a challenge that we all look forward to having. As Sonoma quickly approaches a track that I know I have had success in the past, with a new car and team our hopes that a successful start to a winning season.
Corey Lewis | No. 91 Burton Lumber Mercedes AMG GT3
Another SRO season is finally upon us! I am looking forward to starting fresh and am very excited heading into my second season with Jeff. He and I closed 2022 off on a high note, and we both look forward to continue growing our skill sets on and off the race track with DXDT Racing.
Our pre-season testing has been phenomenal. Being apart of a top notch organization like DXDT Racing, I know Jeff and I will continue our success. It’s great having Scott and Bryan apart of the team as well, as I know we will be pushing each other throughout the year to maximize the teams results!!
ABOUT DXDT Racing
DXDT Racing is a high-performance sports car racing team founded in 2014 by team principal David Askew and located in Statesville, N.C. The Team’s primary focus is GT3 and Touring Car racing in North America. DXDT is a provider of turnkey racing support and delivers customized racing solutions for its clients and sponsors. DXDT is a performance-driven team comprised of highly experienced racing professionals capable of delivering wins and championships, including ten wins in GT World Challenge and a Rookie of the Year in 2020 alone. Follow the team on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for race season updates.
