Kyle Washington Earned a Pair of Third-Place Showings on the Indianapolis Road Course While Washington and Jeroen Bleekemolen Battled Four Hours for a Lead Lap Finish on Saturday Night
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 18, 2023) – GMG Racing’s drivers and Porsche machinery completed all 193 laps possible in five hours and 20 minutes of racing over two days at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Kyle Washington taking home a pair of class podiums in Porsche Carrera Cup North America and teaming with Jeroen Bleekemolen for a lead lap finish in the dark in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
Washington opened the weekend by qualifying the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fifth in the Pro-Am class of Porsche Carrera Cup. In Saturday’s first race, he kept his cool during the opening lap to move to third place. Washington spent the caution-free sprint matching the lap times of his class competition, pulling to the finish line third.
His Sunday run nearly mirrored Saturday’s, with Washington avoiding a chaotic opening lap that ended the day for some. He settled into a rhythm after a long caution period and once again Washington held strong in third place to the checkered flag.
“What I’m most pleased about is Kyle’s race pace,” James Sofronas, GMG Racing Founder and Principal, said. “He’s been able to put in consistent, fast laps to stay up front and contend for podiums. In that regard, he’s making great progress and I take a lot of pride in seeing him evolve over the years and develop as a great driver. It’s fun to see his progress in the Cup car, which he really loves racing. It’s a pure race car that really commands driver skill and focus, and he’s stepped up to the task.”
From Saturday’s Carrera Cup podium celebration, Washington jumped almost immediately into the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for the four-hour Pilot Challenge race. Despite a light rain varying the grip level throughout his stint on slick tires, Washington held onto the lead lap throughout the run and passed the car to Bleekemolen for the final two hours, 20 minutes.
With various fuel strategies in play up and down the field, GMG Racing made the right call to put Bleekemolen into the top 10 and with an opportunity to contend in the final stint. Bleekemolen, however, was battling a braking issue in the Cayman and was unable to push the car to the limit. Instead, the team brought home a 14th place, lead lap finish.
“It was a good race,” Bleekemolen said. “We learned a lot, and there was a lot more in it without the issue at the end with over an hour to go. We couldn’t be competitive any more, but it was a good, fun weekend and hopefully we can build on this and get better.”
The pair of podiums for Washington in Carrera Cup were his second and third of the year, and the first time that he’s earned back-to-back trophies.
“The weekend has been super fun,” Washington said. “It’s been a ton of driving, and I’m ready for a beer and some football.”
With bookend trophies in hand on Sunday morning, Washington earned some rest before his return to the track at Porsche Rennsport Reunion VII, September 28 to October 1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The GMG Racing team will be racing a variety of cars at Porsche Rennsport Reunion, the weekend-long celebration of the racing heritage of Porsche. More details on the GMG Racing entries will be announced in the near future.
About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California in Orange County and with a trackside motorsports facility at 28,000 sq. ft. currently being built at The Thermal Club. The staff, attention to detail, and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped us support our customers to the highest level possible. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona and Spa, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.
