Washington Charges from 10th at the Start to the Early 992 Masters-Class Lead and Eventual Victory at the Utah Motorsports Campus for First Victory of 2024
GRANTSVILLE, Utah (May 13, 2024) – Kyle Washington scored his first USAC Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama Masters Class race win Sunday in his No. 232 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup at the Utah Motorsports Campus. The victory was also the first of 2024 for Washington in a full and multi-series schedule of races this year with GMG Racing and came after Washington charged from 10th on the starting grid to first in Masters in Turn 1 at the start of Sunday’s final 35 minute race of the weekend.
Rebounding from a fourth-place Masters finish Saturday after a contact incident hampered the handling of his Porsche, Washington bolstered his Masters Class championship campaign with his third podium finish in the year’s first four Sprint Challenge West races. In last month’s season-opening doubleheader at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Nevada, Washington secured a runner-up Masters class finish in the first race and a third-place showing in the second.
“A great ending to the weekend for Kyle, winning his class and finishing fourth overall,” said GMG Racing President and Founder James Sofronas. “He’s been knocking on the door in multiple series this year, but to score his first win of 2024 in one of his two fulltime series this weekend in Utah is huge for the Sprint Challenge USA West Masters championship. We will take the momentum to Circuit of The Americas (COTA) the next two weekends where Kyle will race in his other full-season championship, Fanatec GT World Challenge America, this Saturday and Sunday and then be back in Porsche Sprint Challenge West Memorial Day weekend.”
“We started way back in the pack Sunday and I thought the only way we would get a good result today was if there was a big incident in Turn 1,” Washington said. “And what do you know, there was a big incident and we just got lucky when I stayed outside and got around a lot of cars. Then we held off Kevin Woods, who was behind me, filling my mirrors, pressuring me the whole time and it really couldn’t have worked out better. You have to be good to be lucky, and lucky to be good, but I had a lot of family here and we are all happy. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Mothers out there, including mine, Phyllis. Thanks Mom, we will see you for dinner tonight!”
Washington was joined on track in Utah by his GMG Racing Pro-Am class teammate Patrick Mulcahy, who was contesting his second career Sprint Challenge race weekend in his No. 254 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Mulcahy was on pace from the start of the weekend but was unfortunately sidelined for both races after a contact incident in Saturday morning’s final practice.
“Patrick had a disappointing end to his weekend, but the important thing is he is okay,” Sofronas said. “His car is heavily damaged, but we have a Plan B we are working on, and Patrick is going to rebound and go to COTA in two weeks.”
Washington’s family at the track included his brother-in-law, mother-in-law and his 14-year-old son Blake Washington, who put in some laps of his own on track. The younger Washington joined Sofronas’ son Jenson Sofronas, 13, in USAC’s on-track testing program throughout the weekend in GT4-spec Porsches. Both second-generation drivers are targeting entry level USAC competition licenses later this year, which makes them eligible to compete in the Cayman GT4 Clubsport division.
“Jenson and Blake received their provisional USAC licenses and had more than five hours of track time over the three days to get them up to speed,” Sofronas said. “They both made big improvements, excelled for their young experience levels, and Jenson really got up to speed on Sunday and showed great pace. I was following him, and I could watch his lines and watch his inputs, and it was super cool.”
The younger Sofronas turned laps in both a Porsche Cayman and later even in his father’s Porsche GT3 Cup car.
“I want to compliment USAC for putting together this program and this evaluation period,” Sofronas said. “It was just us on track in these private run groups, it allowed USAC to observe and monitor, and we left with video, data and captured everything for review down the road.”
Next up for GMG Racing are the back-to-back COTA weekends starting later this week, May 17 – 19, with the SRO America event. Washington and Sofronas both compete in the SRO GT America powered by AWS sprint race series at COTA while Tom Sargent joins Washington for the weekend’s featured Fanatec GT World Challenge doubleheader.
The following Memorial Day weekend, May 24 – 26, will see Washington and Mulcahy return for Porsche Sprint Challenge West Rounds 5 and 6.
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.
