JMF Motorsports Ushers in New Three-Hour Race Era of the SRO GT World Challenge America in a Competitive and Controlled Overall and Pro-Class Victory from the Pole in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. The Victory is a Milestone Repeat for the Duo and the Second-Year JMF Motorsports Team that Won in Their Series Debut at Sonoma Last Year
SONOMA, California – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team JMF Motorsports ushered in the new three-hour race era of the SRO GT World Challenge America series in a convincing and controlled fashion this weekend with a commanding victory at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday from the pole with co-drivers Mikael Grenier and Michai Stephens in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The win marked a milestone historic repeat for the duo and JMF Motorsports team as the group also stood atop the podium at Sonoma last year in the team’s series debut. This year, however, the win came in the series’ newly formatted three-hour endurance format that will be the series standard for all but the season-ending Indianapolis 8 Hour race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this October.
The strong victory was a near flag-to-flag triumph for the No. 34 JMF Motorsports team. Starting driver Stephens relinquished the point only briefly at the end of the race’s first hour before reclaiming the lead before pitting to hand the car over to closing driver Grenier just before the race’s halfway mark. Grenier led every lap of his race-closing run and withstood the pressure of more than one fast challenger for a close but secure 0.922-second margin of victory.
The win followed a double-pole qualifying effort earlier on Sunday for the expanded JMF team that runs two Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries in GT World Challenge America this season. Stephens and Grenier posted the quickest combined time for the overall and Pro division pole while their new teammates Jason Daskalos and Lorcan Hanafin won the Pro-Am pole with a stout third fastest overall combined qualifying time in the No. 27 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The No. 27 team’s good fortune in qualifying unfortunately didn’t continue in the race, however, as a pair of pit stop-related penalties in the opening hour dropped Daskalos and Hanafin from winning contention to an eventual ninth place Pro-Am finish.
Returning Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team TR3 Racing also encountered an early issue after a contact incident in the race’s opening laps thwarted an otherwise competitive weekend. A trip to the paddock for repairs put the No. 9 TR3 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 several laps down but the team and co-drivers Brayton Williams and Will Bamber persevered to the finish.
In the accompanying Pirelli GT4 America series doubleheader at Sonoma on Friday and Saturday, three Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries competed in an SRO America event weekend for the first time since the 2024 season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). The trio included the returning No. 37 Dome Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4 and a pair of series-debuting entries. For the first time, Dome has expanded to a two-car program set for the full season with the addition of the No. 39 Dome Mercedes-AMG GT4. The other newcomer was the No. 40 Off Leash Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Kevin Clifford and race-winning GT4 and TCR competitor Harry Gottsacker.
The Dome driver lineup featured the returning duo of team owner and driver Eddie Killeen and Marc Miller, a combination that debuted in Pirelli GT4 in the No. 37 entry last year. This season, however, Killeen and Miller are split between the No. 37 and No. 39 entries, with each sharing their respective Mercedes-AMG GT4s with new drivers. Killeen now runs in the Am class, co-driving the No. 37 with new Dome driver Laura Hayes. Miller stays in the Pro-Am division for the initial campaign of the No. 39 with new Dome arrival Allen Patten.
The weekend’s top race performance of the trio was a pair of top-five Am-class finishes for the No. 37, including the first career podium finish for Killeen as he begins his second season in Pirelli GT4. Along with Hayes, who made it to victory lane in her very first race with Dome and in a Mercedes-AMG, Killeen secured a third-place Am-division showing in Friday’s first 60-minute race. Killeen and Hayes backed it up with a fifth-place class finish in Saturday’s final sprint of the race weekend.
The No. 39 team and drivers also shined early in the weekend as Patten charged to the Pro-Am pole in qualifying in his Dome debut. Unfortunately, his time at the front of the field in Friday’s race was short lived as an overly aggressive competitor knocked him from contention in the opening minutes of the race. The needless setback relegated the No. 39 to the back of the starting field in Saturday’s finale only to see Miller get caught up in another contact incident that derailed a good race result for a second straight day.
Patten, Miller and the No. 39 team joined the debuting No. 40 and team drivers Clifford and Gottsacker, who also endured a weekend of “hard knocks,” in quickly shifting focus to the year’s remaining races and better results ahead.
Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in SRO America competition is Round 2 of the 2026 season at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), April 24 – 26.
“We were able to control the race even though it was obviously clear others were quick. My first stint was a bit tricky because I had a back marker in front, but he didn’t want to let us go. So, I kind of killed the tires, and I was on a used set as well, so I was struggling a bit. The last stint, pace wise, was much better. Still some work to do, but we’re super pleased. First place in the first race of the year. We have to score as many points as possible early in the year, which we didn’t do last year, so we have to keep doing that, keep our nose clean, keep pushing, and then we will see where we are in Indianapolis at the end of the year.”
Mikael Grenier, Driver – No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3
“It’s tremendous to be here on the forefront of a new era for SRO America’s three-hour GT World Challenge format. To be able to have the privilege to walk home with the big trophy, all credit goes to JMF Motorsports and the partnership with Mercedes-AMG. It’s more fuel to strive to move forward, just more motivation to keep digging. It’s critical to get some momentum and some championship points early, because all we have now is one shot per weekend. So, you have to make it count, and it’s a real privilege to be able to make it count this time.”
Michai Stephens, Driver – No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3
“The car handled so well and the JMF team is incredible. I had great pace, leading everybody in class, but I made a mistake coming into the pits. I left it in second gear, instead of going down to first. So that’s on me, but there’s still so many positives. Lorcan is so fast and a joy to work with. With the team, the car and the Pro driver that I have, it should be our year. I just can’t make little mistakes like that.”
Jason Daskalos, Driver – No. 27 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3
“Coming into the weekend we had a pretty strong package. We knew we were going to be up there and fighting. It was just unfortunate about the damage at the start, but the boys got it back together, and it’s a great TR3 team we are here with. They are a family, and we all work hard together, we learned a lot and brought it home. Down to the setup changes, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is pretty easy to dial it in. Overall, the car is a lot of fun.”
Brayton Williams, Driver – No. 9 TR3 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
“It’s our second year, we are a young team and trying to have a lot of fun, but when it’s go time, it’s go time. Everybody works so hard and it feels great. I know it feels great for them too. As an older Gentleman driver, I’ve got to say it’s pretty cool. It’s just neat stuff to be at this level and do something to get on the podium with a young team. Last year, our intention was to put together a strong program and attract drivers. We have a great platform with the Mercedes-AMG GT4, running in a series that drivers want to compete in with SRO Pirelli GT4 America and we worked hard to put something together to be there this year. To have a couple of drivers come to you, knock on your door, and say, ‘hey, I want to run with you guys. I saw good stuff last year.’ Thankfully, that’s what happened. We have a big couple of great additions here with Laura and Alan, who are just fast, young talents and professional as well. It was very late in the game when it all came together, but I’m thankful it did.”
Eddie Killeen, Driver – No. 37 Dome Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4
“It’s been an amazing weekend. My first day in the Mercedes-AMG GT4 was just on Wednesday. First time ever in the car and I love it. I think it just drives well with my driving style and technique, it feels like it’s what the car needs. I’m still learning, getting better every time I get out there, so I’m excited on how the season is going to go and how much faster I can hopefully get. The Dome guys are amazing, and I felt part of the team instantly. Eddie drove his butt off on Friday and I’m so happy for him. It was super cool to pit fit from the lead but, honestly, I didn’t even know we were in the lead until we got to the pit box. I saw a screenshot and my name was up at the top! These guys timed it perfect for the driver change. I think it was with just 10 seconds left to the driver change, it was close but all on the money. Everything came together.”
Laura Hayes, Driver – No. 37 Dome Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4
“Honestly, we came into this weekend actually very prepared and it showed. Our driver lineups were firmed up in only the last week or two, Allen is fully on board, but I think our results don’t showcase at all what our pace was at Sonoma and what our potential for better results will be throughout the year. I think you’re going to see the No. 39 car up front a lot. We just didn’t get to show what we can do after our strong lap pace with Allen in qualifying, but we unfortunately got taken out so early in the first race. With the new rules on starting positions for race two, it put us in the back and the same thing happened in the final race. We know that when we start up front where we should be for both races we are going to be fighting for wins. On the other side with our Am pairing, I just can’t say enough. They put in consistent, strong runs in every session, Eddie has developed as a driver in his second year in the series, and Laura has been top notch from the beginning. We have two top-five finishes for the No. 37 car, including one time on the podium, and a pole for the weekend for the team. So, when you step back and look at just that, we really showcased where the Dome team is to start the season. Kelly Brown is really the shining light of this program. We brought in a new engineer this year, we have several new team members, and an overall group of crew guys that have just gelled. A lot of that is the leadership that Kelly brings. The reality is this is a great environment, a great team, and a great culture we will build on. Eddie lets us do that and sets the overall tone for Dome Motorsport.”
Mercedes-Benz is celebrating 140 years of innovation by driving three new S-Class sedans on a trans-continental journey to 140 locations worldwide, including last weekend’s 74th Sebring 12 Hour race. Each place highlights the brand’s technology, heritage, pioneering spirit and worldwide presence. Along the way customers, fans and colleagues will get to join in the celebrations – on an epic adventure that will run until October 2026. Follow the “140 Years. 140 Places” drive across six continents on our “140 years of innovation | Mercedes-Benz Media” special and via the Mercedes-Benz Community.
