SONOMA, Calif. (31 March 2026) – The Racing to End Alzheimer’s with Stephen Cameron Racing team returned to the SRO Pirelli GT4 America series and started the season on a high note, capturing a podium finish in the first of two one-hour races at Sonoma Raceway.
Racing to End Alzheimer’s last competed in Pirelli GT4 America in 2021, while Cameron Racing captured the 2019 Pirelli GT4 America Pro-Am class title (with Liefooghe) and also earned the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge GT-X series championship in the GTS Am class.
Difficulties for both drivers in race two kept the team from a repeat run to champagne showers, but drivers Jonathan Perichon and Greg Liefooghe – both Bay Area residents – counted the weekend as a successful one, with many friends and family in attendance for both the drivers and the Sonoma Raceway-based Cameron team.
Liefooghe, who also won the 2021 Pirelli GT4 America Sprint X Pro-Am championship, joined with newcomer Perichon to keep the No. 90 Racing to End Alzheimer’s BMW M4 GT4 in contention for much of the weekend.
The SRO weekends offer a full day of testing ahead of the official sessions, with additional testing ahead of the first race weekend – three hours on Wednesday and 90 minutes Thursday morning, with a best session finish of third. Thursday’s two official practices gave Perichon and Liefooghe a last chance to find the best balance with the car, with Perichon placing the Racing to End Alzheimer’s BMW M4 GT4 fifth on the race one starting grid.
Taking the grid fifth in the Pro-Am class and 13th overall, Perichon made several smart passes and took advantage of issues ahead to surge into third in class and seventh overall as the full course caution flag flew. 14 minutes later, the race returned to green, with Perichon taking second in Pro-Am when the leader came in to serve a drive-through penalty. He captured the lead soon after, as cars began to come to pit lane for driver changes. Perichon then came into pit lane with 33 minutes remaining, with Liefooghe returning to action second in class and 11th overall.
First and second in the Pro-Am class continued to move up the field, with Liefooghe up to fourth overall with 20 minutes remaining, though a stalled car on track brought out a second yellow. Liefooghe stayed right on the rear wing of the Pro-Am class leader on the restart, with the San Francisco resident taking the checkered flag second in Pro-Am class and fourth overall.
With the “pro” ranked or rated drivers starting race two (according to series rules), Liefooghe took the race two green flag in third position in the Pro-Am class but found himself stuck when the car ahead didn’t accelerate for several corners. He slotted into sixth in class but with no opportunity to move up presenting itself, Liefooghe headed to pit lane at the mid-race point to change to Perichon.
When driver changes completed, Perichon sat in fourth position, but an incident with another car in the chicane was deemed to be his responsibility, sending him to pit lane with a drive-through penalty. Perichon set about regaining lost positions, but a full course caution flew with 10 minutes remaining, and the race finished under yellow with the No. 90 BMW coming home in 10th position.
After the weekend, Liefooghe focused on Friday’s positives – and there were plenty of them.
“We did a test last month on the Pirelli tires, and they’re very different from the tires we run in Pilot Challenge,” said Liefooghe. “We have a good deal of experience with the BMW in the past but we had to do a reset on that. We took advantage of all the track time this weekend and made a good number of positive changes and just built on that. Jonathan did a great job in his stint in Friday’s race, staying with drivers that have 10 years more experience than he has. It set us up for a good finish – and to get a podium in the first race of the season, with Racing to End Alzheimer’s on the side of the car was a really, really great way to start the season, getting plenty of TV time on top of the great exposure we got several weeks ago at Sebring. We’re creating as much awareness as possible, which is our goal.”
Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder Phil Frengs has many fond memories of Sonoma Raceway, having run in several series at the picturesque track. The chance to get back to the SRO paddock, and to spend a race weekend in many meaningful conversations with family and friends who have watched loved ones suffer from Alzheimer’s, makes every weekend a success for Frengs.
“I had a few very poignant conversations,” said Frengs. “There was one young man who had dealt with a parent with early onset Alzheimer’s who was very moved by what we’re doing. I hope we’ll add a few names to the car from the weekend – and hopefully, they’ll come see us again in May, since many of the people we spoke to were interested in seeing us in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
“And it was great to be back in Pirelli GT4 America,” continued Frengs. “Sonoma and Laguna Seca are our home tracks, so to do well in front of all our friends and family is so rewarding. I know that having the names of loved ones who have suffered from Alzheimer’s on our car means a lot to everyone. It was a great job by the crew, and by Jonathan and Greg, great stints by both of them on Friday – and even though we had some bad luck on Saturday, I think it was a very successful weekend.”
Racing to End Alzheimer’s gives families the chance to honor loved ones who have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. For a $250 donation, the family member’s name and hometown is placed on both the SRO GT4 America BMW M4 and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Ford Mustang, and the loved one’s photo can be posted on the Racing to End Alzheimer’s website’s tribute page. All donations are matched by Frengs’ company Legistics, with 100% going to the program’s two beneficiaries: the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist, and the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program.
To date, Racing to End Alzheimer’s has donated over $1.2 million to those two programs.
Donate now at this link.
Next up for Racing to End Alzheimer’s and GT4 America will be the three-hour endurance race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, April 23-25. The race will be streamed live on YouTube.
About Racing to End Alzheimer’s
In 2013, Phil Frengs’s late wife Mimi was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Their experience with the disease led Frengs to a seminal moment: his company, Legistics, had long sponsored a team in IMSA sports car racing and he realized an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the fight against the disease. In 2017, he formed Racing to End Alzheimer’s, giving fans the opportunity to honor loved ones by putting their names on the race car via donation – with Legistics matching each donation. 100% of those donations go to the two organizations the team supports:
The Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist is exploring cutting edge strategies in therapy, care and research to find a cure for these dementias. NNAC was founded by longtime CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz and his family in honor of his father, Jim, Jr., who passed away after a 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s.
The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program is a nationally-recognized grant-funded program designed to help patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral and social needs associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
