AUSTIN, Tex., (May 19, 2024) – Amid hot and humid weather conditions at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, Wright Motorsports continued their podium streak in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America series, earning their sixth podium finish in six races. This made it a successful weekend for the Porsche team, strengthening their standing as the championship points leaders with Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer behind the wheel of the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R race car.
“The heat in Texas really tested the entire paddock this weekend,” said Team Owner John Wright. “As always, the men and women of Wright Motorsports put up with the hot conditions and delivered a strong points weekend. Adam and Elliott are having a great debut in the PRO class, and it’s a testament to them as drivers, as well as the team supporting them.”
Race one of the two-race weekend started in the heat of the day on Saturday afternoon. Adelson took the green flag from fourth place intent on bringing the green and yellow machine to the mid-race driver change in the top-five. Turn one at COTA delivered its normal calamity, and the ripple effect of one car’s incident impacted the Wright Motorsports No. 120 Porsche, spinning Adelson out of his strong grid spot. He was able to continue and rejoined third in class. He regained some ground early, working his way through the Pro/Am field. He ended his stint in third place and pitted during the mandatory window to give the car over to Skeer. The No. 120 rejoined the race with a full load of fuel and new tires. Skeer immediately found himself engaged in a battle for second place with Varun Choksey and his BMW. The pair’s battle kept fans on the each of their seats, with tight and close racing happening at every turn. Just after Skeer made the pass to take the position, the Porsche suffered contact in the rear, and eventually lost its entire diffuser. Thankfully, the piece of downforce bodywork separated from the car, allowing Skeer to avoid an extra pit stop. He sailed to the finish line, and Wright Motorsports secured its fifth podium result of the season.
With repairs made overnight by the Ohio-based race team, Skeer started race two from pole position in class – fourth overall – with the race start again coming at the hottest point of the day on Sunday afternoon. He had initial pressure from the No. 85 of Trent Hindman, but stayed ahead, continuing to lead the PRO class. Skeer pitted during the mandatory window, and Adelson joined the race in the lead with 38 minutes remaining. Up ahead, a pair of Pro/Am BMWs led the field, but their own back and forth battle allowed Adelson to reel them in. Pro driver Alec Udell also inched up to the leaders and had a good battle with Adelson for position. The Wright driver put up a strong fight, but in the end, finished a close second place to the far more experienced driver, making it a solid points gathering weekend for the team in the championship standings.
With the weekend concluded, the series will have a 60-day break, resuming for Rounds 7 and 8 at VIRginia International Raceway, July 19-21.
DRIVER QUOTES
Adam Adelson
The car was incredible. It was amazing to drive with the proper aero set up, not missing a diffuser or a broken front end. The team was perfect with the strategy. It plays a bigger part in the races than a lot of people think. We had some AC and drink bottle issues that made it really difficult for us, but I’m super happy with the way I drove. Elliott did an amazing job, and I couldn’t be more proud of the overall result. To even be able to fight Alec Udell is an awesome thing for me and I couldn’t be happier… well, I could be a little happier, but that’s asking a lot.
Elliott Skeer
All in all, it was a tough but rewarding weekend. Ultimately, we came out of the weekend strong. We thought the 911 GT3 R was going to be a strong car here. It definitely was, but we left a percent on the table and we’re going to be hungry to come back next time. We raced as well as we could. Today was a hot one in the car. I’m super proud of how Adam drove with Alec Udell and the other Pro drivers. He drove a fantastic stint. I can’t wait to get back in the air conditioning and enjoy a little bit of champagne with the team.
Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.
