• Clean Sweeps for Rothberg, Kunzle and Hudson in SRO3, GT2 and GT3
• Kurtz Earns Hard Charger Award
• 05_Provisional_Results by Class_Race 2
The GT America Powered by AWS championship wrapped up the Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend with an exciting Race 2 on Sunday morning in front of packed grandstands.
Action was non-stop throughout the 40-minute race, a testament to the talent found in the GT America field.
It was a flawless weekend for the winners in the SRO3, GT2, and GT4 Classes, as Justin Rothberg, Adrian Kunzle, and Judson Holt each claimed back-to-back victories in their respective categories.
SRO3 Class
The closing round on Sunday delivered once again in the SRO3 Class. Blake McDonald took the green flag from pole position, having set the fastest lap in Race 1 aboard his No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. However, he wasn’t able to hold the lead for long, as Race 1 winner Justin Rothberg surged ahead before Turn 1 in his No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3.
Kyle Washington in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R followed closely and managed to slip by, as did series veteran James Sofronas in the No. 14 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVOII.
Trouble struck for Gray Newell, whose No. 24 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO spun briefly at the iconic fountain.
Rothberg wasted no time building a solid lead, while the GMG Racing teammates battled it out for second place. Behind them, a heated fight developed between California native Elias Sabo in the No. 80 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 EVO and George Kurtz in the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 for fifth position.
As the race wore on, the pressure mounted. Washington and Sofronas continued their internal duel, while McDonald re-entered the mix in the closing laps, eyeing a podium finish.
In classic GT America fashion, the action came to a head in the final lap when McDonald made contact with Sofronas at the hairpin, sending Sofronas wide and dropping him to seventh.
McDonald was handed a post-race penalty, promoting Elias Sabo to third. George Kurtz, who earned the Eboost Hard Charger Award after gaining five positions, finished fourth, with Ross Chouest rounding out the top five.
“We started out second behind the Corvette, and I was able to get by him into the first corner. From there, it was pretty smooth sailing,” said Justin Rothberg.
He added, “This win is huge for me. Winning at Long Beach once is insane, but twice? That’s just crazy. I didn’t expect this at all, and I’m thrilled with the weekend.”
GT2 Class
Adrian Kunzle completed a weekend sweep in GT2, once again taking the win with a commanding drive in his No. 142 MLT Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2. He came under constant pressure from CJ Moses in the No. 58 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT2 throughout the race.
Kunzle remained unfazed, responding to the challenge by laying down purple sectors lap after lap.
“This track is surprisingly punishing,” said Kunzle. “I definitely felt yesterday’s race today. But it’s such a blast. You start getting comfortable with the walls. It’s just so much fun!”
GT4 Class
Paul Sparta led the GT4 field to the green flag in his No. 98 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4, having set the fastest lap time in Race 1. As the 40-minute race unfolded, the seasoned driver had increasing pressure from local driver and Race 1 winner Judson Holt in the No. 188 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4 machine.
Though Sparta remained cool and collected, even when the GT4 pack got caught up with the GT3 field, adding a layer of challenge.
With 22 minutes left in the race, bad luck plagued Sparta who had to come down pit lane due to a flat tire caused by a nail. Holt inherited the lead, with young driver Ricco Shlaimoun running in second place in the No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
As the race came to a closing stage, the order didn’t change, however Paul Sparta was caught up in some GT3 traffic, but mastered the situation perfectly, staying out of the way of their race.
“ It was all about being patient, and waiting for an opportunity to make a pass,” hometown hero Judson Holt. “ And the opportunity came. It was just right there in the right moment. I am ectatic about the weekend, now on to COTA where I will be back in GT4 America!”
Paul Sparta led the GT4 field to the green flag in his No. 98 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 after setting the fastest lap in Race 1. Early in the race, he faced increasing pressure from local driver and Race 1 winner Judson Holt in the No. 188 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4. Despite GT3 traffic creating added complexity, Sparta remained composed until misfortune struck.
With 22 minutes to go, Sparta was forced down pit lane due to a flat tire caused by a nail. Holt inherited the lead, with young standout Ricco Shlaimoun moving into second in the No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. The order held until the checkered flag. Despite being shuffled in some GT3 traffic, Sparta handled the situation cleanly, staying clear of interference with their races.
“It was all about being patient and waiting for the right opportunity to make a pass,” said hometown hero Judson Holt. “The opportunity came, it was just right there at the right moment. I’m ecstatic about the weekend.
Now, on to Circuit of the Americas, where I’ll be back in GT4 America!”
Up Next
The GT America Powered by AWS field will be back on track in just two weeks at Circuit of the Americas from April 25th to 27th. Tickets are available for purchase and package options can be found here.
To follow the action from home, be sure to tune-in to SRO’s free livestreams on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports) and follow all the action through our social media channels.
