A dream of a lifetime that became a top priority in this decade is now a spectacular reality in the heart of the greatest high-performance automotive and road racing facility in the country.
GMG Racing Principal and Founder James Sofronas and his family and team unveiled their all-new and long-awaited headquarters facility located within the Thermal Club in a Grand Opening celebration last weekend that attracted a who’s who of VIPs and a guest list of both longtime and new customers of the top street performance shop and championship-winning racing team.
“It truly has been a lifetime goal of mine with GMG Racing to introduce a new and state-of-the-art multi-purpose headquarters facility to service our customers and top street car and competition clients,” Sofronas said. “The question of ‘where’ was answered when the amazing Thermal Club facility was introduced 10 years ago, and the right time for ‘when’ was at the beginning of this decade five years ago. Now, to finally cut the ribbon and unveil this true labor of love and unbridled high-performance automotive passion is an honor and privilege. GMG Racing’s future is at the Thermal Club!”
Sofronas, his family, key members of the GMG Racing team and the company’s entire staff and managers welcomed at the Grand Opening more than 250 guests who were the first to see the new Thermal Club GMG Racing headquarters. Notable attendees included Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) President Volker Holzmeyer, Mobil 1 Global Motorsports and Sponsorships Manager Jei Gort, Thermal Club Owner Tim Rogers, SRO America President Greg Gill, Senior Manager of Motorsports for Lamborghini North America Erik Skirmants, President of Troy Lee Designs Troy Lee and an enthusiastic group of GMG friends, clients and Thermal Club members.
Longtime GMG Racing team driver Kyle Washington, a close friend of all on the team, joined Sofronas for the actual facility ribbon cutting. Sofronas and Washington later reunited for the evening’s promised special car unveil, which was the first North American delivery of the new Porsche GT3 R Rennsport edition. The ultimate 992 Porsche track car, the GT3 R Rennsport unveiled at GMG – finished in Bare Carbon livery – is one of just 77 units that will be built in the production run, all featuring incomparable performance and a heritage-inspired retro spoiler best known in the U.S. as a “whale tail.”
The Thermal Club is a premier an unparalleled motorsports facility in the Greater Palm Springs region of California and known around the world. From there, GMG will continue the fine service it has provided to valued clients and customers for decades, but now with improved operations and customer support with a state-of-the-art facility with nothing but new installations and the latest technology and equipment. GMG will continue to accept all cars at the new location and provide its renowned products to clients, dealers and shops worldwide. And if a customer cannot get their car to the new facility personally, GMG’s safe and secure transport service is always available for a true door-to-door experience.
The relocation from GMG’s shop for more than the last two decades in Orange County marks a major milestone as the company approaches its 25th year of business as a leading high-performance shop for both street and competition cars in Southern California and beyond. The company’s current lineup of products and services will continue to be made available along with the introduction of innovative and new products for both existing and future vehicle platforms. With the new shop just 20 seconds away from Thermal pit lane, GMG Racing will be able to conduct rigorous testing and prototype development with unprecedented efficiency, ensuring that every product meets the high standards customers have come to expect.
With the Grand Opening complete, the current timeline for GMG Racing is to be fully 100% operational at the Thermal Club in the next 30 days after the final transition out of its Santa Ana facility in Orange County. An immediate program is the support of GMG Racing’s non-stop schedule of Thermal Club Winter Series races as well as exclusive track days and continuous off-season testing for the 2025 racing year ahead.
