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Longtime GMG Racing driver Kyle Washington continued his 2025 roll in national sports car racing sprint race competition Saturday and Sunday at the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach with a pair of second place finishes in each day’s 40-minute SRO GT America powered by AWS races in his No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The hard-earned runner-up results are Washington’s best career finishes at Long Beach and give him a run of four-straight podium finishes in top-tier sports car sprint race series to date that are just part of his early-season success this year.

The Long Beach podiums follow back-to-back victories in both his No. 32 GT R and his identically liviried No. 232 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in GT America and the USAC Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West series respectively last month at Sonoma Raceway. Washington also scored a Bronze-class victory in an IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge sprint race last January at Daytona International Speedway in the GT R.

Washington’s success also carried the flag for GMG Racing at Long Beach after his three teammates – Patrick Mulcahy, CJ Moses and James Sofronas – were all forced to persevere through a challenging and at times frustrating weekend.

“We just didn’t get the across-the-board results, but I have to thank Kyle for carrying the torch for us this weekend,” said Sofronas, who is both a driver and the Principal and Founder of GMG Racing. “I am obviously happy for his pace, and two second-place finishes is a tremendous effort. His driving and racecraft has never been better, and he is still improving.”

Joining Sofronas in getting off to a pair of fast starts in both of the weekend’s 40-minute sprints, Washington’s Porsche ran in podium contention with the No. 14 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS of Sofronas both days.

With Sofronas up front, Washington put on the show of the race on Saturday when he battled back-and-forth for third place with an Aston Martin. On Sunday, Washington and Sofronas both got a jump on the race polesitter and ran in tight formation with Washington in second and Sofronas in third for the majority of the race.

“Saturday was definitely one of the harder races I’ve done after battling with and chasing that Aston Martin down,” Washington said. “We had a good start, got a little lucky when I went pretty aggressive, but it worked out well. Then the chase was on to catch that really fast Aston for most of the race. It was all I could do, and it was the entire time. I was right behind him as the race was winding down and, finally with about two laps left, it was it was great to get him with a switch-back pass.”

While Washington delighted the cheering crowd with his podium pass, Sofronas was cruising comfortably up front Saturday when disaster struck less than two minutes from the finish. Accelerating out of the famous Long Beach hairpin, one of the Audi’s half shaft axles snapped and Sofronas agonizingly came to a stop just before the start/finish line on the front straight. Washington moved up to second after passing his stricken teammate while Sofronas saw what would have been his fourth Long Beach win slip away.

“You have to be prepared for the ups and downs,” Sofronas said. “We started off with mega pace from all the guys with Kyle, Patrick and me in the GT3 class, and CJ, who was anxious to get behind the wheel again in GT2 after a lot of time off.”

Debuting Long Beach driver Mulcahy, in the No. 54 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, and Moses, in his
No. 58 GMG Racing/CrowdStrike/AWS Audi R8 LMS GT2, both rebounded from Saturday mechanical issues before the race for solid showings on Sunday.

“For me personally, I would certainly like to forget this weekend, and I definitely don’t like it when my teammates are not able to make a race start due to some technical issues,” Sofronas said. “As always, the GMG Racing team persevered and rebounded and worked all night to make sure all of our cars were fixed to get them back out on Sunday. My first concern is always the team clients and making sure they’re taken care of. My racing is just a bonus after that.”

Mulcahy did well to finish seventh in the GT3 class Sunday, the final car to take the checkered flag on the lead lap, despite his limited track time. Moses shook off Saturday’s issues to race competitively in the GT2 division and reached the podium as the second-place finisher in what was a respectable battle with the race winner in the two-car class.

“We had a reasonably decent qualifying, but it was cut short by the red flags and we really never got in a flyer,” Moses said. “Then, going out the grid for the first race, we had what turned out to be a regulator fault in the alternator that was spiking voltage in the car. That basically didn’t allow the car to operate and we missed the race, but overnight the team worked hard, did some trouble shooting and figured it out with 45 minutes to spare Sunday morning. We rolled the car out, were ready to go, and GMG Racing, in their typical form, took care of the car and got us out there. I went out and ran a very solid stint for having not been in the car for six months and only having basically an hour’s worth of track time up to that point. I feel very positive about how we did, and I look forward to my next race, which will be at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR).”

Sofronas was the only member of the team to miss out on a Sunday rebound when more frustration set in, once again in the race’s final minutes. He was looking at a third-place finish after tracking Washington in second only to have the fourth-place car tap the Audi and put Sofronas in the wall at the hairpin. Sofronas recovered to take the checkered flag sixth in GT3 but left Long Beach disappointed after coming so close to another race win on his 20th anniversary at Long Beach.

“We had high hopes coming into this weekend, but I’ve been in this business for over 32 years and have seen it all,” Sofronas said. “So, I have to look at the silver lining of the weekend, which is Kyle’s double podium and that he has stepped into the championship hunt in GT America. CJ will have a better weekend for sure on his home track at VIR, and I feel bad he and Patrick didn’t have a chance to show the pace they had in practice in Saturday’s race. Patrick is definitely an emerging force to be reckoned with as an up-and-coming driver, and we are proud to be associated with him. His name will definitely be well known in the future. He’s good.”

Next up for GMG Racing on the SRO America schedule is an all-series weekend of competition at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), April 25 – 27.

GMG Racing Back to The Beach with Another Four-Car Entry for the SRO GT America Doubleheader at the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach

GMG Racing has a new home track after moving into its state-of-the-art headquarters last year at The Thermal Club, but Long Beach will always be the championship winning team’s “Home Surf.” Multiple GT racing champions and Long Beach race winners, GMG Racing was founded in nearby Orange County and returns for the 50th running of the Grand Prix of Long Beach this weekend with another formidable four-car effort.

All four GMG Racing entries compete in the Long Beach weekend’s twin SRO GT America powered by AWS 40-minute sprint races on Saturday and Sunday. Three entries run in the top-tier GT3 division while another is set for a battle of only mid-engine cars in the GT2 class.

Veteran GMG Racing driver Kyle Washington returns to Long Beach as one of the hottest Porsche sprint-race drivers in North America. He broke through for his first GT America victory one race ago at Sonoma Raceway less than two weeks ago in his No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Washington followed it up just yesterday with a Masters Class victory and impressive second-place overall finish in the No. 232 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 cup Sunday at Sonoma in USAC Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West competition.

Washington also started the year with a Bronze Cup race win in an IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge race in the No. 32 GT3 R 911 at Daytona International Speedway in January. The trio of early-season race wins came in series run by three different racing organizations: SRO, USAC and IMSA.

“I love Long Beach,” said Washington, who makes his fifth-straight appearance with GMG Racing on the 1.968-mile street circuit. “Absolutely! That city course is so amazing. I was lucky enough to get the fast lap last year and I did lead the race for a moment. I definitely have pipe dreams of winning that thing, and we’ll take a little luck and try and make it happen this weekend.”

Washington competes in the GT3 class alongside debuting Long Beach teammate and emerging driver Patrick Mulcahy and GMG Racing Founder, Principal and Team Driver James Sofronas. Mulcahy, in just his second season of full-time and top-tier competition, makes his Long Beach debut in the No. 54 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Sofronas wheels his No. 14 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO2.

“This will be my 20th anniversary at Long Beach,” Sofronas said. “For me personally, 2005 is when we first went there, and I know it’s a favorite race for Kyle. He brings in a bunch of friends and family. And then our new up-and-coming driver Patrick Mulcahy will be joining us in another Porsche. In fact, he will be in a type 991.2 Porsche, one of Kyle’s old and favorite cars. We have kept in tip-top shape. We expect that car to be competitive as Patrick has shown he has the talent and skill set to run up front. It will be his first time in GT America competition so we’re super excited.”

Mulcahy debuted in Porsche Sprint Challenge last year and this season runs the full IMSA Carrera Cup series. His first foray into SRO GT America this weekend is also his first street race.

“Long Beach was the first ever GT race I saw when I moved out here back in 2010,” Mulcahy said. “So, it is a bit of surreal moment for me to race at the 50th anniversary of Long Beach in a GT3 car. GMG Racing has been a staple of Long Beach for many years, and I am super excited to be a part of it. I have tested the Porsche GT3 car, and it is definitely a lot more planted than the other types of 911 Porsches I have raced. The aero does take some getting used to but by the third session or so we were rocking and rolling.”

In the GT2 class, longtime GMG Racing contender CJ Moses makes his 2025 season debut at Long Beach in the No. 58 GMG Racing/CrowdStrike/AWS Audi R8 LMS GT2.

“I will do a one-off start for Long Beach in the Audi,” Sofronas said “It’s such as special race for me that really gave our business a boost many, many years ago when we won in 2009. I will have my Audi, and CJ returns to the mix in his GT2 Audi and it so great to have him and that car back on track.”

Sofronas, a four-time SRO America champion, has three career race wins in GT competition at Long Beach with overall victories in 2009 and 2013 and a class win in 2017 while recording a top-10 overall finish.

Last year at Long Beach in the Audi, Sofronas finished third in the Saturday GT America race and improved to second in Sunday’s finale.

Washington set the fastest race lap last year on Sunday while Moses also earned a trip to the Long Beach winners circle for earning the EBOOST Hard Charger Award for improving the most positions in the same race.

After practice and qualifying on Friday, the Long Beach weekend’s twin 40-minute races are scheduled to start at 5:20 p.m. PDT on Saturday and 11:20 a.m. PDT on Sunday. Both races and Friday’s qualifying session can be viewed live on SRO’s official YouTube channel GT World at https://www.youtube.com/@GTWorld.

Veteran GMG Racing driver Kyle Washington broke through for his first career SRO GT America powered by AWS race win Sunday in a wet and wild sprint race at rain-soaked Sonoma Raceway. Starting on the outside front row in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, Washington took a lead he would hold to the finish on the first green flag lap after polesitter and former GT America Champion George Kurtz was among the half dozen competitors to go off course in the treacherous conditions.

A full course yellow was shown just minutes later, but Washington held steady up front. He waded through the standing water in the Porsche and skillfully held his own on the slippery circuit as others continued to slide off course, even under caution.

“I’m super proud of Kyle for his first win in GT America,” said GMG Racing Founder and Principal James Sofronas. “In fact, it’s long overdue. I think about his experience and the many, many years of growing up or spending time in Vancouver. Rain is not foreign to him, and his hand control and his athleticism are off the charts. So, it’s just developing his race craft, which is what he’s been doing over the years. He was the guy to beat. We knew he had the pace in the rain, and he was strong off the corners. The Porsche was prepared great by the GMG Racing team with the rain setup, so Kyle just had to do what he does best. He just put his head down and got it done.”

A restart at the race’s halfway mark quickly produced another full course caution when a pair of GT4 competitors came together and went off course. The safety car returned to the track and led Washington and the rest of the surviving field under yellow for the remainder of the scheduled 40-minute race, which ended six months early due to increasingly treacherous conditions and the need for substantial barrier repairs.

“It was amazing,” Washington said. “Very sketchy out there, but it’s interesting. I like being uncomfortable where it can go away at any second, right on the edge. Your focus is laser in those situations at feeling the car. I was just trying to hang on and not put it in the wall, and it turned out to be a great day. George Kurtz was in front of me on the pole at the start, but I think on the second lap or so and he looped it just being a little aggressive, but no contact. I took P1 and didn’t look back.”

Known for his skill for and even love of driving in the rain, Sunday’s Sonoma win was Washington’s second wet weather race win of the season. He was also victorious on a wet Daytona International Speedway in January in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R where he won the Masters class and even led briefly overall in a VP Racing SportsCar Challenge sprint.

“Being from Vancouver, where it rains five out of six days, was probably pretty good training,” Washington said. “I think my Montana background on the ice probably helped as well.”

Next up for GMG Racing is Rounds 3 and 4 of the GT America championship at the 50th Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 11 – 13. After carrying the GMG Racing flag solo in the GT America at Sonoma, Washington will be joined by three teammates at Long Beach as GMG returns with another four-car entry for the milestone running of America’s oldest street course race. The full GMG Racing Long Beach lineup will be announced later this week.

“I was super proud to see Kyle results at Sonoma, but not surprised,” Sofronas said. “I’m super impressed with what Kyle and the GMG team earned yesterday. Now, even more confidence is behind him, and we look to have a pretty big field at Long Beach in two weeks for the next GT America race. He’ll have a few teammates pushing him there, which helps everybody.”

Some moments in motorsport only happen once—and GMG Racing seized the opportunity with both hands. In the debut race of the McLaren Trophy America series Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, GMG earned a historic overall and Pro-Am victory, while also securing a front-row lockout and a strong Am-class result.

John Capestro-Dubets (JCD) and Andrew Chinnici, in Chinnici’s professional racing debut, drove the No. 4 GMG Racing McLaren Artura Trophy Evo to victory from pole position. The win was made even more impressive considering the car had never turned a wheel prior to Thursday’s test session.

They were joined on the podium by James Sofronas, who qualified second overall and finished second in the Am class and fifth overall in the No. 14 GMG Racing McLaren Artura Trophy Evo.

Making History with a Victory

“Getting the first overall win was special—there’s only one chance to do that,” said Sofronas, GMG Racing Founder and Team Principal. “The team worked tirelessly to get these cars race-ready with no testing time. I had no doubt we’d be competitive, and the results speak for themselves.”

Chinnici started the race from pole after an intense qualifying session, narrowly edging out Sofronas by just 0.069 seconds. After a clean opening stint, JCD took over the car and regained the lead with under 10 minutes to go, holding it to the checkered flag with a margin of victory of 2.498 seconds.

“This feels incredible,” said Capestro-Dubets. “Andrew put me in a great position, and I’m grateful to him, to Kevin King—our car owner—and to everyone at GMG Racing. This win is for Kevin.”

Chinnici, who has previously only competed in SCCA and Skip Barber events, was stunned by his own pace and composure during his first professional race weekend.

“People told me this wasn’t enough notice to be competitive, but the team at GMG made this possible,” said Chinnici. “This was supposed to be a learning weekend, but to walk away with a pole and a win is surreal. I’m blown away.”

Sofronas, who also serves as a driver coach at GMG’s Thermal Club headquarters, spoke highly of Chinnici’s transition: “Andrew’s car control is elite, and it’s been rewarding to see his skills translate from coaching into racing at this level.”

Podium Pace for Sofronas Despite Pit Setback

After qualifying second overall and first in the Am class, Sofronas was set for a strong result until a pit lane timing issue extended his stop and cost him valuable track position.

“We had the pace, but a glitch with the pit timer meant we were stationary for far too long,” Sofronas said. “Still, we rallied, moved up to fifth overall, and salvaged second in class. These things happen, and we’ll tighten it up for Sunday.”

The Am-class podium finish was a promising sign for Sofronas and the No. 14 McLaren, which was running in its first race after just a few days of prep.

“The McLaren Trophy platform is phenomenal,” Sofronas added. “McLaren’s commitment to motorsport, the hospitality, the support—it’s a great environment for drivers and teams. We’re excited to grow our program and expand our lineup with more Arturas in the coming months.”

Looking Ahead

GMG Racing’s two McLaren entries at Sonoma are the first of five Arturas the team will campaign this season. Kevin King, owner and primary Am driver of the No. 4, missed Sonoma due to personal obligations but is expected to return at COTA.

“Kevin now owns the first McLaren Trophy-winning car in North America,” Sofronas said. “This win is a testament to what’s possible when preparation meets opportunity. We can’t wait to have him back in the seat and continue building this program.”

The second McLaren Trophy America race of the weekend is scheduled for Sunday at 10:25 a.m. PDT.

Watch live on MAVTV and the GTWorld YouTube channel at youtube.com/GTWorld.

GMG Racing is back in action this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, kicking off its 2025 SRO America campaign with a multi-faceted effort across three premier championships. The team will field four entries in GT World Challenge America, GT America, and the newly launched McLaren Trophy America, bringing Porsche and McLaren machinery to the forefront of competition.

All three series open their 2025 seasons with back-to-back races Saturday and Sunday on Sonoma’s 2.52-mile road course.

Returning in Force with GT3

Leading the effort is Kyle Washington, who returns for a second full-season campaign in GT World Challenge America alongside co-driver Tom Sargent in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. The duo competes in the Pro-Am class, looking to build on last season’s breakthrough win at VIR.

Washington will also contest a full season in GT America, piloting a second No. 32 Porsche 911 GT3 R in the single-driver SRO3 sprint race format.

“This marks my 31st season competing in SRO America, and I’m just as energized as ever,” said GMG Racing Founder and Principal James Sofronas. “Kyle is doubling down on his Porsche GT3 program, and we’re proud to support that with two full-season entries at the top level.”

Sofronas himself will make select appearances in GT America this season, starting with a confirmed entry at the 50th running of the Grand Prix of Long Beach next month in his No. 14 Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO2. He claimed his most recent SRO win in that car last year at Road America.

Also returning to the grid is longtime GMG Racing teammate CJ Moses, who will run a GT2-class campaign in the No. 58 Audi R8 LMS GT2, competing in as many rounds as his schedule allows.

“We’re excited to have CJ back with us,” Sofronas said. “He’s always a strong presence in the GT2 field, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he does this year.”

Debut of the McLaren Trophy America Program

Adding a new chapter to GMG Racing’s manufacturer partnerships, the team will campaign two full-season entries in the debut McLaren Trophy America series.

The No. 4 McLaren Artura, entered in the Pro-Am class, will be driven this weekend by Andrew Chinnici alongside pro driver John Capestro-Dubets, filling in for Kevin King, the car’s primary driver who is out due to a personal matter.

Sofronas will also compete in the Am-class with a solo drive in the No. 14 McLaren Artura Trophy EVO.

“This is a new and exciting step for us,” said Sofronas. “We’ve got five McLarens being delivered over the next six months, and this weekend at Sonoma is just the beginning of what we expect to be a long-term, successful collaboration with McLaren and McLaren Newport Beach.”

The cars were delivered to GMG Racing’s new headquarters at The Thermal Club just last week. With zero test mileage, the team had to convert them to Trophy specification in just three days before loading them straight onto the transport.

“Neither car had turned a wheel before we put them on the trailer,” Sofronas said. “But our team has always been up to the task, and we’re confident they’ll be ready to go for Thursday’s test sessions.”

Driver Development at the Core

Sofronas points to GMG Racing’s expanded presence at The Thermal Club as a key driver in the team’s multi-platform growth. With state-of-the-art facilities and access to world-class track time, GMG has deepened its client development programs across Porsche, Audi, and now McLaren platforms.

“All of this stems from the time we invest with drivers at Thermal,” Sofronas said. “Whether it’s Kyle building his GT3 experience or onboarding new McLaren Trophy drivers, the foundation is always strong preparation and high-level support. We’ve been busy all winter building out new programs, and now it’s time to go racing.”

Weekend Schedule & Broadcast Info

Testing kicks off Thursday, followed by official practice on Friday. Qualifying and race sessions begin Saturday morning:
Saturday:
• McLaren Trophy Race 1 – 12:05 p.m. PDT
• GT America Race 1 – 1:10 p.m. PDT
• GT World Challenge Race 1 – 3:15 p.m. PDT
Sunday:
• GT America Race 2 – 9:25 a.m. PDT
• McLaren Trophy Race 2 – 10:25 a.m. PDT
• GT World Challenge Race 2 – 3:00 p.m. PDT

All races will be streamed live on MAVTV and the GTWorld YouTube channel at youtube.com/GTWorld.

GMG Racing opened the IMSA Carrera Cup North America season with a pair of hard-fought fourth-place finishes in the Pro-Am class at Sebring International Raceway. Patrick Mulcahy and James Sofronas each secured a fourth-place result in the doubleheader event, while Kyle Washington fought his way to a Masters Class sixth-place finish in Friday’s race.

A Promising Start for Mulcahy and Sofronas

For Patrick Mulcahy, his first Carrera Cup outing in the No. 54 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was a test of both skill and patience. After starting fifth, he quickly found his rhythm following a red flag and climbed his way to fourth in Thursday’s race.

“We had more pace than what qualifying showed, but I didn’t really get into a flow until after the red flag,” Mulcahy said. “Once we got going, I knew my race pace was strong. The biggest difference between this and Porsche Sprint Challenge is how tight the competition is—everyone is running nearly identical lap times, so you have to be precise and capitalize on any mistake ahead.”

In Friday’s race, Sofronas put his experience to work, recovering from a tough opening race to claim his own fourth-place finish in Pro-Am in the No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

“The level of competition in Carrera Cup gets stronger every year,” Sofronas said. “I didn’t get much seat time in the offseason with our move to The Thermal Club, and I could feel that in Race 1. I lost my splitter on the first lap, which really made it an uphill battle. But for Race 2, the GMG Racing crew gave me a great car, and I was able to push harder. We had the pace to be in the mix—I just needed a little more luck with race timing. I’ll take what I learned here and apply it to Miami in May.”

Sofronas also had the opportunity to race alongside Mulcahy for the first time in Carrera Cup after mentoring him through Porsche Sprint Challenge last year.

“I was really impressed with Patrick’s pace right out of the gate,” Sofronas said. “He showed that he’ll be a serious contender this year, which makes me really proud. Kyle also fought hard, and I know we have the pieces in place to get on the podium soon.”

Washington Faces a Deep Masters Class Field

After securing a podium finish in his Sebring debut last season, Kyle Washington found himself battling an even tougher Masters Class field this year. Despite finishing sixth in Friday’s race, he put in a strong performance in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, embracing the challenge of Sebring’s notoriously bumpy track.

“Masters has stepped it up, no doubt about it,” Washington said. “Maybe I got a little lucky last year, but I felt like I put together a solid race on Friday. The GMG Racing Porsche was dialed in. Sebring is insane—those bumps make it feel like an off-road race, which I love, but I was looking for a drink and some Advil afterward.”

Both Washington and Sofronas competed in special Mobil 1 Pegasus-branded liveries, celebrating Mobil 1’s longtime presence at Sebring as part of the 73rd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

“GMG Racing and I have been connected to Mobil 1 for almost 31 years, and I’m incredibly proud of that relationship,” Sofronas said. “Mobil 1 has been a leader in motorsports, and now we’re building something even bigger with Troy Lee Designs in the mix. We’ve got exciting things ahead.”

Next Stop: Miami Grand Prix Weekend

GMG Racing will return to Carrera Cup competition May 2–4 as part of the Formula One Miami Grand Prix support series.

All rounds of the IMSA Carrera Cup North America season are streamed live on NBC’s Peacock, IMSA.tv, and IMSA’s YouTube Channel, with replays of the Sebring races available on Peacock.