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Continuing a winning season the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Global Motorsports Group (GMG Racing) would enjoy yet another strong weekend with a victory and two podiums at the scenic VIRginia International Raceway. Running two cars for the weekend’s LB Cup category, drivers Mel Johnson and Thomas Lovelady would close close their weekend with a victory, while Jeffrey Cheng and Jon Hirshberg would run well with successive top-five finishes.

“We continue to enjoy our involvement in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America,” stated GMG team owner and driver James Sofronas. “Mel and Thomas have quickly become a real force in the LB Cup category, and a podium sweep topped by a victory is a perfect reward for their efforts. Jeffrey and Jon were also steady as ever, and should feel satisfied with faultless runs.”

Driving the No. 08 Omni Partners Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, Mel Johnson and Thomas Lovelady would arrive on the weekend as one of the strongest contenders in the Am category. During Saturday’s Race One, the duo would put an immediate stamp on their effort with a strong lead, holding station for most of the race until a last lap pass would relegate them to second.

Continuing the momentum in to Sunday, the same lead would finally be clinched with an un-challenged run to the checkered flag, taking victory.

In the No. 88 MyDailyLive Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, the duo of team veteran Jeffrey Cheng and Jon Hirshberg would also show well. In Saturday’s Race One, a faultless run was rewarded with a top-five, only to be bettered the next with a fourth place.

Continuining a busy close to the summer, GMG’s efforts will now transition to the SRO GT4 America ranks, where the team will arrive at the historic Watkins Glen International.

Returning to competition in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Global Motorsports Group (GMG Racing) and drivers Jeffrey Cheng and Thomas Lovelady would take a convincing victory to close out a podium sweep during last weekend’s festivities at the famed Road America circuit.

“This weekend our crew just clicked and we never missed a step,” stated Joe Foster, GMG’s Director of Racing Operations. “I’m really proud of all of our guys, and we couldn’t have done it without the great support from Lamborghini Newport Beach. Having their Motorsport Coordinator, Regan Steedman there has been a huge advantage for our team with her racing background we know that our drivers are always in good hands. Of course, ultimate credit goes to Jeffrey and Thomas, who did a phenomenal job of running clean and without any major error to take the win.”

Enjoying a smooth series of practice sessions, team entered Saturday’s Race One, a clean run in the No. 88 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO would see Cheng and Lovelady enjoy a clean run, keeping solid pace to earn a podium in the debut for both drivers at Roa.

Entering Sunday’s Race Two with the momentum of a previous podium, a start on the back half of the grid would not deter the duo from moving to the front. With Cheng taking on starting duties, the Newport Beach resident would do a tremendous job of moving up the grid without putting a foot wrong, eventually coming in for a mandatory pit stop to put Lovelady in for the remainder of the race. With Thomas now taking the reigns, a further move up the grid would see him well on his way to re-claiming podium glory, with the No. 88 in second position until fate would intervene for the race leader, handing Lovelady the win.

It would serve as a first win for the combination of Cheng and Lovelady, adding to a long roster of wins in the series for GMG, including win the World Final in the series debut.

The next round of competition will take place in just over two weeks’ time, competing at the scenic VIRginia International Raceway. Practice will begin on Friday, August 23 with race action on both the 24th and 25th.

Taking delivery of two all-new Porsche 911 GT2 Clubsport machines in time for the debut of the debut of the category, Global Motorsports Group’s (GMG) Jason Bell and James Sofronas would enjoy a strong weekend at the famed Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. Taking place as a supporting event to the famed 24 Hours of Spa, both drivers would enjoy a double-header of exhibition races without incurring any major incidents, and a top-five finish for Sofronas.

“This was a fantastic experience,” stated Sofronas. “Competing at Spa is on the bucket list for any driver, and to do it as part of one of the biggest events of the year is something I’ll always remember. The ENTIRE weekend provided a lot of on-track fun for both myself and Jason Bell, but closing the event with a strong shot at a podium and ultimately a top-five on a track I’d never been to, I can walk away pretty happy. Taking delivery of the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport, I was instantly impressed with the characteristics of the car. Between the performance characteristics and the overall concept of the SRO’s GT2 platform, we’re now able to present an amazing new program for our customers in 2020, and we’ve already plans to run a number of entries in the coming year.”

Competing on the 20-turn, 4.35-mile circuit, and acting as the debut of Porsche 911 GT2 Clubsport, Bell and Sofronas would arrive with several international counterparts to compete in the one-make event. With the pending arrival of the all-new GT2 category, designed exclusively for sportsman drivers in 2020 and beyond, this event would serve as the first of its kind for the new Porsche machine, with both drivers taking on a roster of competitors who’d had years of experience at the circuit. For the two Americans, this would be their first-ever experience in fabled Belgian countryside.

Top team honors would go to Sofronas, who after experiencing some minor setbacks in Friday’s Race One, would find himself embroiled in constant wheel-to-wheel combat throughout Saturday’s Race Two. Driving against a strong contingent of drivers who’d all enjoyed a multitude of races at the circuit, James did a remarkable job to stay in podium contention throughout the race, until finally resigning to fifth as the race came to a close.

Jason Bell, meanwhile, would do a remarkable job of holding his own during his Belgian debut, completing a faultless series of races. Improving with each session and enjoying a number of battles in his own right, Jason would complete the weekend without putting a foot wrong, putting a stamp on a remarkable “Spa” weekend for all involved.

“This was a fun new category to take part in,” stated Bell. “Spa is an amazing place to visit, there’s no track like it in the U.S. I’m glad we were able to do it, and I think the combination of this car and what the GT2 category promises to offer, there should be some exciting times ahead.”

While this will mark the end of GMG’s planned GT2 races for 2019, the team has acquired several new Porsche 911 GT2 Clubsport machines for the coming 2020 season, with intentions to run in both the new SRO GT2 category as well as Porsche Trophy West USA.

Well, what a weekend….. Despite not getting the results I would have liked, the event was amazing! Here we were, debuting Porsche’s new GT2RS Clubsport during its maiden races, in of all places, SPA, within the backdrop of the largest GT3 race in the world!

I have never driven the track before, so I was extra excited to experience what so many have called the greatest track on earth! With 700hp on tap, the GT2RS CS was going to stretch its muscles on the Kemmel Straight and it sure did, to the tune of just over 280kph

Regarding the car, I was surprised to see how agile it was for its heft, relatively speaking, and the brakes were impressive to say the least as they were certainly tested on a Circuit like Spa. I love the massive endurance brake pad setup as you don’t want to be changing pads every weekend and I would say we only used about 10% of the pad life over 3 hours of track time.

It was great to have my friend and client, Jason Bell, join me for this trip as I knew he would equally enjoy this experience. It didn’t take long to convince him to make the voyage across the ocean as he had a shorter trip coming from Florida but once he arrived, I could tell he was as anxious as I was to get on track.

My first trip up Eau Rouge was mind blowing! TV doesn’t do that corner justice, as it’s much steeper when running through that corner in 5th gear, around 130mph! Then, soon we are touching 175mph before we put the brakes to use.

Practice went well as the first session was all about learning both the car and track. We had good pace but I knew I would have to pick it up in qualifying as there were 2 past LeMans Class winners on the grid, so the talent in the field was nothing to take lightly. But again, this trip was more for us to get our hands on the car as soon as possible so we could learn all we could before bringing the cars back to the States. As it turned out, we qualified 2nd behind the Pole winning 935 for race 1 and 4th for race 2.

Race one started out well as I timed the lights perfectly and got into the lead but we had a problem with the TPMS screen as it wasn’t reading properly and after my first lap, the pressures were reset and they were already over their limit. They were bled prior to the race but the readings were incorrect, so none the less, when I realized they were reaching 2.6 bar, I had to come into the pits after slowing down a bit to play it safe.

Race 2 fared a little better as we had another great start and I muscled my way into 2nd behind the pole winning 935 after a late braking move on the first lap into Les Combes on the 2nd place car. From there, the 935 started to slowly pull away while 2nd – 4th was nose to tail. I had great battles with Jan Erik Slooten and Christian Reid, both very experienced racers and had to settle for a 4th place, just 1/10 of a second off the podium.

Needless to say, I had the time of my life during this event. Despite not getting my luggage or race gear until the day of the race, the crazy hot record temps for the first 2 days, and the fact that I hadn’t turned a lap at Spa or in this car, it was a weekend I will never forget. The competitors were fantastic as I made a lot of new friends and the GT2RS Clubsport is even better than I expected. Porsche Hospitality was 2nd to none, as it was first class all the way with plenty of Belgium beers, chocolate and waffles consumed (after the 2nd race!! Haha) I was so fortunate to have my wife by my side as that made everything perfect and I am already making plans to head back in 2020……. Spa, you had me at Eau Rouge!!

Continuing a rich tradition with Porsche that dates back two decades and includes multiple driver, team, and manufacturer championships, Global Motorsports Group (GMG Racing) and driver Jason Bell will take part in the debut of the all-new Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport during an exhibition race as a supporting race to this weekend’s TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa.

“It’s fantastic to take part in the debut of this incredible vehicle,” stated GMG driver and team owner James Sofronas. “When the new GT2 platform was announced a year ago, like many others we saw a tremendous opportunity, and the vehicle matches all of our expectations. The car itself, and the concept behind the GT2 platform, is perfect for our customer base. It’s a category meant for the sportsman driver, and we’ll get a real taste of the potential this weekend. I’m excited to see how Jason does, not to mention getting our hands on the car; we have big plans for the coming year with this. We will be supporting five entries in the upcoming year, so this weekend will serve incredibly valuable as we gather data and learn about all of the little tricks to to ensure we’re a step ahead. As an organization, we look forward to campaigning in the upcoming SRO GT2 America category, as well as the Porsche Trophy West USA.”

The 911 GT2 RS Clubsport is powered by a 700hp 3.8-litre six-cylinder aluminum twin-turbo engine, and can deliver maximum performance precisely where required, thanks to its optimized intercooler with redesigned supply and return air feed, as well as its race-optimized water spray system. The shift time 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) instantly transmits any pressure on the accelerator to the rear axle. The chassis was also designed specifically for the race track. The separately adjustable compression and rebound stages of the three-way shock absorbers on the front and rear axle allow steering response, tire grip and handling characteristics to be adapted to various track profiles.

The car will debut as part of an exhibition race in support of the TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa, one of the marquis events of endurance sports car racing. With some of the most internationally renowned teams, drivers, and manufacturers taking part in the headline event, the Friday and Saturday support races will play on a global stage and serve as a major international appearance for both Jason Bell and GMG.

“It is pretty cool to be heading to Spa, a track that you only see on TV and read about, to be able to compete in a GT2 machine,” explained Bell. “The guys at GMG Racing have been instrumental in organizing these efforts, and I cannot wait to get over there and drive this new beast of a car.”

Practice begins tomorrow, July 25, with a double-header of racing events scheduled for Friday July 26 and Saturday July 27 prior to the famed 24 hour event. The 55-minute races can be found on Friday at 11:45AM ET, and Saturday at 7:05AM ET, both broadcast on Porsche Motorsport’s YouTube channel.