GMG Racing Fields Triple Entry for IMSA Carrera Cup Opener at Sebring

Championship-winning Porsche competitors GMG Racing and team drivers Kyle Washington, Patrick Mulcahy and James Sofronas will campaign a trio of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entries in this week’s season-opening IMSA Carrera Cup North America doubleheader at Sebring International Raceway. Debuting series rookie Mulcahy and two-time Porsche racing champion Sofronas will each run their first full season Carrera Cup efforts in 2025 while Washington’s select schedule of races includes the Sebring opener, the season-ending race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and possible other rounds in between.

The Mobil 1 brand has had a longtime and valued relationship with Sofronas and GMG Racing, and both his No. 14 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Washington’s similar No. 32 entry will carry special Mobil “Pegasus”-branded liveries in support of Saturday’s 73rd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The twin 40-minute Carrera Cup races Thursday and Friday on the 3.74-mile Sebring airport circuit are two of main support races for Saturday’s featured Mobil 1 Twelve Hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race.

“We’re very proud of our longstanding relationship with GMG Racing,” said Jei Gort, Global Sponsorships and Motorsports at ExxonMobil. “The team is among the premier Porsche organizations in North America, and we’re honored that GMG cars will carry Mobil ‘Pegasus’-branded liveries during one of our biggest weekends of the year. We can’t wait to see them on track in the Carrera Cup races.”

Mulcahy steps up to Carrera Cup after ascending the GMG Racing driver development ladder for the last few years. Starting with GMG Racing with lapping days and his first races at The Thermal Club – where GMG Racing opened its new headquarters operation in late 2024 – Mulcahy moved up to Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West competition last year. He progressed throughout the season, reaching the podium for the first time with a third place finish last August at Road America before closing out the year one race later with a season-best second-place finish at the Sonoma Raceway finale.

“Moving to Carrera Cup is a huge opportunity for me and the team, and it feels like a step in the right direction at the right time,” Mulcahy said. “Last season we made consistent progress, and at the end of the year I felt really comfortable running up front with the best guys. Stepping up to Carrera Cup, I know the competition will be even tougher – that’s for sure – and it’s obviously on a bigger stage, but that is exactly what I want. I want to race against the best and continue to improve. I love the Porsche car, and I am confident that with the right preparation, team and car – which I believe we have – we can be competitive from the start.”

Amazingly, Sofronas – who has been racing and winning championships in sports cars for nearly 30 years – joins Mulcahy as a first-time, full-season Carrera Cup competitor. Even though Sofronas has four career sports car racing championships to his credit – including the 2017 World Challenge GTA and SprintX GT Pro-Am titles in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – he did not make his first Carrera Cup starts until 2023.

“I won my first GT World Challenge Pro-Am Championship in a Porsche in 2017,” said Sofronas, who is the GMG Racing Founder and Team Principal. “Working closely with Porsche and their factory drivers in what was really my first full season in a top-flight GT3 car gave me the chance to focus 100% on winning a championship while developing our own GMG Racing driver development program. Kyle Washington has been a great example of a top driver moving up in the Porsche racing ranks with GMG the last few years, and now we are excited to showcase Patrick Mulcahy in a two-Porsche full-season entry in Carrera Cup Pro-Am. Patrick has been an integral part of our driver development program starting at The Thermal Club with his first competition laps in their GT race series. He stepped up to Porsche Sprint Challenge last year with a lot of success, and now he is excited to jump into Carrera Cup competition, which has some of the best drivers and teams in North America in a single-make series.”

Sofronas swept both rounds of his Carrera Cup debut in 2023’s season-ending race at Circuit of The Americas and picked up right where he left off with a third-straight win in last year’s first race of the season at Sebring. He captured additional victories last year at Montreal and Road America to build a strong record of five wins in his first 10 Carrera Cup races. This weekend’s pair of races will be just the 13th and 14th career Carrera Cup race starts for Sofronas.

“James Sofronas and GMG Racing have been a longtime supporter of Porsche Motorsport North America on and off the track, and we’re thrilled that James is going to step into his first full-time Carrera Cup North America season as a Pro-Am driver alongside Patrick this year,” Porsche Motorsport North America President and CEO Volker Holzmeyer said. “James has been successful behind the wheel of a Porsche for most of his sports car racing career, and his GMG Racing team has helped to bring even more participation into our programs. That includes the past couple of years with Kyle Washington in Porsche Sprint Challenge and Carrera Cup. We’re looking forward to seeing the GMG cars on track once again this season beginning at Sebring.”

The Porsche relationship is even stronger after Sofronas and his team opened up GMG Racing’s new and state-of-the art headquarters operation at The Thermal Club last year.

“Porsche has been an amazing partner with us going on 20 years,” Sofronas said. “We have such a strong relationship with Porsche on the street performance side as well, and the vast majority of that business is with the Porsche brand. And the R&D of our performance products, including our safety equipment, suspensions, wheels, brakes, exhaust, all of that transfers from the Porsche racing side into these products for our clients who are looking to put their street car on track. It can’t be said enough how important it is to have our new shop at the Thermal Club to be able to do all of this testing and development on site and to greatly expedite the process. Partnering with Porsche on both the competition and street performance sides just plain makes sense, and I think it has given us an advantage for not only us as a business but for our clients looking to improve their high-performance street cars or their racecraft to work their way up the GMG ladder program to make their way to the highest levels of motorsports success they are looking to achieve.”

Washington has ascended the GMG Racing driver development ladder exclusively in Porsches the last few years. He looks to move up a podium position or two this weekend after a third-place Masters finish in the Carrera Cup season opener last year. He already has a major win in a GMG Racing GT3 Porsche this year when he led overall and went on to take the Bronze class victory in a wet IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge race at Daytona International Speedway in January.

“Troy Lee Designs did an amazing job with the livery of the iconic Mobil 1 Pegasus, “Washington said. “This Troy Lee Designs and Mobil 1 collaboration is special, and I know the fans are going to love it, and we know there’s going to be a lot of them. I’ll make sure to pack my Advil for those famous bumps!”

Each round of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America season is available live, through NBC’s online streaming service Peacock as well as IMSA.tv and IMSA’s YouTube Channel.

A three-day event, the Sebring Carrera Cup schedule begins with a pair of practice sessions today. Qualifying takes place Thursday morning at 9:15 a.m. EDT with the weekend’s first 40-minute sprint scheduled to start that afternoon at 4:55 p.m. EDT. Friday’s final race on the Carrera Cup schedule is set to go green at 6:10 p.m. EDT for a race into the sunset.

GMG Racing Adds to IMSA Podium Streak at COTA

Kyle Washington secures back-to-back podiums in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, bringing GMG Racing’s tally to three podiums in the first four races of 2025.

A Strong Start to the Season

Building on his Daytona win in January, Washington delivered another standout performance at Circuit of The Americas, finishing second and third in the weekend’s doubleheader. Racing the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, he showcased his ability to navigate heavy traffic and execute well-timed passes on COTA’s demanding 2.3-mile National course.

“This weekend proved invaluable for Kyle,” said GMG Racing Founder James Sofronas. “He had to dig deep, manage traffic, and set up passes early. He’s building experience that will carry into his other 2025 race programs.”

Battling at the Front

Washington, now three-for-four in podium finishes this season, fought hard against championship leader Samantha Tan and the fast BMW field. “Reeling in Samantha was a challenge, but second place in Race 2 was a step up from the morning,” Washington said. “This layout was relentless—no place to rest, just pure racing.”

Looking Ahead

With two strong weekends in the books, GMG Racing now turns its focus to the IMSA Carrera Cup opener at Sebring on March 12-14. A full team announcement is set to follow in the coming days.

GMG Racing Kicks Off 2025 Season with Victory at Daytona

In a thrilling start to the 2025 season, GMG Racing and veteran driver Kyle Washington celebrated a well-earned victory in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. Piloting the No. 32 Porsche 911 GT3 R in the newly introduced GT Daytona X (GTDX) class, Washington mastered challenging rainy conditions to secure the win in Sunday’s 45-minute sprint.

A Stormy Start, A Smooth Finish

After a fourth-place Bronze Class finish in Saturday’s opening race, Washington delivered a masterclass in wet-weather racing on Sunday. From the first lap, he stormed from eighth on the grid to lead the Bronze Class, while briefly battling for the overall lead. Maintaining composure as the track dried, Washington prioritized the class victory, crossing the line nearly a second ahead of his nearest competitor.

“In the rain, it’s all about precision and control,” said GMG Racing Founder James Sofronas. “Kyle drove with incredible skill and maturity to secure the win.”

Daytona: A Historic Victory

For Washington, the victory was especially meaningful. “Daytona is racing’s sacred ground,” he said. “Winning here is like a rite of passage—it’s an unforgettable moment.” His triumph added another milestone to GMG Racing’s impressive 25-year history in motorsport.

Washington credited his rain-driving skills to his upbringing in Vancouver, Canada, where frequent wet conditions honed his technique. Despite drying conditions late in the race, he held firm to deliver a flawless performance.

Momentum Heading to COTA

With Daytona in the books, GMG Racing now looks ahead to Rounds 3 and 4 of the VP Racing Challenge at Circuit of The Americas, February 28–March 1. The team’s full 2025 competition lineup, spanning sprint and endurance formats, will be announced later this month.

Stay tuned as GMG Racing continues its pursuit of excellence in what promises to be an action-packed season.

GMG Racing Takes on Daytona in IMSA VP Racing Challenge Debut

GMG Racing is set to kick off the 2025 season with a bold entry into the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Expanding our already stacked competition schedule, this move underscores our legacy of taking on new challenges at the highest levels of motorsport.

Stepping into the Spotlight

Veteran driver Kyle Washington will pilot the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R in the all-new GT Daytona X (GTDX) class. The weekend lineup includes two 45-minute sprint races—races where Washington and the team’s sprint-racing expertise are primed to shine.

“In nearly 25 years of racing, we’ve shown we can dominate in any format,” says GMG Racing Founder James Sofronas. “From endurance events to single-driver sprints, our approach is the same—race hard, race smart, and race to win. This series is the perfect new stage for us, and there’s no better way to start the season than at Daytona.”

Momentum from a Winning Year

Washington heads into Daytona on the heels of a strong 2024 season. Career highlights include a Masters Class P2 finish at Circuit of The Americas, a podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix support race, and a Porsche Sprint Challenge victory in Utah. Alongside teammate Tom Sargent, Washington also scored his first GT World Challenge Pro-Am win at VIRginia International Raceway last summer.

Tune In

The Daytona weekend opens with practice sessions Friday, followed by qualifying at 8:40 a.m. EST Saturday morning. The first 45-minute sprint race begins at 2:00 p.m. EST Saturday, with the final race scheduled for 1:20 p.m. EST Sunday. Both races will stream live on NBC’s Peacock, so don’t miss the action as GMG Racing makes its mark in IMSA’s VP Racing Challenge.

New GMG Racing Headquarters at The Thermal Club Takes the Spotlight in Gala Grand Opening

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.

GMG Racing Closes 2024 with P2 Finishes at COTA

GMG Racing closed out its 2024 national competition season nearly the same way it started over seventh months ago with a pair of podium finishes in the final IMSA Carrera Cup North America race weekend of the year at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). The Saturday and Sunday doubleheader was the third and last Carrera Cup event of the year featuring North America’s premier single-make Porsche racing series on a Formula 1 race weekend.

Longtime GMG Racing team driver Kyle Washington stepped up for his best race finish of the year Saturday with a Masters Class second-place result in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The P2 finish topped a third-place showing in the Carrera Cup support race at the Canadian Grand Prix Formula 1 race in June and Washington’s first third-place run of 2024 in the season-opening Carrera Cup race weekend last March in Sebring.

The mid-March race weekend in Sebring was also the site of a race-winning podium appearance for GMG Racing team owner and driver James Sofronas, who won in the Pro-Am class in the first race of the season in the No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. That win was the third-straight Carrera Cup victory for Sofronas after sweeping the 2023 doubleheader finale at COTA.

Sofronas returned to the Austin F1 circuit looking for a repeat of last year’s twin victories and his fourth Pro-Am win of 2024. In addition to Sebring, Sofronas scored wins this year in the Carrera Cup support races at Montreal and at Road America in August.

Both Washington and Sofronas had Porsches capable of carrying them to their respective class wins Saturday, but the caution-filled race never gave either a chance to mount bids for victory. Only 12 green flag laps were completed in the 35-minute race that was slowed by a trio of yellow flags, including lengthy caution delays at the start and finish.

“Saturday’s race was so full of yellows, and my car never really came in until the end,” Washington said. “Then it was spot on for the final four green flag laps or so we had at the end. It was really good, but before that the tires weren’t up to temperature, it was a real animal to drive, but I am glad we ended up where we did. It was super cool to be on the podium with James to close out the year, it is amazing, but sometimes its cool to end it with an ice bag and a cocktail too!”

Sofronas was delighted to return to victory lane with Washington for the third time in GMG’s five Carrera Cup race weekends this year. The team ran a select schedule of Carrera Cup events that included Sebring, Road America and the trio of F1 support races at Miami, Montreal and COTA.

“When a great friend and great client like Kyle has success, it only sweetens the weekend that much more,” said Sofronas, GMG Racing Principal and Founder. “He has been putting in the work and it shows. His pace and his race craft keep getting better. To get on the podium with him again in our respective classes was a great way to finish the season.”

Sunday’s season finale Carrera Cup sprint, which set the stage for that afternoon’s F1 United States Grand Prix, saw Washington pick up right where he left off Saturday with an on-the-pace Porsche. He took the green flag just a few spots behind Sofronas, who sustained a hard hit on his No. 14 in the frenzied first few corners of the opening race lap.

“After catching the competitors at the front, and even passing the championship leader, I just ran out of time on Saturday,” Sofronas said. “I knew Sunday was going to be a tough race, and I got hit hard in turn three. It knocked my steering alignment and toe out right from lap one. My car wasn’t 100%, but it was good enough to fight. Kyle got around me and then, with my race out of reach, I went into protection mode. In a somewhat calculated move, I repassed Kyle and chased down his class leader. I passed him and Kyle then got around him on the subsequent lap. He was on his way to his first victory until that same competitor decided to make a low percentage move and took Kyle out on the last corner of the last lap. Our planned worked out perfect, except for the end.”

Although the driver that knocked Washington from the lead – and what would have been his first career Carrera Cup victory – with the checkered flag in sight was assessed a 10 second penalty for incident responsibility, it did nothing to change the final results or recover Washington’s lost ground.

Despite the huge disappointment, Washington was typically enthusiastic over what was otherwise a great race.

“Sunday was a great race,” Washington said. “It was mean everywhere, the track was dirty, and it was literally holding on for dear life. And everyone else was doing the same thing, it was an amazing race and all green. I didn’t like how it ended. He has a habit of hitting me in the bigger races, including Carrera Cup at Rennsport Reunion last year, but we raced to the end and gave it our all.”