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.
