GMG Racing co-drivers Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent broke through for their first Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS race win Saturday at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. The hard-fought Pro-Am-class victory was a last-to-first triumph that marked a string of initial milestones for the team and drivers in Fanatec GT World Challenge competition.
Washington and Sargent scored their maiden wins together in their first full seasons of competition in Fanatec GT World Challenge. The victory also came in the debut of the team’s all-new Type 992 Porsche 911 GT3 R and was the first for longtime SRO America championship and race-winning team GMG Racing in the current era of GT World Challenge competition, which features twin 90-minute races each race weekend.
“For Tom and Kyle to finally see success on the top step of the podium in their first seasons in Pro-Am in GT World Challenge America is well deserved for sure,” said GMG Racing Founder and Team Principal James Sofronas. “As I have frequently said this year and last year, Kyle is putting in the work. The team executed a perfect pit stop, and I think we even waited five seconds before the release. We are running on all cylinders as you have to, in order to win in the competitive Pro-Am class, and it takes a good Am driver – even though Kyle is really more of Masters driver – and he is mastering his craft. He is really enjoying the moment and truly deserves it.”
Washington was forced to start the race last on GT World Challenge grid due to an electronic transponder issue in qualifying. Undeterred, he began picking off positions from the race start as several other competitors encountered mechanical issues and on-track incidents. Saturday’s race was run in dry conditions, but earlier and daily rain showers kept the VIR landscape soaked and treacherous for any competitor even slipping a wheel slightly off course.
“It’s amazing,” Washington said. “The difficultly level today was 11 out of 10 on that track. One wheel off in the wet grass and you saw every time what would happen. Just total carnage, but we steered clear of all of it and we are just so happy to be here in victory lane.”
Washington handed the No. 32 off to Sargent early when the pit window opened before the race’s halfway mark in a well-timed and perfectly executed pit stop by the GMG Racing team. Sargent rejoined the race and, after the competition cycled through their pit stops, was in second place and ready to challenge for the lead.
Sargent kept close and constant pressure on as the race entered the final 30 minutes and moved to first when the leader was assessed a pit drive-through penalty for an earlier incident. Sargent led his first career GT World Challenge race laps, and the first of the season for GMG Racing, but the penalized leader was quick to rebound and mount a final challenge. The race went down to the wire in a nose-to-tail battle with Sargent prevailing for the victory after a frantic fight to the finish in the final two laps.
“Ultimately, we did nothing wrong really, but I had to work for it on the last lap,” Sargent said. “I haven’t had to do that in a while, but it was good fun at the end. On the second to last lap, he got really close to me, and was actually pushing me down the backstraight. He was trying to do everything he could, I knew I was going to be close on the edge, I might have just dropped a wheel on the last lap, but I gave it everything I had to build a gap to keep me safe for the final half lap. It’s unbelievable, I truly can’t believe it, and it is just great for everybody on the team. It is important for everyone.”
Sofronas has driven to several World Challenge race wins in various classes over the years, but Saturday’s milestone is the first victory for GMG Racing in the current era of SRO America’s GT3-based top-tier racing series.
“I have to give a huge shout out to Tom,” Sofronas said. “That last lap in Turn 10 was a full 10/10ths, right on the edge, with second place just a car length off of him, and through that corner he gapped him by three car lengths. That was the difference, they couldn’t get close enough again to get a draft on the backstraight, and coming out of Oak Tree three lengths ahead was when I was like ‘Oh yeah, we are going to win this.'”
Sofronas, Washington and the GMG team watched the drama of the race’s final minutes unfold from the pits.
“We were all glued around the TV in our pit watching the last couple of laps when Tom had monster pressure from behind,” Washington said. “He was actually pushed going down the straight coming to the white flag, and on the last lap Tom was just out of this world. He went to the edge of every corner and got the gap that he needed and held it. That last lap was amazing, it was crazy and the kid has got it for sure.”
Sargent has similar praise for Washington.
“I take my hat off to Kyle,” Sargent said. “He never put a foot wrong, just quickly turned over laps, and then we had an absolutely perfect pit stop, the best we have done all year, and we have all been working really hard on those. We nailed that and from then on it was up to me to bring it home.”
The GT World Challenge race win highlighted a solid weekend for GMG Racing that included Washington scoring top-five finishes in both doubleheader rounds of the GT America powered by AWS sprint race series. And in another weekend milestone, Jenson Sofronas, the 13-year-old son of James Sofronas and his wife Nargis Sofronas, made his national racing series debut in the Toyota Gazoo Racing North America (TGRNA) GR Cup Series driving the No. 41 GMG Racing Toyota GR86 Cup in collaboration with Lucas Racing. The youngest driver in the series, Sofronas finished both weekend races and qualified just one second off the second fastest competitor for Sunday’s final race.
“We entered three cars this weekend, and I also watched our son race for the first time, so lots of emotions, and Kyle, Tom and Jenson all had great weekends,” James Sofronas said.
