james sofronas

GMG’s James Sofronas Highlights Long Beach Weekend with Victory; Udell Impresses in GT Debut

Date April 10, 2017

Competing at one of the most storied venues in all of motorsports, Global Motorsport Group’s (GMG) James Sofronas would highlight the team’s weekend with a class-victory during today’s Grand Prix of Long Beach, the second round of The Pirelli World Challenge. Not to be outdone, teammate Alec Udell would also impress in his GT category debut, taking seventh overall after going wheel-to-wheel with some of the biggest names in the sport.

“This was an incredible weekend for the whole team,” stated Sofronas. “While of course I take a lot of satisfaction in the victory, I’m honestly most encouraged with our overall performance all weekend. A top-10 overall is really tough with the level of competition in the series, but we were able to deliver just that for both cars. Alec in his ‘pro’ debut in the GT category couldn’t have been more impressive. These are some of the biggest names in the scene and he was completely un-phased, which shows just how talented he is. Overall this is a complete testament to all of the guys here, as we’ve really made a lot of progress with our Porsches and it’s great to reap the rewards. To do it in front of our home crowd is even sweeter.”

James Sofronas Winning the 2017 Long Beach Grand Prix

Driving in the series’ GTA category, Sofronas came in to the weekend as a clear contender for victory in the No. 14 Mobil 1 / The Thermal Club / 5.11 Tactical Porsche 911 GT3 R. Throughout the weekend’s practice sessions, the Southern California local repeatedly proved fastest in class, rewarded during Saturday’s qualifying session with pole position. By time race day came, James’ pace was immediately evident, however what set his weekend apart from previous rounds was his speed relative to the faster-ranked GT category. Avoiding first-lap calamity in the field around him, Sofronas threatened for a Top-10 overall throughout his run, ultimately capitalizing on an incident in front of him which would result in not only a GTA-class victory, but a 10th place finish overall.

This would rank as Sofronas’ third victory at Long Beach, and in front of a home crowd of over 100,000; showcasing the talent and depth of the team.

Alec Udell GT Class Debut

In the GT category, team development graduate Alec Udell once again impressed with a seventh-place finish. Having been bumped up from the GTA ranks after a dominant performance in St. Petersburg, the Clemson University Engineering student took his first turn ranked equally with some of the biggest names in the sport, including an international roster of factory-hired drivers.

For the 20-year old, a fairly quiet weekend in the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R was actually the theme of his event. Running within the Top-10 throughout practice, Alec would qualify eighth for the race, the second-fastest Porsche and out-qualifying multiple factory drivers. During the race, Udell would once again demonstrate the experience of a veteran, avoiding first lap chaos, and engaging in a race-long battle with multiple marques for the entire race. The biggest adventure for Alec came in the closing laps when, battling with multi-time series champion and former LeMans winner Johnny O’Connell, a hotly contested battle for position ended in tears for O’Connell, with the Cadillac factory-driver making a daring move on Alec resulting in contact, ultimately putting O’Connell in to the wall but with Alec able to continue to seventh.

For Udell, yet another strong performance demonstrates his place among the top in the series.

“I’m extremely happy with the weekend,” stated Udell. “We knew the competition would be strong, and at an event like Long Beach you have so little time to practice that you have to maximize everything. Luckily, GMG did an incredible job getting us prepared as well as showing up ready, and coming in on top of the weekend was critical. I couldn’t be more thankful to Euroworld Motorsports for making this entire project possible, Frank Lee and everyone in the organization have been instrumental, and we know we can only get better.”

With another great weekend behind, the focus now shifts to the first SprintX event of the year, taking place at VIRginia International Raceway in just three weeks’ time. As the first multi-driver race of the year, Sofronas will welcome co-driver Laurens Vanthoor to the fold, with Udell joining Preston Calvert and his Calvert Dynamics organization, which will run under the GMG umbrella. Practice begins on Friday, April 28, with races running throughout the weekend of the 29th and 30th.

Alec Udell and James Sofronas

GMG Heads to St. Petersburg Ready for Three Car Effort

Date March 8, 2017

With Global Motorsports Group (GMG) announcing three different programs in the Pirelli World Challenge over the past two weeks, the team’s 2017 effort begins in full force during this weekend’s season opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Featuring two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries in the series’ GTA category, as well as the all-new McLaren 570S GT4 in GTS, the team’s depth and diversity will be on showcase as the cars hit the track for the first official practice on Thursday.

“We’re as prepared as we can be for this weekend,” stated GMG team owner James Sofronas. “The truth is all of these programs have been works in progress going all the way back to last year. Between the funding, car delivery, prep, testing, it’s a huge effort, but we have some amazing partners and an incredible crew, and it finally comes together this weekend. It’s a big weekend for Alec Udell, who after two great years in GT-Cup will make his sprint debut in GTA, and I think he’ll really impress. This has been a long time coming, and we couldn’t be more thankful to everyone at Euroworld Motorsports for making the whole program happen for him. Similarly, this will be a new era for George Kurtz in GTS, and with the CrowdStrike program we really look forward to a successful campaign both on and off the track. Of course I’m always looking forward to getting back to the track myself. The GTA category is really shaping up to be an incredibly competitive class, it should provide some great racing.”

alec udell

Beginning an all-new challenge in the GTA category, Alec Udell will take to the city street course with the expectation of being immediately competitive in the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. After a landmark 2016 season in which he took 12 victories en route to a GT-Cup category championship, the logical step up to the GTA ranks was largely made possible thanks to the role of Euroworld Motorsports and owner Frank Lee, who will take on the role of car owner in Alec’s program, with GMG handling the management and preparation of the campaign. Udell and Euroworld are now entering their third year of partnership together, with Euroworld holding the unique distinction of being the country’s only certified automotive carbon fiber repair facility. Based in Houston, they are one of Texas’s leading European auto repair and performance facility.

“I’m extremely excited to start the Pirelli World Challenge GTA championship off strong at the streets of St. Petersburg,” stated Udell. “I have to be honest, this course and I have had our odds with each other in the past, so this year I’m going in extra prepared and ready for the new challenges at hand. After my run in the GMG Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race at Daytona earlier this year, I’ve been itching to get back in a racecar. ”

Alec and James

Not to be outdone, James Sofronas will also be entered in the series’ GTA category, now in his second year behind the wheel of the No. 14 Mobil 1 / Thermal Club Porsche 911 GT3 R. A veteran of Pirelli World Challenge competition, the Villa Park, California resident has been in the series since 1994, largely in Porsche machinery. Using the program as a testing ground for many of the performance tuning and development technologies that they apply to their customer’s street cars, Sofronas will use the weekend as a new opportunity to further the product line.

Finally, in the No. 04 CrowdStrike McLaren 570S GT4, George Kurtz will begin his first full-season of Pirelli World Challenge competition. Competing in the surging GTS category, now adopting the worldwide GT4-spec of racing cars, Kurtz and GMG will be making their McLaren debut together, a vehicle which has shown tremendous promise in other series. A veteran of numerous grassroots series, Kurtz made his Pirelli World Challenge debut last year in select SprintX events, but 2017 will mark his first full season entry. Equally notable, mixing his business acumen with driving talent, Kurtz’s cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike will take advantage of the series and team’s off-track offerings, utilizing the paddock as a hub for experiential entertainment for a number of their clients, partners, associates and vendors.

“I couldn’t be happier to join GMG for the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge season,” stated Kurtz. “The team’s reputation for running a competitive program is well known, and to take the wheel of the McLaren is an experience that every driver wishes for. Hopes are definitely high for a competitive run, and I’m sure we’ll only get stronger as the year goes on. At CrowdStrike we really look forward to a central program to build our experiential marketing base, and the platform that the series and team provide is unparalleled. It should be a great season and we couldn’t be more excited to get this going at St. Petersburg.”
Official practice begins tomorrow, with the GTS category featuring a double-header of races on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11, and the GTA category competing with the GT and GT-Cup categories on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12. The team will provide continuous updates through their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds.

GMG Complete Podium Sweep at Circuit of the Americas

Udell, GMG Complete Podium Sweep at Circuit of the Americas

Date March 8, 2016

Following Saturday’s strong victory to open his Pirelli World Challenge GT-Cup category campaign, Global Motorsports Group’s Alec Udell continued his momentum with a second-place finish during Sunday’s Round Two.

“After yesterday’s victory, it’s actually a little disappointing, but our season is off to a great start,” stated Udell, who grew up in nearby Woodlands, Texas. “We came in to the weekend with strong ambitions, and came away with solid points and a good sense of what we need to do next. Certainly we would have liked to repeat a win, but we just didn’t quite have what we needed. Ultimately we learned a lot and are in good shape for next weekend. Thanks to everyone at GMG for an excellent job, and of course Euroworld Motorsport, Panther Pipeline and Amsource Capital for making this all possible.”

Qualifying second for Sunday’s second round, the event was actually fairly quiet for Alec and the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsport / Panther Pipeline / Amsource Capital Porsche 911 GT GT3 Cup. After managing to get around race-leader Sloan Urry during Saturday’s Race One, the opportunity simply never presented itself to repeat the feat. Pushing hard to keep pace, Udell and Urry appeared similarly matched from lap-to-lap throughout the 50-minute event, with Alec eventually crossing the finish line four seconds behind the winner.

As a full-time engineering student at Clemson University, Alec will be undergoing a busy few days, with only three days back at school for mid-term exams before returning to the series’ third and fourth rounds at St. Petersburg.

GMG Complete Podium Sweep at Circuit of the Americas

Meanwhile, the team’s other GT-Cup competitor, Alex Welch, would also enjoy a quiet run in his No. 08 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Starting from the fourth position, Alex would enjoy an incident-free race, making no mistakes and simply managing his car throughout the event, ultimately finishing sixth in his debut weekend for the category.

“It’s good to finish clean, so I’m happy about that, but obviously would have liked to have finished higher,” stated Welch. “The GT-Cup category is really competitive, and it’s definitely a fun class to be a part of. There’s definitely a few things we need to work on to get some more speed, but we all know it’s there. I enjoyed the weekend and really appreciate the effort from all the guys at GMG.”

<img src="https://gmgracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/5c20a899-c92c-4870-a85c-7e4ea06b5089.jpg" alt="GMG Complete Podium Sweep at Circuit of the Americas" width="1000" height="665" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2819" srcset="https://gmgracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/5c20a899-c92c-4870-a85c-7e4ea06b5089.jpg 1000w, http://www viagra aus holland bestellen.gmgracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/5c20a899-c92c-4870-a85c-7e4ea06b5089-300×199.jpg 300w, https://gmgracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/5c20a899-c92c-4870-a85c-7e4ea06b5089-450×300.jpg 450w” sizes=”(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px” />

Finally, James Sofronas would carry the team’s lone GT-category entry in the No. 14 Mobil 1 / The Thermal Club / Spyder Porsche 911 GT3 R. After suffering damage in an unavoidable incident during yesterday’s race, the primary focus was on simply making sure the car was as it should be, and the outcome did not disappointment. In addition to the incredible work of the crew to get the car completely back to normal for Sunday’s events, the team actually made a few performance tweaks as well, with Sofronas actually finding the car handling better than previous runs. Proving the strength of his car, James would go from a 14th place start to eventually breaking the top-10 over the course of the race, enjoying a few battles to ultimately take ninth. It would prove a testament to not only the team’s ability to repair a car that they’d barely taken possession of one week earlier, but make solid progress on the engineering and development of it.

GMG Complete Podium Sweep at Circuit of the Americas

“This weekend is a complete testament to the crew,” stated Sofronas. “The fact that they’d barely gotten their hands on the car and were able to turn it in to a top-10 machine is incredible. Obviously with our years of Porsche experience we were able to tap in to our database, and it definitely paid off. I’m happy with our progress and we have a lot to move forward with. It was great to see another for podium for Alec as well. He’s a competitive young man, so he’ll always want to win, but he drove a very mature race to make sure he finished. Alex Welch is still adjusting to the Cup category, but I think he should be happy with the results. It’s a tough class and he proved strong, and we know they’ll only get quicker.”

With only a few days between the end of the weekend’s festivities and the beginning of next weekend’s third and fourth rounds, all of the Pirelli World Challenge will embark on a whirlwind trip to St. Petersburg, Florida, to get the cars ready in just a matter of days. Practice begins on Friday, March 11, with a double-header series of races occurring over the weekend.

James Sofronas Featured Interview

Owner and President of GMG, James Sofronas: Taking High Performance from the Racetrack to the Business

Date August 31, 2015

James Sofronas is the Owner and President of Global Motorsports Group, specializing in high performance tuning and servicing of European automobiles and motorsports. Race car driver, husband and father, this Pirelli World Challenge veteran has over 150 starts in the series since 1994 and over the last six years has finished in the top 5 five times in the GT Drivers’ Championship.

 

GMG is the combination of a Motorsport Center, European Shop and parts manufacturer. Now do these different activities influence each other?

The old adage “win on Sunday and sell on Monday” is a cliché, but it’s absolutely true for our business. It’s no secret that the different facets of our business benefit the other, and I think that’s a huge part of the quality of both our products and our service. Racing is the ultimate environment to test different products for performance, longevity, and ultimately to get an understanding of the whole package. And in the fast pace of environment of racing, what we learn on the track shows huge benefits in our performance tuning products for the street.

With all of that being said, I think the human element of how this all translates is perhaps one of our biggest secrets. The motorsport environment requires perfection on all levels: preparation, engineering, attention to details, organization, you name it. Our engineers and technicians translate that same attention to our shop as well as R&D, and I believe this is a huge part of our ability to deliver.

The same is true for our customers, as we have a unique capability when it comes to providing education and opportunity for our clients. It’s common for someone to come in for a simple upgrade to their street vehicle, but once we educate them on the process, many will then begin to dip their toes in amateur and professional racing, and we have the ability to nurture them through all levels.

James Sofronas at Lime Rock

You are very successfully driving the Audi R8 LMS Ultra in the Pirelli World Challenge. What makes this car a winner?

Well it’s definitely getting tougher as I get older! We’ve been very fortunate to have earned many accolades in the Pirelli World Challenge and TUDOR United SportsCar championship. We were the first team to take the R8 to victory in the World Challenge Series in 2013, we were the fastest Audi for the Sebring 12 Hours last year, and I think our most noteworthy accomplishments have been taking the championship all the way to season finale for two years straight, and currently holding more victories for the R8 than any other team in North America.

Like any successful product, there is no one element that makes the Audi so good, it’s a combination of a terrific platform, coupled with great support, and of course I like to think the team has something to do with it as well! Trackside support from a manufacturer makes a big difference when it comes to having resources that help you win, which is why companies like Audi and Porsche always run well at this level.

 

You offer very specialized high performance related services that are extremely demanding. How do you train your technicians to deliver the quality of work required?

I think the key to success in any business is investment in your client’s success. In our case, that means ensuring our clients are educated and walked through the process of whatever the project is, be it for a simple service, a performance upgrade, or even a racing experience. I’m very fortunate to have a staff that wholeheartedly understands this. Over the years as we’ve grown, we’ve put a focus on ensuring that our technicians and engineers all understand this requirement. Anyone who purchases a vehicle that comes to our shop is clearly someone who has a love affair with their car, and there isn’t a person in our shop who doesn’t understand that.

 

What are your next goals for GMG and your racing career?

Specific to me, I absolutely love driving and it will always have a place with me. However, in the world of professional racing I think you’ll start to notice a progressive scaling back. GMG has experienced monumental growth in recent years, and admittedly I’m at a point in my career where I take more satisfaction seeing my customers flourish more than myself, and that’s where I put most of my time. It’s a very special time for GMG as we continue to grow, and I want to make sure that my focus is 1 00% on the company’s success and everyone in it… more than another trophy for myself.

If I were to outline goals for the next few years, I’d say continuing to expand our product line is at a premium.

 

Do you have different expectations when choosing parts manufacturers for regular service vs. performance upgrades?

The key for any product we sell is quality. Our clients come through our doors with an expectation of performance. “Regular service” is a bit of a vague term, but the first priority for us is to ensure everything exceeds OEM standards, and provides the level of performance or longevity that is expected from our shop. Upgrades are all about doing the job we said they would do, whether it’s related to performance, acoustics, aesthetics, you name it.

 

Performance Improvements are becoming more and more a software challenge. How does a specialty shop like GMG outperform the car manufacturers?

Our clients come through our doors with an expectation of performance. The first priority is to ensure everything exceeds OEM standards, and provides the level of performance and longevity that is expected from our shop. Upgrades are all about doing the job we said they would do: performance, acoustics, or aesthetics.

 

How do spend your limited time that is not dedicated to engines and tires?

There is nowhere I’d rather be on a day off than with my family. My wife Nargis and I have two kids — Chloe who is six and Jenson who is four — so it’s a really fun age. Everything is new and exciting to them. I know I’m going to wake up one day and they’ll be way too cool to hang out with Dad, so I have to savor that time now. I couldn’t be more fortunate to have a wife who understands the demands of our business and supports it, so I make sure that when I’m with them I’m dedicated to having a good time.

– Many thanks to AutoFocus for the interview. Check out more from them at their site.

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