Heading to the historic Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, just one hour outside of Toronto, Canada, Global Motorsports Group is proud to participate in the next evolution of the Pirelli World Challenge, the inaugural SprintX round of the series. As part of a busy weekend that will feature four different races for the team, GMG will not only look to continue Alec Udell’s current momentum in the GT-Cup championship, but will also welcome multi-time IMSA WeatherTech Series Champion Colin Braun to the fold, joining Brent Holden in the series’ first-ever multi-driver race. Holden’s full-season teammate, GMG team owner James Sofronas, unfortunately has to miss the event due to a schedule conflict.

“What an incredible weekend everyone has ahead of them,” stated Sofronas. “It’s a historic weekend for the series as they embark on their first-ever endurance race, and we’re proud to be supporters of it. This is a great evolution for the series, and provides yet another opportunity for a team like ours in shaping our driver development systems. Colin Braun has accomplished a tremendous amount at such a young age, and pairing him with Brent creates a great opportunity for everyone to develop. We couldn’t be happier with the direction of the series, and happy to be a part of such an event. Of course supporting Alec Udell in his quest for the GT Cup championship is the other half of our focus, and we’re on a huge wave of momentum with that. Alec was absolutely amazing at the last event in Barber, and there’s no reason to think we can’t continue that. It’s pretty cool to see both of our Porsches with such strong talent, let’s hope it pays off this weekend.”

Competing in both the SprintX category as well as the series’ traditional GTA races, long-time team veteran Brent Holden is set for a busy weekend ahead. Driving for the first time in the team’s No. 14 Mobil 1 / Spyder / The Thermal Club Porsche 911 GT3 R, the Californian looks to continue his recent run of success, having scored a podium just one month ago at the famed Grand Prix of Long Beach in in another vehicle. While driving in the series’ two flagship races, Holden will have little time to recover as he then hops in the same car for the first-ever SprintX event.

“It’s great to be part of such a historic debut event,” stated Holden. “When it was announced last year, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to be a part of, and it should do a great job of combining the things we love about the World Challenge format and sportscar racing at large. It’s unfortunate James couldn’t make it, but having Colin as a teammate is a great boost, and something I really look forward to. Obviously his resumé speaks for itself, but in addition to being a tremendous racer he’s an excellent coach, which should go a long way in our development this weekend.”

Announced in 2015, SprintX is the next evolution of the Pirelli World Challenge, reverting to the heritage of sportscar racing with a 60 minute, multi-driver event. Featuring two drivers, the SprintX Championship will put a premium on talented driver pairings, and really testing the ability to work together on such matters as strategy, shared car setup, and a number of other elements unique to endurance racing.

Joining Holden will be the highly decorated Colin Braun, who at 27-years old has boasted a remarkable career to-date. Not only does the Texas native currently serve as the reigning two-time champion in the IMSA WeatherTech Series Prototype Challenge ranks, but also holds victories at such races as The Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Having worked as a private coach for Brent Holden for some time, the opportunity to finally drive alongside him is a welcome one for Braun.

“I’m really looking forward to the action that this series brings,” stated Braun. “The SprintX championship provides a really unique way to bring out the excitement of sprint races, but combined with the teamwork required in endurance events, and I think Brent and I will be strong contenders. GMG provides a great program, and I’ve been very impressed with the quality of the personnel. It should be a fun event at a legendary track, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Not to be outdone, 19-year old Alec Udell will headline the efforts during the weekend’s traditional sprint races. Driving the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsport / Panther Pipeline / Amsource Capital Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machine, Alec heads to the event on a strong wave of momentum after the most recent round at Barber Motorsports Park. Sitting second in the points and determined to gain ground, the Woodlands, Texas native took command of his championship hopes by winning both events in a dominating, flag-to-flag fashion. Looking to continue that momentum, Udell is focused on repeat victories in Canada.

“This is shaping up to be a great championship challenge, and we’re excited to be right in the thick of it,” stated Udell. “The last race at Barber was a big breakthrough for us, and there’s no reason to think we can’t continue that in Canada. Obviously there’s a lot of great competitors in our category and we can’t ever underestimate our competition, but I’m confident in the program we have headed in to the race, and I know we’re all focused on getting even stronger.”

Official practice for both events takes place this Friday, May 19, with the first GT / GTA / GT-Cup race taking place on Saturday at 1:15PM ET. The inaugural SprintX event will take place just over four hours later at 5:45PM. The second race for both championships will take place the next day, with SprintX competing at 8:15AM ET and the flagship GT/GTA/GT Cup race at 3PM. Live coverage for everything can be found at world-challenge.com/streamvide