gmg racing

GMG Continues Strong Start to Season with Victory Sweep at The Thermal Club

Date	February 24, 2016

With Global Motorsports Group’s (GMG) continuing their commitment to driver development and grassroots racing, the team has once again taken a victory sweep in The Thermal Club’s “Triple Crown Series,” with James Sofronas setting a new track record en route to a victory on Saturday, followed by victory with Brent Holden on Sunday. With the team’s Pirelli World Challenge season kicking off in just over a week, the ability for the organization to get one more local race in proves just how prepared the team is for their upcoming efforts.

“It’s always a fun time to get back to racing, but this weekend was all about our loyal customers,” stated GMG team principal and driver James Sofronas. “It was great to see how comfortable Brent was in Sunday’s victory, and it was a real testament to not only his pace, but our ability to maintain a top-tier program at any event. Chris Thompson has been a part of our program for some time now, and it showed with his podium! I was so happy to see him come home with some hardware. Same goes for Kevin Westcott, who has been on a steep learning curve but come a long way in a short amount of time. It’s impressive to see how everyone has grown and flourished, and very fulfilling for all of us. On a personal level, I enjoyed my race on Saturday and am very thankful to everyone at The Thermal Club for making these events possible. My race was pretty uneventful and I just kept focus on getting faster, which I guess worked out with a new track record!”

Set as a double-header weekend, the members-only circuit would hold racing events on both Saturday and Sunday, giving its customers ample opportunity for both track time and racing experience. Electing to only take part in Saturday’s activities in his No. 14 Mobil 1 / The Thermal Club / Spyder Audi R8 LMS ultra, James Sofronas would use the day to get himself back in to the swing of racing, with the Pirelli World Challenge season-opener at Circuit of the Americas just over a week away. Qualifying on pole position, the Villa Park, California resident comfortably pulled away from the field for a flag-to-flag victory, continuously improving pace to ultimately set a track record. James elected not to participate in Sunday’s race.

Also driving his Audi R8 LMS ultra, Brent Holden would have a stellar weekend in his second race weekend of the year. Holding station behind Sofronas during Saturday’s Race One, the Californian would manage consistent laps to pull a gap over the field behind him, eventually finishing a quiet second. For Sunday’s Race Two, Holden would take complete advantage of Sofronas’ absence, leading the field and never looking back, taking a commanding victory.

“It was a fun weekend for sure,” stated Holden. “Any time we can get out and race it’s a great time, and this ‘Triple Crown Series’ that The Thermal Club has provided is a great way to just get out and race. The car was excellent and, as expected, everyone at GMG did an excellent job getting us ready. Overall I really enjoyed the trip out, thanks to everyone for making this happen.”

Leading the team’s Porsche contingent, Chris Thompson’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was also a formidable challenger all weekend. A long-time member of GMG’s driver development program, Chris would run consistent laps to take a top-five during Saturday’s Race One. Not to be outdone, Thompson would run even stronger on Sunday, never putting a foot wrong to take his first podium of the year, finishing third.

“Anytime you walk away with a podium you’ve had a good weekend,” stated Thompson. “We’ve been getting more competitive with every race, and on Sunday the race simply unfolded in our favor, it was great to cross the finish line in third. GMG has continued to prove very strong with their program, and I couldn’t be happier with our performance this weekend.”

Finally, Kevin Westcott would enjoy a solid weekend in his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, having only a few races’ experience under his belt. Heading in to the event, the Californian put his focus on a consistent, incident-free weekend and managed to achieve just that. For Saturday’s Race One, Kevin would run without any problems en route to seventh, followed by a solid Race Two to improve one position, taking sixth on the day.

“We’re getting better with each weekend, and without a scratch on the car,” stated Westcott. “The car was well prepared as you would expect, and James and all of the guys at GMG did their usual great job of coaching me through the weekend. I felt well prepared and with a great car, and with every weekend we seem to get stronger and stronger. I really enjoyed my time and appreciate all that the team has done.”

With all attention turning to the team’s Pirelli World Challenge efforts, the team is in the final throws of preparing for the upcoming season-opener at Circuit of the Americas. With official practice beginning on Friday, March 6, the the racing action will take place on Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8.

GMG Begins New Porsche Chapter with Pirelli World Challenge Season Opener

Date	February 18, 2016

With many of Global Motorsport Group’s (GMG) greatest motorsport achievements coming in Porsche machinery, the upcoming Pirelli World Challenge season-opener at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas will mark a new chapter for the Southern California-based team, one that includes a return to the famous marque.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to compete with many of the greatest marques over the years,” stated GMG team owner and driver James Sofronas, “but when we look over the years, our heritage with Porsche has been one of the most pronounced in our company’s history. It will be great to make a full return with Porsche in Austin, we’re excited to return to our roots in a way.”

While the aftermarket and performance tuning side of GMG’s business has built a reputation for enhancing a number of exotic vehicles over the years, the team’s history in racing has been firmly ensconced with Porsche machinery. Beyond competing with Porsche to earn the first victories for the team in the Pirelli World Challenge, GMG also played an instrumental role in Porsche’s Pirelli World Challenge Manufacturer’s Championships in 2008 and 2009. Adding to that victories at Long Beach and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, runner-up championship finishes in the series, as well as competing at events such as the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Rolex 24 at Daytona, the return to the brand seemed a logical fit with the debut of the all-new Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Running three-cars strong, GMG will enter the opening round with one entry in the premier GT category, as well as two entries in the spec GT-Cup class.

Leading off the trio in the GT category will be the No. 14 Mobil 1 / The Thermal Club Porsche 911 GT3 R of James Sofronas. While the team owner has not raced Porsche machinery in the series since 2012, the team’s deep entrenchment in Porsche-based club racing and production categories over recent years should bode well for Sofronas, who expects a smooth transition in the switch back.

“While this will be my first time competing in a Porsche at Circuit of the Americas, I don’t believe it will be a huge step thanks to all of our experience over the years,” stated Sofronas. “Having raced during the last three COTA events for the series, combined with my understanding of Porsche dynamics, it should be a pretty smooth transition. Unfortunately, the timing has worked out that it will be the first time we’re able to do some serious laps in the car, so inevitably there will be some adjustments, but we’re all excited to take to the track.”

Returning to the series’ GT-Cup category, a spec-class built specifically for Porsche’s prolific 911 GT3 Cup 991 machine, will be Alec Udell. Hailing from nearby Woodlands, Texas, Alec is coming off a tremendous 2015 season. Competing in the same category, Udell took 13 podiums in 14 starts, including two victories. Being forced to miss four events due to damage sustained from an early-season incident, Udell was a clear championship contender had he been able to run the full championship.

In 2016, the goal for Alec and the No 17 Euroworld Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is set to resume his championship challenge.

“I’m very excited to be back with GMG for the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge racing season,” stated Udell. “After the successes from last season with James, Nev, and the GMG crew I’m ready to jump back into the car and pickup where we left off! I’d also like to announce a continuing partnership with Euroworld Motorsports out of Houston Texas, a key part to the success in the second half of my 2015 season I can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store.”

Additionally, representing the team in the series’ GT-Cup category will be long-time team veteran Alex Welch, driving the No. 08 machine. Hailing from Colorado, Welch has already been off to a strong start in 2016, taking dominant back-to-back victories during The Thermal Club’s first event of the season, held in mid-January to get back in to the swing of things. No stranger to the challenges of Circuit of the Americas, Welch will head to the event for the third year in succession.

“Circuit of the Americas is unlike any circuit on the calendar, so it’s always exciting to head back,” stated Welch. “It doesn’t really seem that long ago that the 2015 season ended, but it will be nice to get off to a good start. We’re entering a new era for everyone at GMG and I’m happy to be a part of it, it should be a fun event.”

While the entries of Sofronas, Udell and Welch will present a formidable challenge during the upcoming season-opener, long-time team veteran Brent Holden will also return to the team for the upcoming Sprint-X championship, which will make its debut at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Canada, on May 21-22. As an endurance-focused, two-driver event, Holden will partner with James Sofronas in the No. 14 Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Practice for the season-opening round will begin Thursday, March 3, with the first of two races taking place at 2:30PM CT on Saturday, March 5. Race Two will take place nearly 24 hours later at 2:15PM on Sunday, March 6.

GMG to Acquire Porsche 911 GT3 R for 2016 Campaign

Date	October 9, 2015

With much of the professional sportscar scene slowing down for the brief off-season, Global Motorsports Group (GMG) has confirmed the purchase of a 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 R for their efforts throughout next season’s campaign. The team is currently committed to a full season of the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge GT and GTA classes, as well as exploring opportunities in additional series and events.

“Porsche has been a huge part of our brand over the last 15 years, and it is exciting to commit to a full return,” stated GMG team owner James Sofronas. “Our efforts in the GT-Cup class during this year’s Pirelli World Challenge showed that we’re still very capable with Porsche machinery, and getting our hands on the new GT3 R should present a lot of mutual benefits between us and Porsche Motorsport. Over the years our alignment with Porsche has proven a tremendous opportunity for growth, and as Southern California’s premier tuning shop we’ve enjoyed being able to showcase how our depth in technicians and engineering can transfer from the track to the street. With Porsche Motorsport literally across the street from our shop, we’re excited to re-unite at the top levels. The new GT3 R should be instantly competitive in the Pirelli World Challenge, and we’re working hard on some additional opportunities as well.”

With a decade-long relationship that has seen the team take multiple victories at the top levels of the Pirelli World Challenge, GMG’s greatest period of growth came during its affiliation with Porsche throughout the 2004-2013 period. With two sides to the business, the first as a premier supporter of professional racing services and the second as a custom street-tuning and performance enhancement shop, a return to Porsche marks the company’s commitment to Porsche owners across the world. Whether on the track or on the street, GMG’s proven heritage has shown on a number of occasions, whether it was aiding Porsche in winning the Pirelli World Challenge Manufacturer’s Championship in 2008 and 2009, or victories at such prestigious events as The Grand Prix of Long Beach and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. In addition to their sprint racing success, the combination of GMG and Porsche have also competed in such prestigious endurance events as the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, including podium results in the former American Le Mans Series.

Most recently, GMG’s return to Porsche in the GT-Cup category of the Pirelli World Challenge in 2015 netted a spectacular series of results. With GMG’s latest development driver Alec Udell behind the wheel, the 19-year old earned three victories during this year’s campaign, including a staggering 13 podiums in 14 starts.

Off the track, GMG’s commitment to premier-level Porsche tuning and performance enhancement remains second-to-none. With a number of engineering tricks and speed secrets learned over the years, the company has developed several performance enhancements for any Porsche enthusiast: everything from a basic brake kit, all the way to fully custom suspension and exhaust packages, roll cages, and complete track-ready vehicles. With a factory-trained staff, the team is also able to provide traditional service offerings, including OEM-warranted service and more.

Beyond Porsche, the team continues to support and maintain a number of European marques. Throughout 2013-2015, GMG earned more victories for Audi than any other team in the series, including taking the first victory for the R8 LMS in World Challenge competition. The team still maintains their ability to work on such machinery, and in addition will continue to campaign their fleet of Lamborghini Huracán machinery in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America, as well as other prospective opportunities. Currently, the team still maintains a fleet of their Audi R8 LMS ultra vehicles, which are still available to compete at the highest levels of motorsport.

“Everyone at Audi Sport customer racing was fantastic during our years together, and I do want to thank them for being such a great partner,” continued Sofronas. “They provided an instantly competitive car with fantastic support, and we’re very proud of our accomplishments together, including taking their first win in their series return, as well as going down to the championship finale for two years in a row.”

While the Pirelli World Challenge has concluded for 2015, GMG continues to compete at venues across the country, including the remaining events of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, as well as several other events soon to be announced.

Cheng, GMG Survive Wet Debut for Podium at Road Atlanta

Date	October 6, 2015

Having only made his debut in the professional sportscar scene two months ago, Global Motorsports Group’s (GMG) Jeffrey Cheng conquered his latest challenge, wet conditions, to take podium honors during the latest rounds of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America. Taking part in advance of Saturday’s Petit Le Mans at the famed Road Atlanta circuit, Cheng and co-driver James Sofronas would drive flawlessly on an extremely wet track to finish the week’s doubleheader without a scratch on the car.

“Jeffrey was extremely impressive given the conditions,” stated GMG team owner and co-driver James Sofronas. “Road Atlanta is one of most difficult tracks you can go to in the wet, and he was perfect. My job was to step in the car after his opening stint and see where we stood, and he made my job very easy. I’m glad we were able to return to the podium, and this bodes well for the finale in a few weeks. Overall we should all walk away proud of our weekend, everyone on this team did an excellent job as always.”

During Thursday’s Race One, the week’s constant downpour of rain failed to let up when the green flag fell on the day’s 50-minute race. Knowing that just getting through the first turn would play a significant role on his day, Jeffrey would take the green flag with great maturity, navigating the first series of corners without error. Unfortunately, a major incident with another vehicle would cause the race to be stopped prematurely with nearly 30 minutes of the race run under red flag conditions.

By time the racing action resumed, Cheng would pass his drive-time requirements, eventually handing the No. 88 Lamborghini LP 620-2 off to teammate James Sofronas who would go on an impressive march during the final minutes of the race to climb from sixth to third by time the checkered flag fell. It would serve as Cheng’s fourth podium in six races, and with a clean car for Friday’s Race Two.

Just one day later, Race Two would luckily get underway without incident, and despite the continually poor conditions, the field managed to stay green throughout the entirety of the race. With no opportunities to re-catch the field under caution, it was up to Jeffrey to keep a strong pace without risking his equipment, and despite his limited experience he did his job perfectly once again, eventually handing the car over to Sofronas when his drive-time had elapsed.

From there, it was up to James to see the car to the finish, slowly gaining on the field in front of him to eventually take sixth.

For Cheng, getting his first experience of wet racing was certainly nerve wracking, but thankfully painless.

“I’d never raced in the wet before, and I knew it would be really easy to go off so staying clean was my first priority,” stated the Californian. “With all of the elevation changes and mud, it was extremely tricky, but everyone kept emphasizing that there was no need to set the fastest lap times, and I took that to heart during my runs. As usual, thanks to everyone at GMG for putting together a great car, it was a lot of fun and a great experience. Headed to Sebring, we hopefully have a good wave of momentum.”

With the penultimate round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America now behind, all attention will turn to both the series’ and world final, taking place November 18-22 at Sebring International Raceway.

(all photos courtesy of Jamey Price)

GMG Driver Development Program Continues with Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo in Austin

Date	September 22, 2015

Following the most recent double-header week of competition for Global Motorsports Group (GMG) and the entire Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America, GMG drivers Jeffrey Cheng and Rob Phillips showed tremendous improvement throughout last week’s festivities at the famed Circuit of the Americas in Austin.

“Overall I’m pretty happy with the incredible effort of everyone on the team,” stated GMG team owner James Sofronas. “The week went went pretty flawless for all of us. Jeffrey was tremendous, especially for being new to this level of competition. CotA is a really tough track, super fast and super technical, but he worked his way up to speed with a tremendous amount of patience and maturity. Rob had never been in one of these machines before this race, and to get in and go as quick as he did is a great testament to both Rob and the team. All of our guys have had a busy few weeks jumping back and forth between programs, so to keep the motivation as high as they have is a great testament to their commitment.”

Driving the No. 88 Lamborghini Huracán LP 620-2, drivers Jeffrey Cheng and James Sofronas took to the week after an amazing debut event in which Cheng scored triple podiums at VIRginia International Raceway. Headed to Circuit of the Americas, however, Cheng knew that the challenges of the Formula One-spec circuit would create a unique challenge for the rookie. Having never driven at the venue before, the Newport Beach resident showed great patience in getting up to speed, improving over five seconds from his first session to his last. During Thursday’s Race One, the duo of Cheng and Sofronas would take sixth in the Pro-Am category, followed by seventh in Race Two. Between Race One and Race Two alone, the No. 88 car would show an improvement of two seconds, and fourth fastest in class. Equally noteworthy, Cheng made zero major mistakes on the weekend, bringing the car back without a scratch and setting the team up well for the next round at Road Atlanta.

“After the weekend at VIR, we knew this would be more of a challenge,” stated Cheng. “Circuit of the Americas is definitely a challenging course, and my expectations were a lot more modest headed in to the weekend. I’m of course disappointed that we didn’t quite have the same results as our last race, but we expected that and overall I’m happy with the progress we showed. Everyone at GMG did a great job preparing the car, and we can walk away with a certain sense of satisfaction. I’m really looking forward to Road Atlanta and seeing what we can do.”

In the No. 32 Lamborghini Huracán LP 620-2, Rob Phillips would also show well during his maiden run in the series. A veteran of other sportscar series, the driver had never taken to Lamborghini competition before, also showing tremendous improvement over the week’s action. Competing in the AM category, Phillips would set the second fastest lap during Thursday’s Race One en route to a fourth place finish, however contact would force him to retire early from Friday’s Race Two.

“COTA was an excellent opportunity to get some initial seat time in the car and explore the competition,” stated Phillips. “The car is simply a blast to drive! I was very impressed with the quality and professionalism of the series, and am really excited to progress further with the team next week at Road Atlanta.”

With less than two weeks until the next round at Road Atlanta, the crew at GMG is already hard at work preparing their vehicle for the next series of races. Race One will take place next Thursday, October 1 at 2:15 PM ET, with Race Two taking place on October 2 at 5:25 PM ET.

(all photos courtesy of Jamey Price)

GMG Concludes Strong Pirelli World Challenge 2015 Season

Date	September 17, 2015

Following an up-and-down Pirelli World Challenge series finale at the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, Global Motorsports Group’s (GMG) Alec Udell provided yet another highlight to the season, taking his 13th podium of the season. Also concluding their seasons would be Alex Welch in the GTA category, as well as team owner James Sofronas in GT, with Welch taking 10th in class and Sofronas taking top Audi honors on his day.

“This was definitely one of our more unique seasons, but I’m proud of our team and the effort everyone put in,” stated James Sofronas. “Alec was the latest addition to our driver development program this year, and he did an excellent job. Coming from years of GTS racing, jumping into one of these Porsche GT3 Cup cars is a big change, but he did a fantastic job. We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with Porsche that has spanned a decade, so we were happy to come back and jump right back in for the GT-Cup class. Taking two wins and 13 podiums, with no mechanical DNF’s, was proof of our experience, and watching Alec grow over the course was amazing to watch. I think had he been able to run every race, we might have really had a shot at it. Our Audi program was flawless as well, and both myself and all of our Audi drivers enjoyed the season. It’s always tough to push to the limit when you’re injured, but regardless, the support and enthusiasm from everyone at Audi Sport customer racing was excellent and we’ve enjoyed our relationship.”

Following an incredible past two race weekends in which the 19-year-old has taken two victories, Alec Udell came into Sunday’s single event looking to end his season on a high. Starting the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsport / Amsource Capital / Panther Pipeline Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 991 from the front row, the Texas native was instantly on pace taking the lead by the conclusion of the first lap. Continuing a season-long battle with series champion Colin Thompson, the duo ran nose-to-tail for much of the first half of the race with Udell maintaining his lead and never putting a foot wrong. Unfortunately, as the faster GT traffic began to find their way around the duo, Alec was caught out as a dueling Cadillac and Ferrari made their way around him, allowing Thompson an opportunity to sneak through headed into turn four.

In the process, however, Thompson would make contact with Udell, with Alec’s left-front sustaining minor damage and knocking his car out of alignment.

While Alec’s Porsche would be able to continue, the contact would force him to slow during the race’s final laps, with third-place Sloan Urry eventually making an additional pass and forcing Alec to third by time the race would end.

While a frustrating finish, it would still mark the 13th podium of 14 starts for Udell, with his only DNF occurring from a start-line incident in St. Petersburg that was completely unavoidable. Unfortunately, that same incident would force Alec to miss four events due to damages, yet despite his absence he would still finish fourth in the Driver’s Championship with GMG repeating that result in the Team Championship.

“It definitely wasn’t the finish we wanted, but another podium is still a great testament to the team,” stated Udell. “During the last few events we really started coming into our own, which definitely gives me a lot of confidence as we look at our 2016 plans. Everyone at GMG has been amazing to work with. James has been nothing but accommodating as we encountered a series of challenges throughout the season, and Neville and his guys have provided an excellent level of enthusiasm and support. We couldn’t have done it without them. Obviously we had our share of heartbreak, but overall I think there were a lot of positives this year, and I thank everyone at GMG for such a great opportunity.”

For Alex Welch, returning to the fold in the GTA category, a strong pace during practice and qualifying in the No. 76 Audi R8 LMS ultra was unfortunately challenged during Sunday’s race. After a strong opening pace, an errant Aston Martin would end up sliding right into the Audi during the opening laps, pushing Alex off and towards the back of the field. Adding insult to injury, as the Colorado resident got back up to speed, he would encounter slick track conditions forcing him to the back once again, and resigned to a position of simply gaining ground as best he could. With no caution periods during the race, Welch simply had to manage his car to the finish, ultimately taking 10th in class.

“It was a rough race for sure,” stated Welch. “When someone pushes up into you and you fall to the back, there’s not much you can do to gain ground, so at that point I was just trying to maintain. I’m disappointed and really wanted to end the season strong, but it’s racing and I guess that’s part of it. Everyone at GMG did a great job preparing the car and I look forward to seeing what 2016 holds.”

Finally, a fairly quiet race for James Sofronas would end in disappointment, though the team owner would take some solace as the top Audi finisher in the field. Driving the No. 14 The Thermal Club / Mobil 1 / Spyder Audi R8 LMS ultra, the Californian made a strong start, caught in an incredible multi-way fight for the top ten. Running his usual faultless effort, contact between several cars would hamper his effort somewhat, but the team owner soldiered on to what looked to be a strong finish until a small gear-shifting issue would force him to the pits during the final two turns on the final lap, with the driver pulling into the pits and still managing to cross the finish line from pit lane.

While a frustrating finish, the race still proved a strong effort for both driver and team. In the 12 races that the No. 14 Audi competed in this year, the team had zero mechanical DNF’s proving the strength of both team and car.

While the Pirelli World Challenge season has come to a close for the team, the crew is already hard at work in preparation for a nmber races in other series. The team is currently in Austin, Texas, for the next round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Series, and in addition, they have several other events scheduled throughout the season.