GT America Draws 31 Cars For Nashville Round

For the second time in 2022, SRO Motorsports Group America’s multi-class, all-Bronze sprint series will have its own standalone event on a temporary street circuit. GT America powered by AWS heads to the street circuit in Nashville, Tennessee this weekend, supporting the IndyCar Music City Grand Prix.

A 31-car provisional entry list for the Nashville double header was announced this Friday, during a busy day of SRO-related announcements for the upcoming season.

GT AMERICA NASHVILLE PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST >>

The field includes eleven SRO3 class entries, with some returning faces. For the first time since the opening round in St. Petersburg, Florida, DXDT Racing will field their pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3s, the Qelo Capital-sponsored #08 for Scott Smithson, and the USALCO-sponsored #63 for team owner David Askew.

Triarsi Competizione will field a second Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo this weekend – the #23 of GT World Challenge America Am Cup points leader Onofrio Triarsi, who joins full-season driver Justin Wetherill in the #37.

Also returning for the first time since St. Pete is Bret Curtis in the #62 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3, who won Race 2 in Nasvhille one year ago. Kyle Washington returns for the first time since Sonoma, piloting his #032 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R.

They’ll all be chasing after the #04 CrowdStrike with Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 of George Kurtz, who comes in after a class victory in this weekend’s 24 Hours of Spa. Kurtz has also won the last four GT America races in succession, giving the CrowdStrike President, CEO & Co-Founder a healthy 53 point lead in the SRO3 Drivers’ Championship eight races in to the 16-race season.

Jason Daskalos (#27 Daskalos Motorsports Audi R8 LMS Ultra) and Jason Harward (#88 Zelus Motorsports Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo) have won races earlier this season. Sitting second and third in the standings, they could each use another victory or two to help close the gap to Kurtz.

Joining these eleven contemporary and classic GT3s is the sole #58 Audi R8 LMS GT2 of CJ Moses, who makes his third appearance of the season. Moses’ best overall finish this season is sixth at VIRginia International Raceway Race 2.

19 GT4 cars supplement the field, including Tennessee native H.E. “Rusty” Bittle, currently listed as an Invitational entry in his #7 Flatrock Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR.

A streak of seven different winners in seven races ended when 16-year-old Seth Lucas swept the weekend at Watkins Glen, but Lucas and his #016 Hattori Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4 aren’t entered in Nashville.

This puts the spotlight back on three drivers who are separated by just 23 points at the top of the GT4 standings. St. Petersburg Race 2 winner Jason Bell (#2 GMG Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4) escaped Watkins Glen with a five-point advantage over Ross Chouest (#50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Vantage GT4), the only driver to have scored points in all eight races this season. Moisey Uretsky (#55 Accelerating Performance Vantage GT4) lost ground after a difficult weekend at the Glen, managing just one point over two races.

Two other drivers worth keeping an eye on are Chris Cagnazzi (#39 Cameron Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4), who was a winner in last year’s trip to the Music City, and Marko Radisic (#22 SRQ Motorsports BMW M4 GT4), who won Race 1 at St. Pete in February.

New and entries for the class this weekend include the aforementioned Rusty Bittle, as well as another native of Tennessee, Matt Forbush (#33 Forbush Performance GR Supra). Regal Motorsports/Bartone Bros. Racing have a two-car effort headed by the legend Andy Pilgrim in their #3 Cayman MR, and Anthony Bartone in #427. Fast Track Racing also appear for the first time this season with their #11 BMW driven by Jayson Clunie, and Edgar Lau will drive the #124 ARG/Rotek Racing Ford Mustang GT4.

Race 1 kicks off Saturday evening at 7:25 PM CDT (local time), and then it’s a tight turnaround for Race 2 on Sunday morning at 10:55 AM CDT.

Feature image © Brian Cleary / SRO Motorsports Group America