GT World Challenge America powered by AWS has two races in the next three weeks to finish off their season. With double points on offer at Indianapolis, it would do teams a world of good to have a good day this weekend. Awaiting the series in the Deep South is a picturesque, natural flowing road course that while subtle can bite you in a hurry. Round six brings us to Barber Motorsports Park outside of Birmingham for GT World Alabama.
PRO: Momentum Building?
If you are Turner Motorsport, you have to like where you are right now. A second win of the season, coming in the span of the last three races, has them in prime position. Robby Foley and Justin Rothburg enter Barber only four points out of the championship lead. Furthermore, there is optimism Barber can keep the good times going. Rothburg and Foley won here last year in the Pro-Am class. Additionally, BMW won outright as well with Random Vandals when they were in Pro. There is a track record that BMW is fast and runs well here. Time will tell if the trend continues.
JMF Motorsports also has reason to be positive as they also won at Barber last year. Despite their championship lead, this team looks to get back on winning ways. After their performance at the season opener at Sonoma, you thought this would be a walk in the park. Nevertheless, Mikael Grenier and Michai Stephens have not won a race outright since. Also, they have not won in Pro since Round 2 at COTA. It’s not for lack of speed. Regardless of self-inflicted wounds or mechanical failure, the team has allowed this championship to stay close. Barber for JMF may just be a place where they can prove to themselves they can finish the job.
Finally, Matias Perez Companc could use a win. After engine failure struck at Road America, the Argentine is now 16 points back. Companc gets his regular partner in Frederik Schandorff back for this weekend. Their first task this weekend will be to keep the AF Corse USA Ferrari up front and make up some much-needed ground in the points.
One Noticeable Absence
There could be a hiccup in gaining points for AF Corse USA as there is one glaring omission on the entry list. The Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang looks set to miss this weekend’s action. It has been reported driver Cameron Lawrence is no longer with the outfit, but no official team statement has been released. Although it is worth noting Dollahite’s No. 6 is listed a Pro-Am entry for next month’s Indianapolis 8 Hours.
Significantly on the points picture, only four cars are entered for the Pro class. With the maximum points swing for Barber only being ten points, that will mean mistakes for the chasing pack will have to be few. Double points and more cars in class will mean Indy will still carry weight but a clean Barber weekend will go a long way to crowning a champion in Pro.
PRO-AM: Very Tight Indeed
One accident at Road America and throw away everything you thought you knew about Pro-Am. Kyle Washington and Tom Sargeant looked to be on cruise control, leading the points for three of the first four rounds. But with Washington swept up in the massive wreck last time out, GMG went pointless for the first time this season. With an open door, Ryan Yardley and Dave Musial Jr. busted right in and took advantage. Their class podium and the third-place points with it gives them a three-point advantage going to Barber.
Like Road America, Pro-Am will see a stacked grid. Fifteen cars are listed on the entry list. It will likely be fourteen starters as Chouest Povoledo Racing will not take part after the practice sessions with their Corvette. Also amongst the fifteen is HP-Tech Motorsport. The team is back after a short-lived debut at Road America that saw Tony Davis out early in a solo crash. The goal this time will be to get laps in race conditions and hand a healthy car over to co-driver Scott Andrews.
With more than ten cars starting, that means you can finish this race without points to your name. With Road America the latest reminder of this possibility, limiting mistakes and staying clean is vital.
The Outsider…Or Outsiders?
The one driver who can get in and make this a three-horse race going to Indianapolis is Jan Heylen. Going into Barber, Heylen is fourteen points back of Yardley and Musial. The RS1 driver, as of now, is still eligible for the Pro-Am championship despite changing Bronze drivers mid-season. JP Martinez last raced at Road Atlanta in June when he was collected in an accident, the only non-points finish for RS1 this season. For Road America, Danny Dyszelski replaced Martinez in the lineup and will again partner Heylen at Barber.
Heylen’s second runner-up this season came after losing out to Daniel Morad in the closing stages at Road America. Heylen now has finished on the podium in all four races he has finished.
This may be a stretch, but Heylen may not be the only outsider. Jason Daskalos, like Heylen, also swapped drivers mid-season. After teaming with Lorcan Hanafin for the first three races, Philip Ellis came in on what was initially a one-off. The Swiss driver then proceeded to win the race outright in Atlanta. Ellis is now Daskalos partner to finish the season and consider this. Daskalos’ point tally has doubled in his two races with Ellis. No reason to believe that number won’t grow at Barber.
AM: Ozz is Back
Finally, while we are back to just the sole entry in the Am class, there is some good news. After missing the last two races due to injury, Oswaldo Negri is back to finish the season. The Brazilian returns to the No. 163 AF Corse USA Ferrari alongside Jay Schribeman. As we have discussed championship in the other class, there is a note to make here. All Schribeman has to do is fulfil his minimum drive time in the final two races and he will officially clinch the Am class champion for 2026.
SRO America Programme
The rest of the weekend’s schedule includes the following series
- TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School (Rounds 11 & 12)
- Pirelli GT4 America (Rounds 10 & 11)
- Toyota GR Cup North America (Rounds 11 & 12)
- GT America powered by AWS (Rounds 11 & 12)
GT World Challenge America On-Track Schedule
All times CT US
Friday
- 8:45-10:15am: Test Session
- 1:30-2:00pm: Bronze Drivers Session
- 4:45-5:45pm: Free Practice 1
Saturday
- 10:15-11:15am: Free Practice 2
- 2:50-3:20pm: Free Practice 3
Sunday
- 8:30-9:05am: Qualifying
- 12:30pm: Race (3 Hours)
SRO America Streaming Schedule
The following sessions will be streamed live on the GT World YouTube Channel
Friday
- 11:15am ET/9:15am PT: TC America – Race 1
- 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT: GT4 America – Race 1
Saturday
- 10:25am ET/7:25am PT: TC America – Race 2
- 1:00pm ET/10:00am PT: GT America – Race 1
- 2:35pm ET/11:35am PT: GT4 America – Race 2
- 4:40pm ET/1;40pm PT: Toyota GR Cup NA – Race 1
Sunday
- 9:30am ET/6:30am PT: GTWC America – Qualifying
- 10:25am ET/7:25am PT: GT America – Race 2
- 11:25am ET/8:25am PT: Toyota GR Cup NA – Race 2
- 1:30pm ET/10:30am PT: GTWC America – Race
International viewers, check YouTube for streaming times in your area.
Stay tuned for our weekend on-track notebooks for all the racing action from Barber Motorsports Park.
Headline Photo: GT World Challenge America racing at Barber in 2025 – Photo Courtesy: Fabian Lagunas/SRO Motorsports Group
