C8 Corvettes go missing at Sonoma in SRO GT World Challenge America Series opener
Two Mercedes AMG GT3 cars from last year stood in for the SRO GT World Challenge America Series at Sonoma Raceway, a 12-turn, 2.505-mile track in the California wine country.
David Askew’s DXDT team from Statesville NC is awaiting Corvettes Z06 GT3.R chassis 009 and 010. They are hoped to be readied for the second round at Sebring over the weekend of May 3-5.
The lone Corvette racing at Sonoma was the # 70 C7 GT3.R Callaway Corvette of Mirco Schultis. His Mishu Racing Team is once again doing the SRO GT America Series which ranks in status below the SRO GT World Challenge Series.
Mirco finished 4th and 9th on Saturday and Sunday in 1-hour sprint races for bronze-rated drivers.
Johnny O’Connell, a star during his prime years with the GM Corvette Racing Team, is also rated bronze. Johnny won the Sunday race driving an Audi R8 GT3 for the SKI Racing team of Kent Hussey, a magnanimous ex-racer and collector of Corvette and other race cars.
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Back to the World Challenge series, DXDT was allocated the final two Z06 GT3.R slated to race in 2024. Yet rumor is that just one will see action this year alongside one of their AMGs.
Driver assignments remain to be announced.
The SRO folks opted for the Z06 GT3.R on its fan guide cover nonetheless!!
For the record, Jeff Burton in the DXDT # 91 AMG won the pole for race 1 but he and Philip Ellis finished well back in 8th; and finished 7th in race 2. The DXDT # 08 AMG of Scott Smithson & Bryan Sellers finished 7th and 4th respectively.
SRO World Challenge races pair-up pro and amateur drivers and run for 90 minutes. A pit stop of at least 4 minutes is required to change drivers. In case think there is time to snooze, should strategy call to re-fuel, change tires and brake pads, that time is gone in a flash.
Photos courtesy SRO
