GMG brings championship pursuit to Motor City

SANTA ANA, Calif. - Just two weeks after their third Pirelli World Challenge victory in five races, Global Motorsports Group (GMG) will head to the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix with a clear mission; maximize championship points.

James Sofronas

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

Following a series-record seven entries for the team at the previous round in Austin, GMG will bring three cars to next weekend’s event. Competing on yet another street course, the tricky 2.1-mile temporary circuit located on Detroit’s Belle Isle should prove for a competitive race between many of the top entries.

While the balance, tire management, and reliability of the team’s Audi R8 LMS has played a critical role in their 2013 campaign, the outright pace of the K-Pax Volvo on street courses, the developing strength of the Black Swan Racing Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, and the hometown motivation of the Cadillac CTS-V.R can’t be underestimated.

For Sofronas and the No. 14 Mobil 1 / Children’s Tumor Foundation Audi R8 LMS, approaching the weekend with modest expectations has worked well to this point in the season.

“Every weekend we’ve come in with modest expectations,” stated Sofronas. “This is a very tight group at the front, and the outright pace of some of the other cars has been tough to compete with.

Luck has been on our side, but a lot of that has come through a reliable platform with a great crew, and we’re looking to continue that into Detroit.”

Running on the streets of Belle Isle for the first time in his career, GMG’s Duncan Ende will also return to the No. 24 STANDD / Merchant Services, Ltd. Audi R8 LMS. As a season-long entrant points are always important, but for Ende, walking away with some hardware (in the form of a trophy) is his most coveted goal.

“We’ve shown that we’re capable of a podium, we just need everything to come together,” stated Ende, who was in a podium position during both races of the previous rounds in Austin before bad luck intervened.

“We’ve made great progress over the season with understanding what we need to do to get to the front, and hopefully Detroit will really showcase it. This is a track I’ve always wanted to run at, it has a rich history over the decades and I’m looking forward to seeing the crowd.”

Completing GMG’s Detroit lineup will be Bill Ziegler and the No. 95 Swisher Racing Pontiac Solstice. As the lone Pontiac entry in the series, the opportunity to return to the car’s home city will no doubt be a hit with the locals and should provide a unique piece of nostalgia for the fans.

“I’m looking forward to racing a Pontiac in Detroit,” stated Ziegler. “Austin was a challenging weekend for us, but I think we’ve learned a few things in the process that should help us next weekend. With only three cars at GMG this weekend it will definitely be a different environment, but one I look forward to.”