Insight: What's New for Fanatec GT World Challenge America in 2024?

A look at the new drivers, teams and cars that are set to be on the grid over the course of the season...

The 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS season kicks off this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, featuring new machinery, a number of exciting fresh driver pairings as well additional content that’s still to come later in the season.

While the Pro class, which mandates at least one Silver-rated driver in each lineup, features three cars, each lineup and team have notable changes or additions to its roster for the upcoming season.

Racers Edge Motorsports, which stepped into top-class GT3 competition last year with its Acura NSX GT3 EVO22 with Mario Farnbacher and Ashton Harrison, features an all-new driver roster in former open-wheel turned sports car racing ace Zach Veach, alongside up-and-comer Luca Mars.

Perennial Pro-Am squad Wright Motorsports has made the step up, courtesy of Adam Adelson’s strong runs in Fanatec GT competition last year that’s made him a legitimate Silver-rated driver, alongside Elliott Skeer. The duo finished runner-up in the Pro-Am standings last year.

Then there’s ST Racing, which expands into a two-car BMW M4 GT3 effort, with BMW legend Bill Auberlen joining the Canadian team alongside Varun Choksey, also in the Pro class.

ST’s sister BMW, which will continue competing in the stacked Pro-Am ranks, sees team owner Samantha Tan paired with BMW factory driver Neil Verhagen for their first full-time campaign together, which will be one to watch.

Other new content out of the BMW camp comes from Turner Motorsport, which returns to Fanatec GT America competition after largely a season away, and brings Ferrari Challenge race winner Justin Rothberg to GT3 competition alongside BMW works driver and longtime Turner ace Robby Foley.

In terms of new cars, the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo will be making its series debut this weekend with the new Flying Lizard Motorsports effort of Andy Lee and Elias Sabo, who graduates to the top series after a race-winning Pirelli GT4 America campaign.

While it’s the only new car on the grid for Sonoma, out of the five GT3 manufacturers represented, a sixth brand in Chevrolet is set to join Fanatec GT America action later this year with DXDT Racing having announced plans to field up to two of the new Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, including one for Bryan Sellers and Scott Smithson.

Sellers and Smithson, meanwhile, will start their season in Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo machinery, alongside the sister DXDT entry of Jeff Burton and Mercedes-AMG factory driver Philip Ellis.

While Ellis will be making his full-season Fanatec GT America debut, Chouest Povoledo Racing will be too, with its Mercedes-AMG set for Pro-Am honors with the longtime driver pairing of Ross Chouest and Aaron Povoledo that had previously competed with Aston Martin Vantage GT4 machinery.

There’s also another new team to series’ competition in Canadian outfit MMG, which brings a Porsche 911 GT3 R for former IndyCar series ace Alex Tagliani and Jean-Frederic Laberge to the series, which will be another one to watch.

Alongside series’ staples such as CrowdStrike by Riley (Colin Braun, George Kurtz) and GMG Racing, which fields Porsche Carrera Cup race winner Thomas Sargent for a season-long campaign with Kyle Washington, there’s plenty to look forward to in Sonoma.

With new Corvettes on their way, potentially as early as the second or third rounds of the season at Sebring International Raceway or Circuit of The Americas respectively, fellow Detroit rival Ford could also have a presence in the series with at least one Mustang GT3 before years’ end.

And that’s not counting race-by-race entries such as Esses Racing, which will be on the grid at Sonoma, and additional teams understood to be finalizing programs to come online in the races to come.

Ferrari, which was represented by both Triarsi Competizione and Conquest Racing last year, are among the manufacturers that could re-appear later this season. A 296 GT3 is already entered in GT America powered by AWS by AF Corse.

While the grid for Sonoma may be lower than some had expected, the season will undoubtedly continue to produce hard-fought racing, highlighted by the number of newcomers to SRO America’s flagship series.

Photos: ST Racing, Aston Martin, CrowdStrike Racing