Aussie and Kiwi Indianapolis drives confirmed
Australia’s Tom Sargent and New Zealand’s Brendon Leitch have locked in starts for the GT World Challenge America finale at Indianapolis.
The 13th and final round of the GT World Challenge America season will be held at the Indianapolis Road Course on October 5.
Trans-Tasman motorsport fans will both have a driver to cheer on when the eight-hour race takes place.
Since taking a breakthrough win at Virginia International Raceway, Sargent has continued his strong form by scoring a second place at Road America in Wisconsin and recording the fastest lap at Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama.
Sargent and Canadian Kyle Washington will be joined by Turkish born Porsche ace Ayhancan Guven for the trip to the Brickyard.
Guven will be familiar to Australian fans after he won the Bathurst 12 Hour on the first attempt with Matt Campbell and Lauren Vanthoor this year.
Tom Sargent racing at Virginia.
Sargent is ecstatic to have Guven as a co-driver for the 8 hour enduro.
“I came into 2024 with no Porsche GT3R experience so the whole year has been a massive learning curve, coming to grips with a new team, a new car and more new circuits I have never seen before,” he said.
“I am so fortunate to be given the opportunity to work with someone as experienced as Ayhancan who I hope to learn as much as I can off over the weekend”
“I can’t thank, Porsche, GMG, Kyle Washington and EBOOST Energy Drinks enough for their
support and having faith in me by providing me this opportunity.”
Kiwi Leitch, who has been battling at the front of the GT World Challenge Australia field will be hoping to make an impression in the American version.
The Kiwi will race for Earl Bamber Motorsport alongside Denmark’s Bastian Buus and Malaysia’s Adrian D’Silva in the Pro-Am class.
The Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche to race at Indianapolis.
It means just two weeks after making his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Leitch return to the famed circuit to jump behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R 992 again.
“I’m stoked that Earl has invited me back to the team for Indianapolis,” said Leitch.
“It was really disappointing not to feature at Spa and I know between myself and Adrian we’ve definitely got some unfinished business.
“For me personally, there is no reason why I shouldn’t be at the top of my game having only just raced at Indy in IMSA.
“I know I had a lot left in me. It will be good to go back after just a couple of weeks. It’ll be like I never left!
“Porsche currently leads the IGTC manufacturers’ championship so we want to do them proud and give them the best chance possible of winning that for the first time since 2020.
“I’m looking forward to racing with Bastian too given his pedigree as a Porsche factory driver.”
READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF AUTO ACTION HERE
Don’t forget the print edition of Auto Action available via subscription here. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.
