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NEW ORLEANS – NOLA Motorsports Park, the premier racing venue in the greater New Orleans area, welcomes SRO Motorsports America—the established global leader in GT racing—for a weekend of races April 28-30. Races include the Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS, GT America powered by AWS, Pirelli GT4 America and TC America powered by Skip Barber.
“SRO Motorsports Group is the established global leader in GT racing, whose 2023 season will see more than 100 races run under the SRO banner,” says David Pace, general manager at NOLA Motorsports Park. “Racing across the best circuits from Sonoma to Indianapolis, the three-day race weekends feature 90-min double-header races for complete and exciting race weekends. We’re thrilled to welcome them back to New Orleans April 28-30.”
Pace, who joined NOLA Motorsports Park as general manager in 2021, has initiated much-needed repairs and upgrades to the track’s facilities, and he has helped bring back major races and events. In the spring of 2022, the park hosted its first ticketed event in years (the SVRA NOLA Speedtour). “It was a successful turnout, and they returned to our venue in March 2023,” Pace says. “And directly after that, we hosted SRO for our second ticketed event; they’re now returning at the end of the month.”
The Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS is the premier North American GT series, contributing to the global GT World Challenge championship. Racing across the best circuits in the country, this season focuses on upper-echelon GT3 racing as Fanatec GT welcomes the return of the pro-pairing class. This GT3 exclusive series will feature two 90-minute races over the three-day weekend.
“It’s our second annual race weekend for Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS to be held in New Orleans and at our venue,” Pace says. “Since completing our upgrades, we’ve hosted two races, and we look forward to continuing to build relationships with partners like SRO Motorsports America. Our team is proactively working on initiatives that give us a competitive edge so that when motorsports groups are selecting a park, they choose New Orleans.”
Meanwhile, GT America powered by AWS harkens to the history of single-driver GT sprint racing, while also providing a home to some of the most modern race cars in SRO’s portfolio. The format is a single-driver 40-minute sprint, including GT3, GT2 and GT4 cars in makes such as Audi, Aston Martin, Porsche, Ford, McLaren and Toyota. Two races will take place over the course of the race weekend.
The Pirelli GT4 America offers some of the best wheel-to-wheel racing in North America. This year, Pirelli GT4 America continues its exclusive two-driver entries competing in two 60-minute double-header sprints. Look for car manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ford, Porsche and Toyota on the track.
Finally, TC America powered by Skip Barber consists of three competition classes—TCX, TC and TCA—and all championships will include factory-built or supported turn-key race cars. TCX will be supporting the BMW M2 CS Racing platform and other soon-to-be homologated race cars, while TC and TCA will continue to have all classes racing together in two 40-min sprint races during the race weekend. Manufacturers such as Audi Sport, BMW Motorsports, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, MINI, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen will be represented across the competition grids.
“We will have a full field of cars at each race, keeping the track busy all day long,” Pace says. “Drivers from all around the world will be competing right here in New Orleans in everything from production-style cars to super cars like Ferrari and Lamborghini.”
In addition to the 2.75-mile, 16-turn road course, New Orleans Motorsports Park also offers a world-class karting facility on 30 acres and a 32,000-square-foot event center. The venue also features a 720,000-square-foot paddock, an RV camping site and a Speed Shop that includes a vintage Porsche showroom floor with a window view into a high-performance mechanic shop. Over the upcoming three-day race weekend, attendees also can enjoy food trucks, the Urban South Beer Garden, a kids zone, a pit lane walk and autograph sessions.
In the paddock, visitors can approach team garages and watch as teams tune Mercedes-AMG, Aston Martin, Porsche, Toyota and Chevrolet race cars. On Sunday, the grid walk immediately before Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS Race Two put fans in the mix with cars, crews and officials.
Meanwhile, the autograph sessions are scheduled throughout the weekend for fans to meet the drivers and receive a free SRO America poster. The Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS and GT America powered by AWS take place on Saturday, April 29, at 11 a.m., with Pirelli GT4 America hosting its session later in the day at 2 p.m. TC America powered by Skip Barber along with the Skip Barber Formula Series autograph session happens Sunday, April 30, at noon.
Also, on April 27, driver Derek DeBoer and his wife will read their children’s book, called Fast Life, to a pre-school class from St. George’s Episcopal School as part of a learning excursion. On the tour, the pre-schoolers will get to experience everything that the local track offers, including a tour of the race paddock and race cars, and a meet-and-greet with the NOLA Motorsports team, the race car drivers who will be on site for the SRO race, and the track fire and safety teams.
“The New Orleans preschool class recently selected motorsports as their preferred career category for an educational field trip,” Pace says. “So we get to have 14 students aged 3 to 4, along with their teachers and parents, out here to tour the track and meet our team and SRO race drivers.”
For those who can’t make it out to the SRO Motorsports America races, there’s also the upcoming PanAmerican Superbike race series making its debut at NOLA Motorsports Park May 5-7. A premier motorcycle racing championship that takes place across North, Central and South America, the PanAmerican Superbike series features some of the world’s best riders and teams competing on high-performance motorcycles in various classes.
“It’s always a joy to see new fans who haven’t been out to a race get access to a variety of activities and get up close with the race cars and drivers, including autograph sessions, grid walks and podium celebrations,” Pace says. “We hope that locals will come explore the track and fall in love with motorsports.”
Tickets for the SRO Motorsports America race weekend are $25 for Saturday or Sunday general admission, $50 for three-day general admission and $750 for a VIP Hospitality ticket (for Saturday and Sunday only).
11075 Nicolle Blvd., Avondale, 302-4875, nolamotor.com; sroamerica.com
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