SANTA ANA, Calif. – Continuing a heritage that has surpassed two decades in the Pirelli World Challenge, Global Motorsports Group (GMG Racing) officials announce a three-car program for the upcoming Pirelli World Challenge season GTS competition.

Campaigning the prolific new Audi R8 LMS GT4 in two full-season programs, drivers George Kurtz and James Sofronas will compete full-time, joined by Colin Braun and Alex Welch respectively, while development driver Elias Sabo will also return with co-driver Andy Lee for the SprintX events, driving the McLaren 570S GT4.

“I couldn’t be more excited to kick off a new era for the GTS ranks,” stated team owner James Sofronas. “The series’ adopting the complete GT4 specification of racing has done wonders for the GTS category, and I truly believe this will feature some of the best racing in the world. The new era of GT4 racing features some of the greatest marques in motorsport, and the platform delivered by Audi and McLaren has proven exceptional, especially for our driver development program. It’s great to have George Kurtz and everyone at Crowdstrike back. Coming off an exceptional championship season in 2017, we’re thrilled to see his return and goal to defend. Having Colin Braun as a teammate for SprintX only sweetens the program, as Colin’s reputation speaks for itself. Similarly, having Elias Sabo join us in the big ranks for SprintX should prove a great experience. Elias has shown a phenomenal development curve over the years, and this is a great way to transition to pro racing. Having another pro in Andy Lee can only help in their effort. On my end, I’m of course excited about a full-year of GTS racing, but it’s also great to have Alex Welch back with us. Alex has been a staple of the team for several years, and we’re happy to welcome him home and compete at a top-level.”

Driving the No. 04 CrowdStrike Audi R8 LMS GT4, Kurtz will enter his second full season of competition on the heels of a fantastic 2017 GTSA season. Just one year ago, Kurtz began a record run in his first full season of competition, winning nine races and visiting the podium 12 times, a feat he will look to match in 2018 with the new Audi.

Adding to his efforts, Kurtz will also campaign the full SprintX championship, bringing in veteran Braun to the team for the Pro-Am category. No stranger to success, Braun joins the team as a veteran of both GT and prototype competition, including multiple championships in IMSA and even a victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

For George Kurtz, a return to PWC is one he relishes.

“PWC has been a great platform for CrowdStrike Racing,” stated Kurtz. “We’ll run a full season with some familiar faces, like my talented co-driver Colin and the crew at GMG. Defending my championship title with the new Audi R8 will be a fun challenge, but I’m confident we’ll have another great year with PWC. Hosting our first CXO Summit at St. Pete as an official series sponsor will be a nice way to kick it all off.”