GMG Racing heads to Barber Motorsports Park determined to reclaim the 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) America powered by AWS Pro-Am championship lead after Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent lost the top spot for the first time this season at Road America.
Washington and Sargent sit only three points behind Dave Musial Jr. and Ryan Yardley entering the penultimate round, having carried a season-high 12-point advantage into the previous event. An unavoidable early accident left the #32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo without points at Road America, allowing the Wright Motorsports pairing to move ahead with their third-place class finish. The Road America race consequently transformed what had been GMG Racing’s strongest championship position of the season into a closely contested fight before Barber and the Indianapolis 8 Hour finale.
Washington will also have a busy weekend beyond the three-hour GTWC America race, with the Bronze-rated driver contesting both GT America powered by AWS sprint races in a sister #32 Porsche. He enters Barber third in the SRO3 standings and remains in contention for a second consecutive top-three championship finish.
Road America accident ends GMG Racing’s points streak
Washington and Sargent arrived at Road America having scored in each of the opening four GTWC America rounds, building their Pro-Am championship challenge through a combination of outright pace and consistent results.
They had increased their advantage to 12 points following Round 4 at Road Atlanta, where they recovered from a short-pit-stop penalty to finish third in class and fourth overall. Sargent also set the fastest lap, helping the pair maintain control of a championship they had led from the season opener.
Road America started encouragingly as Washington and Sargent topped the opening Practice session with a 2m04.606, putting their Porsche ahead of eventual Pro-Am winners Brayton Williams and Daniel Morad. However, their race ended during the opening stages when an incident developed ahead of Washington through the high-speed Kink. With nowhere to escape the trouble, he was caught in the accident and forced to retire.
The result marked the first time all season that GMG Racing failed to score in GTWC America.
Team Principal and Founder James Sofronas stressed that Washington emerging unharmed from the impact remained the most important outcome, while praising the crew for repairing the Porsche ahead of Barber.
“It goes without saying, but the most important thing is that Kyle was uninjured and is OK after what was a pretty hard and unexpected hit at Road America,” said GMG Racing Team Principal and Founder James Sofronas. “It was a fast train of cars racing into the high-speed Kink portion of Road America, which is always a challenge enough, but when some of them came together just in front, Kyle checked up and reacted properly but unfortunately, others didn’t and he was hit from behind… there was nothing Kyle could do. So, we come to Road America on the rebound and ready to retake the GT World Challenge Pro-Am points leads. I can’t thank the GMG Racing crew enough for getting the No. 32 back together and ready to go.”
While the quote references Road America, GMG Racing’s next opportunity to respond comes at Barber, where Washington and Sargent need only a small swing to return to the championship lead.
Three points separate GMG Racing and Wright Motorsports
The Road America retirement allowed Musial and Yardley to move to 80 points, while Washington and Sargent remain on 77.
Wright Motorsports had entered Wisconsin 12 points behind GMG Racing but capitalised with another podium, finishing third in Pro-Am behind TR3 Racing and RS1. The result placed Musial and Yardley at the head of the championship following Round 5, although the margin remains only three points with Barber and Indianapolis still to come.
The gap makes Barber particularly important because the Indianapolis 8 Hour will award an enlarged points haul at the season finale. A strong result in Alabama would therefore allow either pairing to establish a valuable cushion before the championship concludes in a race where additional drivers, international entries and eight hours of competition introduce significantly more variables.
RS1 also remains firmly involved. Jan Heylen sits third in the Drivers’ standings on 66 points, while the team trails Wright and GMG in the Pro-Am Teams’ Championship. That leaves Barber capable of changing the championship picture considerably before the field arrives at Indianapolis.
Barber provides encouraging history for Washington and Sargent
GMG Racing arrives at a circuit where its #32 pairing has consistently demonstrated strong pace.
Washington and Sargent came close to winning at Barber during the 2025 GTWC America weekend, when the championship still used two 90-minute races rather than the three-hour endurance format introduced for 2026. Sargent started the second race from pole and the pair eventually finished second, producing their strongest result of that event.
The circuit’s combination of elevation changes, flowing corners and heavy braking zones has also suited both Porsche machinery and Washington’s driving style in previous seasons.
Washington remains particularly enthusiastic about returning to the 2.38-mile Alabama venue.
“Barber Motorsports Park is just such a great time with the fantastic motorcycle museum Mr. Barber put together there in the park,” Washington said. “And the track, with its undulations and the braking zones, is definitely one of the coolest circuits.”
The undulating layout creates a significantly different challenge from Road America. Rather than relying heavily on straight-line speed, Barber rewards confidence through linked sequences and places greater emphasis on maintaining momentum through its faster sections.
That characteristic could prove useful for a Porsche package that has already enjoyed considerable success in Pro-Am this season.
Sargent sees Barber as potential turning point
Sargent has identified Barber as one of the events he expected to suit the #32 Porsche particularly well even before the championship reached its closing stages.
The Australian has already played a central role in GMG Racing’s 2026 title challenge. Washington and Sargent won the Pro-Am season opener at Sonoma before adding another victory at Sebring following penalties elsewhere in the field.
Their Sebring success came after Sargent repeatedly demonstrated strong pace during the weekend, including topping Practice 2 before the pair eventually inherited the Pro-Am victory following post-race penalties.
Barber now offers another opportunity to capitalise on a circuit where both driver and car have previously performed strongly.
“This is the one we have been looking forward to the most all year,” Sargent said. “It was our best track in 2024 and it was our best track in 2025. I am excited for it to be the same again. I think the new Evo Porsche package will be very good there, and it has obviously always been a good track for the Porsche. “
Unfortunately, we are not leading the championship at the moment but it is still very tight. That means that basically we need to win at Barber to give ourselves the biggest improvement we can going into the finale at the Indy 8 Hour, which pays double points. Barber is a good track for Kyle, it’s a bit more suited to his driving style, and it’s a different beast than the other tracks we drive all year. I am excited about this one, and I think it is going to be successful.”
A victory would guarantee a substantial championship swing even if Musial and Yardley finish near the front, while another non-score could make Indianapolis considerably more difficult.
GT Academy provides another championship target for Sargent
Sargent enters Barber leading another title fight through the SRO GT Academy.
He dominated the Academy scoring through the opening four rounds, earning 36 points at Sonoma, COTA, Sebring and Road Atlanta. His Road America retirement ended that perfect run and limited him to 12 points, but his earlier advantage means he still leads Yardley comfortably.
After five rounds, Sargent has 156 points compared with Yardley’s 95 and Zachary Vanier’s 86. The Academy contest therefore presents a considerably more secure position than his Pro-Am campaign despite the Road America setback.
Sargent’s season has combined those Academy results with consistently strong GT3 performances. The #32 Porsche has regularly featured near the top of Practice and Qualifying sessions, while GMG Racing’s two Pro-Am victories helped establish the team as the early championship benchmark.
Barber gives him another opportunity to strengthen both campaigns before the season-ending Indianapolis weekend.
Washington pulls double duty with GT America programme
Washington will divide his focus between endurance and sprint competition throughout the Alabama weekend.
Alongside his GTWC America programme with Sargent, he will drive a sister #32 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo in the two GT America races. The single-driver championship uses a pair of 40-minute sprints, requiring a substantially different approach from the three-hour GTWC America contest.
Washington arrives third in the SRO3 standings and remains involved in the fight for a top-three championship finish for the second consecutive year. Barber hosts Rounds 11 and 12 before GT America concludes with another doubleheader at Indianapolis.
The compressed format means Washington will spend considerably more time in the car across the weekend, but it also gives him additional circuit mileage before Sunday’s GTWC America race.
His first GT America contest begins at midday on Saturday before Race 2 follows on Sunday morning, only a few hours before the three-hour GTWC America race begins.
New livery adds another element to Barber weekend
Washington has also promised a visual change for his GT America Porsche at Barber, although he has deliberately avoided revealing the details before the car appears on track.
The American is known for distinctive programmes and liveries across his various racing activities, and he expects the latest design to attract attention both at the circuit and among viewers following the weekend remotely.
“This weekend, and I don’t want to say too much, but everybody needs to tune in to the race for a little surprise on our car, and it will be worth a good laugh or two.” Washington said. “I think it is going to be all the rage for the fans that are there and for the fans watching from home.”
The change does not affect the championship objectives, but it adds another feature to an already busy weekend for Washington as he balances two different series and three races.
GMG Racing enters decisive stage of season
Barber begins the final phase of a campaign in which GMG Racing has remained near the front of the Pro-Am order from the opening round.
Washington and Sargent took victory at Sonoma and inherited another win at Sebring before podium finishes elsewhere allowed them to build what became a 12-point championship advantage. Their Road America retirement changed that momentum quickly, but the narrow three-point deficit means the title remains firmly within reach.
The team also has strong reason to expect a response. Barber has previously suited both drivers, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo has shown front-running pace there, and Sargent considers the Alabama circuit one of the strongest opportunities remaining on the calendar.
Sunday’s three-hour race begins at 12:30pm local time, following two Practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, another Practice session on Saturday afternoon and both Qualifying segments on Sunday morning.
The objective is straightforward. GMG Racing arrived at Road America protecting the championship lead and left chasing it. At Barber, Washington and Sargent have the opportunity to reverse that swing before the double-points Indianapolis 8 Hour decides the 2026 Pro-Am title.
