MG1 Motorsports has confirmed its entry into the 2027 GT World Challenge America (GTWC America) powered by AWS championship, announcing a two-car Ferrari 296 GT3 programme that will compete across the Pro-Am and Am classes. The expansion represents a significant step for the Nevada-based organisation as it prepares to move beyond its established Ferrari Challenge North America activities and into GT3 competition.
Michael Petramalo and Tyler McQuarrie will share the team’s Pro-Am entry, continuing a partnership established during the 2026 Pirelli GT4 America season. Meanwhile, Steve Check and Ken Dobson will contest the Am category, bringing their existing working relationship from Ferrari Challenge into the new programme.
The announcement follows more than two decades of involvement in Ferrari racing for MG1 Motorsports, whose history in Ferrari Challenge North America dates back to 2005. With an initial two-day test already completed at Thunderhill Raceway Park, the team has begun preparing its cars and personnel ahead of the championship’s opening round at Sonoma Raceway in April.
MG1 Motorsports expands beyond Ferrari Challenge
MG1 Motorsports will enter GTWC America following an extensive period competing within the Ferrari Challenge North America paddock. Based in Reno, Nevada, the organisation has developed experience operating Ferrari racing machinery while establishing relationships with drivers and personnel across its programmes.
Its graduation to GT3 represents a substantial expansion, introducing the demands of multi-class competition and a longer endurance-focused race format. Unlike the single-driver structure associated with Ferrari Challenge, GTWC America requires driver pairings to manage shared race responsibilities, including driver changes, pit-stop procedures and strategy across extended periods of competition.
MG1 will enter both the Pro-Am and Am classes, requiring the team to develop a programme capable of supporting two different driver combinations while competing against established North American GT3 organisations.
Team Principal Bobby Golasinski believes the move reflects the organisation’s continued development and its commitment to establishing a competitive presence in the championship.
“Entering GT World Challenge America marks an exciting new chapter for MG1 Motorsports and a significant step forward for our team,” said Golasinski. “We’ve assembled a talented and experienced team, with the people, resources and technical expertise to take on this new challenge. Competing with two cars across the Pro-Am and Am classes is an exciting opportunity, and our focus is on building a competitive program from the outset.”
Golasinski highlights continuity with existing drivers
Although MG1 will enter a new category, the organisation intends to build its programme around relationships established through its previous racing activities. Rather than introducing an entirely unfamiliar group of competitors, the team has selected drivers who already share experience and established working relationships.
Both entries will operate under the MG1 Motorsports banner, with coordinated engineering, technical preparation and race operations. The structure is intended to provide a consistent approach across the two cars while allowing each driver pairing to receive dedicated support throughout the championship.
For Golasinski, maintaining those relationships represents an important aspect of the team’s expansion, particularly as it prepares to compete against organisations with extensive experience in GT3 machinery.
“What’s especially rewarding is making this move alongside drivers who have placed their trust in MG1. We’ve always taken pride in the relationships we’ve developed over the years, and we’re committed to bringing that same dedication and personal approach to our GT3 program.”
The approach will allow MG1 to draw on its existing experience while developing the additional technical capabilities required for GTWC America. With two entries sharing the same Ferrari platform, the team will also have opportunities to compare setup information and operational data throughout race weekends.
Petramalo and McQuarrie reunite for Pro-Am campaign
Michael Petramalo and Tyler McQuarrie will lead MG1’s Pro-Am effort, continuing their partnership after competing together in the 2026 Pirelli GT4 America championship.
The pair previously shared the #38 BimmerWorld Racing BMW M4 GT4 Evo, gaining experience competing against established Pro-Am combinations across the SRO America calendar. Their 2026 campaign provided opportunities to develop communication, race management and a working relationship that they will now carry into GT3 competition.
The move introduces a considerably different challenge, with the Ferrari 296 GT3 offering greater aerodynamic performance and a different technical platform from their previous BMW machinery. The championship’s longer races will also increase the importance of managing tyre performance, maintaining consistency and coordinating driver changes.
Petramalo believes the opportunity represents an important milestone in his racing development, particularly as he prepares to compete alongside McQuarrie in a more demanding category.
“Stepping into the SRO GT World Challenge with MG1 Motorsports represents the exact challenge I’ve been working toward,” said Petramalo. “This two-car program gives us an immediate competitive edge against North America’s best GT teams. Between Tyler’s experience and this team’s relentless technical preparation, we have every tool required to take home a championship. I’m hungry to get to work, leave everything on the track and put MG1 in victory lane starting at round one.”
McQuarrie targets victories in first season with MG1
McQuarrie brings substantial experience from North American motorsport, having competed across multiple disciplines before establishing himself in sports car racing. His familiarity with SRO competition and experience alongside Petramalo should provide an important foundation as the pair prepares for the GT3 transition.
The two drivers finished eighth in the 2026 Pirelli GT4 America Pro-Am standings with BimmerWorld, giving them a complete season of experience together before joining MG1. Their existing partnership could prove valuable when developing the Ferrari’s setup and adapting to GTWC America’s sporting requirements.
McQuarrie has emphasised the importance of the team’s engineering resources and preparation, particularly as MG1 enters a championship featuring established customer racing operations from several manufacturers.
“Joining MG1 Motorsports for the 2027 SRO GT World Challenge season is an incredible Milestone,” said McQuarrie. “The preparation, resources and engineering behind this effort provide the exact foundation required to fight at the sharp end of the field. Having Michael alongside me gives us double the data, faster chassis development and the tools needed to contend at the front of the field. We arrive with one shared mindset: execute cleanly, win races and contend for the GT World Challenge championship.”
The pair will aim to translate their GT4 experience into competitive Pro-Am performances, although the team has yet to complete its first GTWC America race.
Check and Dobson step up to GT3 in Am category
The team’s second Ferrari will compete in the Am class, with Steve Check and Ken Dobson forming an established pairing following their involvement in Ferrari Challenge.
Their participation represents an important progression for both competitors, particularly as they move from single-make racing into a championship featuring more powerful GT3 machinery, shared driving duties and longer contests.
Check’s motorsport journey began relatively recently, making his progression to GTWC America especially significant. He and Dobson have worked together in a coach-and-driver relationship, developing familiarity and mutual understanding that should assist them during the transition.
Although both will face a new competitive environment, their existing relationship provides a foundation for communication and cooperation as they adapt to the Ferrari GT3.
“I’m excited to continue my surreal sportscar racing journey. As of five years ago, I’d never driven a car on a racetrack. But, by being open minded to opportunities that life presents, Ken Dobson and I will now be living a dream of racing a Ferrari GT3 car in the 2027 GT World Challenge America championship!” Check said.
“Ken and I have worked closely together as coach/driver in the Ferrari Challenge series, where we have always challenged ourselves to be the best that we can be. We look forward to being supported by MG1’s exceptional professional staff and racing with our teammate, Mike Petramalo.”
Two-car structure provides shared technical development
Operating two Ferrari 296 GT3 entries will allow MG1 to establish a coordinated technical programme as it gains experience in GTWC America. Although the Pro-Am and Am crews will compete in separate classifications, both cars will benefit from the team’s shared engineering and operational resources.
The arrangement may prove particularly valuable during practice sessions, when information collected across both entries can help engineers evaluate setup changes, tyre behaviour and the cars’ responses to different circuit conditions. However, the drivers will still need to adapt individually to GT3 machinery and develop their racecraft against experienced competitors.
The championship’s endurance-focused format introduces additional responsibilities beyond outright lap time. Teams must plan driver changes, manage pit-stop execution and balance performance across extended stints, making operational consistency an important part of the programme.
MG1 will join a growing group of organisations committing to the 2027 GTWC America season. The championship has also welcomed ACI Motorsports’ return with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, while Random Vandals Racing has outlined plans for a possible two-car BMW programme.
Initial Ferrari 296 GT3 test completed at Thunderhill
Preparations for MG1’s debut campaign are already underway, with the team completing an initial two-day test at Thunderhill Raceway Park in California.
The running provided an opportunity for the organisation to begin evaluating the Ferrari 296 GT3 and developing its understanding of the machinery before entering a competitive GTWC America environment. It also marked an important step in preparing the drivers and engineering personnel for the demands of their new programme.
Further testing and development are planned before the opening round, allowing MG1 to continue refining its procedures and gaining familiarity with the cars.
That preparation will be particularly important because the team is introducing two entries simultaneously rather than building experience through a single-car programme. Ensuring consistency across both operations will therefore be an important consideration during the opening stages of the season.
While MG1 has expressed its ambition to challenge for victories from the outset, its initial competitive position will become clearer once the championship begins at Sonoma Raceway. The intervening testing programme will provide an opportunity to address technical and operational challenges before the first race weekend.
