The 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) America powered by AWS championship arrived at Barber Motorsports Park for its penultimate round, with closely contested title battles and another three-hour race presenting opportunities for the leading contenders to strengthen their positions before Indianapolis.
Following an eventful Road America round, JMF Motorsports arrived in Alabama with a four-point advantage over Turner Motorsport in Pro, while Wright Motorsports led GMG Racing by just three points in Pro-Am. However, the championship order faced another potential reshuffle as teams tackled Barber’s flowing layout and frequent elevation chang
Ultimately, Matias Perez Companc and Frederik Schandorff converted AF Corse USA’s third consecutive overall pole into their second Pro victory of the season, overcoming JMF Motorsports and McCann Racing in a strategic contest. Meanwhile, Aaron Telitz and Todd Coleman secured Archangel Motorsports’ maiden GTWC America Pro-Am victory, while Jay Schreibman and Oswaldo Negri returned AF Corse USA to the top of the Am classification. GMG Racing also regained the Pro-Am championship lead despite narrowly missing the class podium’s second step.
2026 GTWC America: Barber Motorsports Park: GMG Racing dominates Practice
GMG Racing established itself as the early benchmark at Barber Motorsports Park, with Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent topping all three official Practice sessions. Their performance provided an immediate response to the disappointment of Road America, where an opening-lap accident had ended their points-scoring streak and cost them the Pro-Am championship lead.
Friday afternoon’s Practice 1 saw Sargent produce a 1:21.267 in the No. 32 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO. The Pro-Am entry finished 0.201 seconds ahead of TR3 Racing’s Brayton Williams and Daniel Morad, while AF Corse USA’s Perez Companc and Schandorff placed third overall and first in Pro with a 1:21.474.
Wright Motorsports followed in fourth as Dave Musial Jr. and Ryan Yardley continued their championship preparations. RS1 completed the overall top five through Danny Dyszelski and Jan Heylen, while Archangel Motorsports finished sixth with Coleman and Telitz. Consequently, four Pro-Am entries occupied the first five positions, demonstrating the category’s competitiveness.
JMF Motorsports led the remaining Pro competitors through Michai Stephens and Mikael Grenier, who finished 10th overall. Turner Motorsport followed in 12th with Justin Rothberg and Robby Foley, while AF Corse USA’s Schreibman and Negri led the Am category from 16th.
Saturday morning’s Practice 2 brought further improvements as Sargent lowered GMG Racing’s benchmark to 1:20.529. Kellymoss emerged as its closest challenger, with Todd Parriott and Riley Dickinson recording a 1:20.719 to finish second.
HP-TECH Motorsport’s Tony Davis and Scott Andrews placed third in the No. 04 Ferrari 296 GT3, followed by JMF Motorsports’ Pro-Am pairing of Jason Daskalos and Philip Ellis. Archangel Motorsports completed the top five, placing three different manufacturers among the leading five entries.
Meanwhile, Stephens and Grenier recorded a 1:21.336 to finish sixth overall and lead Pro. AF Corse USA followed in ninth, while Turner Motorsport struggled to make an impression on the overall classification and finished 19th. Negri again led Am, improving the No. 163 Ferrari’s time to 1:22.019.
The final Practice session maintained GMG Racing’s dominance, although Sargent’s 1:21.408 fell short of his earlier benchmark. John Gilliland and Loek Hartog moved Kellymoss into second, while AF Corse USA improved to third overall through Perez Companc and Schandorff.
Archangel Motorsports and TR3 Racing completed the top five. Consequently, GMG entered Qualifying with the fastest Practice time and a clean sweep of the weekend’s three official sessions.
The official Practice 1, Practice 2 and Practice 3 classifications confirmed GMG Racing’s advantage, but the narrow gaps behind the Porsche suggested that Qualifying could produce a different order.
2026 GTWC America: Barber Motorsports Park: AF Corse USA secures third consecutive pole
Despite GMG Racing’s dominance throughout Practice, AF Corse USA emerged at the front during Sunday’s Qualifying sessions.
The championship maintained its two-session format, with both drivers contributing a lap towards the combined classification. AF Corse USA had already secured consecutive overall pole positions at Road Atlanta and Road America, and Perez Companc and Schandorff extended that sequence with another closely contested performance.
The Ferrari pairing recorded a 1:20.868 combined average to beat JMF Motorsports by just 0.027 seconds. Turner Motorsport completed an all-Pro top three, while RS1 secured Pro-Am pole and fourth overall.
GMG Racing demonstrated exceptional individual pace as Sargent recorded the fastest lap of the entire Qualifying session. However, the combined classification placed Washington and Sargent only 12th overall and 10th in Pro-Am.
The official Qualifying 1, Qualifying 2 and Combined Qualifying results highlighted the importance of consistency across both drivers rather than individual lap speed.
Pro Class Qualifying
Qualifying 1: Stephens edges Perez Companc
JMF Motorsports established the initial Qualifying benchmark through Stephens, who recorded a 1:21.164 in the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO. Perez Companc responded for AF Corse USA but narrowly missed the top position, finishing just 0.014 seconds behind his championship rival.
The close contest placed the two leading Pro entries first and second overall. Rothberg followed in third among the Pro drivers and fourth overall, recording a 1:22.129 for Turner Motorsport.
McCann Racing completed the Pro order, with Michael McCann Jr. producing a 1:22.317. However, the opening session gave JMF only a marginal advantage over AF Corse USA, leaving the second session to determine their starting positions.
Qualifying 2: Schandorff leads Pro as Sargent sets the outright pace
The second session produced considerably quicker times, with several Pro-Am competitors outperforming their Pro rivals.
Sargent delivered the fastest individual lap of Qualifying, recording a 1:20.024 for GMG Racing. Telitz followed in second overall for Archangel Motorsports, while Ellis placed the JMF Motorsports Pro-Am Mercedes third.
Schandorff led Pro with a 1:20.559, taking fourth overall and finishing 0.067 seconds ahead of Grenier. Foley followed in sixth, maintaining the same Pro order as the first session, although both AF Corse USA and JMF improved significantly.
Combined result: AF Corse USA claims another narrow pole
Schandorff’s advantage over Grenier ultimately decided the fight for overall pole.
Perez Companc and Schandorff combined their efforts to record a 1:20.868 average, beating Stephens and Grenier by 0.027 seconds. Consequently, AF Corse USA secured its third consecutive ROWE Pole Position Award and extended the momentum it had established during the previous two rounds.
Turner Motorsport qualified third overall with a 1:21.393 average, placing Rothberg and Foley on the second row alongside the leading Pro-Am entry. McCann Racing completed the Pro classification from 10th overall.
The result positioned AF Corse USA and JMF Motorsports directly against each other at the front of the grid, with their championship ambitions adding further significance to Sunday’s three-hour contest.
Pro-Am Class Qualifying
Qualifying 1: Dyszelski delivers RS1’s early advantage
RS1 emerged as the leading Pro-Am contender during the opening session as Dyszelski recorded a 1:21.776. His performance placed the No. 28 Porsche third overall, behind only the two leading Pro entries.
Williams followed with a 1:22.374 for TR3 Racing, while Daskalos placed the No. 27 JMF Motorsports Mercedes third in class. Random Vandals Racing’s Derek DeBoer secured fourth, with Coleman completing the Pro-Am top five for Archangel Motorsports.
Meanwhile, GMG Racing struggled to reproduce its impressive Practice performance during the opening Qualifying session. Washington recorded a 1:24.322, placing the championship contender 15th overall and 11th in Pro-Am.
Qualifying 2: Sargent continues GMG Racing’s remarkable pace
Sargent immediately reversed GMG Racing’s fortunes in the second Qualifying session.
The Australian recorded a 1:20.024 to claim the outright benchmark, finishing 0.348 seconds ahead of Telitz. Ellis followed in third overall, completing an all-Pro-Am top three.
Morad finished fourth among the Pro-Am drivers and seventh overall, while Andrews completed the category’s leading five runners.
Nevertheless, GMG Racing’s outstanding second-session performance could not completely offset Washington’s earlier result. Although Sargent established the fastest lap of the morning, the combined classification left the pairing with considerable ground to recover during Sunday’s race.
Combined result: RS1 takes Pro-Am pole
Dyszelski and Heylen combined their efforts to give RS1 Pro-Am pole with a 1:21.435 average. The Porsche pairing qualified fourth overall, 0.567 seconds behind AF Corse USA’s pole-winning time.
TR3 Racing followed just 0.083 seconds behind in second, while Daskalos and Ellis placed JMF Motorsports third in class. Archangel Motorsports secured fourth, positioning Coleman and Telitz seventh on the complete grid.
HP-TECH Motorsport completed the Pro-Am top five ahead of Random Vandals Racing, while GMG Racing faced the challenge of recovering from 12th overall.
The closely matched qualifying performances provided several teams with opportunities to challenge RS1, particularly as pit strategy and driver changes promised to influence the race.
Am Class Qualifying
AF Corse USA entered the Barber weekend as the sole Am competitor following Scuderia Corsa’s victory at Road America.
Schreibman reunited with Negri after the latter missed the previous two rounds, restoring the pairing that had contributed to AF Corse USA’s successful opening stages of the championship.
Schreibman recorded a 1:25.001 in Qualifying 1 before Negri improved the team’s performance with a 1:22.158 in the second session. Their combined average of 1:23.579 placed the No. 163 Ferrari 17th overall.
Although the absence of direct class competition guaranteed the pairing the leading Am starting position, both drivers still faced the challenge of navigating a competitive multi-class field throughout the three-hour race.
2026 GTWC America: Barber Motorsports Park: Strategy and late battles shape three-hour race
Sunday’s three-hour race brought another closely contested chapter to the GTWC America championship as teams balanced pit strategies, driver changes and increasingly challenging traffic.
AF Corse USA initially maintained its advantage from pole, but JMF Motorsports quickly mounted a challenge for the overall lead. Meanwhile, Pro-Am competitors repeatedly changed positions as different pit strategies brought several teams into contention.
Although the leading Pro entries ultimately occupied the first two overall positions, Archangel Motorsports capitalised on its strong pace to finish third overall and take Pro-Am honours. Behind the leading McLaren, RS1 secured second in class, while GMG Racing recovered from its disappointing Qualifying performance to finish third.
The race also produced a more complicated afternoon for several championship contenders, including Turner Motorsport and TR3 Racing.
Pro Class: AF Corse USA overcomes JMF Motorsports to secure overall victory
Perez Companc led the field away from pole, with Stephens following closely in the JMF Motorsports Mercedes. Although the opening phase brought several challenges, the two competitors quickly established an advantage over Rothberg in the Turner Motorsport BMW.
McCann Racing then became the first Pro team to experiment with its strategy. The team brought McCann Jr. into the pits early and handed the No. 8 Porsche to Zachary Vanier, attempting to gain an advantage over its rivals through a different pit sequence.
Meanwhile, Stephens maintained pressure on Perez Companc as both drivers negotiated slower traffic. Their battle eventually produced a change at the front when Perez Companc placed a wheel outside the circuit at Turn 1, allowing Stephens to move ahead.
However, the next sequence of driver changes presented AF Corse USA with an opportunity to recover. Rothberg stopped shortly before the halfway point and handed the Turner BMW to Foley. Stephens followed one lap later, switching with Grenier, while AF Corse USA brought Perez Companc into the pits and sent Schandorff back onto the circuit.
Schandorff immediately began closing the gap to Grenier, setting up another contest between the two leading Pro entries. Nevertheless, another round of pit stops reshuffled the order as McCann Racing’s alternative strategy brought Vanier into the overall lead with approximately 49 minutes remaining.
The advantage proved temporary. Schandorff rapidly closed the gap and overtook Vanier to reclaim first position. Grenier subsequently passed the McCann Racing Porsche with 38 minutes remaining, restoring AF Corse USA and JMF Motorsports to the leading two positions.
Consequently, the closing stages produced two separate battles. Schandorff concentrated on maintaining his advantage over Grenier, while Vanier faced increasing pressure from Foley for the final Pro podium position.
Foley closed considerably during the final 10 minutes but could not find a way past the McCann Racing Porsche. Vanier resisted the challenge and secured third in class, denying Turner Motorsport another podium.
Meanwhile, Schandorff maintained AF Corse USA’s advantage to secure the overall and Pro victory alongside Perez Companc. The No. 12 Ferrari completed 125 laps in 3:00:36.357, crossing the finish line 5.638 seconds ahead of JMF Motorsports.
Stephens and Grenier consequently secured second in Pro and overall, allowing them to maintain their championship lead. McCann Jr. and Vanier completed the Pro podium in fifth overall, while Rothberg and Foley finished fourth in class and sixth overall.
Schandorff also recorded the fastest Pro lap with a 1:21.815, completing a successful weekend for AF Corse USA after its third consecutive pole. The victory marked the pairing’s second Pro triumph of the season following its breakthrough at Road Atlanta.
Pro-Am Class: Archangel Motorsports claims maiden victory as GMG Racing recovers
RS1 initially controlled the Pro-Am battle as Dyszelski maintained his advantage from pole. However, the opening stages immediately complicated the order when Riley Technologies’ Slade Stewart made contact with Washington in the GMG Racing Porsche.
The incident sent Washington into a spin and temporarily disrupted GMG Racing’s recovery efforts. Race officials subsequently gave Stewart a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility, placing the No. 14 BMW further down the field.
As the opening stint progressed, Coleman began making gains in the Archangel Motorsports McLaren. With approximately one hour and 45 minutes remaining, he overtook Daskalos to move into second in Pro-Am, bringing Archangel directly into contention for the class victory.
The subsequent driver changes initially favoured RS1, with Heylen taking over from Dyszelski and maintaining the class lead. However, Telitz began closing rapidly after replacing Coleman in the No. 69 McLaren.
With just over an hour remaining, Telitz emerged as one of the quickest drivers on the circuit. He eventually overtook Heylen to take control of Pro-Am before recording a 1:21.654, the fastest lap of the entire race.
Behind the leading pair, the battle for third became increasingly complicated as Sargent, Morad and Andrews contested the remaining podium position.
Sargent initially challenged Morad in the TR3 Racing Mercedes, but contact between the two competitors damaged the GMG Racing Porsche and allowed Andrews to regain fourth for HP-TECH Motorsport.
Morad then encountered further difficulties with just over 15 minutes remaining. The Canadian ran wide and left the circuit, allowing both Andrews and Sargent to move ahead. Another off-track excursion caused additional damage, eventually forcing TR3 Racing behind the wall.
Meanwhile, Andrews and Sargent continued their battle for third. Andrews ran his rival wide during their contest, prompting the stewards to impose a 10-second post-race penalty on the HP-TECH Motorsport Ferrari.
However, Sargent settled the battle on the circuit by overtaking Andrews before the finish. Ellis also moved past the Ferrari, pushing HP-TECH further down the order.
At the front, Telitz maintained Archangel Motorsports’ advantage to secure the team’s maiden GTWC America victory alongside Coleman. The No. 69 McLaren completed 125 laps and finished third overall, just 7.770 seconds behind the outright-winning AF Corse USA Ferrari.
Heylen and Dyszelski followed in second, securing fourth overall for RS1. Meanwhile, Washington and Sargent completed the Pro-Am podium in seventh overall, producing an important recovery after their difficult opening stint.
The result also transformed the championship order. GMG Racing entered Barber three points behind Wright Motorsports but left Alabama with a six-point advantage heading into Indianapolis.
JMF Motorsports’ Daskalos and Ellis finished fourth in Pro-Am and eighth overall, while Andrews and Davis completed the class top five following their penalty. TR3 Racing’s retirement represented a disappointing outcome after the team’s breakthrough victory at Road America.
Am Class: AF Corse USA recovers from setback to take victory
AF Corse USA’s Am entry faced a difficult afternoon despite entering the race without direct class competition.
Schreibman and Negri initially maintained a place among the overall top 15 in the No. 163 Ferrari, but their progress suffered a significant interruption during the opening half of the contest.
With approximately two hours remaining, Schreibman made contact with Kellymoss driver Michael Clark and spun. The Ferrari subsequently became stranded on the circuit, prompting the race’s second Full Course Yellow period.
Although Schreibman eventually resumed racing, the incident cost AF Corse USA a lap and complicated its race strategy.
Nevertheless, the pairing continued its recovery and successfully navigated the remaining stages. A late fuel splash added another challenge, but Schreibman and Negri ultimately completed 119 laps to secure the Am victory and finish 16th overall.
Negri also recorded the fastest Am lap with a 1:22.496, contributing to a successful competitive return after missing the previous two rounds.
The result gave AF Corse USA another Am victory following its Road America disappointment, restoring Schreibman to the top step ahead of the season finale.
The complete Barber Motorsports Park race classification confirmed AF Corse USA’s victories in both Pro and Am, alongside Archangel Motorsports’ breakthrough in Pro-Am.
AF Corse USA and Archangel Motorsports gain momentum ahead of Indianapolis
Barber Motorsports Park delivered another important chapter in the 2026 GTWC America championship as the leading contenders experienced contrasting fortunes before the season finale.
AF Corse USA converted its third consecutive pole into a second Pro victory, with Perez Companc and Schandorff overcoming JMF Motorsports despite losing the lead during the opening half of the race. Their recovery highlighted the effectiveness of the team’s strategy, while JMF Motorsports strengthened its championship position by finishing ahead of Turner Motorsport.
McCann Racing also secured an important result through its alternative strategy and Vanier’s late defensive performance. In contrast, Rothberg and Foley could not convert their third-place starting position into another podium, allowing their principal rivals to gain ground.
Meanwhile, Archangel Motorsports finally converted its consistent pace into a Pro-Am victory. Coleman kept the McLaren within contention during the opening stints before Telitz overtook RS1 and controlled the final phase.
GMG Racing also secured a significant championship result. Washington and Sargent overcame their opening-lap incident to claim third in Pro-Am, reversing the championship deficit they carried into Barber and establishing a six-point advantage over Wright Motorsports.
AF Corse USA completed its successful weekend with another Am victory as Schreibman and Negri overcame their mid-race setback.
GTWC America now heads to the DESDER Indianapolis 8 Hour from 8–10 October, where the championship will join the Intercontinental GT Challenge for its season-ending contest. With the Pro and Pro-Am title fights continuing into the final round, Indianapolis will provide the ultimate test of the contenders’ endurance, consistency and championship ambitions.
