James Sofronas

James Sofronas (born September 9, 1968) is an American racing driver and the founder of Global Motorsports Group.

James Sofronas
NationalityAmerican
Born (1968-09-09) September 9, 1968
Westchester County, New York, United States
GT America Series career
Debut season2021
Current teamGMG Racing
Car number14
Starts6
Wins3
Podiums4
Poles3
Fastest laps2
Previous series
2020
2019
2019
2016, 2019

2014, 2021
2009, 2011–12
2009–12
2004–06, 2008, 2017–18
1994–2020
GT Sports Club America
GT Sports Club
GT4 America Series
Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America
IMSA SportsCar Championship
Rolex Sports Car Series
American Le Mans Series
Michelin Pilot Challenge

Pirelli World Challenge
Championship titles
2018

2018
2017
2017
Pirelli World Challenge SprintX – GTS
Pirelli World Challenge – GTS
Pirelli World Challenge – GTA
Pirelli World Challenge SprintX – GT Pro/Am

Motorsports career

Sofronas began his racing career in the early 1990s, purchasing a Nissan NX 2000 which was eligible for the SCCA SSB category. In order to make enough money to race it, Sofronas worked as a salesman at Pitney Bowes, using the street-legal car on sales calls despite the fact it had no air conditioning unit.[1] In 1994, he acquired an SCCA Pro Racing license and took part in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge, driving an Oldsmobile Achieva in the Super Production class, which he rented from Chuck Hemingson for $1,800.[2] In his lone outing that season at Road America, Sofronas finished 9th in class.[3]

Sofronas began racing under the GMG Racing banner in the early 2000s; the team is used to advertise his auto tuning service he operates out of Southern California. He scored his first victory in the then-Speed World Challenge in 2008 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, en route to a fourth-placed finish in the championship. He would finish runner-up in the GT class the following season, scoring two wins and four podiums.[4] That same season, Sofronas began competing in the American Le Mans Series, beginning with a one-off appearance at Laguna Seca with co-driver Bret Curtis, where the duo finished fifth in class. Sofronas and GMG Racing would continue to run a partial schedule in the series until 2012.

In 2017, Sofronas claimed a pair of titles in the Pirelli World Challenge, claiming the overall GTA title and the SprintX GT Pro/Am title. Partnering with Porsche factory drivers Laurens Vanthoor and Mathieu Jaminet, Sofronas took the SprintX title by just 13 points over Jan Heylen and Michael Schein. He scored 11 class victories in 19 starts between the two championships that season.[5] He followed his championship haul in 2017 with two more in 2018, this time competing in GT4 machinery. Sofronas and co-driver Alex Welch claimed the SprintX GTS title, while Sofronas alone won the GTS class title overall.[6]

In 2023, Sofronas began his 30th season of competition under the World Challenge/SRO America umbrella, fielding the first Audi R8 LMS Evo II on American soil.[7] During the GT America Series event at Circuit of the Americas, Sofronas tallied his 350th World Challenge/SRO event appearance.[2]

GMG Racing

GMG Racing's Porsche at Lime Rock Park in 2010

Sofronas and business partner Fabrice Kutyba founded Global Motorsports Group (GMG) in 2001, an aftermarket tuning service with a particular focus on European luxury marques.[3] The two opened a shop in 2006, before upgrading to a 16,000 square-foot facility two years later.[3] In August 2021, GMG opened temporary 8,000 square-foot shop at the Thermal Club, with plans to have a 23,000 square-foot facility completed at the site by summer 2023.[8]

The company services Porsche, Ferrari, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW models, among others.[3] Services include standard maintenance such as oil changes, as well as performance tuning.[1] The group also operates a customer racing program in the SRO America umbrella of series, including the GT America Series, GT4 America Series, and GT World Challenge America.[9] Their racing endeavors are closely intertwined with their tuning operations, with a series of World Challenge-based performance products being released in 2008.[3] The team has won a number of titles in the Pirelli World Challenge, including a 2017 GTSA class victory for George Kurtz accompanying Sofronas' titles.[4] In 2021, the team added a title in the inaugural season of the GT America Series with customer driver Jason Bell.[10]

The team also works closely with Audi Sport, debuting and competing with the marque's racing cars. In 2012, GMG Racing became the first American providers of the new Audi R8 LMS GT3.[11] In September 2019, Sofronas took part in the global debut of the Audi R8 LMS GT2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.[12] At the SRO GT Anniversary, Sofronas fielded an Audi R8 LMS ultra, one of just two in the field.[13] Ahead of the 2023 season, the team acquired an Audi R8 LMS Evo II, and were awaiting delivery of a Type-992 Porsche 911 GT3 R.[14]

In 2021, the team expanded their relationship with Italian manufacturer Lamborghini, acquiring a Huracán GT3 Evo as part of a partnership with FFF Racing Team.[15]

Racing record

Career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
1994 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge - Super Production National Wheels & Tires 1 0  ?  ? 0 17 32nd
1995 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge - Super Production Greek Brothers Racing 6 0 0  ? 0 131 14th
1996 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge - T2 Greek Brothers Racing 3 0 0  ? 0 42 18th
SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge - T1 1 0 0  ? 0 17 36th
1997 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge - T2 Greek Brothers Racing 2 0 0 0 0 25 27th
1998 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge - T2 Greek Brothers Racing 1 0 0 0 0 15 31st
1999 SpeedVision World Challenge - Touring Car Peppa Seed Racing 1 0 0  ? 0 20 34th
2000 SpeedVision World Challenge - Touring Car Peppa Seed Racing 2 0 0  ? 0 11 45th
SpeedVision World Challenge - GT SSF / GMG Racing 1 0 0  ? 0  ?  ?
2001 SpeedVision World Challenge - GT SSF Parts / TC Kline 8 0 0 0 0 76 14th
2002 Speed World Challenge - Touring Car SSF Imported Parts / GMG Racing 5 0 0 0 0 53 24th
2003 Speed World Challenge - Touring Car Tecmark Autosport / Lectric Air 9 0 0  ? 0 42 27th
2004 Speed World Challenge - Touring Car Tecmark Corp / GMG Racing 10 0 0  ? 2 196 4th
Grand-Am Cup - GS Anchor Racing 6 0  ?  ? 0 75 41st
Grand-Am Cup - ST DF Motorsports  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?
2005 Speed World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 6 0 0 0 1 102 15th
Grand-Am Cup - GS Anchor Racing 7 0  ?  ? 0 78 52nd
2006 Speed World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 10 0 0 0 0 156 8th
Grand-Am Cup - GS 1 0  ?  ? 0 18 86th
2007 Speed World Challenge - TC Tecmark Autosport / GMG 10 0 0 0 2 205 7th
Speed World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 10 0 0 0 0 103 11th
2008 Speed World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 10 1 0 0 1 750 4th
Speed World Challenge - TC Tecmark Corporation / GMG Racing 3 0 0 0 0 219 17th
Grand-Am KONI Challenge - GS BGB Motorsports 1 0 0 0 0 17 73rd
2009 Speed World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 10 2 2 1 4 931 2nd
American Le Mans Series - Challenge 1 0 0 0 0 13 7th
Rolex Sports Car Series - GT 2 0 0 0 0 24 62nd
2010 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 11 1 1 0 7 1052 3rd
American Le Mans Series - GTC 6 0 0 0 2 60 10th
2011 Pirelli World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 12 0 1 1 6 1112 4th
American Le Mans Series - GTC 5 0 0 0 0 36 15th
Rolex Sports Car Series - GT TRG / BSR / GMG Racing 1 0 0 0 0 16 57th
2012 Pirelli World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 9 0 0 0 1 723 9th
American Le Mans Series - GTC 5 0 0 0 2 49 9th
Rolex Sports Car Series - GT Orbit / GMG Racing 1 0 0 0 0 20 64th
2013 Pirelli World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 14 3 3 2 9 1444 2nd
2014 Pirelli World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 16 0 0 0 0 1062 6th
United SportsCar Championship - GTD 2 0 0 0 0 22 79th
2015 Pirelli World Challenge - GT GMG Racing 13 0 0 0 0 600 20th
2016 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America - Pro-Am GMG Racing 2 1 0 0 2 27 8th
Pirelli World Challenge - GT 7 0 0 0 0 263 17th
Pirelli World Challenge - GTS 1 0 0 0 0 51 39th
2017 Pirelli World Challenge - GTA GMG Racing 9 6 3 3 8 211 1st
Pirelli World Challenge SprintX - GT Pro-Am 9 5 1 2 8 227 1st
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge - GS 1 0 0 0 0 14 36th
2018 Pirelli World Challenge - GTS GMG Racing 8 0 0 2 3 162 1st
Pirelli World Challenge SprintX - GTS 10 2 0 1 3 176 1st
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge - GS 1 0 0 0 0 7 71st
2019 GT4 America Series SprintX - Am GMG Racing 8 2 1 0 6 98 3rd
Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America - Am 2 2 2 1 2 31 5th
GT World Challenge America - Pro/Am 2 1 0 0 2 40 9th
GT World Challenge America - Am 2 0 0 0 1 27 9th
GT4 America Series Sprint 1 0 0 0 0 8 20th
GT Sports Club Audi Sport Team WRT 2 0 0 0 1 15 15th
2020 GT World Challenge America - Pro/Am GMG Racing 4 2 2 0 2 58 8th
GT Sports Club America - Titanium 1 1 1 1 1  ?  ?
2021 GT America Series - SRO3 GMG Racing 6 3 3 2 4 111 5th
Intercontinental GT Challenge 1 0 0 0 0 2 20th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD 1 0 0 0 0 176 66th
2022 Michelin Pilot Challenge - GS GMG Racing 2 0 0 0 0 300 50th
IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD 3 0 0 0 0 323 52nd
GT World Challenge America - Pro/Am 1 0 0 1 0 24 13th
GT World Challenge America - Am 2 0 0 0 2 36 5th
Intercontinental GT Challenge 1 0 0 0 0 6 19th
SRO GT Anniversary
2023 GT America Series - GT3 GMG Racing
GT World Challenge America - Pro/Am 2 0 0 0 0 2 19th
GT4 America Series - Am
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup GMG Racing by Car Collection Motorsport 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Intercontinental GT Challenge

* Season still in progress.

Complete American Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points
2009 GMG Racing Challenge Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche 3.6 L Flat-6 MIL LIM MDO ELK
DNS
LGA
5
7th 13
2010 GMG Racing GTC Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche 3.8L Flat-6 SEB
7
LBH
2
LGA
10
MIL
7
LIM
4
MDO
2
ELK
8
MOS PET 10th 60
2011 GMG Racing GTC Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche 4.0L Flat-6 SEB
8
LBH LIM
5
MOS MDO ELK
4
BAL LGA
5
PET 15th 36
2012 GMG Racing GTC Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche 4.0L Flat-6 SEB
7
LBH
4
LGA
2
LIM
3
MOS MDO ELK
5
BAL VIR PET 9th 49

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points
2014 GMG Racing GTD Audi R8 LMS ultra Audi 5.2 L V10 DAY
28
SEB
11
LGA
DET
WGL
MOS
IND
ELK
VIR
COA
COA
79th 22
2021 GMG Racing GTD Porsche 911 GT3 R Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY
SEB
MDO
DET
WGL
WGL
LIM
ELK
LGA
LBH
15
VIR
PET
72nd 176
2022 GMG Racing GTD Porsche 911 GT3 R Porsche MA1.76/MDG.G 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY
22
SEB LBH
10
LGA
11
MDO
DET
WGL
MOS
LIM
ELK
VIR
PET
52nd 323

* Season still in progress.


References

  1. "Racers in Isolation: James Sofronas". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. April 23, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  2. Sportscar365 Staff (May 18, 2023). "Sofronas Embarking on 350th World Challenge/SRO Event". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  3. "There's No Holding Back James Sofronas". theautochannel.com. September 16, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  4. "Sofronas, weekend warrior". racer.com. November 10, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2021. We were second in '09, second in '13, so to win it here in the Pro-Am class was gratifying, because this year I did very little testing.
  5. "Pirelli World Challenge 2017 GT Classes Finale". archive.world-challenge.com. September 20, 2017. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  6. "Second title for Audi R8 LMS GT4". audi-mediacenter.com. September 3, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  7. Dagys, John (February 25, 2023). "GMG's Sofronas to Debut Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II in St. Pete". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  8. "Road America Friday Notebook". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021. GMG Racing has opened up a temporary 8,000 square-foot shop at The Thermal Club ahead of plans for a dedicated 25,000 square-foot motorsports facility coming in summer 2023 according to team principal James Sofronas.
  9. "James Sofronas is driven to succeed on, off track". presstelegram.com. April 15, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2021. Besides Sofronas, GMG Racing services cars for three "arrive and drive" racers in the series, including William Ziegler, who finished eighth at Sebring, and Dino Crescentini, who was 17th.
  10. "Iribe Sweeps Weekend; Bell Wins GT4 Title in Indy Finale". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  11. "Europhiles: A Tour Of GMG Racing". speedhunters.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2021. As mentioned earlier, GMG Racing was the first provider of the Audi Sport R8 LMS GT3.
  12. "GMG'S James Sofronas To Debut Audi R8 LMS GT2 In Barcelona". audiclubna.org. September 26, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  13. Lloyd, Daniel (July 25, 2022). "28-Car Entry for SRO's GT Anniversary Races at Spa". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  14. Dagys, John (December 14, 2022). "GMG Racing Acquires New Audi, Porsche GT3 Cars for 2023". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  15. "Sofronas Debuts Ex-FFF Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. April 30, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
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