2019 News

Two-Car DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Team Ready for Blancpain GT World Challenge America Doubleheader This Weekend at Road America

Road America

- David Askew and Ryan Dalziel Co-Drive No. 63 USALCO/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in Road America Doubleheader


- George Kurtz and Colin Braun Share No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS/Accel/DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3 in Twin 90-Minute Races Saturday and Sunday

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (September 19, 2019) – DXDT Racing and its two-car Mercedes-AMG GT3 team will be looking for maximum results in the next-to-last SRO Blancpain GT World Challenge America race weekend of the season this Saturday and Sunday at Road America.

With only October’s season-ending race in Las Vegas following Road America, this weekend’s twin 90-minute races give both DXDT Racing teams two more chances to score a race win and add to this year’s tally of Pro-Am class podium finishes.

The Road America doubleheader, Rounds 11 and 12 of this year’s 14-race championship, features twin 90-minute races this Saturday and Sunday on the 4.048-mile circuit. Saturday’s race is scheduled to start at 2:20 p.m. CDT while Sunday’s weekend finale goes green at 2:15 p.m. CDT.

Races and the weekend’s qualifying sessions will be streamed live on GT-World-Challenge-America.com, with Sunday's Round 12 airing live on CBS Sports Network beginning at 3 pm EDT.

Team owner and driver David Askew co-drives with Ryan Dalziel in the No. 63 USALCO/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

George Kurtz and Colin Braun Co-Drive the No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS/Accel/DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3.



“I like Road America, I’ve raced there many times, and it has a bit of everything I like,” Askew said. “Getting a win at Road America would be really nice, but we will stick to the plan, which is to stay out of trouble and keep to the plan! The Mercedes-AMG GT3 seems to like Road America. This season has been a bit of up and down, so it would be nice to get a good result, and we are going to fight hard for it.”

Askew and Dalziel scored a season-best runner-up finish in the No. 63 in Sunday’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) in May. The duo’s first podium result of the season was a third-place finish in Saturday’s race at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) in April.

“We showed great pace one race ago at Watkins Glen, so leaving without a podium was a hard to take, but we had a really good test at Road America a few months back,” Dalziel said. “Hopefully, like Watkins Glen, we roll off the trucks in a good spot. We don’t seem to have the speed of a couple of other manufacturers within the current rules, so we really need some help narrowing that gap.”

Kurtz and Braun are currently fifth in points in the Pro-Am championship heading into the season’s final four races. Highlights this year include a season-best second-place Sunday race finish at VIR and a third-place Saturday showing at CTMP.

“It’s great to be racing with some consistency now," Braun said. "I feel like George and I are getting into our rhythm. Our No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS/Accel/DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3 has been fast and we’re gaining as a team each race. I think our team is poised to have a good weekend at Road America. It is a phenomenal track! From a layout perspective it has fast corners, slow corners, elevation changes... it has everything."

A three-day event, the Blancpain GT World Challenge America schedule at Road America begins with opening practice Friday, September 20, at 11:45 a.m. CDT.



Qualifying for both 90-minute races begins Saturday, September 21, at 9:50 a.m. CDT and can be viewed live on GT-World-Challenge-America.com. Saturday’s first 90-minute sprint of the weekend, which starts at 2:20 pm CDT, also airs live on GT-World-Challenge-America.com.

The second and final race of the weekend is scheduled to go green at 2:15 p.m. CDT this Sunday, September 22, and can be seen in exclusive live coverage on the CBS Sports Network starting at 3 p.m. EDT.

Noteworthy

- Road America race fans, who are among sports car racing’s most dedicated and loyal, will be treated to a Blancpain GT World Challenge race car parade from Road America straight to downtown Elkhart Lake tonight. “The fans are great at Road America,” Askew said. “They come out in droves. The whole Elkhart Lake area seems to have a great car culture and really dedicated fans. I’m especially looking forward to the parade and autograph signing session in town on Thursday evening. Having all the cars on display on main street is a great way to give back to the fans, and I’m super impressed that SRO is going out of their way to make the weekend more fun for everyone.”

- Dalziel has experience in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Road America. “Road America, both on and off the track, is an amazing venue,” Dalziel said. “Fast corners with long straights and a great track to race on. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 usually fairs well in fast corners, and Road America has been really a good track for the car in the past. It’s the last permanent road course of the season so hopefully David and I get back on the podium and even get that first win.”