McLaren Trophy America wrote a new chapter in its brief history this weekend, as 24 cars lined up on the grid for round three of the series at the Miami International Autodrome. Racing on a Grand Prix weekend for the first time, the event attracted several drivers who have previously competed in McLaren Trophy Europe.
Swedish racer Erik Behrens made the trip across, joining Rok Trenka and John Lancaster, as well as 2025 European Pro-Am champions Ryan James and Oli Webb. The grid was further strengthened by a five-car entry from Orland Motorsport Services, the return of Motorsports In Action with two cars, and new entrants ANSA Motorsport.
Set around the iconic Hard Rock Stadium—home of the Miami Dolphins—the spectacle of the event was appreciated by all. However, the opportunity to race on the same circuit, and during the same weekend as Formula One, proved to be the biggest draw.
In qualifying, Jeff Cook impressed by putting his GMG Racing-run machine on pole position for race one, ahead of Pro class driver Sam Neser. Erik Behrens underlined his pace by setting the fastest time in the Pro-Am class, but his efforts came to nothing after being spun at the start of the opening race.
Cook made a strong start to the 40-minute contest, with the Am class driver leading Neser in the early stages. Behind them, a close battle developed, with Patrick Liddy running third and Cooper Broll fourth. All drivers did a superb job of keeping the race clean while navigating a circuit where even the slightest mistake would be punished by the walls.
Following the pit stops, the number 74 car emerged in the lead, ahead of Deniz Teoman. The pack began to close in on second place, but a Safety Car was deployed after the number 52 car was left stranded on track. With no further racing possible, Lightning McLaren secured its first victory of the weekend.
Lightning struck again on Sunday morning—this time in the form of heavy rain and thunderstorms—which forced the postponement of the second race. It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise superb weekend of McLaren Trophy racing.
Next stop: Road Atlanta, June 12–14.
““Racing in Miami was a real spectacle. The drivers thoroughly enjoyed the Grand Prix circuit, and it will undoubtedly be a special memory for all of them—especially our race winners, who had the opportunity to stand on the Formula One podium. It is unfortunate that the second race had to be postponed due to the weather, but it was absolutely the right decision. We will now work with SRO to reschedule the race at a future event.”
Giorgio Sanna, Head of Motorsport, McLaren Automotive