- Ten teams and 27 drivers set to compete in the opening weekend of the expansion series
- 2.52-mile Sonoma circuit to host the opening weekend of a five-track calendar
- Race for RP to activate their partnership at the Californian-opener alongside series partners Pirelli and Richard Mille
The new for 2025 McLaren Trophy America will get underway at the picturesque location of Sonoma, based just outside of San Francisco this weekend, for first two races of a ten-race calendar. Featuring a 15-car entry list, the series is an extension of McLaren Trophy Europe which launched in 2023 and features the same format of two 50-minute pit stop races.
Ten teams will field the uprated McLaren Trophy EVO, which benefits from developments made to the original Trophy car launched in 2023. The new version boasts improved aerodynamics at the front via a new bonnet vent, as well as a slightly wider front track. Louvres over the front wheels and roof mount air intakes also aid cooling and offer a more aggressive look. The weekend will also see the debut of the Push-to-Pass button to give drivers and teams an added strategic tool during the races.
Renowned team Flying Lizard Motorsports will field a two-car entry and will go up against GMG Racing, RWE Motorsport, OMS and Skip Barber Racing, all of which are also running two-car teams. They are joined by single entries from Dark Horse Racing, Techsport, Riley Motorsports, Motorsport In Action (MIA) and the RP Motorsport by Forte Racing equipe. MIA are no stranger to racing McLarens having fielded the GT4 specification Artura successfully on the IMSA-support package for the past two years.
The event will start with a 60-minute test session on Thursday, before two 45-minute practice session on Friday at 8:15 and 13:35. The grid for the first race will be decided with an early qualifying session at 8:15 on Saturday, followed by the opening race at 12:05. Race two will get underway at 10:25 on Sunday morning with both events streamed live on the McLaren Automotive YouTube channel.
“I’m really looking forward to the first weekend of McLaren Trophy America. It’s always a challenge launching a new series in a new territory, but the Motorsport team have done a superb job to bring it together in co-ordination with our colleagues at McLaren North America. We’ve got some impressive teams signed up, so I’m excited to see how the competitive order is going to shake out. There should be some strong driver pairings, and it’s always nice to see some familiar faces on the grid from McLaren Trophy Europe.”
Rob Bell, Sporting Director, McLaren Automotive