Pirelli World Challenge: Madison Snow to join GMG for Pirelli World Challenge opener

GMG Racing Press Release

Joining the team for this weekend’s season-opening round of the Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Global Motorsport Group (GMG) is proud to announce the addition of 19-year-old standout Madison Snow to the lineup.

“I couldn’t be happier to bring Madison into our program,” stated GMG team owner and co-driver James Sofronas. “At a very young age, Madison has been extremely impressive at the top levels of our sport, and he should acclimate well to our way of working. Even though he’s become something of a Porsche specialist, I’m very confident he’ll be able to jump right into our Audi and the series’ sprint format and immediately contend. We make a very conscious effort to arm our drivers with a comprehensive amount of data, setup information, and more so that they can jump right in and be comfortable.”

Hailing from Lehi, Utah, Madison Snow has been a standout within the IMSA ranks. Making his first full-season effort last year in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Madison was an instant contender in the new series. Opening his championship effort with a podium at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, followed by additional podiums at Road America and the season-ending Petit Le Mans, Snow managed a seventh place ranking in the standings in his first season. In 2013, the then 17-year-old took an impressive seven victories en route to a championship in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge.

Having previously competed in two rounds of Pirelli World Challenge competition, Snow will make his Audi debut in the No. 21 Santa Cruz Bicycles / UIS Audi R8 LMS ultra, joining a four-car effort campaigned by GMG. With teammates Alec Udell, Alex Welch and James Sofronas, Snow’s first race with both the series and marque will be aided by the team’s vast experience. Taking advantage of the team’s extensive collection of data and setup history with the Audi, compounded by two decades of history in the series, Madison will return to the circuit where he narrowly missed the podium during the 2014 TUDOR race.

“I’m really looking forward to the whole event this weekend,” stated Snow. “The Pirelli World Challenge has a lot of momentum behind it, and it is great to return. The sprint format is nothing new to me from my experience in the GT3 Cup and Prototype Lites, but obviously the level of competition and quality of teams will make it a real challenge. The Audi R8 LMS ultra has always been a tough car to compete against in other series, so it should be an interesting experience to finally get behind the wheel of one. GMG is one of the most experienced teams in the paddock so I’m confident I’ll have plenty of data to work from. Thanks to everyone at the team and especially Santa Cruz Bicycles for making this opportunity possible.”

The No. 21 will feature sponsorship from Santa Cruz Bicycles and Universal Industrial Sales, Inc. (UIS). With dealerships around the world, Santa Cruz Bicycles is recognized as one of the premier mountain bike manufacturers. Founded in 1993 in Santa Cruz, California, the company has focused on developing state-of-the-art technology behind their bicycles, currently manufacturing 12 models. To learn more, visit www.santacruzbicycles.com.

UIS is a steel fabrication company located in Lindon, Utah. It is among the largest suppliers of sign structures and highway products in the western United States. The company’s strategic intent is to become one of the premier manufacturers of overhead sign structures, guardrail, bridge rail and custom fabricated steel highway products in the country. Universal is dedicated to satisfying its customers. They consistently provide their customers with excellent service, superb quality, on-time deliveries, flexible lead times and competitive pricing.

Photo credit: GMG Racing