PWC GT Cup champ Udell moves up to top classes

Having won the 2016 GT Cup class of the Pirelli World Challenge, Texas native Alec Udell will move up to the GTA class in the Sprint championship and the top class, GT, of PWC SprintX season in 2017. The youngest driver to ever start a World Challenge race (age 15, at St. Petersburg in 2011) will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 R in both championship efforts.

GMG Racing will enter Udell in the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R for 50-minute PWC sprint races. The GTA category is comprised of the same GT3-spec cars as the GT class but is restricted to drivers who do not make their full-time living driving racecars. As an engineering student at one of the country's premier universities, Udell remains listed as an "amateur."

The rear-engined Porsche will be liveried in the familiar GMG blue and white with support from the country's only certified composite repair facility, Euroworld Motorsports (www.euroworldmotorsports.com). Euroworld, based in Houston, is one of Texas's leading exotic car repair and preparation shops.

In addition to the five-race weekends – 10 events – that comprise the PWC "Sprint" season, Udell will also participate in the five-weekend, 10-race, SprintX Championship – Pro-Am class. The 15-time PWC race winner will join GTA veteran and two-time 2015 SprintX race winner Preston Calvert in the GMG prepared Calvert Dynamics Porsche 911 GT3 R. It will be the first time Udell has challenged for the SprintX title. The 21 year-old made one SprintX start with GMG at the 2016 season-finale finishing in sixth-place in both 60-minute races. Calvert won both SprintX races at Utah Motorsports Campus in 2016.

"Moving up classes always comes with a learning phase; I'm ready for the challenge of GTA," said Udell. "The competition in PWC GT is second to none, with several factory-backed programs and factory drivers; I have certainly got my work cut out for me.

"The sprint format makes it somewhat of an all-out battle from green to checkered, considering how well the Pirelli P-Zeros hold up throughout the race. I've been training a lot in the off season to be prepared for the physical and mental fatigue experienced throughout the races, I can't wait to get back in the car. I'm aiming for a podium in GT-A and overall podium in GT. I know it will be a tough fight, but I believe I'm capable."

Of his SprintX opportunity, Udell added: "I'm very happy to say I'm partnered with a great friend and consistent and strong driver, Preston Calvert for SprintX. We have been running against each other for two years in the GT Cup category and I'm excited to build on the successes he had in the SprintX series last year! It's a bit of a different dynamic with trading the car off, but a very cool one. For each driver it's an all-out sprint for their 30-minutes, but you've got to be smart and keep the car clean to pass off to your co-driver. Bridging the gap between a full endurance race and a sprint race, I think it's a wonderful platform."