ACI Motorsports returns to GT World Challenge America with Mercedes-AMG GT3

ACI Motorsports is set to return to the SRO GT World Challenge America powered by AWS series in 2027 with a full-season Pro-Am class campaign for team drivers Matt Smith and Yves Baltas.

The announcement was made today by ACI Motorsports team owner Curt Swearingin, Baltas and representatives from Mercedes-AMG Motorsport at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the 2026 season-ending rounds of GT World Challenge America and the Intercontinental GT Challenge will be run in Saturday's Indianapolis 8 Hour.

Smith was part of the triple sweep of all IMSA Carrera Cup North America classes by ACI Motorsports in June at Watkins Glen International, where he was victorious in the Masters class.

Baltas, who is also a professional driver coach for ACI Motorsports, hit victory lane two weeks ago in the SRO Pirelli GT4 America race at Barber Motorsports Park, where he co-drove with Trenton Estep in the No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 RS.

With past experience in a first generation Mercedes-AMG GT3 at track days and in entry-level racing series, Smith joined ACI in pursuing a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to take a step up to top-tier GT3 competition and continue their mutual growth and progress in North American sports car racing.

Baltas, 24, has been dedicated to racing for more than the last 10 years, including moving to Europe as a 14-year-old to pursue his career. He eventually made his way back to the U.S. where he found a home in primarily single-make Porsche racing series with ACI, giving the team its first Pro class wins in Carrera Cup competition.

The Chattanooga, Tennessee-based ACI Motorsports team previously raced in GT World Challenge in 2023 but a season later shifted its focus to the current programs in Pirelli GT4 America and the various single-make Porsche championships in North America. All will continue next year - including Pirelli GT4 that wraps up its 2026 season this weekend at Indianapolis - as ACI Motorsports adds the top tier GT World Challenge America campaign with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing.

Preliminary plans call for ACI to test with its Mercedes-AMG GT3 this year still as preparations for next season begin just after the checkered flag falls on this Sunday's final Pirelli GT4 race of the year.

"We are super excited to step up to GT World Challenge America with Matt Smith and Yves Baltas and start a new partnership with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport," said Curt Swearingin, ACI Motorsports team principal. "We are familiar with GT World Challenge from running in the series for a season in 2023 but feel now, with our ongoing growth and broader infrastructure, that ACI Motorsports is in a better position to achieve even more success in GT World Challenge Pro-Am.

"Matt has made incredible progress in recent seasons as a top level Am and Masters class competitor and will be strong right away in GT World Challenge with his bronze-level peers. Yves is more than ready to join the fight with the top GT3 drivers that we have seen go at it in the final 60 minutes of this year's new three-hour race format. Being able to perfect and work on some endurance racing skills and pit stops is another benefit of the new GT World Challenge America format, and we can't wait to get started."