• George Kurtz, Colin Braun sweep pair of Pro-Am races to start championship defense
• Kurtz’s stellar late-race drive Sunday negates pitlane infraction
• Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch take a pair of runner-up finishes in CrowdStrike/AWS BMW in GT4 America
• Huge group of CrowdStrike guests, VIPs take in SRO race experience

SONOMA, Calif. (April 10, 2024) – CrowdStrike Racing and its drivers made quite the statement for the opening of the SRO Motorsports America season: the GT World Challenge Sonoma Raceway Protected by CrowdStrike.

CrowdStrike by Riley got out fast in the defense of its 2023 Drivers Championship, with George Kurtz and Colin Braun driving the No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG GT3 to a sweep of the 90-minute races in the Pro-Am category at the Fanatec GT World Challenge America.

Out of six races for CrowdStrike Racing drivers, five ended in podium finishes for the program. The results thrilled a group of more than 200 CrowdStrike employees, guests and VIPs.

Leading the way were the efforts of Kurtz and Braun, who grabbed early-season momentum in the Pro-Am Championship by winning the opening two rounds of the year. 

Saturday saw the familiar sight of Kurtz, Braun and CrowdStrike by Riley on the winners’ step of the podium. On Sunday, Kurtz and CrowdStrike by Riley had a dramatic win after overcoming a five-second penalty for a mid-race pit infraction. The weekend also ended with the No. 04 team in another familiar spot – leading the drivers and teams’ Pro-Am points standings. 

Kurtz also began his season in GT America Powered by AWS with a third-place podium run Saturday in the SRO3 class with another Mercedes-AMG GT3 from CrowdStrike by Riley. The 2002 series champion ended the weekend with a fourth-place finish in Sunday’s race to establish himself as a championship contender again.

In Pirelli GT4 America, Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch also recorded multiple podium finishes with two second-place runs in their No. 97 CrowdStrike/AWS BMW M4 GT4 from Random Vandals Racing. 

The duo drove from fifth place in the Silver class at the start of each 60-minute race to their eventual runner-up positions. It puts them second in the GT4 America championship and just one point out of the title lead.

CrowdStrike Employees, VIPs Take in Full Racing Experience

CrowdStrike’s success at Sonoma extended beyond the racetrack. A number of fully immersive experiences gave CrowdStrike employees, guests and VIPs an inside look at what goes into a professional weekend of racing. The group also witnessed how CrowdStrike is firmly entrenched in a number of key commercial areas that promote the brand’s position as an important part of any event weekend.

There were a number of notable programs featuring CrowdStrike that returned for the new season. CrowdStrike is the Official Internet and Cloud Security Provider for SRO Motorsports for the seventh year, and the company also sponsors the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap Award, which is presented to the fastest driver in each SRO Motorsports America series at every event. 

The Sonoma guest experience began with the latest in a series of CrowdStrike CXO Summits, which allow VIP guests to learn how to best secure their businesses from breaches. CXO guest experiences also included activities such a tour of Sonoma Raceway, meet-and-greet sessions with CrowdStrike Racing teams and drivers, premium trackside hospitality and ceremonial positions such as giving the start-engine command and honorary starter, plus awarding trophies during multiple post-race ceremonies.

CrowdStrike and Operation Motorsport

CrowdStrike Racing also reaffirmed its support of Operation Motorsport at Sonoma for 2024. A not-for-profit, OpMo provides a chance for medically retired service members and disabled veterans to use and build their skill sets as part of a racing program.

Four OpMo beneficiaries were part of the CrowdStrike family at Sonoma: Peter McDade, Retired – U.S. Air Force, as pit crew member on the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG; Rahsaan Reed, Retired – U.S. Army, liaison for CrowdStrike with its employee, partner and CXO marketing programs; and Scott Lagarile – Retired, U.S. Air Force, and Mike VanCour – Retired, U.S. Army, both served as crew members on Boehm’s CrowdStrike-sponsored BMW.

All four carried on the OpMo mantra of “Recovery Through Motorsports #OneAtATime.”

For more information, visit CrowdStrikeRacing.com. Follow #CrowdStrikeRacing on X, Instagram, and Facebook for updates.

George Kurtz, No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s always great to win a home race, especially surrounded by such a great group of fans. The team knew what we had to do this weekend, and we got it done. On Sunday, we had a penalty and it was hammer-down time. I just focused, clicked off the laps and gave it everything I had at the end. I knew we had to win by more than five seconds, and the CrowdStrike Riley guys gave me a great car to be able to do that. I was able to run some of my fastest laps at the end."

On the CrowdStrike guest contingent: "We had around 200 CrowdStrike employees and many customers at the race this weekend. Everyone had a great time seeing the race cars in action. Hopefully we have life-long fans coming out of this."

Colin Braun, No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes-AMG GT3:

"These were some intense battles. It was a great result and I'm super proud of George. It was basically qualifying pace for him there at the end, so he definitely earned that one. Those were some impressive laps! Also, a big hats off to SRO and Sonoma. They did a great job given this crazy weekend, but in the end, we had some great racing. I'm really proud of this CrowdStrike Riley team. Overall, it was a great weekend and I'm glad we were able to win two-in-a-row in front of all the CrowdStrike folks." 

Kevin Boehm, No. 97 CrowdStrike BMW M4 GT4: "This series is stacked with talent, putting the heat on Kenton and I! We need flawless starts, strong finishes, and zero mistakes – the pressure is on. But the team delivered a fantastic car. 

“While our ultimate goal remains to win, the path to victory can take lots of turns. Today, the plan was for a clean start, and as the race unfolded, we maximized the car's potential. We are definitely happy with the results. Not a bad way to kick off year five with CrowdStrike and AWS."