SUNNYVALE, Calif. (Dec. 2, 2021) – CrowdStrike Racing is excited to announce a new team partnership in its 2022 SRO GT World Challenge sportscar racing program. Accomplished entrepreneur and driver George Kurtz will race with championship-winning team Riley Motorsports in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and GT America Powered by AWS with pro driver Colin Braun. The two-car, Pro-Am team will be named CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports and will compete in Mercedes-AMG GT3 cars.
CrowdStrike has a strong relationship with Mercedes-AMG as both the Official Cybersecurity Partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and as a competitive sportscar racing team with the GT3 machines. Kurtz and Braun have earned impressive results with Mercedes-AMG GT3s since 2019 and will aim to continue their success in 2022 with Riley Motorsports.
Kurtz, who with Braun won the 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP3 class in 2021 and took the 2020 GT World Challenge America season Pro-Am vice championship. CrowdStrike is the Official Internet and Cloud Security Provider of SRO America.
“Colin and I are thrilled to partner with Riley Motorsports for the full GT World Challenge and GT America race seasons,” Kurtz said. “This team has proven its success – not only with Mercedes-AMG but with many sportscar racing programs – for decades, so it only makes sense to join forces and focus on winning SRO Championships next season. I can’t wait to get started!”
Braun, an experienced pro driver, will continue his relationship with Kurtz and CrowdStrike Racing. “I am really excited to be back with George and CrowdStrike Racing for 2022,” Braun said. “We’ve had some great success in the past and are fully focused on winning the 2022 Pro-Am Championship! Partnering up with Riley for the season gives us confidence we will be able to compete for wins, race in and race out. I have known Bill Riley for a long time and raced with and against him, and it is much easier to race with him than against him.
“George’s incredible performance level in 2021 has me really fired up for next year,” he continued. “I’m also excited to continue on in the Mercedes. Both George and I know the car really well and have a ton of confidence in it – not to mention it is just such a fun car to drive. We are motivated for the 22 season and can’t wait to get it kicked off!”
Riley Motorsports, helmed by president of Riley Technologies and team owner Bill Riley, has an established position in American racing history. Since 2005, Riley chassis have won seven 24 Hours of Daytona races with different engines. The Mooresville, NC team most recently won the 2021 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the LMP3 class, and has supported Mercedes-AMG GT3s and GT4s since 2017, winning both the IMSA Endurance Cup and the Daytona season opener in their respective classes.
“We are really looking forward to entering SRO with Crowdstrike and George Kurtz,” Bill Riley said. “And working with Mercedes-AMG and Colin Braun will make it a great season.”
Kurtz and Braun will co-drive in the double-header GT World Challenge America endurance race weekends. This Pro-Am format allows each racer to compete for about half of the 90-minute race and switch drivers during a pit stop. In GT America, Kurtz will race alone for the 50-minute sprint races. CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports will use Mercedes-AMG GT3s for both programs.
Speed is the common element in both cybersecurity and racing, and is of critical importance when staying ahead of rapidly-evolving threats, on and off the track. CrowdStrike and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will continue to host cybersecurity summits for C-level executives where speed is most evident: at world-class race weekends at the best tracks in North America. These private summits provide a unique opportunity for CXOs to gain cybersecurity and cloud migration insights, meet industry peers, build new relationships, engage in peer discussions, and experience the thrill of a VIP racing event.
Additional announcements about the full CrowdStrike Racing driver lineup will be announced in due course. Follow CrowdStrike Racing’s upcoming announcements and learn about our racing history at crowdstrikeracing.com. Follow the program on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn with the hashtag #CrowdStrikeRacing.
