CrowdStrike Racing Wraps SprintX Season with Another Top-Five Finish

Both drivers have worked hard to master the No. 04 CrowdStrike/GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT4 this season. Kurtz and Braun both excelled with the Audi, even when the German machine struggled with hot, desert weather in Utah. Kurtz ensured smooth, clean race starts and finishes during his stints and Braun carved through the field, at one point setting the fastest race lap time. CrowdStrike Racing earned seventh place in the Pro/Am class on Saturday and a fifth-in-class/sixth place overall finish on Sunday.

“We had a really strong pair of races here in Utah,” said Kurtz. “It was hot, which meant we had to really take care of the Audi, but we were able to lock it in on Sunday. Our car prep and strategy helped Colin and I earn one more top-five finish together this season.”

“This was a solid weekend for George and I in the CrowdStrike machine,” Braun agreed. “Race One was tough, with the Audi having some overheating issues, but the team went to work and got us fixed up for Race Two. That race went well, though I had a few cars to get through before chasing the leaders down! George did a great job in his stint and we finished in a solid sixth place. I think we showed some fast pace and consistent strategy this weekend!”

Though Kurtz will finish out the rest of the PWC season’s Sprint races, the Utah race marks the end of the GTS SprintX Pro/Am season. The driver pair is within the top 10 teams in its class.

“Colin and I have been working together for years, but sharing a racecar with him for the first time was a really good experience,” said Kurtz. “With help from GMG’s crew, we were able to learn the Audi R8 the best we could, though I do feel like there is some unrealized potential left on the table at the end of this SprintX season. Overall, it was a very good season for CrowdStrike Racing.”

“I hate to not have scored a podium with George,” said Braun, “but we showed good pace and constantly improved throughout the season. Had we gotten a bit of luck, we could have scored a few podiums, but at the end of the day, I had a blast racing alongside a good friend like George and enjoyed the SprintX season!”

Just days before the race weekend, Kurtz, who is also the CEO and co-founder of cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, made an appearance at Black Hat USA, a major computer security convention in Las Vegas. There, he signed copies of the best-selling book he co-authored, “Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets and Solutions,” hosted F1 champion Mario Andretti in the CrowdStrike booth, and introduced guests in the cybersecurity industry to his racing world with an exotic car driving day at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

CrowdStrike continued its participation as the Official Cybersecurity Provider and Series Sponsor of the Pirelli World Challenge in collaboration with the Race Day Foundation, a nonprofit providing transformative “Race Day” experiences to deserving kids battling life-changing medical conditions. With the help of the Race Day Foundation, Travis Carpenter was the official CrowdStrike race starter this week. Dressed in CrowdStrike Racing gear, Travis got access to meet with Kurtz, Braun and the GMG Racing team, taking home autographs and fun memories of the Pirelli World Challenge race weekend.

The final highlight of the weekend was when James Sofronas and Alex Welch clinched the GTS SprintX Pro-Am championship for GMG Racing. The drivers of the No. 14 Mobil 1/The Thermal Club/5.11 Tactical Audi R8 were right on the edge of the points to claim the SprintX title, and it all came down to a last-lap battle for the duo to claim the position they needed to earn a season win. GMG Racing hosted four Audis at this race, including the No. 04 CrowdStrike car, making its overall success even more impressive.