Kurtz, Bryan Herta Autosport Take Class Win at California 8 Hours - Speedway Digest

George Kurtz, along with Bryan and Colton Herta, celebrated from the top step of the winners’ podium at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca after securing the TCR class win at the spectacular SRO California 8 Hours race presented by Pirelli World Challenge. Kurtz, the CEO and co-founder of cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, partnered with Bryan Herta Autosports team owner Bryan Herta and his son, Indy Lights runner-up Colton, racing 276 grueling laps in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai i30 N TCR at this final round of the 2018 Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC).

By design, the TCR car was not as powerful as its GT3 and GT4-class competitors. However, race starter Colton Herta was able to pass three GT4 drivers during the opening laps. Kurtz and Bryan Herta then continued that momentum during their stints. By the end of the eight-hour event, the three drivers passed even more competitors in faster GT4 cars, taking the Hyundai i30 N from 31st to 21st place and finishing first in class.

During the race, Kurtz’ mental and physical endurance was put to the test as he raced a double stint, staying ahead of the competition for more than two straight hours among 32 competitors in multiple classes. Keeping cool and collected in the face of adversity is nothing new to Kurtz, and he proved it at this world-famous racetrack.

“It was a great race,” Kurtz commented just after the podium celebration. “The Hyundai was a fantastic car to drive, and we managed to get through eight hours without any incidents. It was a real pleasure to race with Bryan and Colton — this father-son duo is really special, and I was glad to be a part of it.”

Kurtz and the Herta men raced the Hyundai i30 N TCR, part of the new Hyundai N High-Performance division. The California 8 Hours marks the first time the Hyundai N package has been run in an endurance race in the United States, which is also the longest endurance event at Laguna Seca.

“The Hyundai was truly a great car,” Kurtz continued. “From my perspective, it ran well. It’s front-wheel drive, and it wasn’t hard to manage compared to a rear-wheel drive car. I look forward to racing it again. Finally, SRO’s race organization was well done. They did a great job, and I hope they have even more cars out here next time!”

Business and Entertainment at the Track

The Laguna Seca race, set just outside of Monterey, California, was the draw for the final CXO Summit of the race season. Chief executives in the cybersecurity world and their families joined Kurtz and key CrowdStrike staff for a weekend of entertainment and fine dining in picturesque surroundings with perfect weather. A private roundtable session with Colin Black, chief information officer of CrowdStrike, and CJ Moses, deputy chief information security officer for Amazon Web Services, offered guests an intimate setting in which to discuss the most significant cybersecurity problems that face their respective companies today.

At the track, CrowdStrike attendees watched Kurtz’ race from a trackside suite above the pits, took golf cart tours to see the famous “corkscrew” turn, and had privileged access to the racecars after they lined up to start the race. All of the Bryan Herta Autosport drivers visited the suite for a meet and greet with guests. Global Motorsports Group (GMG Racing), the team Kurtz raced with during the Pirelli World Challenge regular season, and its team owner James Sofronas welcomed CrowdStrike’s guests for a garage tour and the opportunity to sit in the Audi R8 Kurtz raced throughout the year. Pirelli World Challenge executives spent time visiting with CrowdStrike guests as well, continuing the strong relationship the race series has with the cybersecurity company.

Be the first to read new announcements leading up to CrowdStrike Racing’s 2019 season by following the brand on social media: on Twitter at @crowdstrikercngand Instagram @crowdstrikeracing. Race videos, photos, and news updates can be found at crowdstrikeracing.com.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.