International GT Returns to Mid Ohio
International GT returned to Mid Ohio Sports Car Course last week after a hiatus to race at Indy in 2024. The Lexington, Ohio circuit gave us our first summer weather of the season with temps in the high 80s and 90s over the weekend. The spectators enjoyed edge-of-your-seat racing at the front throughout the weekend!
Click on the race start photo to link to the streaming of all the Mid Ohio races.
Mission Foods GT3 Cup Trophy
MARK SANDRIDGE #58, Team Salad came to Mid Ohio, his home track, ready to race! He and G. MICHAEL MERRITT #899 (also calling Mid Ohio his home track) put on a clinic in racing flat out and clean. The two see-sawed back and forth over three days and four intense races with Sandridge coming out on top by a matter of inches, in three. Merritt finally wore Sandridge down and took the win in the final race of the weekend on Sunday. Merritt takes a companding points lead in the 2025 Mission Foods GT3 Cup Championship.
Credit also goes to two very talented co-drivers who gave the duo some relief from the scorching heat on Sunday, sharing the enduro. Merritt turned over his Porsche to EVAN SLATER at the mid-way point and Sandridge gave the wheel to OWEN TRINKLER. Owen actually jumped from one Sandridge car to the other – starting the enduro in Jordan Sandridge’s car and finishing in Mark’s car.
Mark and his family provided a wonderful BBQ on Friday night to the IGT teams. Everything from the Medina, OH based Sandridge Craft Foods was delicious and greatly appreciated!!
Another Ohioan (from the greater Cleveland area), BOB WISEN #27debuted his 4 liter Porsche in the Mission Foods GT3 Cup in the GT4.0 category. Bob who has long time raced a 3.8 liter car worked out the new car gremlins throughout the weekend but stepped onto the podium behind Sandridge and Merritt in three of the races. Big news out of the Wisen camp as Bob is to become a first-time grandpa in July.
In a race car he purchased from Mark Sandridge a few years back, TODD SLOAN #25, JMax Racing, returned to International GT competition. The Columbus based racer came out to his local track and put his GT4.R car on the pole for the first sprint race and the enduro. Sloan swept the category winning two sprint races (he had to miss sprint race 2) and Sunday’s enduro.
MUSTAFA BAKIR #68 returned to International GT for only the second time having raced with us at COTA last season. Bakir brought a beautifully liveried race car and won the Saturday afternoon sprint race. He took the runner up position to Sloan in the other two sprint races. Mustafa was joined by his coach JOSHUA CARLSON who is the current points leader in the Trans Am SGT category.
Bakir and his wife took a road trip from Tampa to Mid Ohio with their four kids, including two teenaged daughters and a younger son and daughter. Brave souls!!!
Another Ohio based competitor BRIAN HICKS #22 joined us at Mid Ohio and had four very lively races with Mark’s son JORDAN SANDRIDGE #49, Team Salad. Jordan has missed the first part of the season leading the charge to open a new Sandridge Craft Foods plant in Pennsylvania but launched his racing season at Mid Ohio and we hope to see him the remainder of the season! Hicks took three wins and a second, while Jordan took the sprint race 1 win as the pair raced nose-to-tail in all four races.
Stuttgart Cup
Our largest category at Mid Ohio was the Stuttgart Cup Cayman 4.0 liter. We welcomed father/son duo RICHARD and KEITH GRANT. Son KEITH GRANT #4was dominate in the category and even pushed the Cup cars finishing in the top three or four overall in all four races. The Tennessee based Grant family has a long pedigree in racing and even had grandsons and cousins racing at Mid Ohio in a variety of categories. Keith with his past Trans Am racing experience had great knowledge of the circuit as well. The battle for the remaining podium steps was fierce in all four races.
ROBERT GEE #527 had a second and third place finish in two of the sprint races however in a miscalculation on the pit stop timing in the enduro, he and coach/co-driver TOMMY BYRNE suffered a penalty that moved them to fourth.
As a side note (and shameless but unrequested plug for Tommy) if you are looking for an outstanding book on a storied racing career, pick up Tommy’s book CRASHED AND BYRNED. It’s a page turner that is not for the faint of heart.
With three third place finishes, KURT KROPP #641, Extreme Velocity Motorsports, had a great weekend and a good points tally in the Stuttgart Cup Championship taking over the points lead. He and Tom Kirk (more on Tom below) are in a tight battle at the top of the points. Kurt brought along coach GRANT MAIMAN who was invaluable in negotiating the new tire compound for the PIRELLI P ZERO tires that Frisby provided at Mid Ohio.
New to International GT, we welcomed JASON GOLAN #91, TDD (Tony Driver Development) at Mid Ohio. Jason missed the first sprint race and enduro but gave Keith Grant a run for his money in sprint races 2 and 3, finishing second in both. Jason’s son Brady was also racing at Mid Ohio in the FR (Formula Series).
TOM KIRK #22A, ZOTZ Racing rounded out the Cayman 4.0 podium finishing second in the enduro with co-driver RON ZITZA and third in sprint race 3 on Sunday. As mentioned above, Tom is in a tight battle for the Stuttgart Cup points championship with 4 races remaining in 2025 and only 6.5 points between first and second.
Hard Working Crew Makes The Difference
Every driver will tell you they are nothing without their crew! Upper left is Patrick, car chief for Jason Golan. Upper right is Derek Granison, owner of Extreme Velocity Motorsports supporting Kurt Kropp at Mid Ohio and finally is Chris (Pirelli hat) and Jason from ZOTZ Racing, crew for Tom Kirk.
Watkins Glen September 4-7 Registration & Schedule
International GT returns to racing after the summer break at Watkins Glen in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York. International GT has all their own run groups for the weekend and for extra testing time, see below.
For registration and to link to the schedule click on the #94 car. If you have any questions contact Julie@ParellaMotorsports.com or call (770)380-7770.
Flagtronics Requirement
International GT has partnered with Flagtronics for the best in on-track safety. Starting at the Watkins Glen race in September Flagtronics will be required for all International GT entrants. Click on the Flagtronics logo to link to their site for more information and to purchase the system. If you have any questions email: sales@flagtronics.com
Testing Watkins Glen and VIR
Extreme Velocity Motorsports has secured test days prior to both the International GT races at Watkins Glen and VIR. They are welcoming any IGT participants to take part in the test day(s) and help with the track fees. For more information click on the EVM logo or contact Derek@TeamEVM.com (561)662-9415
Chris Green Photography
Chris Green is the official photographer for International GT and available for competitor’s photography as well. Contact Chris at chrisgreenimages@gmail.com.
To see the race photo galleries click on the photo to link to Chris’s website.
Pirelli Tire Orders
Pirelli is the exclusive tire for International GT and must be purchased through Frisby Tires. Click on the Pirelli logo to link to Frisby to order tires. Please be sure to order tires well in advance of the events. Frisby will be at each track to support International GT participants. Any questions call (800)798-7201..
Marketplace
This space is available for International GT participants to market any race cars, equipment and/or transporters you are trying to sell. Contact Julie@ParellaMotorsports.com to post a listing. Please send photos and details for item(s) you are selling.