K-PAX Racing Homeward Bound to Sonoma Raceway

Team welcomes Bentley, Family House for Rounds 7 & 8 of series action
K-PAX Racing will take new steps with the second-generation Bentley Continental GT3 in familiar territory during Rounds 7 & 8 of Blancpain GT World Challenge America action at Sonoma Raceway. The team, which will officially return to its home track for the first time since making its switch to Bentley in 2018, will look to gain ground in the championship with support from its local fans and supporters.
āBeing a local team and having our race shop based here makes this a very special race for us,ā K-PAX Racing Program Manager Darren Law said. āWe have a lot of local fans that will be coming out. We also have a big event planned with Bentley this weekend with their āContinental Centenary Celebrationā and we will have members from Family House supporting us.ā
A 19-car GT3 field will headline the week at Sonoma Raceway’s 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course, with the pair of K-PAX Racing Continental GT3s locked in a close battle at the top of the championship rankings. Together, the team has had strong showings in the seriesā first three events, collecting multiple podiums and victories along the way.
In six races, K-PAX Racing has been awarded pole position four times. At VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), the No. 9 of Ćlvaro Parente and Andy Soucek claimed both poles. The team has also stood on the top-step four times ā sweeping in the third and fourth rounds at VIR. Both the No 9 and No. 3 of Rodrigo Baptista and Max Soulet split the victories. In pursuit of the teamās fifth crown, K-PAX Racing has led the field into the green flag and into the checkers at least once at each event.
The team attributes its fast-track to success from its diligent preparation, testing at every track on the schedule before the actual event ā with the exception of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. K-PAX Racing will have a similar advantage at Sonoma ā with a slight variance in track configuration ā where it first tested the second-generation model before the start of the season.
āWe first tested these second-generation models at Sonoma at the start of the year, so this time it’s the ātrue test,āā Law said. āWe have data from the previous generation car, but the competition has stepped up this season. So, we will see how it compares in true race conditions.ā
Through six rounds of series competition, K-PAX Racing leads the Team Championship by a 26-point margin ā a title it is defending from 2018. The No. 9 of Parente and Soucek are one-point shy of tying for the lead in the Drivers Championship (104 points), while the No. 3 of Baptista and Soulet are still in the championship conversation in third (92 points).
āHaving now reached the half-way point in the season, we are in a good position from the points standpoint,ā Law said. āWe are leading the Team Championship, and we have all four drivers in the top-three positions for points. There is still a long way to go, but we are thinking big picture and strategy becomes more critical. We have some good momentum and are looking forward to this race.ā
Notably, Parente will have the chance to make team history as its most winningest driver all-time. The four-year team driver is currently tied with Randy Pobst with 14 victories to his name. Since his title run in 2016, Parente has podiumed in the last two events under the seriesā former one-driver format at Sonoma Raceway.
On Tuesday, K-PAX Racing made its yearly stop at Family House San Francisco since joining the race against pediatric cancer in May 2017. There, the team drivers were able to show families the Continental GT3, as well as a production model provided by Bentley Americas. K-PAX Racing will have the support from members of Family House attending Sundayās finale.
Family House serves as a home away from home and a pediatric guesthouse for families of children with pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses by providing physical comfort and emotional support, free from financial concerns. For more information, familyhouseinc.org.
DRIVER QUOTES
Ćlvaro Parente ā No. 9 Bentley Continental GT3 ā āItās a home race which is great. I really like that area, and racing at home is always good for the team. The configuration will be quite interesting, because Iām not sure if Iāve done this one before. It only changes two areas, but still itāll be interesting.
I donāt think this will be one of our strongest tracks. But weāre motivated to do well, and weāll try to get the maximum out of the car and get a good result. Weāll challenge for the best position possible, and every moment is important when youāre fighting for a championship. Thereās still a lot of points on the table, so we have to continue to do what we have been doing ā making no mistakes on the stops, having each driver āon itā and finding the best setup for the car. If we donāt have a car that can challenge for the win, which weāve had in all the previous races, then weāll try to go for the next best position.
Sonoma changes a lot ā even from the morning and into the afternoon ā and itās going to be a lot warmer than when we tested. So, weāll have to adapt. When it gets hot there, the track gets a little greasy and itās aggressive on tires which will be a key factor. But weāve been doing everything right between testing at most of the tracks on the schedule except for Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and I know what to expect from the car here. So, I think weāre ready to go racing here.ā
Andy Soucek ā No. 9 Bentley Continental GT3 ā āThe fight for a championship is āonā in America. Itās a very important weekend for us in Sonoma with Bentley on-site and with Family House. Iām very much looking forward to a lot of the activities off the track as I am on it. Iām not sure if itās going to be the best track for our car, so weāll have to make the most out of what we have. I still think we can do well.
Itās important that both cars are going into this event in very strong [championship] position. It shows that we have done our homework well, and weāve achieved some great results early this season. So no matter what happens, the fact that we are both in the top-three in the championship and fighting for the lead is already good news. We come into this race week in strong position, and itās important that Bentleyās customers and the brand itself are aware that weāve done a great job.
When it gets to the race in Sonoma, weāre going to get a push from everyone supporting us but unfortunately, it does not make us any quicker. We always try our best. Weāll either try and make it happen or push as hard as we can so everyone around the K-PAX Racing brand can live what weāve lived through the first three events of the season ā to get to really enjoy these wins and podiums.
But, we also have to be realistic. This is a track that may suit the other cars a little more. We need to be cautious and not overly excited ā not expecting more than what we are capable of doing. We need to find that sweet spot to be there, also knowing that our competition is going to be strong.
We have a good reference from when we first tested there. Unfortunately, we will not be racing on the same layout. Itās a slightly different corning pattern, so we will have some additions than when we tested the car before the season. Most of the track though ā about 80 percent ā will be exactly the same. So, it will be interesting to see the progress weāve made from the start of the year ā putting the car back to where it all started.ā
Rodrigo Baptista ā No. 3 Bentley Continental GT3 ā āIām looking forward to a great race in Sonoma. Itās our home race, and we will do our best to try to get the best result possible. It will be a busy week with the Family House yearly visit, the Bentley events and all the guests weād expect at any home race.
We tested the new car back in February for one day, but the conditions were totally different. We need to use the free practices to see where we are setup-wise, so I donāt want to predict anything right now. But I think will be a competitive weekend. Again, I will do my best to achieve the best result for Bentley and for K-PAX Racing.ā
Max Soulet ā No. 3 Bentley Continental GT3 ā āItās the teamās home race which makes it special, and we have a lot of guests from Bentley in attendance for the event. So, itās going to be busy week for us, and Iām excited. Iām not sure how strong we are going to be here yet even though we did some testing, which went well. Weāll see where we are compared to the other teams when we get there.
I think weāve improved a lot through a lot of the testing weāve done, but Sonoma is a very particular track. Weāll use what weāve learned so far this week, but weāll have to be very cautious and take this week step-by-step. Having Bentley Americas there to support us is special and it will motivate us to put on the best show we can.
I like the first corner the most because itās fast and quite tricky, but the configuration will be a little different from when we tested there. So, weāll have to see when we get there.ā
AboutĀ K-PAXĀ Racing
Based in Sonoma, Calif.,Ā K-PAXĀ RacingĀ has celebrated a total 134 podiums, 57 wins, four Driver Championships and three Manufacturer Championships, solidifying the team as a continuous championship contender. In the GT Class, K-PAX Racing has fielded Porsche 911 GT3s during the 2007 ā 2008 seasons, Volvo S60s during the 2009 ā 2013 seasons, McLaren 12C GT3s in 2014 and McLaren 650S GT3s from 2015 ā 2017. The team made a switch to Bentley for 2018, fielding the first-generation Continental GT3 in its first season and the second-generation model in 2019.
About Bentley Motorsport
Bentley Motorsport is based at the Bentley Motors headquarters in Crewe. From there, the operation runs Bentley Team M-Sport, and oversees customer racing operations around the world.
The Continental GT3 is built by the Bentley motorsport team in conjunction with M-Sport. The Bentley Motorsport team is led by Bentley Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush supported by M-Sportās Chief Engineer, Christian Loriaux.
Bentley Motorsā headquarters in Crewe is home to all of its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production of the companyās four model lines, Continental, Bentayga, Flying Spur and Mulsanne. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury car brands.
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