Adds two team test drivers in series’ amateur class

Xynamic Photography

K-PAX Racing, which has quickly emerged as a title contender in the SRO E-Sport GT Series Championship with SIRIO eSports, announced Friday that it will enter the series’ amateur class with two additional Bentley Continental GT3s – making it seven team-branded entries across all three classes.

Completing the K-PAX Racing by SIRIO eSports line-up in the “Am” class will be Steve Strehlow and Raig Strehlow, who both officially qualified for the field last week.

“This is a really exciting opportunity for K-PAX Racing,” K-PAX Racing Program Manager Darren Law said. “With the current downtime we have with our “on track” racing program, having the e-sports team gives us an opportunity to showcase our Bentley cars and drivers and is a great way to stay involved in the industry. After the win and two top-five performances between PRO and SILVER in the opening round says a lot about our reputation as a championship contender in the e-sports arena and now with the expansion of our effort we are excited to continue and hope to see even more success.”

K-PAX Racing and SIRIO eSports, a specialized gaming consultancy, joined forces in April in pursuit of multiple titles in the inaugural running of the series – blending real-life and virtual GT racing worlds. The resounding reputation of creating perennial championship-caliber teams established by K-PAX Racing coupled with the professionalism and expertise of SIRIO eSports helped the team collectively see immediate success in the opening round.

To ensure the collaborative effort brought positive results, K-PAX Racing by SIRIO eSports evaluated talent across the sim world to identify its Silver class line-up by hosting a “shoot-out” style selection process that tested sim racers’ driving capabilities under different conditions, as well as engineering know-how. The Strehlow brothers, although missing out on the Silver line-up, piqued the interest of the team which ultimately helped entertain the expansion. The two have worked as development drivers behind the scenes, before being officially appointed to the driver roster.

“It’s incredible that K-PAX Racing only partnered with us at SIRIO eSports three weeks ago and already, together, we have an SRO E-Sport GT Series race win under our belts; are second in the ‘Pro’ drivers’ title; and have top competitors in each of the three classes,” SIRIO eSports Director Emilio de Villota said.

SRO, through Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC), held a series of hot lap qualifying sessions last week that determined the final grid for the Am class. Steve and Raig Strehlow qualified inside the top-ten among all Continental GT3 competitors, securing their spots from their strong performances around Silverstone Circuit (UK).

“Steve and Raig have already brought invaluable knowledge and experience to our team and have been working hard with our ‘Pro’ and ‘Silver’ drivers, so it’s fantastic that they both made it through,” de Villota said.

The opening round of the SRO E-Sport GT Series ‘Am’ class championship takes place on Saturday, May 16^th at Silverstone, where the brothers will make their team debut seated in the stunning K-PAX Racing liveries that have been developed in-game. Fans can follow along on the SRO Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels.

The addition gives K-PAX Racing representation in all SRO e-sports series and its classes across the globe on the ACC server. The final Am line-up will join the Pro class of Jordan Pepper and Andy Soucek, as well as Silver drivers Philippe Simard, Tariq Gamil and Alberto Garcia. The team’s separate participation in the SRO GT Rivals E-Sports Invitational completes its firm step into the virtual GT racing world, with real-world drivers Guy Cosmo and Patrick Byrne at the helm of two Continental GT3s.

DRIVER QUOTES

Steve Strehlow (AM) – No. 9 Bentley Continental GT3 – “I want to thank K-PAX Racing by SIRIO eSports from the bottom of my heart for the unique opportunity that is being given to me. It’s a big step to get closer to motorsport as a fan. A dream comes true.”

Raig Strehlow (AM) – No. 3 Bentley Continental GT3 – “I am incredibly happy to be part of the great team, K-PAX Racing by SIRIO eSports. I see this as a great chance to prove myself. I am already looking forward to the new challenges that lie ahead.”

 About K-PAX Racing
Based in Sonoma, Calif., K-PAX Racing has celebrated a total 148 podiums, 59 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 – 2008 seasons, Volvo S60s during the 2009 – 2013 seasons, McLaren 12C GT3s in 2014 and McLaren 650S GT3s from 2015 – 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, Paul Williams supported by M-Sport’s Chief Engineer, Christian Loriaux.

Bentley Motors’ headquarters in Crewe is home to all of its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production of the company’s 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.