GT World Challenge America: Chemistry lessons

In any form of endurance racing involving multiple drivers, there will always be differences in pace between them, whether that comes from the nature of the track, the car setup, or even a driver being just a little off that day. The best teams recognize that and build strategies to maximize results given the strengths, or weaknesses, in their lineup.

That’s especially true when one of the drivers is not a professional, but a gentleman or gentlewoman driver engaged in motorsports for the love of it. And in the case of GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS’s Pro-Am class, which kicks off its 2025 season with a Sonoma Raceway doubleheader this weekend, those differences are often magnified, given the greater pace difference between drivers, the 90-minute race format, and the stringent pit stop window – 10 minutes in the middle of the race – where driver changes are allowed.

Getting the most out of a driver pairing in those conditions is paramount. And in their first season together in 2024, driving the Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, Jeff Burton and Philip Ellis (above, switching drivers during a frenetic pit stop) hit their marks on a regular basis, scoring two victories, four more podium finishes, and third place in the season-long Pro-Am points battle.

And those marks weren’t just making sure FIA gold-rated Ellis spent as much time in the seat as possible; in fact, in the lead-up to each race, it was the opposite in order to get the Bronze-rated Burton as quick and effective as he could be.

“In the end, even though Jeff, or the Am in general, has much less time in the seat, they have a much bigger impact on the outcome of the race,” Ellis explains. “That’s because they vary much more in pace than Pros do, or good silver drivers do. That’s basically the key to success as well, in a nutshell: That you have an Am who’s consistent, doesn’t do mistakes, and follows your game plan.”

In many races last season, that game plan was to take advantage of a new rule that allowed the teams to choose which driver started on which day of the doubleheader; previously, all the Ams started one day, and the Pros the other. Mixing it up with the rule change, Burton would now be racing largely against the Pros, and Ellis largely against the Ams. Switching it up produced good results on several occasions.

Mixing it up on driver strategies helped produce some good results for Philip Ellis and Jeff Burton.

Still, there’s going to be differences in pace, not only between Ellis and Burton, but between Burton and the other bronzes. So, part of Ellis’s job is making sure Burton’s better than the other Ams.

“Essentially, it’s giving him confidence,” Ellis says. “It’s being super calm and simple on how you try to coach a driver, and it works great with Jeff, because he’s listening. He has the right mindset, and he wants to win,”.

Burton spent some time as a professional baseball player, so he’s used to being coached and using the experience and knowledge of others to improve.

“Last year, I got better and better because I listened, I watched,” Burton explains. “I was very attentive to the skill level Philip was trying to bring me to. So I think if he can make me faster overall, that’s going to be better…and no incidents. We finish races because we don’t have cars break down. We don’t have wrecks. We do all the right things and we put ourselves in a position to win.”

Keeping out of trouble and good strategy calls put Regulator Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 into Pro-Am contention in 2024.

But that’s what every Pro-Am pairing is trying to do – elevate the bronze driver so that he can hand the car over in the right position, or assume the driver’s seat in a good position and keep it there. There’s sometimes more to the equation, especially in this case, where Burton has achieved his greatest success in the series.

“I would say the first thing is, we became friends,” Burton says, before praising Ellis and his journey to the top of the sport. “And I think with his level of respect for me as the bronze driver, he can elevate my skill level. As a driving partnership, it works.” For the latest news and insight from GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS, head to gt-world-challenge-america.com. See them out at their first race of the 2025 season at Sonoma Raceway, March 28-30.