Blackdog Racing scored a season-opening class victory in Pirelli GT4 America at Sonoma Raceway as Michael Cooper and Tony Gaples won the first of two one-hour races to start 2025.
The pairing drove the No. 33 Blackdog Performance McLaren Artura GT4 to the hectic, hard-fought Pro-Am triumph in Saturday’s Race One. It was the 44th victory all-time for Blackdog Racing – tops among all GT4/GTS entries in SRO Motorsports America – and eighth at the circuit.
Cooper won for the ninth time at Sonoma – sixth with Blackdog Racing – and Gaples won for the second time at the circuit.
Saturday, Gaples qualified sixth in the highly competitive class and drove a very limited amount of green-flag time. He the most of his time, however, as he advanced the No. 33 McLaren to third despite two full-course-yellow periods.
During the second yellow, the Blackdog Racing engineering and strategy team called Gaples to pitlane with 33 minutes remaining – the opportune moment to put in Cooper to go for the win without exceeding the 35-minute maximum drivetime. Cooper left the pitlane fourth in class but cycled to the lead as the three Pro-Am cars ahead made their stops on the next lap.
The final 25 minutes were caution-free with Cooper building and then holding a steady two-second lead to second place.
In Sunday’s rain-soaked Race Two, Cooper and Gaples finished 10th in class. Cooper moved from eighth to third in class at the start before a lengthy pit stop dropped the McLaren down to 10th. Gaples charged through the pack and made up four spots in class before stopping on-course late.
Blackdog Racing’s next event with the No. 33 McLaren in Pirelli GT4 America is April 25-27 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
MICHAEL COOPER, NO. 33 BLACKDOG PERFORMANCE McLAREN ARTURA GT4 – On Saturday’s win: "There’s no better start to any season than winning the first race. I can’t say enough about the team at Blackdog Racing. A lot of my success in this series is thanks to Tony, Ray and all the guys on this team. They give me a great car every time out. It's great to be back with McLaren this year. The team put in a lot of work with the car after they got it, so I'm really glad we could pay them back with a win today."
TONY GAPLES, NO. 33 BLACKDOG PERFORMANCE McLAREN ARTURA GT4 – On Saturday’s win: "That was really special. There's so many variables in racing, and we were in the right spot at the right time. That's just the way racing is sometimes. We were able to miss all the contact ahead of me at the start and then came in at the right time on the pitstop. The team did a great job being ready and getting Michael out quickly. This shows what we are capable of this year and hope we can keep this up throughout the year."
RAY SORENSON, TEAM MANAGER, BLACKDOG RACING: “I think we knew we could be strong, but I don’t think we expected a win quite this early. But it’s down to the work the team did with the car in a short amount of time. It sets us up well for the balance of the year as we learn more about the McLaren going to COTA.”
About Blackdog Racing
Ever dreamed of piloting a real SRO GT race car? Blackdog offers rental and “arrive and drive” racing in addition to purpose-built cars. Email sales@blackdogspeedshop.com to discuss the best way to put you in the driver’s seat!
About Blackdog Performance Cars
At Blackdog Performance Cars, luxury and performance converge in an exclusive collection of high-end vehicles, each designed to deliver an unparalleled driving experience. Our curated inventory is a testament to exceptional craftsmanship and innovation, while our GT4 America McLaren Artura race team subtly underscores our passion for precision engineering on the track. Discover the ultimate blend of sophistication and speed at www.blackdogperformancecars.com.