- Ten teams and 27 drivers set to compete in the opening weekend of the expansion series
- 2.52-mile Sonoma circuit to host the opening weekend of a five-track calendar
- Race for RP to activate their partnership at the Californian-opener alongside series partners Pirelli and Richard Mille
The new for 2025 McLaren Trophy America will get underway at the picturesque location of Sonoma, based just outside of San Francisco this weekend, for first two races of a ten-race calendar. Featuring a 15-car entry list, the series is an extension of McLaren Trophy Europe which launched in 2023 and features the same format of two 50-minute pit stop races.
Ten teams will field the uprated McLaren Trophy EVO, which benefits from developments made to the original Trophy car launched in 2023. The new version boasts improved aerodynamics at the front via a new bonnet vent, as well as a slightly wider front track. Louvres over the front wheels and roof mount air intakes also aid cooling and offer a more aggressive look. The weekend will also see the debut of the Push-to-Pass button to give drivers and teams an added strategic tool during the races.
Renowned team Flying Lizard Motorsports will field a two-car entry and will go up against GMG Racing, RWE Motorsport, OMS and Skip Barber Racing, all of which are also running two-car teams. They are joined by single entries from Dark Horse Racing, Techsport, Riley Motorsports, Motorsport In Action (MIA) and the RP Motorsport by Forte Racing equipe. MIA are no stranger to racing McLarens having fielded the GT4 specification Artura successfully on the IMSA-support package for the past two years.
The event will start with a 60-minute test session on Thursday, before two 45-minute practice session on Friday at 8:15 and 13:35. The grid for the first race will be decided with an early qualifying session at 8:15 on Saturday, followed by the opening race at 12:05. Race two will get underway at 10:25 on Sunday morning with both events streamed live on the McLaren Automotive YouTube channel.
“I’m really looking forward to the first weekend of McLaren Trophy America. It’s always a challenge launching a new series in a new territory, but the Motorsport team have done a superb job to bring it together in co-ordination with our colleagues at McLaren North America. We’ve got some impressive teams signed up, so I’m excited to see how the competitive order is going to shake out. There should be some strong driver pairings, and it’s always nice to see some familiar faces on the grid from McLaren Trophy Europe.”
Rob Bell, Sporting Director, McLaren Automotive
About McLaren Trophy:
Launched in July 2022, the McLaren Trophy is a professional championship designed to challenge ambitious GT drivers, appealing to aspiring professional GT drivers, as well as Bronze ranked amateur driver.
The Artura Trophy Evo race car is based on the McLaren Artura GT4 and is powered by the same V6 twin-turbo engine but tuned to provide 585PS. It also has a high downforce package with a bigger rear wing and additional front-end aerodynamics and is capable of lap times close to GT3 race cars. Featuring all-new McLaren Carbon Fibre Lightweight Architecture (MCLA), which provides a rigid carbon fibre chassis derived from the road car, Artura Trophy cars can be converted to GT4 specification, allowing teams and drivers to compete in both categories with the same chassis.
For 2025, McLaren Trophy will launch in the USA as a major support series of the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. Similarly to its European brethren, it will feature 10 rounds spread over five events taking place across the length and breadth of the United States.
McLaren Trophy, America 2025 calendar
| March 28–30 | Rounds 1 & 2 | Sonoma | California |
| April 25–27 | Rounds 3 & 4 | Circuit of the Americas | Texas |
| July 18–20 | Rounds 5 & 6 | Virginia Raceway | Virginia |
| August 15–17 | Rounds 7 & 8 | Road America | Wisconsin |
| October 17–19 | Rounds 9 & 10 | Indianapolis Speedway | Indiana |
The McLaren Trophy is presented in partnership with leading brands including Race for RP, Pirelli and Richard Mille
About McLaren Automotive:
McLaren Automotive is a creator of luxury, high-performance supercars.
Every vehicle is hand-assembled at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey, England.
Launched in 2010, the company is now the largest part of the McLaren Group.
The company’s product portfolio of GT, supercar, Motorsport and Ultimate models are retailed through over 100 retailers in over 40 markets around the world.
McLaren is a pioneer that continuously pushes the boundaries. In 1981, it introduced lightweight and strong carbon fibre chassis into Formula 1 with the McLaren MP4/1.
Then in 1993 it designed and built the McLaren F1 road car – the company has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis since. As part of the Ultimate Series, McLaren was the first to deliver a hybrid hypercar, the McLaren P1™. In 2016, it announced a new hybrid hyper-GT and confirmed in 2018 that the next Ultimate car would be the Speedtail.
2019 saw McLaren launch the 600LT Spider, the new GT and the track-only McLaren Senna GTR. It also unveiled the 620R and McLaren Elva before launching the 765LT the following year.
Most recently, the company unveiled its all-new high-performance hybrid supercar, the McLaren Artura.
The Artura is the first McLaren to benefit from the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA). The MCLA is designed, developed and manufactured at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in the Sheffield region of England using world-first processes and will spearhead the brand’s electrified future.
McLaren Automotive also chooses to partner with like-minded, world-leading companies and organisations who push the boundaries in their respective fields. These include AkzoNobel, Ashurst, Bowers & Wilkins, Dell Technologies, Gulf, InfiniteWorld, Pirelli, Richard Mille, Plan International and Tumi.
About McLaren Group:
The McLaren Group is a global leader in luxury automotive and elite motorsports with a focus on its Automotive supercar and Racing businesses.
Founded in 1963 by racer, engineer and entrepreneur Bruce McLaren, the Group is formed of McLaren Automotive, which hand-builds lightweight supercars; and a majority stake in McLaren Racing which competes in the Formula 1 World Championship and INDYCAR in the US.
The Group is globally headquartered at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England.
With a reputation for innovation and technological excellence, McLaren is one of the UK’s largest independent companies.