Dateline: Sunday, June 28th, 2026
Green, green, green, green, green!
In the 60 or so minutes leading up to every single GT4 America race, there is a clearly defined sequence of events that precedes the moment the starter chooses to display the green flag. Michael purges, airs up, and otherwise prepares all eight tires. Austin and Daniel tag-team the final mechanical readiness of the cars while Rich and Dave ensure that we will pass our technical inspections at the end of the day. Dave (another Dave, since we don’t trust this Dave with tools outside of the kitchen) makes sure that the gas tanks are filled with exactly enough fuel to get us to the finish line without a drop to spare. Earlier in the day, Dave (yet another Dave, since we don’t trust this Dave with either tools or gasoline) has made sure that the crew’s stomachs are filled with enough chick-on-a-stick to get them to the checkered flag as well.
All the while, Jason plays crew chief (some would say mother hen) keeping the whole thing between the lines as Wayne stares at enough data and spreadsheets to qualify for collegiate design project credits. This all comes to a head as our BMWs roll to the grid, the five-minute warning is given, we strap ourselves tightly into our carbon fiber cocoons, the engines are theatrically fired up in unison, and the pace car leads the multi-million-dollar parade of hardware out onto the track. So much time, energy, and focus on the singular moment when we drivers hear, courtesy of a little electronic voice inside our helmets, that the green flag has been displayed. Go play with your toys, but please try to bring them home in one piece – more or less – so we can do this all again tomorrow.
So much work to put a car exactly here at exactly this moment.
Now if you think all of that takes a lot of effort, just try finding the time to write a freaking newsletter in the middle of your daily life as a husband, father, and (now former) CEO. Tardy as it may be, welcome to the official start of the 2026 BimmerWorld Racing season.
Q: Wasn’t the green flag on the 2026 season dropped back in March?
A: I know, I know…delinquent in writing another newsletter. Guilty as charged. What’s new? But here we are three four events into the 2026 GT4 America season and there is just so much to share I can’t put it off any longer. Truth be told, there are about a dozen other things that I should be spending my time on right now, but if I don’t ignore the noise, knuckle down, and focus on this for a few hours, it will likely never get done.
Strap in, because here we go.
Let’s start by talking about what’s new for this season.
Q: Ok. What’s new for this season?
A: While Zack did a great job of rolling out the BimmerWorld Racing 2026 driver lineup in his Sonoma newsletter, that was a few months ago (it’s crazy that it’s been that long already). In case you missed it, or if you simply don’t remember, we shuffled the deck a bit over the winter months. After Charlie, well, abandoned James at the end of 2025 (the other James, not me, because there is no way Charlie would have abandoned me), I ended up in the #36 Am/Am BMW M4 GT4 paired up with James (the other James, not me, because being paired with myself would have been weird).
Q: Does that make you the other James’ rebound co-driver?
A: I had not thought of it like that, but I guess so. In any case, I’m just glad that I could step up for him in his time of need.
Q: Don’t overthink it. I’m sure he’s not using you as an emotional crutch to get over Charlie.
A: I mean, they did have a special bond and all.
[uneasy pause]
Thanks to your question, I now feel a little bit creeped out about the whole thing. Especially since we shared time in the hot tub last night. Have I really been his emotional crutch? I now need to know if this is a long-term commitment or if he is just going through a temporary phase as he processes being jilted by the little Brit.
Please tell me you’re not using me, James.
Q: Divert! Divert! Divert!
A: I agree, we went way too far behind the green curtain on that topic. Let’s now pivot and laugh at our latest driver waiver selfies! That should ease the tension here. From left to right, one guy that should be focused on driving, one guy that should be focused on selling a company, one guy that should be in airplane mode, and Tyler, well…we love Tyler.
Four guys that obviously take professional motorsports quite seriously.
Q: Tyler’s hat is a strong move.
A: Yeah, he won this round of “do something goofy with your waiver picture and see if track security even notices” by a landslide. I think we all need to try a little harder at Road America to keep the momentum going.
Q: Any other big changes for this season?
A: While this is going to be a shocker for some, we are moving on from using Hello Kitty as our unofficial team mascot (I learned recently that if it had been truly official, we would have needed to pay royalties and stuff like that). But before you go and get the torches and pitchforks to storm the castle, you should know that Hello Kitty will retain a special place on the right-rear fascia of the #36 for the duration of the 2026 season. This was a surprise going-away “gift” from Mr. Clay, but I really think it was more of a good-natured gesture from him to get me over not having a Texas flag on the roof this year.
Hello Kitty, keeping an eye on the competition during her farewell tour.
Q: Say it’s not so! This is heresy!
A: Sorry, but recent BimmerWorld corporate imperatives are preventing us from carrying on with the outdated messaging, graphics, and related thematic elements our Hello Kitty routine brought to the table. Turns out the marketing people wanted something more modern, more relatable, and more directly tied to the BimmerWorld brand and product portfolio. Apparently, Hello Kitty wasn’t bringing the masses to the doorstep of the newly opened BimmerMart in droves like we all expected, and, well, that mortgage ain’t going to pay itself.
At the same time, everyone in Pulaski County recognized that the baby should not be thrown out with the bathwater. Consequently, after much debate and consternation, the compromise solution (revealed here for the very first time!) is more of a branding evolution than a revolution. To this end, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our more sophisticated, relevant, and cultured scR motorsports team tagline, ‘Hi Feline.’
I can’t believe it took seven years to come up with this.
Q: Seriously? Hi Feline is just Hello Kitty using fancier words.
A: Hey, I’m not the one with the advanced marketing degree (close your eyes and envision me throwing up my hands here). But that really doesn’t matter, for as you can see, the vinyl has already been applied to the quarter panels and there’s no way we are restickering this car just because you don’t see the promotional brilliance before you.
I mean, maybe we should have done a beta test or a focus group first, but that’s not stopping us from moving forward with this thing. And to be completely transparent, the Lifeline people have not yet weighed in on this branding mashup. Surprise!
Not sure exactly how this is all going to play out, but for now, in unison, Hi Feline!
Q: Let’s change topics and talk about the door coming off at Sonoma. Why couldn’t you continue?
A: That’s a great question. In GT4, the doors are purely cosmetic items. They weigh about two pounds, are held in place with magnets, and provide no structural integrity whatsoever. Yet apparently, it’s bad form to race without one in SRO. So there you are. Even though the car was mechanically just fine after the first-lap game of pinball, we lost a ton of points that day (and as a bonus, the next day as well) because them’s the rules in SRO.
Photo obviously taken before the Hi Feline switchover occurred.
Q: Couldn’t you borrow a door from another team to continue the race?
A: Yes, yes we could have. But in an incredible act of poor sportsmanship, the one team that could have come to our rescue in the heat of the moment chose not to because they also had a car competing in our class.
Q: Who the hell would do something like that?
A: Well, I’m not going to name names, so let’s just refer to them as the “Aerial Iguanas” and move on because I can’t type what I am really feeling right now. I’m sure I will find a way to repay the favor in the future.
Flashback to Indy 2023, the last time the Iguanas proved to be less than noble.
Q: Appears you found a door for Sonoma Race 2? How did that happen?
A: Like always, there’s a story. Appears there is a worldwide backorder of BMW M4 GT4 passenger-side doors. Read what you want into that statement, but coming into the weekend, the BimmerWorld race hauler contained three spare doors…for the driver’s side. And even if you try really, really hard you can’t make one of those fit on the passenger’s side.
Once Race 1 was over and we were no longer a threat to the Iguanas, we made another run at finding a team that would be willing to help. About thirty minutes later, Mercedes driver Allen Patten (who had been taken out far more violently than us in the first lap of the race) showed up in our trailer holding a BMW M4 GT4 passenger-side door triumphantly over his head like it was the Stanley Cup or something. The entourage and video crew that came with him added to the entertainment value for sure, but we were sincerely puzzled since the door was obviously lifted from a Random Vandals BMW. None of this made any sense to us, but without asking any questions, we accepted his generosity and quickly threw some black vinyl and Cinnamon Toast Crunch guys over the exterior skin in case Paul Sparta stopped by looking for his door later.
Everything about this door and its replacement was completely…random.
Q: I really didn’t follow any of that.
A: Neither did we, but we got a door and that’s what mattered, gosh darn it. Maybe over a beer someday Allen will give me the rest of the story.
Meanwhile, this is somehow just fine in NASCAR.
Q: It looked like the car actually had some pace at the end of Race 2.
A: Yeah, it was still fast, but since we were six or so laps down, there wasn’t much to do but drive around and hope for somebody else’s bad fortune. On the upside, Calvin Fish made a very nice comment on-air about how I didn’t interfere with the leaders coming up and through the field with a few laps to go. It made a significant enough impact on an anonymous scR motorsports fanboy we will call ‘Doug’ that he created a Certificate of Recognition to commemorate the occasion.
Not as nice as a trophy, but hey, it’s something!
Q: Even with the terrible points haul at Sonoma, you guys have rebounded pretty well.
A: There’s that rebound word again. Do you really think Clay is using me as an emotional crutch?
[another uneasy pause]
Following the dumpster fire that was Sonoma, we have been on a bit of a tear. The double points win at Austin followed by a first and second at Sebring catapulted the #36 into the GT4 America Am/Am points lead. We then increased our Championship lead with a pair of second-place podiums at Road Atlanta, which feels pretty darn good right now.
God Bless Texas!
Q: So, the COTA enduro. Victory Lane three years in a row, right?
A: That’s pretty cool, isn’t it? To be fair, I have had the benefit of being surrounded by the best team, the best co-drivers, the best car, and the best family there to support me. I sure have come a long way from my first race there in 2020 when I dropped my balaclava in the toilet (mid-stream!) about five minutes before needing to get in the car.
Spraying the bubbly like I know what I am doing these days.
Q: Your champagne technique looks pretty solid.
A: Oh, that’s just the beginning. In addition to refining the uniformity of my spray pattern, I have also been working on my long-distance accuracy. I can now reach P3 from P2 on the podium with pro-level precision.
We are both of an age where stream velocity can be a legitimate topic of discussion.
Q: Whoa. That’s an impressive display of fluid dynamics.
A: Before you get too excited, know that sometimes brute force is the better solution. Having a flamboyant delivery is one thing, but ensuring your competition is completely soaked is another matter altogether. The key is to be unpredictable until the very last moment and then choose your technique based upon the anticipated defense. There is a science to this that pairs well with old age and treachery.
Take that, Cherry Garcia 1! Or maybe it’s Cherry Garcia 2. I get them confused.
Q: Let’s get back to new stuff for this season. Anything new to report from your competition?
A: Are you sitting down?
Q: [obediently sits down]
A: The NOLASport team showed up to the Road Atlanta driver’s meeting wearing matching polo shirts. With collars. Collars! THEY HAD COLLARS!
It appears that Mr. Leist (center) is not thrilled with the team’s new apparel.
Q: Stop the presses! Is this a new look for the team? Or was Mr. Travis taking the weekend off?
A: It gets better. In their team paddock they had flooring under the canopy. Flooring! THEY HAD FLOORING!
Q: Jon obviously is trying to lure in potential customers for 2027, eh?
A: Not exactly sure what the motivation is, but I suspect it won’t be long until the tide turns and Matt breaks out one of his “I’m Just Here to Bang” or “What the F**k is a Kilometer” t-shirts. I mean, seriously, this can’t last. But in the meantime, feel free to walk by their place and compliment them on their new flooring. It’s sweet.
Q: All this change is awesome. Anything else?
A: Oh yeah, but you need a little back story first. Over the past year or so, Sam Craven and I have become pretty tight. So, when my new car needed a little TLC (which turned into a lot of TLC), I was more than happy to drop it off at his shop for repair, refurbishment, and restoration. Unfortunately, I discovered that Sam’s front office has become a bit of a shrine to his recent motorsport success, and I could not help but hold back the gag reflex as I was forced to stare at a large-format print of his car surfing through Turn 9 at COTA as Eddie filled out my work order that Tuesday afternoon.
Eddie’s desk, Sam’s car. All that’s missing are a few votive candles.
Q: How is that something new?
A: Well, after a little after-hours subterfuge, Sam now has a new large-format print of our car surfing through Turn 9 at COTA on the wall behind Eddie’s desk instead. No charge. I wonder how long it will take him to notice the switch.
Eddie’s desk, our car. So much better, and no votive candles required.
Q: That looks suspiciously like Photoshop.
A: Maybe. Maybe not. But I bet Sam is scratching his head right now trying to figure out if I’m telling the truth or not. And that’s all I am hoping for.
Q: You mentioned you have a new car. Tell us about that!
A: Ok, but only briefly. It’s a 1995 Lancia Delta Integrale HF Evo2 Final Edition.
Q: I have no idea what you just said.
A: In plain English, it’s an Italian all-wheel-drive, turbocharged competitor to a Volkswagen GTI. Which sounds like it should be awesome, right? When I bought it, I was under the impression that it would be an incredible automobile. Turns out it’s much better at being a garage trophy.
Sam’s guys are working on that, though, and maybe before my first year of ownership is up, I will get a chance to experience it moving under its own power. But don’t hold your breath – it’s basically a mid-90s Italian economy car with all of the baggage that goes along with being exactly that. If it eventually becomes an actual automobile again, I’ll be sure to let you know.
It’s doing a great job of keeping that lift from going ANYWHERE.
Q: Any other new cars in the fleet?
A: No, but the trusty RAM has been doing its part to fly the team colors (numbers, anyway) these days. It also was recently fitted with an OPTIMA® YELLOWTOP® DH7 battery, so it starts better than new.
Secretly, it longs to be a GT4 racecar. But at least it’s powered by OPTIMA®.
Q: Why are you SHOUTING® about OPTIMA®?
A: Not shouting, but just more BimmerWorld corporate marketing directives trying to pay the BimmerMart mortgage (see also above, the unceremonious dumping of our beloved Hello Kitty).
Q: That’s so much change. I can’t imagine there’s anything else to report.
A: There actually is one more thing before I sign off. Consistent with no longer being a CEO (more to follow next time), I will be porting over to a new (but old) e-mail address. Starting with our next newsletter, look for any new communications to be coming from our good-old-fashioned teamscr@flash.net address. Be sure to add it to your safe senders list, as you won’t want to miss a single issue as we make our end-of-season charge to stay at the top of the Am/Am Championship leaderboard.
Game on, Cherry Garcias.
See you at the track!
JWJr
#36 GT4 America
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