Advance Motorsports celebrates an incredible debut 2026 GT4 America season, earning three podiums with the McLaren Artura GT4 while preparing to expand its racing program for 2027.

CHICAGO, IL — What started as an ambitious dream between a father and son has turned into an extraordinary first chapter for Advance Motorsports.

Entering the 2026 Pirelli GT4 America championship as a brand-new organization competing at the professional GT4 level, Advance Motorsports faced an enormous challenge. From building a team and developing its McLaren Artura GT4 program to competing against some of the most established organizations in North American sports car racing, the road ahead was anything but easy.

However, what began as a season filled with uncertainty developed into something far greater than the team could have imagined.

Three consecutive podium weekends, Three Pole positions and a front-row qualifying performance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, highlighted an exceptional inaugural campaign.

For an organization that had never competed in professional sports car racing before 2026, these achievements represented a remarkable first step toward building a championship-contending McLaren Customer Racing program.

A Father-Son Dream Becomes Reality

Advance Motorsports was founded by Todd and Austin Jurs, a father-son duo from the Chicago area who shared a vision of competing at the highest levels of professional sports car racing.

For Austin, the dream was to become a professional racing driver. For Todd, it was to build and operate a successful racing organization.

In 2025, the two decided to combine those ambitions and take the biggest step of their racing careers.

Following months of preparation, financial investment, and countless hours behind the scenes, Advance Motorsports officially launched its McLaren Customer Racing program in the spring of 2026.

With the No. 131 McLaren Artura GT4, the team embarked on its first season competing in the highly competitive SRO Pirelli GT4 America championship.

Getting to the starting grid was an achievement in itself.

Building a professional racing operation from the ground up required assembling a crew, developing relationships with partners, acquiring equipment, and learning the complexities of operating a GT4 program at the national level.

And while the team had ambitious goals, there was no guarantee of immediate success.

Sonoma Raceway: Fast Right Out of the Gates

When Advance Motorsports arrived at Sonoma Raceway for its first-ever professional GT4 America race weekend, expectations were understandably uncertain.

As a brand-new organization competing against teams with years of experience, there was no way of knowing exactly where the No. 131 McLaren Artura GT4 would stack up against the field.

However, it didn't take long for the team to make a statement.

In the very first qualifying session of the season, Jonathan Neudorf delivered an incredible lap, putting Advance Motorsports on provisional overall pole position in its first-ever professional GT4 America qualifying session, more than four-tenths of a second clear of the next-fastest competitor.

It was an extraordinary achievement for an organization making its professional racing debut.

Unfortunately, the celebration would be short-lived. A technical infringement involving the car's data logging system resulted in the team losing its pole position and being moved down the starting grid.

Despite the disappointment, the message was clear.

Advance Motorsports had arrived in GT4 America with race-winning potential from day one.

Much of that immediate competitiveness could be credited to the experienced management, engineering personnel, and technical crew working tirelessly behind the scenes.

While Advance Motorsports was a new organization, the team had surrounded itself with knowledgeable and experienced individuals who understood what it took to prepare and operate a competitive McLaren Artura.

"Official GT4 America, Pole position post"

Overcoming the Challenges of a First Season

Like many new racing organizations, Advance Motorsports experienced its share of challenges throughout the opening half of the season.

Mechanical setbacks, financial pressures, and the steep learning curve associated with professional sports car racing tested the team's determination.

There were weekends when the results did not reflect the amount of preparation and effort taking place behind the scenes.

Simply getting the car to the next event was sometimes one of the biggest challenges.

However, rather than allowing those difficulties to define the season, the team continued developing its program with each passing race weekend.

As the year progressed, Advance Motorsports began finding more consistency with the McLaren Artura GT4, improving both its reliability and overall execution.

One of the first major signs of progress came at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, where the team secured fourth place in the Silver class and fifth overall.

The result demonstrated that Advance Motorsports was capable of competing toward the front of the field.

Little did the team know, its biggest accomplishments were still ahead.

Road America: The First Podium

The turning point of the 2026 season came at Road America, a circuit the Chicago-based organization considers its home race.

 Advance Motorsports welcomed Parker DeLong alongside Austin Jurs in the No. 131 McLaren Artura GT4 to close out the remaining 3 rounds. 

The newly formed driver pairing immediately demonstrated impressive speed.

Advance Motorsports topped the overall timing charts in the opening practice session before DeLong went on to secure pole position in the Silver class during qualifying.

It was one of the strongest performances the team had produced all season.

With a P4 finish in the first race, the team returned for Race 2 determined to capitalize on its pace.

With heavy rain creating extremely difficult racing conditions, Jurs and DeLong delivered an impressive performance, bringing the McLaren home Second in the Silver class and Third overall.

Advance Motorsports had officially earned its first podium in professional GT4 America competition.

For the entire organization, the moment represented much more than a Second-place trophy.

After months of difficult decisions, countless hours of preparation, and a season of learning, Advance Motorsports had finally reached the podium.

And it was only the beginning.

"Road America Podium (P3 on track P2 after penalties)"

Barber Motorsports Park: Building on the Momentum

Following its breakthrough performance at Road America, Advance Motorsports arrived at Barber Motorsports Park with renewed confidence.

With Austin Jurs and Parker DeLong continuing their partnership, the team focused on proving its Road America performance was no coincidence.

Throughout the weekend, the No. 131 McLaren demonstrated competitive pace and established itself as a serious contender.

During the second race, DeLong led the Silver class through the opening stages all the way to an eight-second lead! Placing Advance Motorsports in contention for its first victory. An unfortunate late race caution occurred and quickly that lead evaporated the team secured second place in the Silver class, marking its second consecutive podium weekend and best overall finish of the season.

The result represented another significant milestone.

Just months earlier, Advance Motorsports had been learning what it took to operate a professional GT4 racing program.

Now, the team was leading races and consistently challenging some of the championship's strongest competitors.

With one event remaining, the focus shifted to the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"Parker delong, Austin Jurs & Todd Jurs after Breakthrough P2 overall finish at barber"

Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Three Podiums in a Row

There was perhaps no better place for Advance Motorsports to conclude its debut season than Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Coming into the final weekend of the year with two consecutive podium finishes, the team was determined to finish the season on a high note.

During qualifying, Austin Jurs delivered the strongest qualifying performance of his professional career, placing the No. 131 McLaren on the front row in second position overall.

The performance set the stage for one of the team's most memorable races of the season.

Jurs and DeLong continued their impressive form, battling at the front of the field and ultimately bringing the McLaren home second overall and second in the Silver class.

With that result, Advance Motorsports had accomplished something that has never been done before in GT4 America History. 

Three consecutive podium weekends in its very first season of professional GT4 competition.

From Road America to Barber Motorsports Park and finally Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the team had transformed itself into a consistent podium contender.

For Todd and Austin Jurs, the achievement was the culmination of years of dedication and a season that demanded everything from the organization.

"Indianapolis Podium"

A Debut Season Beyond Expectations

Looking back on 2026, the story of Advance Motorsports is not simply about three trophies.

It is about the transformation of an entirely new organization into a competitive professional racing team in the span of a single season.

From arriving at its first race with no previous professional GT4 experience to ending the year with three consecutive podium finishes, Advance Motorsports demonstrated exceptional growth.

The organization also finished sixth in the GT4 America Silver team championship, an encouraging achievement considering the challenges it faced throughout the season.

What makes the results even more meaningful is the work that took place away from the racetrack.

Behind every podium were countless hours spent preparing the car, organizing logistics, developing partnerships, and overcoming the financial and operational realities of running a professional racing team.

Every crew member, driver, partner, and supporter played a role in making the season possible.

The team also extends its appreciation to McLaren Customer Racing and everyone who helped support the development of the program throughout its inaugural season.

For a family-owned organization built from the ground up, the results were something truly special.

The Next Chapter: Advance Motorsports in 2027

While the conclusion of the 2026 season marks a significant milestone, Advance Motorsports is already focused on the future.

The organization enters the offseason with greater experience, stronger relationships, and an ambitious vision for 2027.

Building upon its debut campaign, Advance Motorsports plans to continue developing its McLaren Customer Racing program with the goal of becoming a consistent race-winning and championship-contending organization.

An important part of that growth will involve expanding opportunities for both professional and amateur drivers looking to compete in sports car racing.

For 2027, Advance Motorsports is offering arrive-and-drive opportunities and customer-owned race car programs, providing drivers with multiple pathways to join the organization.

The team is also placing an increased emphasis on growing its commercial partnerships, improving its overall presentation, and expanding its VIP hospitality experiences throughout the season.

As Advance Motorsports continues to develop, the mission remains unchanged: build a professional, championship-caliber racing organization while creating meaningful opportunities for the drivers, partners, and supporters who believe in the program, and most importantly doing it for God, and the fans.

Just the Beginning

At the start of 2026, Advance Motorsports entered the GT4 America paddock as one of the championship’s newest organizations.

By the end of the season, the team had established itself as a serious competitor.

Three consecutive podiums, strong qualifying performances, and steady progression throughout the year demonstrated exactly what this organization is capable of achieving.

But perhaps the most important accomplishment was proving that the vision Todd and Austin Jurs shared could become a reality.

What began as a dream has now become the foundation for something much bigger.

A special thank-you to our team partners—Cannonball Garage, KYRO, and Asetek SimSports—for believing in Advance Motorsports and helping make our inaugural season possible. Their support played an important role in everything we accomplished this year.

The team would also like to extend its sincere appreciation to every driver, crew member, family member, and supporter who contributed to this journey. Without their belief, sacrifice, and dedication, none of these accomplishments would have been possible.

The 2026 season will always be remembered as the beginning of Advance Motorsports.

And if the team’s first year is any indication of what lies ahead, the future looks incredibly promising.

Three podiums. One unforgettable debut season. And a much bigger journey still ahead.