Random Vandals Racing has become a competitive race team over the last few seasons, headed by Team Principal Paul Sparta. The team dipped its toes into GT3 racing last year and was successful from the get-go while also taking the fight for the championships in SRO GT4 America down to the wire. For 2025, the team will expand the GT3 and GT4 programs, with the GT3 program anchored by two BMW factory drivers.
The team announced the pairing of works driver Connor De Phillippi and Kenton Koch in early February. De Phillippi and Koch will contest the SRO GT World Challenge America (GTWCA) Pro class in the #99 M4 GT3 EVO, with Indy Car driver Conor Daly joining them for the Indy 8 Hour finale.
Random Vandals has also announced a second M4 GT3 EVO entry in GTWCA, with works driver and BMW living legend Bill Auberlen teaming up with Varun Choksey in the #51 car in the Pro-Am class. Auberlen and Choksey drove together in the series for ST Racing last year and should be even more competitive this year, with Choksey having a full season under his belt with the M4 GT3.
Auberlen is looking forward to another season with Choksey after driving together for the first time last year. “Varun and myself will be teamed up with Random Vandals Racing, and I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “Paul Sparta and the team have welcomed us with open arms, and my hopes of landing the 2025 championship are at an all-time high. We will be racing the new BMW M4 GT3 EVO, and I can’t wait to see how amazing our new ride is.”
The move for Auberlen and Choksey from ST Racing to Random Vandals Racing seems to result from ST Racing pulling out of the GTWCA championship this season after running two cars in the series last year. ST Racing is competing in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge championship this season, with Samantha Tan driving an M4 GT3, and she is currently leading the Bronze class points in the GTDX class.
In addition to the GT3 program, Random Vandals Racing will return to the highly competitive SRO GT4 America championship, expanding to four cars. In the top-level Silver class, Kenton Koch and Kevin Boehm will be together again in the #97 M4 GT4 after narrowly missing out on the championship last year in the final race. In Pro-Am, Josh Green and Sam Craven will drive the #94 M4 GT4 together, and Paul Sparta will team up with Mike Kanisczak in the Am class in the #98 M4 GT4.
Sparta and Kris Wilson were leading the championship last season for most of the season but lost their equilibrium after Sparta was injured at Road America and missed the rest of the season. “I am super happy to return to the cockpit after last year’s injury,” said Sparta. “I am physically 100% and more motivated than ever. I am even more happy to welcome Mike Kanisczak to a full-time driving role. Sonoma can’t come soon enough. We’ll have a good time for sure.”
The SRO GT World Challenge America and GT4 America season starts at Sonoma Raceway in California on March 28th-30th.
—David Haueter
[Images courtesy Random Vandals Racing]