McLaren Trophy America Championship to Debut in 2025

TGR Staff - 03/07/2024

McLaren Motorsport today announced McLaren Trophy America, the second McLaren Trophy championship the brand has launched, which will mirror the already successful McLaren Trophy Europe. Both programs are designed to challenge and develop Pro-Am driver pairings, emphasizing the Bronze driver. The expansion follows a successful debut season for the McLaren Trophy in 2023, in which 17 cars contested the championship across two classes.

McLaren Trophy America will showcase the Artura Trophy race car like its European cousin. Bespoke to the championship, the Artura Trophy shares much with the highly acclaimed McLaren Artura road car, including the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) which provides a rigid and lightweight chassis for supreme race track performance and remarkable impact resistance.

Powered by the same twin-turbo V6 engine as the road car and generating 577bhp, the Artura Trophy is sensationally fast in a straight line. The compact and wide 120-degree angle engine sits low in the chassis making it equally spectacular in its cornering abilities. It is aided by a bespoke aerodynamic package that includes a high-downforce rear wing. In addition to offering high levels of driver engagement, lap times of the Artura Trophy compare favorably with GT3 cars.

“Following the successful debut of McLaren Trophy Europe in 2023, we are delighted to confirm that the championship is being expanded with the new McLaren Trophy America championship in 2025. This region represents McLaren Automotive’s biggest market and has a diverse and vibrant motorsport culture, including a strong GT racing contingent that we are proud to be part of. We’re looking forward to welcoming members of the extended McLaren family as well as new competitors from the American continents and we hope to one day see some of them compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA championships with McLaren GT racing products." - Mick McDonagh, Director of MSO and Motorsport, McLaren Automotive

The Artura Trophy has been designed to be accessible to drivers of all abilities and easily serviceable, with an adjustable Bosch engine management system, inboard radiators, and a rear deck that can be lifted away without needing to remove the rear wing.

Cars will be run by independent teams with existing 570S Trophy cars also eligible for the series. These cars will compete for class wins and championships and just like the Artura Trophy, will be fully supported by McLaren Customer Racing with replacement parts and technical backup available at every round.

Both the Artura Trophy and 570S Trophy cars will benefit from high-performance tires supplied by tire partner Pirelli, using its extensive experience in both Formula 1 and GT racing.

McLaren Trophy America competitors will also benefit from the relaxed and sociable paddock environment that is a popular feature of the championship in Europe. Central to this is the Formula 1-inspired McLaren race center where drivers can entertain friends, family, sponsors, and team managers, host meetings, or simply relax.

The inaugural season will consist of 10 races across 5 race weekends. Over four hours of track time at each event includes two races of 50 minutes in duration, including mandatory pit stops for driver changes. Full details of the 2025 race calendar will be released later this year.