The champions of 2019 were celebrated in style on Sunday (20 October) when the SRO Motorsports Group awards ceremony took centre stage at the world-famous Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
The annual prize-giving brings together domestic and international title-winners from a range of series spanning Europe, Asia and the United States. This year saw the event staged in the U.S. for the first time, with the awards presented just a few hours after the chequered flag had fallen on the season-ending Blancpain GT World Challenge America contest at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The evening began with a gala reception and dinner at the Bellagio, after which proceedings moved to venue's famed Grand Ballroom. Teams and drivers from across the spectrum of SRO-organised championships received their silverware for the 2019 season, including the stars of the Blancpain GT Series, GT4 European Series, and Blancpain GT World Challenge categories in Europe, Asia and America. Domestic GT champions from Britain and France were also celebrated, as were the winners of the blue riband Total 24 Hours of Spa.
What's more, several drivers received individual awards over the course of the evening. The Sean Edwards Trophy was presented to GT4 European Series driver Clement Seyler, earning the rising star 20 sets of Pirelli tyres to use next season. The Philippe Charriol Award went to this year’s top-performing Gentleman Driver, Louis Machiels, while Benjamin Goethe received the SRO Merit Award.
Though the awards celebrated many of the season's success stories, there is still more racing action in store for 2019. A further three international events remain, beginning on 1-3 November when the inaugural FIA Motorsport Games brings together a diverse range of competitors from across the globe. Hosted by Rome and with the nearby Vallelunga Circuit staging the on-track action, this multi-disciplinary contest features categories for GT, Touring Car, Formula 4, Drifting, Karting Slalom and Digital competitors.
Later in the month, a set of elite international drivers will contest the FIA GT World Cup on the legendary streets of Macau. The all-star grid for this year's race features star performers representing heavyweight manufacturers Audi, BMW, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. The event runs from 14-17 November as part of the annual Macau Grand Prix.
Finally, the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli season will bring the curtain down on 2019 with the much-anticipated Kyalami 9 Hour. Reviving an event that traces its history back more than half a century, the long-distance contest will see the globe-trotting championship decided by a fifth race on as many continents.
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