GT World Challenge America: Random Vandals bring serious fun

From its entry into Pirelli GT4 America in 2021, it was clear that Random Vandals intended to have fun with this racing thing. The team name; the raccoon mascot (if you're wondering, its name is Gizmo, according to the Vandals' website); the raccoon-appropriate slogan, "There is no trash cannot, only trash can!” emblazoned on the pit cart…all signs that this wasn't all serious business.

But if looking at Random Vandals Racing in 2025 does not give a clear indication that they take the racing part very seriously, one hasn't been paying attention. First, in the intervening years, the Vandals have had their share of wins in Pirelli GT4 America. But for a bit of bad luck, Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch might have claimed the Silver class title in 2024.

But it's the team's expansion into GT World Challenge America that has truly painted the team as pursuing racing excellence at the highest level. Dipping its toes into the GT3 waters last season, the team came to Sonoma not only with three GT4 America entries, but also a pair of GT World Challenge America PRO BMW M4 GT3s, both with some serious firepower behind the wheel: Koch and BMW factory ace Connor De Phillippi in the No. 99 car (above), and legend Bill Auberlen alongside Varun Choksey in the No. 51 machine.

Koch and De Phillippi won Race 2 at Sonoma, then followed it up with another victory at Circuit of The Americas to make a statement that they're championship contenders. It's all been a validation of the audacious expansion, and a sign of where team principal Paul Sparta wants to take things.

“Even in our first season as a pro team, which was 2021, there was always an intention,” says Sparta, who also races the No. 98 BMW M4 GT4 with Michael Kanisczak in GT4 America, where they claimed a third in Am in Race 2 at the Sonoma season opener. “We're really serious about this – like, we're really serious about doing it – but I really believe that if you let go of the fun piece, you're going to lose cohesiveness with people, you're going to get tired, you're not going to get the satisfaction out of it. The people you're doing it with aren't going to get the satisfaction out of it. There's moments in this sport that will crush you, repeatedly, mentally and physically, but people who do it, they all love doing it. That's why we're out here. So the fun is always going to be a part of it, if I have any influence.”

But maintaining the fun, while leading to a good work environment and motivating people, doesn't necessarily lead to success. That's especially true when undergoing a major expansion in programs such as Random Vandals is currently experiencing. Adding not one, but two, PRO-class cars for 2025 is an undertaking.

“Like any organization, you grow, and growth creates change, and people move positions, and you bring in more capability, and you're building processes, and you're trying to make sure you're taking big enough bites, but bites that aren't too big,” says Sparta. “But ultimately, it is being very focused on the people. People who, besides just being hard working and intelligent, also have the ability to think outside of just a single time frame, to think about what's appropriate for now, and what do we need for where we want to be.”

One of the team's additions, besides its expanded driver line-up, is the team's vice president of operations. Alberto Peña joins Random Vandals for 2025 with a wealth of experience, including Riley Motorsports' SRO America effort, and Extreme Velocity Motorsports and Winward Racing prior to that. He's one person that Koch identifies as a key player in the team's ability to expand effectively.

Koch is the Vandals' longest-tenured driver besides Sparta, and this year takes on double duty in both GT4 America with Boehm and GT World Challenge America with De Phillippi.

Kenton Koch and Connor De Phillippi have taken Random Vandals’ move to GT World Challenge America to a winning start.

“With every expansion, there's going to be some bumps, and we've had a couple of them, but I know we'll be able to go beyond those and smooth them out, and we'll be fine,” says Koch. “The things that you know you need to learn with expansion, there's new people, and those new people have new roles, and those roles need to be learned, and once they are learned completely, after getting through a process, then it will then become a well-oiled machine.”

It seems to have all jelled rather quickly. The team was quick out of the box, and after some small miscues on Saturday at Sonoma, the team took triple victories on Sunday, including Sam Craven and Josh Green taking the Pro-Am category in GT4 America.

“It was good that we showed up, we were fast, we were on pole,” says Koch. “To show up and have that kind of speed is always really nice, against some guys that have been around and shown their capabilities. So now we're going to continue that progression, learn from our mistakes and be better. It takes the whole package to be able to win races.”

A podium at Sonoma on Saturday for Auberlen and Choksey indicated that the team is indeed doing things correctly, along with the victory and podiums in GT4. The championship that has eluded the team seems like a real possibility in 2025, and perhaps more than one title is in the cards. And it has Sparta thinking beyond the SRO America paddock – which he says is absolutely the right place for the team right now – and thinking about the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa and even Le Mans. But the focus right now is on nailing some titles, continuing with the visit to Florida’s Sebring International Raceway this weekend.

“A championship has eluded us,” laments Sparta. “We should have won some last year, but we had some of the most horrific luck, including my own personal bad luck at Road America, and that thwarted those championships. Nobody's bitter about it, but we want to go out and click those off. We didn't return to IMSA [Michelin Pilot Challenge] this year, specifically because the level of growth and the breadth of what we're doing now, we needed to stay here. I expect you will see us back in that paddock aggressively next year, but I think I love where SRO is right now. They have been an unbelievably good partner, and things are on the rise."

Live coverage of SRO America action from Sebring is available on the RACER Network and the RACER + App.