Category: IMSA

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team Winward Racing secured a series-leading fifth podium finish of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park to extend the 2024 GT Daytona (GTD) class points leads across three categories. The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 team and drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis turned in another competitive and flawless performance for a second-place GTD class finish that increased their points leads in the WeatherTech GTD team and driver standings and Mercedes-AMG’s first-place standing in the GTD manufacturer championship.

Sunday’s solid run to second place, that saw the No. 57 cross the finish line 5.060 seconds behind the GTD class winner, followed race wins by Ward, Ellis and the Winward No. 57 in four of the five races that made up the first half of the 10-race season.

Beginning the year’s final stretch of five races with the same competitive form as the opening half, starting driver Ward rolled off from sixth on the GTD grid and battled with the lead pack from the drop of the green flag. Ward steadily climbed up the running order as he drove a lengthy double stint that kept him behind the wheel for nearly the first 100 minutes of the two-hour and 40-minute race.

Ward pitted from second with one hour remaining to hand off the No. 57 to Ellis, who returned to the race in the same position and was set to hold it to the finish and bank away some valuable championship points. A late caution with less than 15 minutes to go closed up the field and put the No. 57 in closer touch with the GTD leader, but Ellis stayed focused on the championship picture and didn’t attempt a late charge for the win.

The end result of the disciplined performance was a second-place points haul that further extended the points leads across the GTD driver, team and manufacturer championships with four races remaining on this year’s 10-race calendar.

Ward, Ellis and the Winward No. 57 came into this weekend’s race in Canada 305 points ahead of the nearest driver and team championship challengers but have now increased that season-high lead to 340 points, 2090 – 1,750.
Mercedes-AMG maintains an even larger lead in the GTD manufacturer championship battle with 2,185 points, a full season-high 397 ahead of the second-place competitor’s 1,788 points.

To put all three championship leads into perspective, the maximum points available to a driver, team or manufacturer in all GTD championships for a race win is 350.

Mercedes-AMG’s margin in the manufacturer championship, which amounts to more than a full race points lead, has also been supported this season by the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 team and co-drivers Mikael Grenier and Mike Skeen.

Grenier qualified a Mercedes-AMG best fourth at CTMP and joined Ward in the GTD top three for a good portion of the middle part of the race. Like Ellis and the No. 57, Skeen took over the No. 32 for the race’s final hour and a top-five finish or better appeared to be a possibility.

Skeen was running fifth in the GTD lead pack in the closing minutes of the race when a late full course caution set the stage for a frantic fight to the finish with nine minutes remaining. With GTD Pro cars, battling for their own class victory, in the mix, Skeen was momentarily moved off line and into the loose “marbles” on the edge of the circuit. The No. 32 slipped from fifth to eighth place and, for the second-straight race, the Korthoff team and drivers were forced to settle for a finish not indicative of their race performance.

Despite the disappointing finish, the No. 32 Korthoff team and drivers moved to third in the WeatherTech Championship GTD team and driver championship standings following CTMP.

The race-winning performance for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams at CTMP was turned in by Thaze Competition and emerging talent Josh Green who combined for the first IMSA race wins for both the team and the driver in Sunday’s rain-plagued 45-minute sprint race.

Building on a third-place finish in Saturday’s first VP Racing sprint, Green ran fourth in the No. 78 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT4 from the start of Sunday’s race. The opening laps were run in the dry but under threatening skies that soon opened up with a steady downpour.

Green moved to third at the onset of the rain and then pitted with the rest of the field under caution for a mandatory switch to rain tires. The race resumed for a wet and wild six-minute dash to the finish, and both Green and the Mercedes-AMG GT4 proved well suited for the rainy conditions. After an exploratory lap or two to determine the various conditions around the course, Green made his move with just over one lap remaining to pass both the first and second place competitors at the same time and take the checkered flag for a 1.208 seconds margin of victory.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the WeatherTech Championship is the August 2 – 4 race weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams in the VP Racing series next compete at the Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), August 23 – 25.

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Sometimes you can’t get it done just on the race track. Some of the other competitors have a better rules package than we do right now, but it just shows when you put it all together and execute well – make no mistakes – you can get the most out of your available performance. Hats off again to the team, and it was just an incredible effort out of them once again. We are really looking to win this championship. We have won some races the last few years. We know we are capable of the race wins, but as sweet as they are, this team has never had a championship. That’s really our 100 percent focus, and you just have to stay out of trouble. You can’t do well if you don’t finish. We have got the speed, we have got the confidence, we’ve got the momentum, so we just need to execute on all of that. It’s difficult when you put the helmet on because you want to go out there and you just want to be the fastest. You want to be first, but really, we just need to bring this one home, and we are going to bring it home.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s very satisfying. We took the maximum out of the car that we could today, but we are just lacking pace with the current rules compared to some of the competition. All in all, given the circumstances, it was a perfect weekend, and we increased the gap again in the championship. It sure would have been nice to have another win under our belts, but it wasn’t there this weekend. We will continue in the year’s final races with the same plan we have followed all year. We will stay clean, stay out of trouble, maximize the points we have in hand and try to keep the championship lead straight to the end of the season.”

Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “The Korthoff Preston Motorsports guys have been doing a fantastic job week in and week out. We had a podium here last year and we were very hopeful coming in that we could repeat that. We had a good position most of the race to capitalize on that, but some things just didn’t fall perfectly for us, but super happy for these guys. They just keep hustling and trying to make it all work, and maybe one of these days we will put it up on top.”

Josh Green, Driver – No. 78 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I am super pumped. I was doing the rain dance the whole weekend. Once we put the wets on, I was pretty confident. I’ve had a lot of great races in the rain. We actually had an LMP3 car kind of get stuck in front of us and he blocked everyone, and I knew that that was going to be the opportunity to get clear. It feels sweet, I’m so happy. Thaze Competition is such an awesome group, it’s like family to me, and I’ve been so lucky that they took me under their wing. It’s my first real season in sports cars and to win our first times together after a few races is just awesome.”

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (15 July 2024) – Sean Creech Motorsport finished 10th overall in Sunday’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park with drivers Lance Willsey and Joao Barbosa. The two hour, forty-minute race marked the fourth round of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar LMP2 class Championship as the series traveled north of the border to take on the 2.45-circuit staged 70 miles East of Toronto.

Carrying a distinctive livery that proudly carried the Canadian flag in homage to a remarkable family story, Willsey had a clean start to the three-class race as the LMP2 category featured in the IMSA sprint event. Starting in 12th, Willsey had moved up to tenth just 20 minutes in as the team made a bold call to pit early to top off on fuel. The move had Willsey fueled up to race all the way through his Bronze driver time and would have allowed the No. 33 entry to leapfrog the other runners later in the race.

But the advantage was lost when a full course caution was called just moments later, allowing all the teams to pit and adapt to the Creech strategy.

Willsey put his head down on the restart and was able to move back up, vacillating between 8th and 9th position before turning the car over to Barbosa with an hour and forty minutes left to go.

Rejoining the fray 26th overall, Barbosa was able to make up ground as he moved back up to the top ten with an hour and twenty minutes elapsed. With the team making some final tweaks to the car on the final pit stop, Barbosa returned in 11th but was able to move up and cross the line 10th at the finish.

“We struggled for pace this weekend, it was sort of ‘two steps forward, one step back’ with the car,” said Willsey. “But the crew worked very hard as always, and we kept chipping away at it over the course of the weekend, but we never got it in the zone. But the racing here is nothing less than spectacular. The crowds are great and it’s a wonderful, wonderful place to come and spend the weekend. The track is short and incredibly fast and is one of the busier tracks that we go to, particularly with the multiclass racing. But even though I’ve never done especially well here, it remains one of my favorite places to come to and favorite tracks.”

“The team tried some out-of-the-box thinking with the strategy that I think would have been really really good, but then we had that yellow, so it didn’t work out!” sighed Barbosa. “It was definitely a learning weekend for us. We had challenges with the car but on the final restart, it just kind of came alive and gave me a lot more confidence which is so important here. So we will have to just go back and look at that. We knew it was going to be a hard race for us but the team did everything well this weekend and executed great stops and strategy in the race, so we’ll take the positives and look forward to the next race at Road America.”

SCM thanks partner Focal One for its continued support.

Next up for SCM and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at “America’s National Park of Speed,” Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., August 2-4. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Peacock, with an encore broadcast later in the evening on CNBC. International viewers can watch via IMSA.TV, with IMSA Radio also available at IMSA.com.

About SCM

Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1990 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2024 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

About Focal One

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime in the United States. The Focal One® HIFU Prostate treatment offers patients a non-invasive outpatient procedure to target prostate tissue while avoiding the common side effects such as loss of urinary continence and sexual function. The Focal One treatment uses high-performance, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to precisely target and ablate the prostate, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities. http://www.focalone.com/

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Sims, Garcia lead way to first IMSA win for Z06 GT3.R in Chevrolet Grand Prix

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 14, 2024) – Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia led a 1-2 class finish for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R on Sunday as Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports swept to the top of GTD PRO in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Sims and Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette delivered the first victory for the Z06 GT3.R in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The pairing began from pole position and led 109 of 113 laps en route to a 0.408-second victory over Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg in the No. 4 Corvette following a late-race restart.

“Congratulations to Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and the No. 3 team on winning the Chevrolet Grand Prix today at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the first victory in IMSA with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R,” said Scott Bell, Vice President, Global Chevrolet. “This is one of the world’s toughest categories of racing with a strong and deep field of GT manufacturers and teams. The high levels of performance, reliability and execution from the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports drivers, crew and engineers were evident throughout the race. We congratulate them and the entire team for the hard-earned, 1-2 GTD PRO finish today.”

The Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports team has been knocking on the door of the elusive first win in the WeatherTech Championship since the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March with leads in the last five races. Milner and Catsburg gave the Z06 GT3.R its first podium finish at Laguna Seca with Garcia and Sims finishing third in the last round at Watkins Glen.

Closing the deal this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was fitting as the Corvette Racing program won for the 13th time at the circuit. Garcia went back-to-back in class after scoring a victory last year with Jordan Taylor in the Corvette C8.R.

Sims and Milner each drove the first half of the race with Milner making the first move for a driver change to Catsburg in hopes of leap-frogging the sister Corvette. Sims pitted two laps later from the lead with Garcia re-emerging ahead of the No. 4 Corvette for the run to the end.

Garcia’s lead remained between five and seven seconds until a full-course yellow with 16 minutes to go. That bunched up the GTD PRO field with a number of GTD-class cars ahead of them at the restart. Both Garcia and Catsburg worked their way through the slower cars to keep their positions to the checkered flag.

AWA’s home race in the No. 13 Corvette ended early when it was pushed off-track and into the tires at Turn Three. Orey Fidani had climbed to second in GTD from 11th at the start before contact from behind sent the Corvette into the barriers. The Z06 GT3.R’s safety systems and chassis structure did their jobs as Fidani climbed out of his car under his own power. He was evaluated and released from the infield care center shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile the AWA team displayed the never-give-up spirit of the Corvette Racing program and attempted to get the car back into the race, but the damage was too great.

The next race for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in IMSA is August 2-4 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO RACE WINNER: “This is huge for the entire Corvette program. I’m glad that we could finally get the first win in IMSA for the Z06 GT3.R and to get my first win with Alex. We just need to carry on like this and build on the things we have been doing. More wins will come.

“This ranks pretty high in my career. I got the first win for C7.R and C8.R, so this is brilliant! I’m happy with that! I’m so happy for the team. We’ve been so close. The pace has been there all year but we just didn’t quite make it or had issues or we weren’t in the right position. We’ve been knocking on the door for a long time. We finally got it to happen so I’m very happy for everyone at Corvette Racing and the Pratt Miller team.”

(On the late-race restart) “I thought about it right before the yellow. I was sure there was quite a big potential to have a yellow at the end. It seems like it always happens. I think I was being gentle with the tires that I had so I was able to push at the end. It was tough to be in the middle of the GTDs. They were fighting and we were fighting. But I was able to stay ahead of him. It was fantastic to bring a 1-2 for Corvette Racing.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO RACE WINNER: “It was nice. To be able to lead the race from the get-go is always the place you want to be. The pace of the Corvette has been good for most of the season, to be honest. We’ve definitely gotten stronger as the season has gone on. Everything worked really well from the start. Tommy got past the Lexus, so I knew I had him behind me. It’s always nice when you have your teammate right behind you. The car was working well all week. I felt like I was in a good rhythm. I love driving around this place. Antonio was a very good, safe set of hands to bring it home.”

“Superb. We’ve had some pace this year at times. The car has been so good today. We were able to execute a really nice race and to be able to generally manage things from the front which is what you generally want to do. The Corvette has worked super-well this weekend. Pratt Miller has done a great job. We nailed the strategy, coming up aces when we needed to. It’s been a wonderful weekend.”

(On the late restart against the No. 4 Corvette): “You never know what Nicky is going to do! He’s a bit of a wild card! He’s a fantastic driver as well. He’s the best of the best basically. I’m sure he knew what he was doing, and I’ve got full confidence in Antonio as well. They are the perfect guys to bring it home one-two for the team. We all know how important it is to get this result. It’s amazing to get two wins here, but I want more.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – RUNNER-UP IN GTD PRO: “I’m absolutely happy with this. There’s nothing better – a 1-2 for the team. Both cars executed really well today. We had fast cars, for sure, but we did everything right. We had decent qualifying too and that helped. The start of the race was pretty good for me in getting by the Lexus and then was into a lead-follow with Alex there for awhile. It got a little hectic with some of the rocket ships in our class passing us from five or six car-lengths back so I had to fight that off a little bit. It’s a great day for Corvette Racing and a great day for Pratt Miller Motorsports. We thought this racetrack would suit us pretty well which it certainly did. I’m glad that we as a whole team executed from top to bottom and got the result we deserved today.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – RUNNER-UP IN GTD PRO: “This is a great result for the team. I’m extremely happy because we’ve been waiting for this result for quite awhile. I’m glad we finally had everything going our way with the yellows and so on. I’m really, really happy because I feel we deserved this.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 14, 2024) – The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team continued their momentum in the sprint portion of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, collecting a third-consecutive top six result in the three sprint events. Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti’s (WTRAndretti) GTD class debut at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park saw Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal bring home a solid result in an action-packed race.

Kyle Marcelli took the green flag for the Chevrolet Grand Prix from seventh on the GTD grid, and the native Canadian driver quickly took advantage of the car’s strength in the high-speed corners to move up two positions on track. After a full-course caution in the first 30 minutes saw a majority of the field pit, a strategy call to stay out was made which found Marcelli leading the GTD field when the race returned to green-flag conditions.

Marcelli pitted from first after an hour of racing, leading 11 laps, for Formal to take over for a long stint to the finish. However, an unlucky caution affected the team’s strategy, and Formal fell back to tenth with an hour to go. Formal was able to get back on track and move up the field, moving into seventh. After a late caution left only eight minutes of racing, a final overtake saw the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team move into sixth position for the remainder of the race.

“Great job by Kyle, Danny and our No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini GT3 EVO2 team today,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti. “Mosport is a tough track, and we did a great job given the challenges. We are improving steadily and looking forward to the next rounds to continue our momentum.”

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team next heads to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Weekend on August 2-4, 2024.

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Drivers:
Kyle Marcelli: “I was really pleased with the first part of the race. I thought we were off to a good start, and we were up two spots on track. Then we made some bold strategy calls that put us right into the lead, so I thought the guys in the pit box did a fantastic job. I thought we were in really great shape. I’m a little confused on how some things shook out, so I’ll need to download afterwards to process the race. Danny did a heck of a job, doing an hour and 40 minutes in the car. This place is busy. It’s also mentally and physically exhausting, so really proud of him for the effort he put in. We’re still missing a bit of speed that we still have to find, but we’ll keep working and keep improving.”

Danny Formal: “Well CTMP is done. It was my first actual time around this place. The hour and 40-minute-long stint was definitely interesting. It was a very long stint. The team did the best they could, and the car was mega in the high-speed corners. We were struggling in a place that the team can’t really do anything about. Overall, it was a good sixth place finish, and we gained one position over qualifying. Our strategy got thrown off for a little bit, and that hurt us, but it was cool to see the No. 45 car lead some laps around CTMP with Kyle behind the wheel. I’m super proud to be part of the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team. Road America and VIR are next, which are really familiar tracks for me and Kyle as we’ve run there many times in Lamborghini Super Trofeo, so super excited to get there. We’ll go back to the lab to make this thing a beast for Road America.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

Pair of Z06 GT3.Rs start up front in GTD PRO for Chevrolet Grand Prix

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 13, 2024) – Alexander Sims claimed his first pole position of the season and the third for the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this season in qualifying for Sunday’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Sims shattered the GTD PRO track record Saturday in Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 3 Z06 GT3.R – a 1:14.373 (119.027 mph) lap that was nearly seven-tenths of a second under the previous mark. He and teammate Antonio Garcia are coming off a third-place finish in the team’s last race at Watkins Glen.

Tommy Milner was third in GTD PRO and fourth among all 22 production-based GT cars in Saturday’s 15-minute session. His best lap in the No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R was a 1:15.105 (117.866 mph) as he and teammate Nicky Catsburg look for their second podium finish of the year.

The team’s goal Sunday, though, is the first GTD PRO victory for the first-year Z06 GT3.R. The Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller squad has shown strong form throughout the season, and CTMP would be a fitting place to break through. The program has recorded 12 class victories at the track formerly known as Mosport, including last year for Garcia in a Corvette C8.R.

In GTD, AWA’s Orey Fidani qualified 11th in class in the home race for the local team and its No. 13 Corvette. He and Matt Bell are on a nice streak of their own with three top-10 finishes in the last four races going back to Sebring in March.

A podium finish and a larger lead for Fidani in the Bob Akin Award standings are the primary goals. Fidani leads that championship, which goes to the highest points-scoring Bronze driver at the end of each race. The season winner earns an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 14. The race will air live on the USA Network plus stream live on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will stream the call of the race at IMSA.com along with XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “Moments like that with the car around Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – which is an incredible circuit that I absolutely love – with low fuel and new tires and a beautiful Corvette working well… I got a couple of really nice laps there from a driving point of view. I had clear laps with not much traffic. It was a real blast and really, really good fun.”

“It’s great to do this on a weekend that Chevrolet is backing. The whole Pratt Miller and Corvette Racing team gave me such a good car. We had a few ups and downs through practice and weren’t quite sure in which direction to go with. We picked the direction on the 3 Corvette, and it looks like it worked pretty well.”

“It’s just a lovely mix of high-speed corners here. You need to be brave. As with many tracks in America compared to the more conventional F1 circuits in Europe where you don’t get rewarded as much for being brave, here you really, really do. I took some risks out there. The car just came alive in qualifying trim. The Corvette’s been working through practice as well. To run on new tires and low fuel and get some clear laps without traffic, which is something I didn’t have during practice to get a real good feeling of. It’s an absolute honor and privilege to be able to experience those moments.”

“It’s lovely to have the fan support that we do. It’s really incredible the support that Chevrolet and Corvette have here along with so many circuits to be honest as well. When I wasn’t racing for Corvette, it was always Corvette that had the longest lines of fans out for the autograph sessions and stuff. Now to be representing them is lovely and to drive here has been wonderful.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED THIRD IN GTD PRO: “Our starting spot is good. We took a calculated risk for qualifying in trying something with the setup of the car based on Practice One and Practice Two to get both Nicky and I a bit more comfortable in some ways. I think we went a little bit too far with that. The gap to Simsy is bigger than I’d like, obviously. I think some of the performance loss is down to us trying something different. We didn’t use qualifying as another practice session but we certainly took a bigger step than we normally would. Third in class and fourth of the GT cars is pretty good. This will be a strategy race, for sure. It’s hard to pass here so doing smart things with the strategy is going to be big. The key will be to keep the car in one piece. Being such a high downforce track, aero is very important here. Keeping all the bits on the front is important, so that will be my job – not to hurt the car, keep in a good position and see what our guys on the pit wall can work their magic with.”

AWA POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED 11TH IN GTD: “Qualifying 11th here at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, my home track, is a great feeling. The car’s handling was superb, and the team did an excellent job preparing it. While I’m happy with today’s result, I’m eager to push for an even better finish in tomorrow’s race. The support from the home crowd means a lot to me and everyone on the team, and we are ready to give it our all.”

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 13, 2024) – The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 GTD for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) tackled their first and only international qualifying session of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) with Kyle Marcelli securing the seventh starting position for the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). Marcelli’s qualifying strategy was interrupted by an early red flag, which caused the team difficulties in finding clear track for a key lap. However, Marcelli was still able to secure a top-ten start in the tight GTD field with a fast lap time of 01:15.807.

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team are set to compete in Chevrolet Grand Prix, which will see the green flag fly at 11:05 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 14th for the two hour and 40-minute event. Broadcast for the sprint race from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will be featured on Peacock and IMSA Radio.

TOP FIVE GTD STARTING GRID

1. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan (Lexus RC F GT3) F. Montecalvo, P. Thompson (117.937 mph)
2. No. 27 Heart of Racing Team (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) R. De Angelis, S. Pumpelly (117.533 mph)
3. No. 96 Turner Motorsports (BMW M4 GT3) R. Foley, P. Gallagher (117.157 mph)
4. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsports (Mercedes-AMG GT3) M. Skeen, M. Grenier (117.087 mph)
5. No. 70 Inception Racing (McLaren 720S GT3 EVO) B. Iribe, F. Schandorff (116.951 mph)
6. No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) K. Marcelli, D. Formal (116.775 mph)

Kyle Marcelli, No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2: “It was a disappointing qualifying session. I think it all went sideways with the red flag at the beginning, although everyone is in the same situation. We came back to pit lane, and it just shrunk the time on the clock. I thought it was the right call to do a long hold, knowing that we already did a warmup lap on our tires, and they come in early. We were going to do a long hold and push right away. That was my plan, and there was nobody in sight, but of course, right at the end of my first push lap, we came up on four cars stopped in turn eight, so I had to abandon the lap, which wrecked the next one as well trying to find a gap. So now I had four or five laps on my tires before I was able to put a lap time on the board, and it was only good enough for seventh, and I think we’re all a little disappointed.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

Leading All Possible GT Daytona (GTD) Class Championships

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams and Mercedes-AMG begin the second half of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) season with season-high points leads across all three GTD championships heading into this weekend’s event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). Round 6 of this year’s 10-race GTD championship, Sunday’s featured two-hour and 40-minute race on the fast circuit just East of Toronto is scheduled to start at 11:05 a.m. EDT. Live race coverage begins five minutes earlier on the USA Network and NBC’s online offering Peacock starting at 11 a.m. EDT. In addition to the IMSA WeatherTech Championship, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Racing Teams also compete at CTMP in Saturday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge two-hour race and in a weekend doubleheader schedule of IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge sprints Saturday and Sunday.

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport’s stellar season to date this year has been anchored by Winward Racing’s remarkable run of four GTD-class victories in the year’s first five races. The near perfect win record is the best of the season to date in the overall WeatherTech Championship this year with no teams in the series’ three other classes winning more than two races.

The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 has been the top team in the WeatherTech series this year with victories in the season’s first three endurance races at Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen and a sprint race win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Full-season team drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis have been part of all four victories and were joined by Indy Dontje for the trio of endurance victories and Canadian driver Daniel Morad as the team’s fourth and ultimately race-closing driver at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The success has seen the Winward No. 57 and its drivers lead the WeatherTech Championship GTD team and driver point standings all season. The fourth win at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen three weeks ago boosted Winward’s championship leads to season-high totals coming into this weekend’s only race of the season in Canada.

Ward, Ellis and the Winward No. 57 added more than 100 points to their championship leads with The Glen victory and return to CTMP this weekend a season-high 305 points ahead of the second-place competitors, 1,745 – 1,440, in both the WeatherTech GTD driver and team championships.

Mercedes-AMG has an even larger lead in the GTD manufacturer championship battle with 1,837 points, a full season-high 344 tallies ahead of the second-place competitor’s 1,493 points.

Winward’s success has consistently contributed to the stout Mercedes-AMG manufacturer points lead, but the second Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer team competing this weekend at CTMP has also played a major role keeping the Silver Star on top of the standings.

The No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Mike Skeen and Canadian Mikael Grenier stepped up to earn championship points for Mercedes-AMG at the Grand Prix of Long Beach with a third-place finish. The No. 32 Korthoff team’s first victory lane visit of the season matched its first IMSA sprint-race podium finish last year at CTMP and an additional third-place finish two races later at Road America.

​A pair of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer racing contenders are also entered in Saturday’s Michelin Pilot Challenge race in the top-tier Grand Sport (GS) class.

Morad and co-driver Bryce Ward – Russell Ward’s father – co-drive the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 while Morad’s Canadian countryman Jesse Webb and teammate Michai Stephens co-drive the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. The JMF team is a Canadian operation based in Elmira, Ontario, Canada, less than three hours from CTMP and West of Toronto.

Bryce Ward, Morad and the No. 57 entry moved to second in the GS driver and team championship standings after Watkins Glen, trailing the first-place team and drivers by 240 points, 1,500 – 1,260. Winward’s title-contending season has been fueled by three podium finishes in the year’s opening five races, led by a second-place finish in the season-opening four-hour race at Daytona and back-to-back third-place finishes at Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course.

A winning Mercedes-AMG GT4 team in its first year in IMSA GS competition, JMF, Webb and Stephens have been on pace with Winward in the first half of the season but have endured more than their fair share of bad luck on-track. Season-best finishes of seventh at Sebring and Mid-Ohio are not indicative of the on-track performance of JMF and its drivers, but all look for a turn around this weekend on a more than familiar CTMP circuit.

In the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Thaze Competition, which also has some Canadian connections, carries the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport flag at CTMP with a two-car Mercedes-AMG GT4 entry for the second straight race weekend.

Josh Green returns for both the Saturday and Sunday 45-minute sprints in the No. 78 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT4 after a pair of GT4-class second place finishes one race ago at Mid-Ohio. The second-place finishes are the top results to date for Thaze in its select schedule of VP SportsCar and Pilot Challenge races this year.

Green races alongside Thaze teammate Eddie Killeen who looks to continue his solid entry into motorsports competition at CTMP and build on a pair of eighth-place Bronze division finishes at Mid-Ohio in the No. 37 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT4.

A three-day weekend event, Friday’s schedule at CTMP includes practice for all three series in addition to VP Racing SportsCar Challenge qualifying at 3:35 p.m. EDT. Saturday starts with VP Challenge qualifying at 8:20 a.m. EDT, which will be immediately followed by the first 45-minute VP Challenge sprint at 8:50 a.m. EDT.

The two-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge race starts at 1:25 p.m. EDT with GTD qualifying wrapping up the day for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams at 4 p.m. EDT.

Sunday’s main on-track activity is the two-hour and 40-minute WeatherTech Championship race that goes live on USA and NBC’s online Peacock Network starting at 11 a.m. EDT, five minutes before the green flag is scheduled to fly.

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I’m actually looking forward to this race quite a bit. Canadian Tire is one of my favorite tracks on the calendar. It is a very fast and flowing track, which is always nice for us drivers, but on the other hand makes it very hard to pass. So, track position is key, and we will need good qualifying and good strategy and pit stops, of course. In the last few years, we have shown good pace, finished second a couple of years ago, and last year we were running in second until a late tire issue. It will be a super tough competition once again, but so far, we have had a close to perfect first half of the season. We will just continue to do what we did in the previous races, do what we can, keep our heads down, have a look at our risk management and just take the race as it comes. We are going to grab as many points as we can and go race by race from now on. That’s what we have been doing the last couple of races, it worked out well, so we are not changing any of our approaches. We will just do the same thing again.”

Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Canadian Tire Motorsport Park has always been one of my favorites. I have won a bunch of races there over the years in different series, and we were on the podium last year with our Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. The fast sweeping turns really suit the Mercedes-AMG GT3, so I think we should have a strong program there again. We have a good place to start, based on the setup from last year, so hopefully that will all still apply, and we will have some good weather and good racing.”

Daniel Morad, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is one of the most iconic tracks in the world. It still has an old-school feel to it, but because it is my home track, and I am so close to it, I sometimes forget to appreciate just how awesome it is. It is one of the quickest race tracks in the world, and it is always so nice to drive there and have the support from everybody at home, but the support around the world has been growing every single weekend because of the social media influence and being so active online. It is incredible just to see how big the support network has become in Japan, Belgium, everywhere, but when you are going to your home track it is still a little bit special. You have your friends and family there, so much local support, and it really does make a huge difference. I won at CTMP in 2018 in a Mercedes-AMG GT3, but I haven’t really raced there much since 2019. Last year with Winward was actually my first time there since then, and my first year in a Mercedes-AMG GT4, but I didn’t actually get to drive in the race after an early issue. We have a challenging weekend ahead but will focus on good strategy, pit stop timing and keeping it clean, which worked for us in some races in the first half of the season. We will build on that success by getting the car in a more competitive window and making less mistakes overall. That’s how you win championships.”

Jesse Webb, Driver – No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “For everyone at the JMF Motorsports team, every curveball that we get, every challenge overcome is a lesson learned at the end of the day. We only come back stronger, more knowledgeable and more experienced. We are looking to push forward in the second half of the season, starting at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The pace and performance are there, but the results just aren’t there yet. We are getting quite unlucky, but we are on the doorstep of getting a great result and we are all going to push forward. Everyone is doing a fantastic job. When we get some luck on our side, they will see us at the front.”

Chevrolet Grand Prix offers up strong chance for Z06 GT3.R’s first IMSA win

DETROIT (July 9, 2024) – The Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA teams are both back on familiar ground this weekend and will give the Corvette Z06 GT3.R its racing debut north of the border this weekend: the Chevrolet Grand Prix and the only Canadian stop for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Historic and challenging Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – the 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course circuit outside Toronto – has been a playground for Corvettes over the years. The program has recorded 12 class victories at the track formerly known as Mosport, including last year for returning Corvette star Antonio Garcia in a Corvette C8.R.

This year’s Chevrolet Grand Prix will feature three of the first-year Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs: No. 3 and No. 4 from factory-supported Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO, and the No. 13 customer entry for AWA, which will contest its home race in a Corvette for the first time. The lineups are:

· Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims in the No. 3 Corvette
· Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg in the No. 4 Z06 GT3.R
· Matt Bell and Ontario’s Orey Fidani in AWA’s No. 13 Corvette

The Pratt Miller-crewed squad enters Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as defending GTD PRO winner with Garcia victorious a year ago in the No. 3 Corvette C8.R with Jordan Taylor. This time around, Garcia and Sims – also a past winner at the track – will arrive in Canada coming off a third-place finish at Watkins Glen for their first podium finish of the year.

Milner and Catsburg hope to break through after nearly winning at The Glen. They were third in their Z06 GT3.R at Laguna Seca in May. Of note, this will be Catsburg’s first race at CTMP and Milner hasn’t raced there since 2018; he won there in 2013 in a Corvette C6.R.

For AWA, there are two goals: one is a podium finish at its home track, which is realistic given a very positive recent test session at CTMP for Bell and Fidani. The second is to grow Fidani’s lead in the Bob Akin Award standings, with the highest points-scoring Bronze driver at the end of the year earning an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The AWA Corvette has finished in the GTD top-10 in three of the last four races going back to Sebring in March. Bell and Fidani were seventh in class at Watkins Glen to solidify the Akin Award lead.

In addition to the extensive success and following at CTMP, Corvette Racing legend Ron Fellows is part-owner of the circuit and is largely responsible for operations at the facility. In his Corvette Racing driving career – spanning 1999-2008 – Fellows won 30 races (three times at CTMP) and three championships in the American Le Mans Series. He also was one of the founding members of the team and a key development driver starting in 1997.

The Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 14. The race will air live on the USA Network plus stream live on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Friday afternoon’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m hopeful for this weekend. We had the chance to test the Z06 GT3.R at CTMP just after Watkins Glen, and already the car is pretty amazing around there. I’m not surprised considering how well each of our past Corvettes have been at Mosport. Given the strengths of our car, we are confident but we still need to go there and execute the classic Corvette race with great strategy and good work by the crew and us as drivers. If we can do all those things, I think we can have a really good weekend and hopefully get the first IMSA win for the Z06 GT3.R.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s always a pleasure to return to place where you’ve had success. It’s even better when it is a place like Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The track is very fast, very daunting and very old-school. It’s really one of the things I like about IMSA – the circuits and places where we race are phenomenal. The racing I had in the past in GTLM with the Corvettes around CTMP and Mosport were really hard, tough fights, and so was GTP last year. I suspect GTD PRO could be a level or two greater with the competition we have seen so far this year. It should make for a pretty spectacular weekend and hopefully a successful one for us. I’m looking forward to it.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We’ve been close, we feel like, for many of the races this year. For one reason or not, we haven’t quite finished the job so we’re trying to make that happen this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It’s an awesome racetrack. I had to go back and look; I haven’t raced there since 2018 so it’s been quite awhile. I missed the 2019 race with a broken hand. It’s been a little bit for me to be at CTMP but I was just there recently for testing. It reminded me of how awesome the track is and how much fun it is to drive. Even in our GT cars, the rhythm there is like no other racetrack in the world. It’s super-fast and a lot of fun.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Before the start of the season, there were a few tracks that I circled in my head because I have never experienced them. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – or Mosport – was one of those. I’m really excited to race there after hearing so much from my teammates and friends about the track, how fast it is and how challenging it is. Knowing that the circuit hasn’t changed much in so many years makes me appreciate it even more. It’s a proper, historic and old-school track that hopefully is as good for our Corvette as I hope it will.”

AWA PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is on my list of top five circuits in the world. It’s only a short lap and looks like a tiny little place on a map. You see the grand circuits of the world like Le Mans and Spa, but you get to Mosport and it’s mega. The topography of the track, the commitment required, the bumps… it’s a recipe for an absolute addiction to racing. I’ve always found that one of my strengths is learning circuits and getting straight back on it when I get to a place where I haven’t been in awhile. But this is one of those places that just takes that little bit more respect and that little bit more time to get back in sync with the place. It takes a huge commitment, and I love the place.

“This is a race every year that AWA targets. Standing on the podium would mean that much more with it being the home race for the team. There will be a lot of thought and lot of effort going into that one.”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is my home track. I honestly couldn’t tell you how many laps I’ve done here. I feel like I could probably drive it with my eyes closed. It’s high-speed, very technical, and requires all your concentration from start to finish. It’s a challenging layout, and no matter how many times I drive it, it never gets old. It’s so special to race in front of the home crowd, it just means so much to have that extra support. We want to do well at each event, but stepping on the podium here would be a dream come true for us all.”

2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points

GTD PRO Drivers Standings

1. Laurin Heinrich/Seb Priaulx – 1632
2. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 1583
3. Ross Gunn – 1572
4. Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow – 1423
5. Marvin Kirchhofer/Oliver Jarvis – 1394
6. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 1389
7. Nicky Catsburg/Tommy Milner – 1326

GTD PRO Teams Standings

1. No. 77 AO Racing – 1632
2. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 1583
3. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 1572
4. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 1423
5. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 1394
6. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 1389
7. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 1326

GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings

1. Porsche – 1657
2. Lexus – 1607
3. Aston Martin – 1586
4. Chevrolet – 1474
5. McLaren – 1458

GTD Drivers Standings

1. Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 1745
2. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 1440
3. Parker Thompson – 1353
4. Albert Costa Balboa/Manny Franco – 1290
5. Mikael Grenier/Mike Skeen – 1263
6. Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 1083

GTD Teams Standings

1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 1745
2. No. 96 Turner Motorsport – 1440
3. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 1290
4. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsport – 1263
5. No. 120 Wright Motorsports – 1198
6. No. 13 AWA – 1083

GTD Manufacturers Standings

1. Mercedes-AMG – 1837
2. Lexus – 1493
3. Porsche – 1470
4. Lamborghini – 1454
5. Aston Martin – 1383
6. Chevrolet – 1296

CORVETTE RACING AT CTMP: By the Numbers

• 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at CTMP since 2000 – Corvette C5-R (2004), Corvette C6.R (2005-13) and Corvette C7.R (2016-2019). The Corvette C8.R raced at the track for the first time in 2002
• 7: Pole positions for Corvette Racing drivers at CTMP. Oliver Gavin leads with three with Antonio Garcia (2016) being the most recent
• 8: Number of drivers who have won races at CTMP for Corvette Racing. Johnny O’Connell (six), Jan Magnussen (five), Oliver Gavin (four), Ron Fellows (three), and Antonio Garcia and Olivier Beretta (two) each have multiple wins there with the team
• 12: Class victories at Corvette Racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – all since 2001.
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 48: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – DXDT Racing’s Alec Udell being the latest in GT World Challenge America at Circuit of The Americas
• 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
• 129: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 115 in North America, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and two in GT World Challenge America
• 296: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
• 11,626.15: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 20 previous trips to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. That represents 4,728 laps
• 384,461.62: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries since 1999. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles

Corvette Racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (wins in bold)

2000

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS (Fellows pole, fastest race lap)

2001

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS

2002

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 2nd in GTS (Pilgrim fastest race lap)

2003

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 7th in GTS (Gavin pole)

2004

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2005

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1

2006

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 4th in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1

2007

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

No. 33 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Andy Pilgrim – 3rd in GT1

2008

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 (O’Connell pole)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Beretta fastest race lap)

2009

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GT2

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 3rd in GT2

2010

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Johnny O’Connell – 5th in GT2

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GT2

2011

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 6th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT

2012

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GT (Magnussen pole)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 10th in GT

2013

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT

2014

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM

2015

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM (Garcia fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM

2016

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM (Garcia pole)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM

2017

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM

2018

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GTLM

2019

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 7th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM

2022

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTD PRO

2023

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTD PRO

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 9, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team will head north to tackle Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Chevrolet Grand Prix as the team looks to continue their momentum in the sprint portion of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Danny Formal and Kyle Marcelli will take on the first and only international race on the calendar with the event representing Marcelli’s home race. The duo of Formal and Marcelli have seen success across the sprint races with two top-six GTD finishes and a class pole position from the streets of Long Beach and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

“I’m excited to see Kyle and Danny will be waving the flag for WTRAndretti and DEX Imaging at this weekend’s sprint race,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti. “The team will have a lot of focus on them, especially with it only being GTD at this event. I have a lot of faith in this team and both drivers. I’m looking forward to seeing how they do, and we should at least get a podium.”

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team will have its first laps on track on Friday, July 12 at 1:45 p.m. ET for practice, with qualifying following on Saturday, July 13 at 4:00 p.m. ET for the 15-minute session. The Chevrolet Grand Prix from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will begin on Sunday, July 14 at 11:05 a.m. ET, with coverage of the two-hour and 40-minute sprint event on USA Network and Peacock.
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
Kyle Marcelli: “CTMP is a circuit like none other. It’s the highest average speed race track that we visit on the schedule. To be fast requires confidence in your race car, and high commitment at corner entry. The race itself is fast paced and takes a tremendous amount of mental strength and focus, there is no rest. The Lamborghini has proven to be good in the high-speed corners and for that reason it should suit the circuit nicely. Our race ability has proven to be our biggest challenge, so a good qualifying and green flag race is what we need for a good finish result.”

Danny Formal: “I’m super excited to get back to the sprint format in Mosport, I haven’t been there since 2021 where I participated in the LMP3 challenge. It’s a very high risk, high reward race track. Very high speed with only one slow corner in the whole place – I think it would be second gear corner, the rest is third, fourth, fifth and six gear, so super excited to get back there. Super grateful to be part of this program of WTRAndretti and the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team. Happy to go to my teammate’s home in Canada. This track is close to Toronto and that’s where Kyle is from, so excited to see all his family and all his fans. Hopefully we can give them a good show and we can put the car on the podium as a team deserves it. They’ve been working extra time, and they truly deserve it. Excited to get going on second half of the season. The only way is up.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.