Category: IMSA

Veteran Corvette ace will become first IMSA driver to make 100th post-merger start

DETROIT (May 10, 2023) – It’s a very special weekend for Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia. With the green flag for Sunday’s MOTUL Course de Monterey, the No. 3 Corvette C8.R ace driver will become the first driver in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to make 100 starts in the series since the start of the post-merger era in 2014 when the American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM joined together for one American sports car championship.

Garcia and Jordan Taylor will share the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette as they have since 2020. All of Garcia’s previous 99 IMSA starts have come in a Corvette. To mark Sunday’s milestone start at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, we asked Garcia for three of his most memorable races in the series. So without further delay…

1. Sebring 2017

“My best race with Corvette? I think so. We struggled through much of the race but the car came alive with three hours left when I got in. It was like driving blind because the windscreen was so bad! But I knew I had to start passing cars if we wanted to win.”

2. Daytona 2021

“I remember this for many reasons. My grandfather and my manager Adrian Campos passed away a few days before. So I really wanted to win that one, and we managed it! But I had a false positive COVID test with four hours to go in the race and had to watch the end from a parking lot outside the track. Definitely a day I will never forget, but I’m happy it ended with a win and a watch!”

3. VIR 2018

“I tore the ACL in my knee literally three minutes before having to drive the car to the grid. The pain was really bad and it was a tough hour driving. Jan did an amazing job to finish P2 and move us into the points lead. I’m glad my injury didn’t compromise that race or the following, winning another championship with Jan and Corvette Racing.”

The MOTUL Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N is set for 12:10 p.m. PT / 3:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 14 and airs live on NBC with full streaming coverage on Peacock. IMSA Radio will have live audio coverage on XM 207, SiriusXM Online 992 and IMSA.com, which will have IMSA Radio coverage of all practice sessions, Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.

2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After three of 11 events)

Driver Standings

1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 1067
2. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 994
3. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 991
4. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 989
5. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 844

Team Standings

1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 1067
2. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 994
3. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 991
4. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 989
5. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 844

Manufacturer Standings

1. Lexus – 1067
2. Mercedes-AMG – 994
3. Chevrolet – 991
4. Porsche – 989
5. Aston Martin – 854

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: By the Numbers

• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years at Laguna Seca: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.
• 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 24 previous years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (later this year).
• 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2020-present).
• 4: Laguna Seca victories for the current Corvette Racing lineup – Antonio Garcia (three) and Jordan Taylor (one).
• 8: Number of Laguna Seca victories for Corvette Racing dating back to 2004.
• 12: Victories at Laguna Seca for Chevrolet in IMSA competition.
• 13: Drivers who have competed for Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca. Of those, eight went on to win at Monterey.
• 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
• 30: Number of wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014.
• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.
• 124: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans.
• 271: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 13,534.20: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 24 previous trips to Laguna Seca. That represents 6,130 laps… or almost 800 trips around Carmel’s famous 17-Mile Drive.
• 354,050.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. 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. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!

Corvette Racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (wins in bold)

1999

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel – 2nd in GTS

2000

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

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Justin Bell/Kelly Collins – 4th in GTS

2001

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd 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 – 5th in GTS

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

2003

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

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

2004

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

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GTS (Beretta pole)

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 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2006

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

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

2007

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)

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

2008

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)

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

2009

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT2 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 10th in GT2

2010

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 6th in GT2

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT2

2011

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 7th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 5th in GT

2012

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

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Gavin fastest race lap)

2013

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GT

2014

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

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

2015

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

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

2016

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

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th 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 – 3rd in GTLM

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

2019

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

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)

2020

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)

2021

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap)

2022

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 4th in GTLM

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. 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.

Making its global debut at Laguna Seca, drivers Ryan Eversley and Mat Pombo are first in North America to race the TCR entry

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – L.A. Honda World Racing, based in Southern California has announced Ryan Eversley, championship-winning HPD Factory Driver, and Mat Pombo, who has set three track records, will be the first to debut the JAS built FL5 Honda Civic Type R TCR in this week’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

L.A. Honda World Racing was the first team in the world to take delivery of the new FL5 Honda Civic Type R TCR and chose to test at Sebring International Speedway in February rather than enter it in a race. Since then, the team continued to test the car with JAS and HPD engineers to ensure all systems are a go and confirm it will be a weapon on track. This Saturday, May 13th, 2023 will be its first competition.

“Anytime in your career where you get to debut a brand-new car is a special moment. I was honored to handle the driving duties for the IMSA testing debut at Sebring back in February and I’m just as thrilled to be part of its North American race debut at WeatherTech Raceway! I know my teammate Mat is just as anxious as I am to get it out on track. Based on our initial testing and the experience JAS, HPD and now LAHW have put into this program, I’m confident for future success,” said Ryan Eversley.

The new car’s launch also comes with an updated livery designed by exceptionally talented and well-known artist, Andy Blackmore. Andy has a legacy of designing liveries for many championship winning teams with memorable designs that stand out in the minds of fans.

Mat Pombo said, “The L.A. Honda World team has worked tirelessly on this partnership with JAS and HPD to deliver the FL5 Honda Civic TCR car to the United States. Being the first team to debut it on American soil is a special thing. Obviously, with a new car we are going to have to work out some kinks and figure out how to be competitive. Fortunately, this team has all the right people in the right spots and we feel we are the best team to sort this car and get results. I’m looking forward to getting on track next week at Laguna Seca and seeing how we stack up against the competition.”

Team principal Mario Biundo has been part of this process since its inception and is ready to see it race. “Being the first to own this car is a real privilege. I owe a big thank you to HPD and JAS for choosing our team to be the first delivery and allowing our capable team and drivers to debut the car here in California. I trust Ryan Eversley and Mat Pombo will get it upfront and get this new FL5 Honda Civic Type R TCR the recognition it deserves in the Americas,” says Biundo.

L.A. Honda World drivers Mike LaMarra and Will Tally will take delivery of their new FL5 TCR sometime in June. The championship leaders have enjoyed the current FK7’s results and are willing to be patient for the new car with such a strong start of the season. The LA Honda World Racing program has seen tremendous success from the LaMarra/Tally driver pairing while Eversley/Pombo look to this new car as a fresh start to the season adding to their points through a challenging start after 2 races.

L.A. Honda World Racing is looking for their first championship and believe with the new FL5 Honda Civic Type R TCR that will happen. The team is eagerly awaiting the prospect of being added to the list of champions.

About L.A. Honda World Racing

L.A. Honda World Racing is a professional racing team based in Southern California and participates in the IMSA and SRO racing series exclusively racing touring cars built by Honda Performance Development. They are also a factory authorized Honda dealer for American Honda Motor Co. www.LAHondaWorldRacing.com

About Honda Performance Development

Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD), has a rich heritage creating, manufacturing, and supporting Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports customers since 1993. From pinnacle racing in INDYCAR and IMSA Sports Cars to commercial racing programs, HPD powers the dreams of professional and amateur racers from age 4 to 40+. HPD is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and leads all of Honda and Acura high-performance racing programs in North America. HPD specializes in the design and development of powertrain, chassis, electronics, and performance parts, as well as technical and race support. HPD offers parts and race support to Honda and Acura amateur and professional motorsports racers and is continually expanding its palette of racing programs that make Honda racing products available to all racing styles, from karting and Quarter Midgets to the highest levels of pro racing. www.hpd.honda.com

About JAS Motorsport

JAS has been an official partner of Honda since 1998, initially as a works team and then as engineering and customer service provider. www.jasMotorsport.com

Two Cadillac V-Series.Rs to challenge for GTP victory in conclusion of West Coast swing

DETROIT (May 9, 2023) – Pipo Derani says it’s time to take the next step. Two steps to be precise.

The co-driver of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R has stood on the third-place tier of the podium in each of the past four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This weekend, in the MOTUL Course de Monterey, Derani and Alexander Sims will seek to deliver the team’s second victory of the season in the Grand Touring Prototype class.

The two-hour, 40-minute race on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course marks the 25th consecutive year that IMSA is racing at the track on the Monterey Peninsula and the first for the GTP class that has expanded to nine racecars since last month’s Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The track, with signature Corkscrew turn, will pose another test for all GTP teams as they continue to learn the nuances of their hybrid racecars.

“It’s always a very challenging track with the lack of grip and ups and downs, so it’ll be interesting to see how the new cars react,” said Derani, who joined forces with Sims and Jack Aitken to win the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.

Cadillac leads the GTP Manufacturer Championship standings and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R is one point out of the lead in the GTP Team and Driver Championship.

The sister No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, co-driven by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande, will aim to get untracked after disappointing outings at Sebring and Long Beach.

NBC will televise the race at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, with streaming in the U.S. on Peacock and outside the U.S. on IMSA.com/TVLive. Qualifying will be streamed on IMSA.com/TVLive at 3:50 p.m. ET Saturday. All sessions will be broadcast on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com. SiriusXM live race coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. (XM 207, Web/App 992).

Check out the exciting Cadillac production lineup

Spectators can view the Cadillac V-Series roster, including the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V and the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, at the Cadillac display in the midway. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

What they’re saying

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Renger van der Zande: “Laguna Seca is a special one; the highlight of my season because of the highlight of my career with the move in the Corkscrew which elevated me in the top class basically. It’s such a classic race. The tarmac is the same, so there will be a lot of tire deg, and the first time with the Cadillac GTP car so that’s going to be interesting setup-wise. There’s a lot to learn about the car still and I think Laguna Seca is another step in that direction and bringing it forward from there.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “We haven’t had the results that we were hoping for so we’re looking to rebound at Laguna Seca. It’s a really fun track when you can get the car in the window. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to repave the track as we were all expecting, which is going to put a really strong point on tire management. Tire deg is incredibly high on that surface. We know we have challenges ahead. Nothing has really changed on the BoP, so we’ll have to work really hard to be on top. As with every weekend, it’s going to be a fight with the other manufacturers. That’s what makes it fun and hope we can bring the 01 Cadillac to the front and have a great weekend and turn this thing around before Le Mans.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R

Alexander Sims: “Looking forward to just driving the track and trying to get our teeth stuck into understanding how these GTP cars can work best around there. We’re embarking on an unknown journey at each of these circuits that we go to. We sort of do the simulator work, and the engineers have a certain expectation of what it should be in terms of competitiveness for us. Once we’re on the ground, the circuit conditions are inevitably slightly different to what one expects. We have to adapt and try to optimize our package as quickly as possible while still working on the fundamental development of this car as well because we are still in the early stages of development.”

Pipo Derani: “We have seen this year that some tracks that we were stronger with the DPi compared to our competition, such as Sebring and Long Beach, with the new regulation that advantage has vanished. With that in mind, we are hoping that the advantage that our competitors had in Laguna also goes away and we find ourselves with a chance of winning at Laguna. It’s always a very challenging track with the lack of grip and ups and downs, so it’ll be interesting to see how the new cars react to that. Hoping to have a more straightforward strategy this time around compared to Long Beach and not have our results and faith be dependent on a yellow.”

(Deland, Fla.) May 1, 2023 — Returning to the site of the pair’s first win in 2022, Ashton Harrison and Mario Farnbacher had their sights set on repeating last year’s success in the No. 93 Harrison Contracting Company Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 with Racers Edge Motorsports and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) at NOLA Motorsports Park.

The driver pairing displayed impressive speed inside the No. 93 Rely on Red Acura as Harrison qualified third for Saturday’s Race 1 and Farnbacher claimed pole position for Sunday’s Race 2 in the Fanatec GT World Challenge PRO class. As the field finally saw the green for Race 1 after a two-hour delay due to rain and standing water, track conditions played a heavy hand in the action on track. Harrison held steady in the first stint before handing over the car to Farnbacher. At first, the wet track conditions appeared manageable, but as the track began to dry, an unfortunate mistake occurred when Farnbacher hit a puddle, causing the car to go off the track and into the gravel trap, ultimately resulting in the team’s elimination from Race 1.

Sunday’s Race 2 brought better weather conditions and Farnbacher led the PRO class to the green flag from pole position. First lap contact created difficulties for the Farnbacher, but he was able to work his way back up into the lead of the PRO class. Once Harrison took over inside the No. 93 Rely on Red machine, it looked to be a promising result, possibly even a class win, before contact with the second-place class competitor forced the No. 93 Rely on Red Acura off track and into the gravel, placing the team multiple laps down and out of podium contention.

The No. 93 Harrison Contracting Company Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 with Racers Edge Motorsports and WTRAndretti team next head to the Circuit of the Americas on May 19 for Rounds 5 and 6 on the Fanatec GT World Challenge schedule.

No. 93 Harrison Contracting Company Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 DRIVER QUOTES:

Ashton Harrison:
“Obviously, not the way we expected the weekend to go. I’m really proud of everyone’s efforts at Racers Edge Motorsports, HPD and the support from Harrison Contracting and WTRAndretti because we came into the weekend really strong, and we obviously had high expectations, but I know we went into each race full push the whole time and I think we did our absolute best. Even though the results aren’t what we wanted, I do believe that we continue to showcase the performance of Racers Edge, Mario and I and the competition that we have the rest of the season. I’m looking forward to regrouping and getting ready for COTA in a few short weeks.”

Mario Farnbacher:
“It wasn’t our weekend. We had good pace, not our strongest car, but I think we had good overall pace to perform. We were able to collect some good points through the race week. Unfortunately, with the wet track in Race 1 drying, I personally made a mistake. Ashton did a fantastic opening stint, her first time in this car in the rain, so that was a very good start for her, and she gave the car to me in a good position to fight on track. Unfortunately, I had a slight mistake but that’s what happens sometimes. We’re all human and there is always room for error, even as a pro driver. Really sorry to the team and the points lost. In Race 2, we had contact from a competitor that caused damage to the car and I drove the entire stint with the effects of that damage. Ultimately, even with not the best car, we were able to get by the leading class car. Then I gave the car over to Ashton, and she did a really good job defending the lead from the second-place class car before unfortunately he made contact and took the position away and we ended up in the gravel. Very disappointed about the outcome of this weekend. We had a good car, just couldn’t make a lot of it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Obviously, this weekend wasn’t meant to be. We’ll put our heads up, learn from our mistakes and focus on Texas where we are going to come back strong and turn around from what we lost this weekend”

About Harrison Contracting
Harrison Contracting Company, Inc. (HCC) is a commercial painting and facility maintenance contracting company headquartered in Villa Rica, GA with divisional offices in Florida and Texas. HCC provides repainting/reimaging and facility maintenance services nationwide, and new construction painting across the southeastern US. At HCC, red is more than the company color, its culture. RED stands for Reliable, Experienced, and Diligent, and is the cornerstone for all we do. We are more than just your painter; we are your partner.

About the HPD Driver Academy Program
The Honda Performance Development (HPD) Driver Academy Program was developed to enable qualified racers to accelerate their racing career via ‘on-track’ and ‘off-track’ training from experienced Acura/Honda professional drivers, HPD-supported teams, and HPD personnel. The program includes sessions in the championship winning Acura NSX GT3 Evo or Honda Civic Type R TCR teaching the special knowledge and various skills required for professional sports car racing. The program is available by application-only and is limited to eight students per year.

About Honda Performance Development
Honda Performance Development, Inc., (HPD) has a rich heritage creating, manufacturing, and supporting Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports customers since 1993 from pinnacle racing in INDYCAR and IMSA to commercial racing programs. HPD is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and leads all of Honda and Acura’s high-performance racing programs in North America, specializing in the design and development of race engines, chassis and performance parts, as well as technical and race support.

NEW ORLEANS, La., (April 25, 2023) – Motivated by multiple successes at the season-opener earlier this month, Wright Motorsports heads to New Orleans, Louisiana this weekend for Rounds three and four of the SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. The Ohio-based team has some unfinished business at NOLA Motorsports Park and will enter both the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R (type 992) of Charlie Luck and Jan Heylen and the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R (type 991.2) of Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer to fight for top honors. Adelson and the No. 120 Porsche will also compete in the GT America powered by AWS, riding the momentum of his victorious weekend at Sonoma Raceway.

High temperatures and poor racing conditions made last year’s inaugural race at NOLA Motorsports Park a challenging one. However, the pair of Wright Motorsports Porsches have come prepared for another attempt at conquering the competition in the Big Easy. The GT World Challenge America series consists of GT3 machinery, split into three classes based on driver rankings: Pro, Pro/Am, and Am.

Father and son-in-law duo Charlie Luck and Jan Heylen have consistent results on their side after earning a pair of fourth-place finishes earlier this month at Sonoma Raceway in Rounds One and Two of the championship. Debuting their new Porsche 911 GT3 R, the two drivers and their crew earned valuable feedback in their first event of the 2023 race season. They will take that knowledge to the 2.75-mile, 16-turn circuit for the next two rounds of the sports car racing championship.

Team newcomers Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer started the season off strong in their green and yellow Porsche, earning a first and third-place finish in the opening doubleheader at Sonoma Raceway at the beginning of the month. Running the 991.2 allows the duo to capitalize on the team’s several years of experience with the car, at most of the same tracks that the series competed at last season.

Adelson will also compete in the GT America series, consisting of Bronze-rated drivers running in GT3 or GT4 machinery in a pair of 40-minute sprint races. At Sonoma Raceway, Adelson swept both pole positions finishing first and second in his two races. A revision of the results changed the second result to tenth place, but Adelson has demonstrated his capabilities behind the wheel heading into the next two rounds, clearly a contender in the championship.

Saturday, April 29 will host the first set of races, with GT America taking the green flag for race one at 12:55 PM CT, followed by the GT World Challenge America competitors beginning their opening race at 3:10 PM CT. GT America will again go first on Sunday April 30 at 9:30 AM CT, with GT World Challenge concluding the weekend with race two starting at 1:45 PM CT. All races will air live on YouTube.com/GTWorld.

DRIVER QUOTES

Charlie Luck // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I’m really looking forward to our second race weekend at NOLA. We have a new model car and will be working to try to extract the most speed out of it, given our lack of experience and streak with the car. We’ll continue to focus on every element of the racing that is within our control and are very excited about building on our two fourth-place finishes at Sonoma.

Jan Heylen // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I’m happy to be going back to NOLA. It is a very challenging track with high tire degeneration which makes for a fun race. We had a strong weekend in Sonoma with great race pace. We’re hoping to improve on our qualifying performance to set up for a good race.

Adam Adelson // No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I’m still buzzing from how amazing of a first outing Sonoma was for us. We’re meshing with the team better than I anticipated, and even though we’ve only been together for one race, it feels like we’re already in a groove. Elliott and I had tremendous success at NOLA Motorsports Park in Pirelli GT4 America last year, which gives us (at least me) a natural affinity towards this track. It’ll be quite different racing a GT3 R around here, but I’m excited to see what we can achieve this weekend.”

Elliott Skeer // No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R

NOLA has always been a very good place for me personally as it not only brought me my first win in a Porsche, but also my first win with Wright Motorsports. Keeping the momentum of Sonoma has helped with having a very productive test, so I am confident that Adam and I will be able to maximize the strong package that Wright Motorsports will without a doubt be supplying. We are going into the weekend with our focus on operations and execution and let the results follow!

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

Stellar start to WEC season for No. 33 C8.R team with back-to-back GTE Am wins

DETROIT (April 25, 2023) – Two wins, one pole position and a 31-point lead in the GTE Am Drivers and Team championships. Any way you put it, it’s been a dream start to the FIA World Endurance Championship for Corvette Racing.

Less than two weeks after a stunning triumph in the Six Hours of Portimão, the No. 33 Corvette C8.R is back in action Thursday through Saturday at famed Spa-Francorchamps for the Six Hours of Spa – the team’s final WEC race before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The championship-leading trio of Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone will share the wheel of the Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which will race at Spa for the third time.

While each of the drivers have been fantastic in the two wins so far this year – Catsburg’s final hour in Portimão is an early leader for drive of the season – the results are equally due to the work by the Corvette Racing pit crew and engineering team.

The strategy calls through two rounds has been spot-on with precise decisions on race and pit stop strategy. Once in the pitlane, the Corvette Racing crew has been a difference-maker. That was never more evident than on the final stop in Portugal when the Corvette crew completed their final stop five seconds faster than the runner-up Ferrari with a margin of 0.260 seconds at the finish.

That result means that regardless of what happens at Spa, Corvette Racing will enter Le Mans – a double-points event – with the championship lead.

It also means the No. 33 C8.R will carry 45 kilograms of “rewards weight”, per the GTE Am sporting regulations. Cars that finish the previous two races first, second or third must on-board additional weight on a sliding scale of 15-10-5 kilograms. In addition, the same amounts of ballast apply to the top-three entries in the GTE Am championship standings.

The Corvette ran with 30 additional kilograms at Portimão, but it didn’t deter Keating from taking pole position – his first in the C8.R. While the task will be that much tougher to repeat at Spa, Corvette Racing can take lessons it learned from the previous two years in the Six Hours of Spa with the mid-engine C8.R. Aside from the additional ballast, the C8.R will race in much the same shape as 2021 and 2022 – similar engine power, same mechanical configuration and Corvette-specific Michelin tires.

The Six Hours of Spa for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. ET / 12:45 p.m. Central European time Saturday. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of qualifying and the race. Live streaming video of qualifying and the race also is available through a subscription on the FIA WEC app.

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Spa is one of my favorite tracks. Compared to Portimão, we have a lot more information from the last two years. But we also will have a very heavy car due to the rewards weight, so it will be difficult for us there. It’s also a good sign though; it means we have won two races, which is the best thing you can do at the start of the season. So I’m looking forward to going to Spa. It’s an amazing track with high speeds. I don’t think I’ve raced a mid-engine car around Spa, so that will be a new thing. But I’m looking forward to this event. It’s almost like a home race for me, so it should be a good weekend.”

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Going into Spa, it’s my favorite track on the WEC schedule. I really love Spa. I qualified very well last year and put together a really good lap. Based on what I know about the track and the characteristics of the Corvette, I expect us to be strong. Both of my co-drivers have a lot of experience there so it should be good. Because we won Sebring and Portimão, and we’re still leading the points, we’ll still have more weight in the car than anyone else. But the Corvette manages the weight very well. I have a ton of convince in the team and my teammates. We all love the track. Usually, the track you love ends up loving you back! We hope that’s the case at Spa.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m really looking forward to this race. Spa is one of my favorite tracks in the world. It will be really nice to drive the C8.R there and I know I’ll love it. We’ll see how it goes. We will have more success ballast but we’ll do our best and get the maximum result and points as possible. It would be good to arrive at Le Mans with good points in the championship. Let’s see what happens first at Spa.”

2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am (After two of seven events)

Driver Standings

1. Ben Keating/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone – 64
2. Christian Ried/Julien Andlauer/Mikkel Pedersen – 33
3. Simon Mann/Stefano Constantini/Ulysse De Pauw – 28
4. Davide Rigon/Francesco Castellacci/Thomas Flohr – 27
5. Daniel Serra/Scott Huffaker/Takeshi Kimura – 24

Team Standings

1. No. 33 Corvette Racing – 64
2. No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing – 33
3. No. 21 AF Corse – 28
4. No. 54 AF Corse – 27
5. No. 57 Kessel Racing – 24

CORVETTE RACING AT SPA: By the Numbers

• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.
• 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 24 previous years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (later this year).
• 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2020-present).
• 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
• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.
• 124: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans.
• 271: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 354,050.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. 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. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!

Corvette Racing at Spa-Francorchamps

2021

No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Oliver Gavin – 4th in GTE Pro (Gavin’s final Corvette race)

2022

No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 4th in GTE Pro

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. 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.

LONG BEACH, California – A trio of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams withstood a weighty challenge, an opening-lap traffic jam and several contact incidents to secure a string of top-five finishes Saturday in a hard-fought IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 100-minute sprint race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Mike Skeen and Mikael Grenier co-drove the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 to a season-best fourth-place finish in the GT Daytona (GTD) class finish while the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished fifth in the GTD and GTD Pro classes, respectively.

Winward Racing co-drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis joined the Korthoff team and drivers in scoring a season-best finish on the unforgiving 1.968-mile road course on the streets of Long Beach.

Both GTD top-five finishers and the WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3 sustained first-lap contact damage but the No 79 had a further setback in the Long Beach circuit’s notorious hairpin turn.

A contact incident just in front of starting driver Daniel Juncadella forced him to stop on track for a costly 10 seconds. The time lost and minimal in-race yellow flag cautions took away any chance Juncadella and his teammate Jules Gounon had at reconnecting with the GTD Pro leaders. Gounon took the checkered flag in the fifth and final GTD Pro finishing position.

Korthoff and Winward survived the first-lap contact incidents to put together a pair of clean runs to the finish. Although pre-race rules adjustments prevented either team from challenging the GTD top-three finishers, both Korthoff and Winward left Long Beach with nothing more than minor bodywork and cosmetic damage on their Mercedes-AMG GT3s.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is a return to California next month for Round 4 of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I feel pretty good about it. It is exciting coming here and I like this track. It was a bit tough with the Balance of Performance (BoP) rules changes we had this weekend, but you get that ebb and flow all of the time. We did what we could with the capability we had this week. We started fourth and finished fourth. That looks kind of boring on paper, but we had a good battle at the beginning, and Mikael did a heck of a job at the end holding off Ellis. It’s nice to be the highest finishing Mercedes-AMG GT3, get some points and get the momentum headed in the right direction.”

Mikael Grenier, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Long Beach is quite unique because you can’t make any mistakes here or you will be in the tire barriers. Mike did a really good job at the start, had a few contact hits he just couldn’t avoid, and it is good to come out of here with the car in one piece. All in all, it was quite solid with good points for the championship. At Daytona and Sebring, I think we could have won both races, so it is good to finally finish a race without any mistakes. It is good for momentum. The team did an amazing pit stop. It was quite a short fuel and they had to do the tire changes quickly. Everything was on point.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I think we reached our goals to at least get some points finally this season after two unlucky races where we should have been at the very front. It was definitely a tricky weekend as well, but Russell did a really good job. We are lucky the car stayed more or less intact after the early contact at the start. It probably hurt us a bit on performance as well, but nothing else happened and the car stayed together. That was good, the car was good, we just couldn’t get to the front, so we did what we had to do and were the best of the rest.”

Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I was in a bad spot because I was the first car right after the blockage and I had nowhere to go. I had to reverse a bit and wait for them to clear. This is what happens when you start in the back, but we were a little unfortunate in qualifying. It was kind of a boring race. Not much happened, just two yellows early on and one at the end, but that was our only hope. We needed more yellows in the first half of the race to play our strategy, but it didn’t come. We have to hope IMSA looks at the performance analysis. We had a pretty big hit on the BoP after Sebring, and that comprised qualifying and the whole weekend. I hope we get something back for the next races.”

Jules Gounon, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We tried our best to work the strategy but to get a result today was nearly impossible. The WeatherTech Racing/Proton crew did a great pit stop. Dani and I gave it our all on the track, and I think I touched the wall six times pushing flat out. We will see what the next step is and be prepared to bounce back for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.”

Garcia, Taylor battle to the front to second-place class finish in California street fight

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 15, 2023) – Some second-place finishes are better than others. That was the story for Corvette Racing on Saturday as Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R earned a runner-up GT Daytona (GTD) PRO result in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

On a day where nothing came easy and passing was limited, the Corvette team – drivers, crew and engineers – made the most of its opportunities to claw forward two spots from the start and earn valuable points in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD PRO standings.

Garcia started the race in fourth after Friday’s qualifying but ran the first 10 minutes of Saturday’s 100-minute sprint under full-course yellow due to a crash involving two GTP cars. Once the race went back green, he was able to stay within reach of the four lead GTD cars – three PRO entries and one regular GTD competitor – as the pack began to run up on lap traffic.

The first pit stops began near the 35-minute mark, and the No. 3 C8.R team brought in Garcia to swap over to Taylor after 40 minutes and running third in class. A quick service of a full fuel load and four fresh Michelin tires, plus a stellar out-lap by Taylor meant the Corvette didn’t just hold on to third place, it gained more than three seconds on Klaus Bachler in the second-place Porsche.

After some hard, side-to-side racing, Taylor stayed within one second of the No. 9 and made a strong, decisive move into Turn Six with a huge dive to the inside of the Porsche – straight out of his recent experience in the NASCAR Cup Series – with 40 minutes left to take the second-place spot.

GTD lap traffic and faster GTP cars going by meant that Taylor had to spend the rest of the race with Bachler right on the rear bumper of the Corvette. Taylor stayed tough and held the position as the race ended during another full-course caution.

Corvette Racing’s next event in the IMSA championship is May 12-14 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “Starting where we started, it was really difficult to do something super-crazy to gain positions. On pure speed, we had no real advantage to make a move. The only way was to do it by strategy as we did and then play the traffic like Jordan did to gain those spots. I think we had a fourth-place car and we finished second, so we can be happy for once at Long Beach! We didn’t have the pace to win or really fight for it like we have had in the past. It sounds strange, but I’m happy with second.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “We had a good Corvette – maybe a fourth-place car on pace. Antonio did a good job from fourth in his stint, which is where we were speed-wise. The guys made a good call in the pits to try and jump some guys. We came out even with the Porsche, and they were pretty aggressive on their out-lap and pushed me wide at the fountain. Once he pushed me once, I knew it was fair to push him back. Once I got close enough, he defended pretty aggressively and I wasn’t going to let up. I gave him a little tap from the NASCAR world and was able to get by. It was difficult to defend the rest of the race. I’m glad traffic worked out relatively well to keep him behind us, so a great day for us points-wise. We had a fourth-place car and to come away with second and beating two guys who probably should have been on the podium, we can be proud of that. At the end of the year when we look back on the championship, hopefully this is one we count for some good points.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. 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.

(Long Beach, Calif.) April 15, 2023 — The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 gave it everything they had as Ricky Taylor went for the win with under two minutes remaining in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Saturday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach marked the first sprint race of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season for the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (WTRAndretti) team. Full season co-driver, Filipe Albuquerque qualified the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 on pole position to lead the field to the green flag and had a very smooth first stint. As Albuquerque brought the blue and black machine from the lead for the sole pit stop and driver change of the day, a troublesome pit stop made a challenge for the reminder of the race.

Ricky Taylor hustled around the tight corners of the Long Beach streets and worked his way up into second position during the last 15 minutes of the race. As the checkered flag was nearing, Taylor went for the lead on the front stretch into Turn 1, before unfortunately making contact with the wall – ending the team’s day with just under two minutes before the clock expired.

“It’s not the ending that we wanted,” said Wayne Taylor. “We really had a good car, and both the drivers did a great job. We had things going on that snowballed throughout the race, starting with a radio problem, then it went to something else. We had problems with the driver change that caused us to lose time in the pits. Then we had another situation where the rev limiter came on, so we lost seven seconds. We lost 13 in the pits and then we lost another seven, then we were 27 seconds behind. Ricky would then make his way all the way up there and then something else would happen. He got by everybody, and I began to think that we could definitely get a second place, then he closed on the first car, and I thought ‘We’re going to win this race.’, then we just went into the wall. However, when you have car as good and fast as this and use it to the maximum, you can’t really blame anybody for that. This is the Acura Grand Prix and Ricky wanted to win. We just have to get ready and go for the next one.”

“I’m very sorry for Acura, HPD and the WTRAndretti team,” said Ricky Taylor. “We had a lot to learn from the past five years with the Acura ARX-05. This was always our track where we had the most performance deficit to the field and it just says so much about Acura, HPD, Oreca and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport to turn our weakest track into our strongest track. At the end of the day when you have the strongest car you want to repay those people and win the race. Unfortunately, we got behind with a little issue mid race and we had such a strong car while fighting back. It came down so close in the end, if we had more time maybe I would have been more patient, but we just wanted to win this for Acura. Everyone at Acura, HPD and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport deserved to win this today and it’s just disappointing, but I’m just so proud to drive an Acura and be part of this team.”

“What a crazy day today,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “There is so much to say. You could write a drama book about this race today. We started well today, although it was chaotic for the No. 60 and I could see a sideways car that was about to take me out in Turn 1. Okay— we avoid that, then the car is fine, and we pull a gap, but lost everything just before pitting in on traffic. We had some setbacks in the pit stop and, on the track, but Ricky recovered that as he was flying on the track and chasing everybody – overtaking everybody at the hardest track of the year. He made us believe that the win was still possible out of a crazy race. For him, it was all or nothing and things happen when we push hard for the win. He locked up and crashed, but I can believe him because when you’re pushing for the win that happens.”

The WTRAndretti and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 team will return to California in under one month’s time for the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N on May 14, 2023 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace. The company guides and supports its clients’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), intelligent information management, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for fifteen consecutive years, and is proud to be ranked on the Forbes 2021 America’s Best-in-State employers list. The company received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. The company recognizes 150 years in global business in 2023. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting Company, Acura Motorsports, Honda Performance Development and Hammer Nutrition .