Category: IMSA

Mooresville, NC (3 March 2023) – Having raced to a podium in his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut with Jr III (“Junior-Three”) Racing, Dakota Dickerson will rejoin the team for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The IMSA Prototype Challenge 2021 Champion will join Jr III Racing regulars Ari Balogh and Garett Grist in the No. 30 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 for the team’s first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship start of the 2023 season.

The young California native has built an impressive resume since starting his career in open-wheel competition. Dickerson claimed the IMSA Prototype Challenge title in 2021 with five consecutive podium appearances in the LMP3 class category, including a victory at Watkins Glen International.

Dickerson also earned accolades with a title run to the 2018 F4 United States Championship and followed that with a FR Americas championship run in 2019.

“I’m super excited to be back with Jr III Racing!” said Dickerson. “I had my first IMSA WeatherTech start with these guys last year, and we ended up on the podium. These guys are a giant family, and it feels great to be reunited with them. It will be nice to drive with Ari (Balogh) and Garett (Grist) again, they have been awesome about welcoming me to the team. They had a great season finishing third in points standings last year, and I think we will gain momentum from there.”

Dickerson joined Jr III Racing for the twelve-hour event at Sebring International Raceway in 2022, where, alongside Balogh and Grist, the trio earned a second-place finish for Jr III Racing’s Sebring debut.

“We are thrilled to have Dakota back with us at Sebring,” said Billy Glavin, owner of Jr III Racing. “Dakota was with us last year for our first Twelve Hours of Sebring, and we were able to take home a second-place finish. He has the speed and has proven that racing with us last year and in the Prototype Challenge in previous years. The team is excited to have him back for another go at the top step!”

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring weekend will kick off on Thursday, March 16th. The green flag will drop at 10:10 am ET on March 18th; catch all twelve hours of the action live on Peacock TV.

BATAVIA, Ohio. (February 22, 2023) – Wright Motorsports has expanded to a two-car effort as the Ohio-based team enters a new season in the 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS and GT America Powered by AWS. Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer will race the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R (type 991.2) in the Pro/Am class, joining the returning and previously announced duo of Charlie Luck and Jan Heylen in the No. 45 Porsche. Adelson will also contest an entry in the GT America series, a separate sprint racing effort for Bronze-rated drivers.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Adam and Elliott to the team,” said Team Owner John Wright. “In a very short amount of time, Adam has proven he has real talent behind the wheel, and together with Elliott, they did a great job in the Pirelli GT4 America championship last year. Both series offer lots of track time and strong competition, and we’re eager to get started.”

After participating in track days in a Porsche 911 GT3 in 2018, Las Vegas native Adam Adelson began his racing career in 2019 at age 22. He found his feet in the Porsche Sprint Trophy West and by 2021, advanced to the competitive ranks of the Pirelli GT4 America and the new GT America powered by AWS. He returned for a sophomore season in both series, finishing second in GT4 America with co-driver Elliott Skeer after accumulating three wins and eight podiums. In GT America, he celebrated two wins and five podiums, racing solo in the single-driver sprint series.

The 2023 season will see Skeer’s return to Wright Motorsports after the racer secured the 2015 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama (now Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America) with the team. Since then, Skeer has competed across North America’s most competitive series, including the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the Pirelli GT4 America Pro/Am class.

The two will again pair up for a full-season effort, competing in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America series. With the exception of the season finale at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, each race weekend of the GT3 series will host a pair of 90-minute races. Adelson and Skeer will compete in the Pro/Am class, where each driver is required to drive for half of each race and partake in a driver change over the course of the 90-minute stretch.

Adelson will also participate in the single-driver GT America series, created for Bronze-rated competitors who get to enjoy a pair of 40-minute races each race weekend. The series will run in support of the headlining GT World Challenge America championship, racing on some of the best tracks North America has to offer. The team will begin the season at Sonoma Raceway in California’s Wine Country, March 31 to April 2. From there, the pair of series will journey to many fan-favorite race tracks such as VIRginia International Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Road America, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com.

Adam Adelson // No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I’m beyond excited to be racing with Wright Motorsports in GT World Challenge America and GT America this year. When I made the decision to enter my first year of GT3 class racing, it was a no-brainer that Wright was the Wright choice. They have incredible racing pedigree and experience, and I have no doubt in my mind that they’ll do everything they possibly can to put Elliott and I at the front of the field. Elliott won the Porsche GT3 Cup with Wright in 2015, and now being his co-driver, I hope to do something along those lines with him this year in our 911 GT3R.

Eliott Skeer // No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I am ecstatic to be back at Wright Motorsports for the 2023 SRO season! Knowing the operation John has cultivated has me looking forward to how both Adam and myself will grow as racers and succeed in GT3 with all the necessary support behind us from such an experienced team. The SRO GT3 field has strengthened each year and continues to bring a world-class talent pool and I cannot wait to dive into and fight within, the ability to also make the jump with your best friend as a codriver makes the experience even more special.

To me, everything about this feels Wright and I am eagerly counting down the days until we take the green flag at Sonoma. I have full trust in the WM team, in my codriver, and in our Porsche, to maximize every opportunity we can on and off track.

In a nice way, it’s like returning home.

2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge America and GT America Schedule

March 30 – April 2, 2023

Sonoma Raceway

Sonoma, California

April 28-30, 2023

NOLA Motorsports Park

Avondale, LA

May 19-21, 2023

Circuit of the Americas

Austin, Texas

June 16-18, 2023

VIRginia International Raceway

Alton, Virginia

August 4-6, 2023

GT America Powered by AWS

Nashville, Tennesse

August 18-20, 2023

Road America

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

September 22-24, 2023

Sebring International Raceway

Sebring, Florida

October 5-8, 2023

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis, Indiana

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.

Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 No. 62:
Davide Rigon (ITA)
Daniel Serra (BRA)
Gabriel Casagrande (BRA)

Houston, Texas (February 22, 2023) … Risi Competizione will be competing at the 71st annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship on March 18. As previously announced, the Houston, Texas-based Ferrari team is working to defend its 2022 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) Championship this season with Ferrari Competizioni GT official drivers Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra.

The new driver being announced for the team at Sebring is Brazilian Gabriel Casagrande. The 28-year-old native of Francisco Beltrão regularly competes in the hugely popular Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series, where he won the championship title in 2021. Prior to entering the Stock Car series, Casagrande competed in Formula 3 and Formula Renault. He’s also raced in the Porsche Cup Brazil and GT Sprint Race Brazil. Casagrande is looking forward to getting his first chance to drive the Ferrari 296 GT3 with Risi Competizione.

Risi Competizione driver, Gabriel Casagrande
“The team will be back at Sebring this year as we race to defend the Michelin Endurance Cup in the GTD Pro class with Davide and Daniel,” said Giuseppe Risi, Team Principal. “We’ve added a young Brazilian driver, Gabriel Casagrande, to drive alongside them. Again, this year will be a double weekend with WEC (World Endurance Championship) and we’re looking forward to getting back to a special track that we have some good memories and victories since our first year racing in 1998.”

The American Ferrari team competed in January at the Rolex 24 At Daytona with the new Ferrari 296 GT3 in its inaugural race but unfortunately suffered a rare DNF when they withdrew after the halfway point due to floorboard damage following an incident.

Last year the No. 62 Risi Competizione team finished ninth in class at the 12 Hours of Sebring with Rigon, Serra and Italian Eddie Cheever III driving the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020. Serra captured the pole in the GTD Pro class at the 3.74-mile, 17-turn central Florida road course in its 70th annual race.

For more information, please go to www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione, Twitter @RisiComp and Instagram @RisiComp.

BATAVIA, Ohio. (February 15, 2023) – After an exciting 2022 race season that saw the battle for the Fanatec GT World Challenge America championship title come down to the final race, Wright Motorsports will return in 2023 for another shot at clinching the top honors. Armed with the new No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R (type 992), drivers Charlie Luck and Jan Heylen will return for a second chance at the Pro/Am class title in the sports car racing series.

“Charlie and Jan make such a great pairing and with their crew, did an incredible job last year,” said Wright Motorsports team owner John Wright. “The new Porsche 911 GT3 R offers a strong package and we’re all excited to getting the season started and continue on last year’s successes. We’ve won the championship two out of the last three years, and our strength and quality of performance this year will be no different.”

After many years of working together as race car driver and coach, Luck and Heylen became co-drivers in the GT World Challenge America series in 2022, also their first year as father and son-in-law. The pairing produced a strong series debut for Luck, who had previously secured the GT America powered by AWS championship title. Starting with a weekend sweep at the Sonoma Raceway season opener, the duo won four out of 13 races. Against intense competition in the multi-class sports car racing series, they finished on the podium seven times, and in the top five for all but two rounds. Luck’s progression through the events showed the gentleman racer’s adaptability under pressure, finding a smooth groove as the season proceeded.

The drivers and team will be familiar with all of the usual tracks, starting with Sonoma Raceway continuing to host the first race of the season, March 30th to April 2nd. With the exception of the season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, each race weekend will be comprised of a pair of 90-minute races, in which both drivers will each have to achieve a minimum amount of drive time and participate in a driver change during the race. Though the entry list for the 2023 season has yet to be revealed, another competitive season is expected ahead. To stay up to date, visit wrightmotorsports.com to sign up for the latest news.

DRIVER QUOTES

Charlie Luck // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I’m really looking forward to the 2023 SRO GT World Challenge season. We will have some new competitors in the field as well as the latest edition of the new Porsche GT3 R. This will give us an opportunity to take a new machine into competition and to develop the car as we move through the year. We’ll be going to many tracks where we have experience. We all look forward to putting all that past history to work.

I’m really looking forward to my second year, sharing the driving drivers’ duties with Jan Heylen. We had tremendous success last year and look forward to taking one race at a time and executing as close to perfection as possible.

I can’t wait.

Jan Heylen // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I’m happy to be back with Charlie for another season in GT World Challenge America. We had an amazing season last year and I can’t wait to do it all over again. I’m looking forward to the first race and see where we stack against the new competitors. We also have a new car, an extra reason to be excited about 2023, and the challenge that comes with it.

2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge America Schedule

March 30 – April 2, 2023
Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma, California
April 28-30, 2023

NOLA Motorsports Park
Avondale, LA
May 19-21, 2023

Circuit of the Americas
Austin, Texas
June 16-18, 2023

VIRginia International Raceway
Alton, Virginia
August 18-20, 2023

Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
September 22-24, 2023

Sebring International Raceway
Sebring, Florida
October 5-8, 2023

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis, Indiana

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.

Champions reveal four-car effort in IMSA-sanctioned series

SONOMA, Calif. (February 14, 2023) – Following a thrilling championship-winning debut in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America in 2022, Flying Lizard Motorsports will return this year for its sophomore season in the series with an expanded four-car Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 effort. Tom Tait will be back in the red and green No. 64 Emerald Center entry, and LB Cup Champion Slade Stewart will advance to the Pro/Am class with Andy Lee, racing the No. 14 pink unicorn Lamborghini. Longtime Lizards Chris Bellomo and Johannes van Overbeek will team up in a singular entry in the No. 68, and Paul Nemschoff and Marc Miller will round out the team’s lineup, racing together in the Pro/Am class.

“Last season was our first year in this series and to come away with several podiums, wins, and a class championship speaks volumes about our program,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “We have established a great relationship with Lamborghini in both the Super Trofeo Series and other GT Series that we compete in, we enjoy working with them and they have a great program with this series. We have stacked the deck this year with several cars and have a great group of drivers. The series is ultra-competitive so with the support we have from Lamborghini Newport Beach and our drivers we will be pushing hard and look forward to continued success this season.”

Tom Tate became the first driver to join the Lizard’s new Super Trofeo program in 2022 and became part of the effort’s strong foundation in the series. He progressed with every race, earning three top-five finishes in his rookie season. Returning to the Am class, Tait will continue his trajectory, now with the advantage of a season full of experience with the No. 64 Emerald Center Lamborghini and the tracks on the 2023 calendar.

When Tait joined the Lizard program, he brought in his friend Slade Stewart, who almost immediately went viral in the sports car racing community for his pink unicorn Lamborghini, which he wrapped at the behest of his daughter; a family tradition the father does with each of his kids. The car became a hit with fans of all ages, and the growing fanbase celebrated Stewart’s on-track success. The unicorn livery celebrated four wins and seven podiums, earning the LB Cup class championship at the Portimão, Portugal season finale. This season, Stewart’s coach, Andy Lee will suit up to race alongside him in the Pro/Am class. Lee will also be racing in the team’s GT4 America efforts for a second season.

After racing with the team for many years in their various Porsche racing series, multiple-time champion Chris Bellomo will step into the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series in the Pro/Am class, excited for a new challenge in his sports car racing career. His longtime coach and former Lizard driver, Johannes van Overbeek will return as a driver to the team where he earned nine wins and 38 podiums in the American Le Mans Series, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 25 Hours of Thunderhill.

Fresh off his freshman season racing Porsches with the team, Paul Nemschoff will also step up into the Super Trofeo series in the Pro/Am class, alongside his coach as his co-driver, Marc Miller. Nemschoff had a successful 2022 season in the Porsche Sprint Challenge, earning three wins and five second-place finishes and coming in second place in the overall championship. He and Miller, who most recently finished fourth at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, will drive together in the Pro/Am class.

The 2022 season will again feature five North American doubleheader race weekends, in support to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The final two races for the North America series will take place at the Lamborghini World Finals at Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi, Italy, where all the competitors from the various Super Trofeo series will compete for the title of world champion. The season will begin May 12-14 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and conclude November 16-17 in Italy.

Tom Tait | No. 64 Lamborghini

“Full press” will be the theme for my 2023 Lamborghini Super Trofeo season. We will enter the season with a much deeper knowledge of the cars, tracks, and refreshed skills built on our successes in 2022. This year we have the continued sponsorship from Lamborghini Newport Beach and Emerald Center and I feel that with the Flying Lizard team, we are in a position to fight for podiums in every race.

Slade Stewart | No. 14 Lamborghini

After a challenging and exciting 2022 Season running in the LB Cup Class and winning the US Championship Title, with a P2 World Finals finish, we are back for 2023. This year I will be joined by my long-time Pro Coach and friend Andy Lee in a two-driver pairing running in Pro/Am. I couldn’t be more excited to be racing with Andy as he has been the silent hand, in the stands and on the data, propelling me forward in the 2022 Season. Andy has a wealth of racing experience, starting his career in Karts. He then moved on to the VW TDI, taking 2nd place in the 2008 Championship. He finished 2nd in the 2012 Pirelli World-Challenge (SRO GT4) GTS Championship, 2nd in the Pirelli World-Challenge GT Cup Pro/Am 2017 Championship, and most recently finished 3rd in the SRO GT4 America Pro/Am Championship in 2022. Andy has 135 Pro Races in IMSA, SRO, and SCCA Pro series, scoring 9 wins, 33 Podiums, and 12 poles.

In our years of working together as Teacher and Pupil, I am fired up to be running as co-drivers in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo 2023 Season, which begins in May. We will commence testing as soon as the car is ready and start putting down laps with the new Hankook Tire program beginning this year.

It goes without saying our Partnership with Flying Lizard as a Customer racing program couldn’t be stronger, and we are looking forward to returning to the grid this year with the best team in the business.

Andy Lee | No. 14 Lamborghini

I’m so excited for the opportunity to step out from behind the laptop and into the driver’s seat with Slade this season! He grew so much as a driver last year on his way to winning the LB Cup championship and I can’t wait to start working on our next challenge in the Pro/Am category.

Chris Bellomo | No. 68 Lamborghini

I have watched the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series for the past couple of years and have been impressed with its popularity, quality of drivers, and extremely competitive racing. I am continuing my racing journey with FLM with a new series, new car, new tracks, and new teammates, which should make for a fun and exciting 2023. This season, I will be co-driving with Johannes, which will bring another challenge and incredible opportunity, as we hope to compete for some podium finishes.

Johannes van Overbeek | No. 68 Lamborghini

Time to dust off the saddle. Hopefully, I haven’t forgotten too much since my retirement in ‘18. The primary objective is to coach Chris and there’s no better way than being in the same car on the same weekend over the course of a couple of days. Looking forward to building on the foundation that Chris and I have built over the last couple of years. Doing so with Flying Lizard, which I helped start many years ago, is the icing on the cake.

Paul Nemschoff

I’m very excited to race Lamborghini Super Trofeo in 2023 with my longtime friend and coach Marc Miller. This is my second year with Flying Lizard, and we’re looking forward to continued success and are excited about our partners for the year.

Marc Miller

I have been coaching Paul for several years and this will be his first season in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series after many seasons and the second season under the Flying Lizard banner. Darren and the entire FLM staff have been great to work with and I’m anxious to share a car with Paul. We have, on occasion, raced together and we have shared some great successes. It would be very special to be able to stand on the podium alongside him a few times this season.

2023 Race Schedule

May 12-24, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Salinas, California

June 22-25, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

Watkins Glen International

Watkins Glen, New York

August 4-5, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

Road America

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

August 25-27, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

VIRginia International Raceway

Alton, Virginia

September 15-17, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis, Indiana

November 16-17, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi

Campagnano di Roma, Italy

About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Based out of Sonoma, California, Flying Lizard Motorsports is one of the most iconic sports car teams in motorsports, having celebrated ten driver and team championships, as well as competed internationally at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times.

The Lizards burst on the American Le Mans Series scene in 2004, competing in the GT class until 2012. In 2013, the team moved to the GTC class, still competing in legendary events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2014, the team expanded its program to include running two Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR Championship, and in 2015, again expanded the program to include two Porsches in Porsche Club racing. Flying Lizard closed out the season with a dominating win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with Toyo Tires, a win they repeated in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2020 season proved the team’s most successful to date, earning four titles in the GT4 America championship. Flying Lizard Motorsports has proven to be a championship contender no matter the race series or race car. For more information, visit lizardms.com.

About Lamborghini Newport Beach

Lamborghini Newport Beach is the authorized sales & service franchise for Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. serving Orange County, California.

Representing Lamborghini since 2010, Lamborghini Newport Beach is continuously one of the top US retailers year after year. With many years of combined experience, their team of professionals has all the knowledge and expertise necessary to assist you with purchasing the Lamborghini of your dreams, or properly maintaining the one in your garage. All Lamborghini Newport Beach technicians are fully factory certified, and all sales staff holds master certifications. Their newly opened state of the art facilities are now located at 44 Auto Center Drive, inside the Irvine Auto Center.

About Emerald Center

Emerald center is a premier lifestyle and home furnishings retail mixed use center featuring IKEA and over 2 million square feet of mixed use development serving the Southeast Phoenix market. Emerald center is located at the Northeast corner of I-10 and Warner Rd., Tempe, AZ.

About Chandler Pavilions

Chandler Pavilions is the most successful retail power center in Chandler, Az. With Marquis tenants including Home Depot, Lowes, Sam’s Club, REI, Flemings Steak House, and over twenty restaurants l, totaling 2 million square feet of retail tenants. Chandler Pavilions is located at the northeast and southwest corners of I-10 and Ray Rd, Chandler Az.

DAYTONA, Fla., (January 30, 2023) – After a grueling 24 hours of competition, the Wright Motorsports VOLT® Lighting Porsche closed out the first race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a successful debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R (type 992) ran a mistake and penalty-free race, driven by 2022 Michelin Pilot Challenge champions Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman, with Max Root and Kevin Estre. The WeatherTech rookies finished the endurance event 11th out of 23 cars, in the largest of the five classes in the Rolex 24.

The team took delivery of the new Porsche in December and quickly began pre-season testing in preparation for the exciting new challenge of competing in the headlining IMSA series. Coming from the two-class, mostly sprint racing series, the step up to WeatherTech required Brynjolfsson and team to prepare for racing against four other classes, and for much longer stints. The new machine showed great speed in private testing and was later subjected to a series of technical adjustments by the sanctioning body in an effort to equalize all the Porsches against its fellow GTD competitors. While the enforced regulations put the German manufacturer’s entries at a disadvantage, the team pressed on, determined to execute strong in the pits and on track, hoping to gain an advantage through their own consistency and the attrition of others.

The bright yellow No. 77 Porsche started the race on Saturday from 16th place, and Brynjolfsson showed his strength behind the wheel at the drop of the green flag. All of his off-season physical and mental preparation paid off, and the bronze-rated driver hit all of his marks, opening the event without a wheel put wrong. Hindman, Root, and Estre were all returning participants and also saw to it that the Porsche ran a clean race, drawing from their previous successes at the event and in the WeatherTech series. Speedy work by the crew in pit lane and expert driving by the four VOLT drivers kept the car clear of calamity and in the race and within 10 laps of the class leaders. Though 14 full-course cautions and 11 retirements, the No. 77 Porsche shone bright, ultimately finishing in 11th, and second of all of the Porsches in the GTD class. The sister Wright Motorsports No. 16 1St Phorm Porsche just ahead in ninth, and the top of the GTD Porsches.

The VOLT Lighting Porsche effort will have their sophomore race at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the second round in the full-season championship and the second of four endurance races on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The race will again feature all five classes, running for 12 hours on the legendary Sebring International Raceway, March 15-18. Wright Motorsports won the event in 2020, then followed their victory with a second-place performance the following season. In 2022, the team secured pole position, further solidifying their success at the Florida circuit. For event information, visit imsa.com.

Alan Brynjolfsson

This was a very different experience for me than my teammates. As a 55 year old gentleman driver, simply competing in my first 24 hours of Daytona is in itself a huge accomplishment for me, and is something I will never forget. Being physically able to drive a triple stint at night for 3 straight hours was in itself a personal achievement I have been training hard for. I had a lot of firsts that I will never forget.

I am very proud of our team, my teammates, co-drivers and the car Porsche has provided. Wright Motorsports finished 1-2 out of the 6 Porsches in GTD showing the true strength of our team against equal competition.

A special call out to my three co-drivers Trent Hindman, Kevin Estre, and Max Root each of whom I could write a full press release on. Each one of them performed flawlessly and I admire as awesome humans from within.

Trent Hindman

First, I think there’s a massive debt of gratitude owed to our entire Wright Motorsports VOLT team. The Rolex 24 is very tough race to begin with, but considering the situation we were in performance-wise, we knew it was going to be a long day. The fact that everybody performed to a level that could have won this race despite knowing there was no real possibility goes to show who we are as a team.

It was very exciting to see Alan perform so well in his first ever Rolex 24 and WeatherTech Championship outing, Max did a phenomenal job as well, and of course it was great to have Kevin with his exceptional knowledge and experience. Lots of great lessons learned and I look forward to strong performances for the VOLT team at Sebring and beyond.

Max Root

I’m very proud of the VOLT Racing team for completing their first 24 Hours of Daytona. Alan, Trent, and Kevin did an amazing job keeping the car together and having amazing stints with little to no effort. This was a huge milestone for the Wright Motorsports Volt program, as they continue their GTD debut, rivaling some of the best competition in the world. Lap in and lap out, we were able to do what we needed to do in our car circumstances, and ultimately prove what we’re able to offer this season. I think it’s very exciting to be together as a team for the rest of the North America Endurance Cup and get to pull together all of the high points and things that were out of our control to Sebring where we’ll try for a good result.

Kevin Estre

It was a tough race as we expected, but the team learned for the first time racing the new Porsche 911 GT3 R. It was the first time for the VOLT group with Alan, Trent, Max, and I working together, learning how to work with the engineers in this championship. This was a good race for them because nobody made a mistake. We had no penalties, no contact, nothing. That was a big positive form this race. We definitely have to work on the car to be better in Sebring so that we can get more performance out of it.

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.

About VOLT® Lighting

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, VOLT® Lighting manufactures and distributes quality indoor and outdoor lighting products and systems. VOLT® is the largest manufacturer of professional landscape lighting in the world. For more information, visit www.voltlighting.com or contact the company at customersupport@voltlighting.com or 813-978-3700.

About Adelie Technik

Founded in 2011 Adelie Technik, a Service Disabled Veteran Small Owned Business (SDVOB) deploys the highest caliber engineers and consultants for our customers needs. Adelie is focused on delivery of your solution to your customer on your schedule. Adelie can deliver solutions ranging from PC deployment up to full DataCentre builds and beyond. Our engineers can also migrate your environment to the cloud. For more information on Adelie Technik, see adelietechnik.com.

We represent the highest quality in racing safety with the intention of maintain our position at the top. With 50 years in the industry, Sabelt is the world’s premier safety equipment manufacturer. A result of intense research and development.

DAYTONA, Fla, (January 30, 2023) – For the third time in four years, Magnus Racing has celebrated a job well done at the legendary Rolex 24 At Daytona, but from second place. Last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, the team kicked of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a 24-hour professional sports car racing endurance event, racing the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. With the support of their hard-working crew in pit lane, drivers John Potter, Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, and Nicki Thiim put in an incredible, almost-perfect performance to finish second in the 24-hour endurance race.

When Magnus Racing with Flex-Box entered the Rolex 24 At Daytona, it was obvious early on the team had a strong Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and an impressive driver lineup to contend for the first win of the 2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. After finishing in second place in 2020 and 2022, the team felt more determination than ever to claim a third victory to go with their 2012 and 2016 wins at the iconic event.

The day before the main WeatherTech race was set to begin, Pumpelly and Potter each competed in Friday’s four-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge race, and both celebrated a podium finish together at the end. Pumpelly fought from the back of the field to second place with team BGB in the GS class. Potter was called up an hour prior to the race to drive the Aston Martin GT4, replacing another driver. With co-driver Jon Branam, the pair took a win in the GS-B category with team TR3, the first of two bronze honors Potter would earn over the weekend.

For Saturday’s Rolex 24, John Potter produced an impressive qualifying effort to set up the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage to start 11th in the 23-car field. His strong pace on the start moved the car up two positions in the GTD class in the 61-car field. His opening stint set the tone for the race, with strong, clean laps to move the car into the top ten before beginning a cycle-through of all four drivers. Five-time Rolex 24 winner Lally was next to get behind the wheel, bringing the car up to fourth place with three hours complete. Aston Martin factory driver Nicki Thiim took over next and climbed to second place with ten hours clocked in, and eventually to the lead before the end of his stint. They raced into the night and past the halfway point, calmy and methodically maintaining position to keep the car in the lead pack.

The team persisted through minimal setbacks to stay near the front of the field. Two pitstops ran longer than normal due to a fueling issue, and the team also received a stop-and-hold penalty for running the red light at the exit of pit lane. Despite the mishaps, Magnus Racing with Flex-Box stayed on the lead lap and continued to reel in the No. 27 Aston Martin and No. 57 Mercedes AMG GT3 cars ahead in first and second place. In the final two hours, the green flag racing was consistently interrupted with full-course cautions, only turning up the intensity leading up to the checker flag. In the end, it all came down to a 30-minute sprint with Thiim piloting the final push for the team. The Danish fan-favorite brought the No. 44 Aston Martin to second place, earning the team their third second-place finish in four years.

The race marked a special occasion for five-time race winner Lally, who on Saturday became the driver with the most consecutive starts, having raced in every Rolex 24 At Daytona since 2003.

Magnus Racing races again in Florida next for the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the second of four endurance events in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The March 15-18 event will include all five classes in the championship, racing for twelve hours on an old army air force base in Sebring, Florida. For event information, visit imsa.com.

DRIVER QUOTES

John Potter

With a second place two years in a row, it feels like always the bridesmaid, rarely the bride. But honestly, after we were running worse than second at various times in the race, it really gave perspective to help us appreciate a second-place results. All the drivers drove great. Nicki brought it home at the end, and a special shout out goes out to Flex-Box for helping us be here to fight for the win.

Andy Lally

This is our third second-place finish in four years, and that is just an amazing testament to how hard this crew works and how thorough and professional they are, and we owe everything to them for their ability to provide us when top-notch equipment that we beat the snot out of for 24 hours. A big thank you goes to Aston Martin for making such a great car and to Flex-Box for partnering with us in this endeavor.

Spencer Pumpelly

It was just another phenomenal run by Magnus Racing with Flex-Box. We got Andy, John, and Nicki. Everyone just did an amazing job in the car. We had a really good car. We were really excited about when the race started and watching the guys bring it through the field and to be a part of it. It was amazing. I have to thank all the guys in the box and the over the wall that really just didn’t miss a beat the entire time. When you come racing with Magnus in the 24 hour, the experience that we have, from drivers to the engineers, to the crew is second to none. I think that’s a lot of reasons why this gets to be an annual event here, hanging out at the podium. I’m going to savor every bit of it. It’s another second-place. We’re starting to collect too many of those and not enough wins. However, I’m not going to let that stop me from spraying champagne in Daytona.

Nicki Thiim

It was not a bad weekend out here in Daytona Beach. Right now, 10 minutes after race, I’m a little bit disappointed to be honest. Second-place was a tough pill to swallow, but for the team, I’m so happy. It was the second year in a row they finished second. So they’re definitely good doing a brilliant job, and I’m happy to be a part of it. We had a really good package for this race. In the end, it was just a few seconds we missed for the win. Maybe next year.

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 29, 2023) – The No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3 team and co-drivers Cooper MacNeil, Jules Gounon, Daniel Juncadella and Maro Engel secured the first IMSA GTD Pro class victory for a Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team in the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend at Daytona International Speedway (DIS).

Engel started the WeatherTech/Proton No. 79 from the GTD Pro pole Saturday afternoon and 24 hours later was back behind the wheel of the white, red and blue Mercedes-AMG GT3 to take the checkered flag just under four seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. The WeatherTech co-drivers combined to lead a class-high 229 race laps over the 24 hours.

The victory was the second in the last three years for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing and Engel in the Rolex 24, but the first in America’s premier twice-around-the-clock race for WeatherTech Racing/Proton, Gounon, Juncadella and – most significantly – MacNeil.

This weekend’s race was MacNeil’s 13th and final attempt at winning the Rolex 24 in what was his last race in IMSA competition. After multiple wins at Petit Le Mans and in the 12 Hours of Sebring, MacNeil steps away having finally completed the victory cycle in IMSA’s three major endurance races.

Engel earned his first Rolex 24 win in 2021 in the GTD class with Winward Racing that, for the majority of this weekend’s race, appeared in a strong position to score another victory. Team drivers Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje and Daniel Morad led a total of 177 race laps and Ellis was at the wheel and locked in a close battle with the other GTD and GTD Pro leaders for the race’s final restart with less than 30 minutes to go.

As the field charged into turn one and the first few corners of the 3.56-mile road course’s fast infield section, Ellis came together with a GTD Pro competitor, and the contact ended what was looking like a storybook finish for the No. 57 team.

The team’s originally entered fourth driver, Lucas Auer, was injured in an incident in Thursday’s opening Rolex 24 practice session. Auer had successful surgery on back injuries sustained in the incident at nearby Halifax Health Medical Center on Friday at the same time the Winward team took delivery of a replacement Mercedes-AMG GT3 chassis, which was trailered overnight to Daytona from the team race shop in Texas.

Morad, who races with Winward in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition, was named to the No. 57’s driver lineup to take over for Auer just the day before the Rolex 24. The car and driver change required the No. 57 to be moved to the back of the starting grid, but opening drivers Ward, Dontje and Morad all steadily moved the No. 57 to the front of the field.

That paved the way for Ellis to take the lead for the first time in the race’s ninth hour. From that point on, Winward battled in the lead pack straight to the end of the race only to be knocked from contention in the latest stages of the race.

The No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 team, and co-drivers Mike Skeen, Mikael Grenier, Kenton Koch and Maximilian Götz, led a GTD class-high 227 race laps, but a potentially race-winning performance came to a crushing end halfway into the 18th hour of the race at sunrise on Sunday.

A front wheel bearing defect sent Grenier from the race lead to the paddock, and the No. 32 team went more than 10 laps down for repairs. The team rejoined the race and soldiered to an eventual 15th place finish.

The No. 75 SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG GT3 inherited the GTD pole after Winward was forced to the back of the starting grid. Team co-drivers Kenny Habul, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Axcil Jefferies were competitive from the start of the race only to be sidelined at 9 p.m. Saturday with radiator damage. The No. 75 was officially retired early Sunday morning.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway, March 16 – 19.

Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing: “What a fantastic race! For our brand, to win the GTD Pro class here for our second Rolex 24 victory is an amazing success. On the other hand, we also have a teary eye because of our other customer teams. Winward Racing put in a fantastic performance to fight their way from the back of the field to the front, only to be taken out of the race by an unfortunate incident in the final hour. Many thanks to all of our customer teams and congratulations to Acura for the overall win. And, of course, I wish Lucas a speedy recovery.”

Cooper MacNeil, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Tears of joy. This has been a long time coming, a lot of hard work, and it’s just amazing to complete the cycle with winning here. It’s lucky number 13 for me and we got the win. I honestly couldn’t be happier. What a day, what a 24-hour race. We were in contention the whole time and we knew we had a fast car. Mercedes-AMG gave us three of the best drivers that they have, if not the best in the world. The best thing is they build a fast and reliable car, because if you don’t have those two you can’t win a race. A hell of a way to end my IMSA career.”

Maro Engel, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Just amazing! Big, big thank you to the whole WeatherTech Racing team and the Proton Competition crew, Mercedes-AMG for giving us an amazing car and my teammates. What an amazing job they did. They did an incredible job. Racing with these guys, they’re the best in the business and we just had an awesome race. I said to them yesterday, I woke up and said ‘I’ve got a feeling we’re going to do this. It’s going to come our way.’ And it did, but boy was it hard. The pace of our car was good, but some cars turned it up at the end and got real fast, and also had good fuel economy. So, it was tough out there and I’m just so happy we could deliver it for everybody. Now it’s time to celebrate!”

Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This is amazing. I think it hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m just in shock. The last three or four hours looked very difficult against the Corvette, they played a very smart strategy. In the pits they were better than us, they were better on fuel, but Maro – the guy woke up yesterday morning and said ‘guys, I want to finish, I’m feeling it.’ And oh yeah, he was feeling it. He did an amazing job. As well as my teammate, Jules, he is such a great driver to have next to me for the full season. Cooper, last year, he was on the back foot and getting to know the car and I think he lost a lap last year. This year he held P4, so that says a lot about his performance. I think he only lost 15 seconds during his stint. It was really unbelievable from a guy who is not racing like us, week in and week out. Congratulations to him and thanks to the whole MacNeil family for putting this together because it’s such an amazing program to be part of.”

Kenton Koch, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It feels good to be a part of something like this. I knew it from the get-go. All the people were in the right place at the right time. The right decisions were made to make this year a good one. As you can see, it was pretty solid. We had a good showing, we led a lot of laps, we were really fast, and we had a good driver line-up, so the team was awesome. It was just some fluke thing that knocked us out, and that’s just how racing is sometimes.”

Maximilian Götz, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had an exciting 24 hours with ups and downs. We showed that we’re fast and all the drivers did a great job. In the end, a lot of things came together. We still had an exciting weekend and will do even better next time. Congratulations to WeatherTech Racing on winning the GTD Pro class.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Hats off to all the crew. It was either win it or this. Those were the two options. We left everything on the table, and it was probably the most incredible race we’ve ever done. We started from the back and made it all the way up to the front and we led for a long time. We came here to give it our all. It was a blast. Philip and Indy and Daniel and I, we drove the wheels off of the car. The crew was fantastic, I just have to give huge credit to everybody. It’s a sad way to end it, but we’ll be back.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Of course, I am disappointed that we couldn’t secure the result for the team and for Lucas that they would have deserved. It was a very difficult with many thrilling duels. Sadly, racing luck left us at the end. Nevertheless, I am more than proud of the entire team and my fellow drivers, everybody has done their utmost. Now, we are looking forward to the next IMSA round at Sebring.”

Pole and pace but a third straight runner up result

JUPITER, Fla. (29 January 2023) – Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) rode a roller coaster of circumstances in the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona, coming from second position to two laps ahead of the entire LMP3 field mid-race, but an electrical issue cost the team the chance to take home the coveted Rolex for the race victory.

In the end, the team showed perseverance and dedication, recovering from a 28-minute trip to the garage to repair a electrical issue in the rear of the car to bring its No. 33 SCM Exelixis/Focal One/Jerich International Ligier JS P320 home in second position. While a visit to the Daytona podium is always welcomed, it was a bit bittersweet as the result marked the third-straight second place finish in the endurance classic for the Florida-based team.

Drivers Lance Willsey, João Barbosa, Nico Pino and Nolan Siegel put impressive numbers through the Rolex 24: the team led the most laps (282 of 737 laps) and set the quickest LMP3 time of the race, when Siegel posted a lap of 1:43.265 in his charge back into the race after the electrical issue.

Pino had placed the No. 33 Ligier on pole last Sunday during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 prologue, with a fast lap of 1:43.197. The team’s level of tenacity saw its first test last Thursday, when an engine malfunction near the end of the second practice session necessitated a complete engine change. But the team rose to the occasion, making a lightning-fast engine change that saw them almost make it out in time for night practice. Since they had not, the team had only the 60-minute Friday morning practice session to make sure all systems were go for the Rolex 24.

Polesitter Pino took the green flag on Saturday and immediately knew he had a car that could win the race. He held off a persistent charge from the No. 74 Ligier – the car the team had finished second to in 2021 and 2022. Pino kept the No. 33 in the top spot through his stint as the field settled in for the long haul. After a solid double stint from Willsey, Barbosa went straight to the front of the field at the four-hour mark before handing back to Willsey. Siegel subsequently took the helm for a double stint, trading the lead back and forth.

As the clock ticked over to Sunday, the drivers continued to pace the No. 33 at the front of the field while managing clutch issues that caused a few tense moments in pit lane. Pino, then Barbosa, then Siegel battled hard through the early hours of the morning and held that top spot – only relinquishing the lead during the mandatory four-minute pit stop for new brakes.

Barbosa headed back on track in the 5 o’clock hour in second position – and proceeded to lay down a master class in chasing down the competition, and then leaving them behind. By the time the sun rose near the end of his double stint, the four-time Rolex winner had not only taken the lead, but had put second-place an incredible two laps down.

Siegel returned to the helm and held that lead until just before 9:00 a.m, when the car ceased shifting. Diagnosing on pit lane then heading to the garage, the crew discovered an electrical in the exhaust system that had damaged the gearbox. Once again affecting repairs with impressive speed, the crew had the car back on track a mere 28 minutes later in third position, keeping up the fight to the finish to score second at the flag.

For team principal Sean Creech, a lifelong Florida resident with a 30-year sports car career, the lost opportunity was especially hard to take – though he was first and foremost proud of the effort from the entire team.

“It’s tough to lose a race like this especially when you know you had the car to win,” said Creech. “It means so much to win Daytona and we’ve had a front row seat to the watch presentation for three years in a row. But the entire team put forth an outstanding effort, both on Thursday and throughout the entire race, so my main emotion is pride. We’ll regroup quickly and head to Sebring – where we won last year.”

All four drivers expressed the same level of disappointment – but also the same level of gratitude for the team’s hard work and dedication through some extremely difficult circumstances.

“It just goes to show how good these guys are, that never quit mentality,” said Barbosa. “The car was working really well, the team was doing a really good job, nobody was making mistakes and everything felt really good – until we had problem. But that’s the way that it is. Racing is hard but they did a tremendous job and they should be very proud. There is nothing they could do about what happened, it’s just one of those things. We finished second for the third time but this is a tough one, since we had the pace and led most of the race. We were pretty dominant but unfortunately it didn’t work out. It’s a tough one to swallow.”

“A decade ago, I would’ve been thrilled with a second place finish but at this point, I will admit that it’s pretty hard to take,” said Willsey. “Every driver performed flawlessly. For me, it’s a testament to the car that the team put under me. I knew the pace I needed to have for us to be there in the end and I knew first and foremost that I needed to not put a mark on the car despite there being 61 other cars on track, and a lot of chaos. For João, Nico and Nolan, it’s pretty clear what those guys did – and also what the team did to support them behind the scenes, to give us a car that we could take to the front and stay there. A freak thing put us behind the wall and any shot of a victory ended there but the point is, just like we had to do a hot motor change three nights ago, the team rose to the occasion, got the car back on track, came out P3, finished P2.”

“This was one of the races that you try to find an explanation as to what happened or why we didn’t win and there is no way,” said Pino. “We did everything we could and were perfectly efficient. There were times we were extremely fast. It was my first time on pole here in the 24 and also my first time on the podium so it’s a special one. Of course, it’s bittersweet being P2, knowing that we had the pace to win. All the guys did all you could ask for. The next time, it will come.”

“We led a lot of the race and everything was going really smoothly until we had a gearbox issue,” said Siegel. “I think we deserved a win today and for sure had the car and the driver lineup to do it, so it’s definitely a disappointment to not come away with a win. For sure, there is a lot of pressure when you get in the car in the lead and have to keep it there, but it’s a lot of fun when you’re in contention for the lead. It’s a bummer, what happened, but I think everyone should be proud of the job they did. It’s a great group of people and it was a pleasure to get to know them all and drive for them. I’ve learned a lot from them all this weekend. It’s been great getting to know them and I hope we get another chance to do this in the future.”

Next up for Sean Creech Motorsport will be the second of two home state events, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring March 11-18.

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 2023 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

About Exelixis
Founded in 1994, Exelixis, Inc. is a commercially successful, oncology-focused biotechnology company that strives to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of new medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers. https://www.exelixis.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/

About Jerich International
Jerich International is a family-owned global group of companies that offers large-scale trade and industry customers a holistic logistics approach to freight forwarding through global supply chain management. The company makes use of tailor made concepts, extensive know how and immeasurable experience to set industry-leading practices in logistics. https://www.jerich.com/

SCM thanks partners Exelixis, Focal One and Jerich International for their continued support.