Category: IMSA

Brownsburg, Ind. (Sept. 27, 2022) — The stage is set for a dramatic 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title decider, with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team leading their sister Acura car by just 19 points entering the 25th Anniversary MOTUL Petit Le Mans race weekend. It’s a race-winner-take-all scenario between two Acuras and a fitting sendoff for the DPi era in IMSA.

Full-season teammates and championship leaders Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque are joined by world class endurance racer Brendon Hartley, completing the team’s driver lineup for the 10-hour day-to-night battle around the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Braselton, Georgia road course.

Winner of the inaugural race in 1998, team owner Wayne Taylor and his co-drivers, Eric van de Poele and Emmanuel Collard, will be honored as Grand Marshals for the anniversary event. Wayne Taylor will be chasing his fifth win as a driver/team owner at the storied track.

Two-time IMSA champion and past Petit winner, Ricky Taylor, is anticipating a close contest.

“We’ve had a couple of seasons now where the championship has come down to a winner-take-all final race,” said Ricky Taylor. “Our approach is to go win the race as we always plan to, that way it doesn’t matter what the others do. The team has done a wonderful job all year. Filipe, Brendon and I are extremely motivated to finish the season off with a victory.”

Chasing his first overall IMSA title, Filipe Albuquerque is ready for the task at hand.

“It’s going to be a special race for a number of reasons,” said Albuquerque. “It’s going to be the end of the DPi era—a platform that was so successful for IMSA – and it leads into new regulations with GTP. It’s going to be interesting and nostalgic for that reason. We are leading the championship by 19 points so qualifying is going to be very important. The way the points work out, if we can qualify ahead of the No. 60 car, we can actually finish behind them in the race if they are not winning. There are a lot of mathematical permutations, but the car is strong there with race pace. It’s going to be fight between the two Acuras and a hell of a race.”

Brendon Hartley, winner of Le Mans this year and winner of Petit in the past, is looking to add another Petit Le Mans win to his resume.

“I’m very excited to meet the team and be back at Petit Le Mans. Ricky, Filipe and the engineers have already been providing me with notes and info to help me get up to speed as quickly as possible. I’m very aware that I am being thrown into a championship fight and am motivated to do the best job I can for the team. I have raced at Road Atlanta a few times in the past and love the challenges the circuit brings.”

2022 Petit Le Mans Grand Marshal, three-time winner as a team owner and winner as a driver, Wayne Taylor, is focused on the championship fight while appreciating the special nature of the event.

“I’m honored to be Grand Marshal,” said Wayne Taylor. “It’s something I never would have expected. I wish Eric and Emmanuel could be here, but they sent messages and regards. It’s like Dan Gurney once said to me when we were racing the original GTP cars together—he told me to never look back, always look forward and that’s the way I’ve been. But now I can look back in a very happy way. If I put my team owner hat on, I don’t think about the fact I’ve driven the race, but if I put my racing driver helmet on, it’s like it was yesterday.

“It’s such a big event and a win-or-lose situation. It’s great to be leading the championship, but we haven’t clinched it yet. Nobody besides us and the No. 60 can win. The team are working hard, the car looks really good, and we had a productive test at Road Atlanta the other day. I’m looking forward to being on track. You never know. The nighttime at Petit Le Mans is tough with tons of traffic, but one thing I am confident about is that I have a fantastic team. Our driver lineup with Ricky, Filipe and Brendon, who just won Le Mans from pole and won in Fuji a matter of days ago, is coming in with momentum. They’re all in the simulator now and there’s no stone unturned heading into the championship decider.”

Practice for the final race of the season starts at 9:50 a.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 29th. Green flag for the 25th Anniversary of MOTUL Petit Le Mans waves at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 1 with full 10-hour coverage streaming on Peacock, and partial television coverage on NBC from 12:00-3:00 p.m. ET. The night stints will be covered on USA Network between 7:00-10:30 p.m. ET. Follow Wayne Taylor Racing’s official social channels for updates throughout.
ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. 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 recently 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 fourteen consecutive years, and 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. 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-05 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports, Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

BRASELTON, GA (26 Sept. 2022) – Rebel Rock Racing is looking for a strong finish to the 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season by making a charge for the podium in Friday’s Fox Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Frank DePew and Robin Liddell will return to the No. 71 Urban Grid Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R for Friday’s two-hour race, which will be streamed live on Peacock.

“We’re looking to close out the season on a bit of a high,” Liddell said. “I think our Camaro will perform quite well there. I’m not one to make rash predictions, but I think we can do reasonably well there.”

“I love the track, and we’ve generally been fairly strong there, and have had good results at Road Atlanta,” DePew said. “It’s an interesting track, with a lot of overtaking opportunities – and places where you can be overtaken. Hopefully, we’ll perform well this weekend.”

The team enters the finale seventh in the Grand Sport standings in a season highlighted by a victory at Lime Rock Park, preceded by back-to-back fourth-place finishes at Watkins Glen International and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

“Road Atlanta is a driver’s circuit,” Liddell said. “It’s tricky in some spots, and it can be difficult to have an incident-free race there. But if we can have an incident-free race, the car’s speed is strong and I think we can get a good result.”

Rebel Rock has been a podium contender the past three years at Road Atlanta, winning a four-hour race in 2020 but hurt by bad racing luck in the other events. Last year, contact with a TCR car sent the Camaro spinning into a gravel trap. The team lost two laps due to the incident, but ran strong the remainder of the event to finish 15th.

“I’m looking forward to Road Atlanta,” said DePew. “For me, a critical part of running good laps at Road Atlanta is getting a good run out of the right-hand corner coming out of the back straight. That’s a super-important corner for us, because we don’t have a lot of grunt, so we’re going to have to pick up the power a lot earlier than the other cars.”

Rebel Rock Racing took third during the 2020 Petit Le Mans weekend, missing out on the victory by less than a second. In 2019, a pit lane penalty cost the team a potential podium finish. Undeterred, Liddell charged back to run eighth – only to run out of fuel on the final lap.

“We’ve won the four hours there with this car, and I think the car will be quite strong there this weekend,” Liddell said. “We had a good run at VIR in our last race, despite obvious issues, but the team did a great job getting the car rebuilt and getting it back out was a great effort.”

Liddell won at Road Atlanta in 2012 to finish second in the Grand-Am Rolex Series GT championship in a Camaro GT.R. He finished second there in 2015 driving a Camaro Z/28.R to wrap up the title in what is now the Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Friday’s Fox Factory 120 will take the green flag at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Additional updates via:

http://rebelrockracing.co
https://twitter.com/rebelrockracing
https://www.instagram.com/rebelrockracing/

Closing out first full-season IMSA WeatherTech Campaign

Braselton, GA (26 September 2022) – Jr III ( “Junior-Three”) Racing will head just three hours south to Braselton, Georgia, for the IMSA season finale this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The 25th annual Motul Petit Le Mans event weekend will not only feature Saturday’s 10-hour race (12:00pm ET, NBC), but it will also see the final event of the IMSA Prototype Challenge (IPC) season (Friday, 8:00am ET, Peacock TV). Jr III will look to be a factor in both series events as the Charlotte-based team has three entries fully prepared for the traditional season-ending IMSA weekend.

Jr III Racing will field the No. 30 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as well as the No. 3 and No. 30 LMP3 Ligier JS P320s for Friday morning’s IPC finale.

The event marks the close of the growing team’s first full-season competing at the IMSA WeatherTech level, having first made an IMSA entry and scoring the Bronze Cup in the 2019 IPC finale. The team, which also maintains an active racing program in vintage competition for a range of clients, has continued to build from that promising first IMSA start. The return to Road Atlanta is the second outing for the team in the 10 hour Petit Le Mans, having raced to second place in its debut outing in the 2021 edition of the race.

The No. 30 Airbnb WeatherTech entry will be driven by team regulars Ari Balogh and Garett Grist, with young Nolan Siegel returning to the driver roster for the 10 hour enduro. Siegel, who joined the team for the six-hour event at Watkins Glen International, recently made his Indy Lights debut closing out a promising rookie effort in Indy Pro 2000, where he finished fourth in point standings which include wins in St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park.

“I am really excited to be back with the team for Petit,” said Siegel. “I think that we all worked really well together at Watkins Glen and we’ve made a lot of progress through the tests that we’ve done together. It will be my first time running this race, but I think that we will have a fast car and a good shot at a strong result!”

The Jr III Racing WeatherTech entry has earned three podium finishes this season, including an impressive run to the podium in the team’s first foray in the grueling Sebring 12 Hour in March. Heading into the finale, the team sits third in the point standings and will look to move up the championship with a return to the IMSA podium on Saturday night.

“The team is excited to get to work at Petit,” said Grist. “We’ve had three test days at the track and feel like we have a great car. Now it’s just a matter of putting finishing touches on it. I have a good feeling going into the weekend; we had success here last year in our WeatherTech debut and have a chance at the championship this year.”

It will be a busy string of days for the Billy Glavin-led squad, with IPC practice kicking off the action on Wednesday morning with practice ahead of Thursday’s qualifying and the race on Friday morning.

Behind the wheel of No. 30 Jr III IPC entry will be Ari Balogh and Siegel, pulling double duty for both WeatherTech and IPC. Courtney Crone and Terry Olson will once again share the driving duties onboard the No. 3 Jr III Racing entry.

“Over the last couple weeks, Terry and I were able to test at Road Atlanta,” said Crone. “I’m feeling comfortable going into the season finale, we made some new changes to the car and everything has been super positive. I love this track, it’s one of my top five favorites. I’m ready to get back at it! I think we will end the season on a high note.”

“Courtney and I tested well over our three days testing at Road Atlanta,” said Olson. “We have high confidence going into the finale. Let’s go!”

The final round of IPC will see the green flag Friday, September 30th at 8:00am ET with live coverage on Peacock. Saturday’s IMSA WeatherTech Motul Petit Le Mans will begin at noon ET, broadcasting on NBC until 3 pm ET; the full 10-hour race will be live on Peacock.

Jr III Racing at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta:

Jr III first debuted in IPC at Michelin Raceway in 2019 with Kris Wilson behind the wheel. The veteran driver brought home his second Bronze Cup award in his second start in IPC. The team returned in 2020 with Eric and Greg Palmer behind the wheel. In 2021, they entered the IPC competition with two entries. The No. 3 with Terry Olson and Mike Skeen earned a podium finish. The team scored an impressive second place result in the 2021 Motul Petit Le Mans with drivers Ari Balough, Spencer Pigot, and Garret Grist.

Most recently, both IPC Ligiers competed at Virginia International Raceway last month, bringing home a top-five finish.

SEBRING, Fla., (September 26, 2022) – The penultimate event of the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS kept competitors and race fans guessing all weekend long, but the consistency of Wright Motorsports never faltered. With a third-place finish and a win in the pair of races by driver pairing Jan Heyelen and Charlie Luck, the team momentarily lost the championship points lead, but gained it back as the weekend came to a close. The Ohio-based team will take the final battle for the Pro/Am class title to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in two weeks’ time for the Indy 8 Hour.

“Our guys really faced the heat on and off track this weekend and proved what they can do,” said Team Owner John Wright. “The competition in the Pro/Am class was incredibly exciting this weekend, and we continued to just do the best we can and place ourselves in the right place at the right time. Charlie drove a heck of a race on Sunday, even holding off the pros as he drove towards the win. Great job by all, and we’ll take it to Indy for the final fight.”

Charlie Luck showed his skills in qualifying, setting a fastest lap time to set the team up to start from second place in race one. A class change for the pole-sitting car brought the No. 45 Wright Porsche up to the pole position, and Luck led the field to green on Saturday afternoon. A crash by a competitor on the start brought out a yellow flag, and Luck battled with Ashton Harrison in the No. 93 Acura on the restart. After a side-by-side battle through the opening turns, Harrison took the position, but Luck stayed close. The notorious bumps took another victim as Luck battled for position, and he spun. Luck and the Porsche masterfully recovered, rejoining in third place. He pitted during the mandatory window, and another flawless pitstop from the Wright crew brought Heylen out in third place. With 47 minutes remaining on the race clock, Heylen joined the race, over five seconds behind the second-place car, separate by an Am-class car. He passed the Am car with 23 minutes remaining, intently focused on closing the gap to the second place entry and championship points contender, Colin Braun in the No. 04 Mercedes AMG. He caught up to Braun as the Mercedes battled with the race-leading Acura of Mario Farnbacher, and the trio engaged in a three-wide battle for the lead in the final lap. In the end, Wright finished third, unofficially sliding down to third in the championship points.

Determined to reclaim the lead in the championship points, the Wright Motorsports effort entered Sunday’s race day focused and with the intent to execute perfectly. Set to start the second race from seventh overall and fourth in class, Heylen gained a position on the pace lap when the points-leading Acura of Ashton Harrison pitted with mechanical issues, immediately removing the entry from competing for the win. Heylen continued in third, chasing the No. 08 Mercedes of Bryan Sellers. He made the pass in Turn 17 at the 30-minute mark, charging forward. He pitted in second place, and Charlie Luck took over for the second and final stint of the race, being led by the No. 13 of Justin Wetherhill. Over 5.5 seconds separated Luck from the class leader but Luck’s determination and skill through the turns of the 3.741-mile course allowed him to make steady gains to close the gap. Meanwhile, Manny Franco, racing the Pro-class No. 34 car put heavy pressure on Luck. With six laps to go, Luck found himself fighting for the class lead, with two Pro-class cars separating him from the third-place car of George Kurtz. As the field swept through turns three, four, and five, Luck pulled a masterful pass on the inside of the Ferrari of Wetherhill, taking the class lead. He charged forward, celebrating victory at the finish line. The team’s fourth win, combined with the previous day’s podium, moves the team back up to the championship points lead in the Pro/Am Class.

The final fight for the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS title, which Wright Motorsports won in 2021, will come down to the Indianapolis 8 Hour on Saturday, September 8. Running in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Indianapolis weekend will differ from the usual pair of 90-minute races. The eight-hour-long endurance event will be the sole race for the GT America competitors, awarding double points to the top-ten entrants. The race will air live Saturday, September 8, at 12:00 PM ET on Youtube.com/GTWorld.

Charlie Luck // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

Jan did a hell of a job yesterday. He came from nine seconds back from P3 position to right at P3. He was mega yesterday, I was not good. I had an accident, spun, and recovered, fortunately. Today was everything I had and everything the crew had. We did some super setup changes, and it was the drive of my life.

Jan Heylen // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

What a race! Bryan Sellers is always fun to race with. It was a fun move going for first position there and it was just an awesome stint by Charlie with all that pressure from behind. This was the best I’ve seen him drive, so I’m really happy with the result. It was a good points weekend for the championship and I’m very excited to go to Indy now.

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.

With manufacturer-leading 27 wins in the six seasons, it’s been a productive ride

DETROIT (Sept. 22, 2022) – While five Cadillac DPi-V.R entries will contest the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta to close one era of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Cadillac Racing is simultaneously preparing for the next level of competition in 2023.

The Daytona Prototype International (DPi) race cars will be replaced by a joint IMSA-Automobile Club de l’Quest (ACO) car known as Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) for the nine-race IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) schedule. LMDh cars will also be able to compete in the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Starting with the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona in late January, Cadillac Racing will enter two full-season Cadillac V-LMDh cars in the GTP class. Additionally, the Cadillac V-LMDh will compete in the WEC.

The 2023 hybrid race car and global competition are new. The passion, resolve and dedication of every Cadillac engineer, team member and driver to defining new performance standards are inherent.

A productive ride

For Cadillac Racing, which has been immersed in the DPi program since IMSA announced base regulations in 2015, it’s been an exciting and productive ride.

The Cadillac DPi-V.R has recorded 27 victories – tops among all manufacturers – and 80 podium finishes in 58 races heading into the final event of the season Oct. 1.

From chassis design in early 2015 through final testing in January 2017, hundreds of General Motors associates, GM partners and suppliers have contributed to the program that has realized on-track success and developed technology transferred to award-winning Cadillac V-Series street cars.

“The Cadillac DPi-V.R has proven itself as the most successful race car of its generation,” said Rory Harvey, Vice President Global Cadillac. “With the expansion of Cadillac Racing into the World Endurance Championship, we are excited to continue that success in North America as well as some of the most iconic tracks in the world.”

Quick out of the gate

Cadillac Racing took the inaugural season of the modern IMSA prototype era by storm in 2017, winning seven races with seven pole positions and claiming every championship trophy. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon teamed with Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli in a Cadillac DPi-V.R to win the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.

In 2018, Cadillac followed with four wins, three pole positions and again earning every championship trophy. In 2019, Cadillac won its third Rolex 24 At Daytona in as many years and secured the IMSA DPi Endurance Cup and Endurance Driver Championship on the strength of four wins. In 2020, Cadillac recorded three victories and again won the Endurance Driver Championship. In 2021, Cadillac drivers posted five wins and claimed the Manufacturer Championship, Driver Championship and Team Championship.

Said seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, who will co-drive the No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R in the season finale: “In one of these DPi Cadillacs, the pace and effort you have to drive around that racetrack is quite impressive, especially comparing it to my days in NASCAR. Some of the braking zones, the Bus Stop and the Carousel, it’s just mind-blowing how fast these cars can travel through those tight little areas.”

Fastest prototype in the world

This season, Cadillac Racing has recorded four victories – including podium sweeps at Sebring and Long Beach — and four record-setting pole starts ahead of the Petit Le Mans.

“I think it’s been an amazing time with the Cadillac DPi. It’s one of those cars that everybody in Europe says how beautiful it is, how fast it looks and it makes me proud to show pictures of it to people who don’t know motorsports,” said Renger van der Zande, who has three victories this season as co-driver of the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R and eight overall since 2018 in a Cadillac DPi-V.R.

“To be going into that last race is something special. Every in-lap after the race I felt I had to enjoy the last dance around the track with this car because I’ve been driving it since 2018. It’s the fastest prototype in the world at the moment and it does feel like it, especially at Road Atlanta.”

Added reigning IMSA champion Pipo Derani, co-driver of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R who has six total wins in a Cadillac DPi-V.R since 2019: “The DPi era has been a fantastic regulation to be a part of as a driver because you get the luxury often to drive the perfect car. The cars most likely will be the ones that we’ll look back on in a few years as one of the quickest cars we’ve ever driven. For me, a fantastic time in my career when I achieved so much. Great time and looking forward to the future with Cadillac.”

Passion pushed Cadillac into motorsports in 2004 and it has continued through the DPi years. With the dawn of a new era of sports car racing, passion will continue to drive Cadillac Racing to new heights.

Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R by the numbers

Wins: 27

Manufacturer Championships: 3 (2021, 2018, 2017)

Driver Championships: 3 (2021, 2018, 2017)

Team Championships: 3 (2021, 2018, 2017)

Manufacturer Endurance Championships: 4 (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017)

Endurance Driver Championships: 4 (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017)

Endurance Team Championships: 2 (2018, 2017)

Cadillac DPi-V.R victories by racetrack with winning drivers

Sebring (Twelve Hours of Sebring):

2022 (Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Neel Jani)

2021 (Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastien Bourdais)

2020 (Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr)

2019 (Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran)

2017 (Alex Lynn, Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor)

Long Beach:

2022 (Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais)

2021 (Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr)

2019 (Joao Barbosa, Filipe Albuquerque)

2018 (Joao Barbosa, Filipe Albuquerque)

2017 (Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor)

Daytona (Rolex 24 At Daytona):

2020 (Renger van der Zande, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Kamui Kobayashi)

2019 (Renger van der Zande, Fernando Alonso; Jordan Taylor, Kamui Kobayashi);

2018 (Christian Fittipaldi, Filipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa)

2017 (Jeff Gordon, Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Max Angelelli)

Belle Isle:

2022 (Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais)

2021 (Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen)

2018 (Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran)

2017 (Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor)

Road Atlanta (Petit Le Mans):

2020 (Renger van der Zande, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon)

2019 (Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran)

2018 (Renger van der Zande, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Jordan Taylor)

Canadian Tire Motorsports Park:

2022 (Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais)

2017 (Dane Cameron, Eric Curran)

Watkins Glen:

2021 (Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr)

2017 (Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi, Filipe Albuquerque)

Road America:

2021 (Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr)

Circuit of the Americas:

2017 (Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor)

About Cadillac
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

CADILLAC RACING 2023 GTP DRIVERS: ZOOM TRANSCRIPT

Cadillac Racing announced Sept. 20 its driver roster for the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season — the first for the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. Reigning IMSA DPi champion Pipo Derani will co-drive an Action Express Racing-prepared Cadillac V-LMDh car with Alexander Sims, while Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande return as co-drivers of a Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared Cadillac V-LMDh.

Sims and Derani met with the media Sept. 20 via Zoom conference. Full transcript (by driver):

ALEXANDER SIMS

YOU’VE HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH GM ON THE CORVETTE SIDE. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH THE CADILLAC V-LMDH?

“I’m super-excited about this opportunity. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind situation since Le Mans, which ended in disappointment when things were going the right way for us with Corvette. Speaking to (GM sports car racing program manager) Laura (Wontrop Klauser) after the race about how things went and she put us in touch with Action Express and conversations went pretty positive from the start. I was able to get over to Atlanta to do a test with Pipo and the team. It was a short day in the DPi car, but it was a wonderful thing to drive. Everything went well thankfully, and we were able to agree to things for next year, which is an absolute dream come true from my point of view. I’m really looking forward to the challenge. I’m joining an incredibly experienced group of people at Action Express – a group of engineers and Pipo who have had success in the past – and hopefully I can learn quickly from them and slot in and do a decent job.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PUTTING YOUR SOLE FOCUS ON SPORTS CAR RACING AFTER DOING FORMULA E?

“I’m really looking forward to it. I don’t think I shied away from the fact that Formula E has been an interesting time for me, but ultimately concluded that it’s not the championship that fits with me in a sporting sense. I couldn’t get my head around it and ultimately didn’t want to be there anymore and wanted to get back to IMSA racing. To be in this position to basically get exactly what I wanted and be racing in the top class for the first time is genuinely a dram come true. I loved the two years that I did in IMSA – the most enjoyable form of racing that I’ve done. The rules format tends to keep you in the races if you’re struggling, if you’ve had issues there are so many times where you can get back in the race after a hiccup. And even if you’re in a strong position and you’re fast, it’s unlikely that you’re ever just going to sail away for two hours ahead of the field. There’s always going to be safety cars, there’s always going to be close racing to keep you on your toes.”

ARE YOU NOW EXCLUSIVE TO GM OR DO YOU STILL HAVE A DEAL WITH BMW?

“That’s yet to be fully decided, but my absolute main focus is going to be IMSA with Cadillac.”

WERE YOU PURSUING THIS AS YOUR PRIMARY FOCUS?

“This has been my sole focus, honestly. This year and last year that I raced with Corvette was a great introduction to the GM Racing program. All the people on it were a joy to work with. Obviously, the teams are different but the people at the top are the same and to be able to continue working with them is my goal.”

WAS MAKING THE MOVE TO THE TOP LEVEL A PRIORITY FOR YOU?

“Honestly, it wasn’t the main priority when deciding to leave Formula E. The priority was to get back to racing that I enjoyed, which was racing in IMSA. If that were in GT or prototypes, the same fulfillment in that criteria would have been there. When prototypes were discussed, the opportunity for a race driver is pretty exciting to run in the top class of any championship. It’s been a while since I’ve driven a prototype. I drove LMP2 in ALMS and a few WEC races quite a few years ago. The more higher downforce driving is something that’s not too far away from my current situation, but obviously driving in Formula E is somewhat different. To get back to higher downforce, fast racing where you’re generally always going to be the leader in terms of speed of class, not having to look into your mirrors always – which is a little bit of a challenge in a GT car – is going to be nice and focus forward. I’m going to need that focus because things come up pretty fast in these cars; they’re super quick. It’s a bit of an adjustment period in these test days we’ve got, but that’s the reason why we’ve got them and I’ll get up to speed for the first race.”

ARE THERE SOME THING YOU LEARNED IN FORMULA E THAT MIGHT BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE LMDH CAR?

“In terms of not getting my head around it, it’s just in terms of being able to achieve top performance consistently. With four years in Formula E with two different manufacturers, I’ve gone through quite an extensive development process with both of them. Understood quite a few things about the systems that are used in Formula E, which probably gives me just a decent technical base knowledge. I’m under no illusions that LMDh GTP racing is not Formula E. Hybrid systems have some similarities to a full electric drive, but there’s not the same as well. They have their own set of challenges. I’m not coming into this that I know all and can teach people how to do their jobs. I guess it just helps when some engineers are having discussions about various systems and the way some things work, I guess I have a bit of a head start and might the basics of how things are working. There are a lot of challenges. You don’t stop learning. So far, it’s proven useful at times to have some knowledge of electric drive systems.”

HOW HAS PIPO HELPED YOU DURING TESTING?

“It’s one of those things where you’re never quite sure until you start driving, and I tend to have a bit of self-doubt sometimes. Although I raced at a decent level ion F3 some years back, driven GTs and Formula E, I was thinking I hope this comes back to me quickly. Thankfully, it all did. It’s not like I’m a sorted, polished driver in every aspect in high downforce racing just yet but the basics are coming back. Pipo has been really helpful in being able to ask and giving honest answers about some of the challenges and whatever hurdle I’m facing during testing. It generally tends to be small things, but it’s small things that we have to focus on to optimize our performance to be right at the front which is what we want to do.”

ANY MEMORABLE COMPETITIVE RACES AGAINST EACH OTHER IN F3?

“I couldn’t believe when we looked back at the Vallelunga race that I couldn’t remember racing (Derani). We must not have been together on track. But I do remember Macua, following (Derani) for far too many laps not being able to pass. That was quite frustrating.”

PIPO DERANI

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO WELCOME ALEX TO THE TEAM AND GET GOING WITH THE CADILLAC V-LMDH?

“Alex has been a guy that I raced against in Formula 3, so we’ve known each other for a little while. Lots of respect, so whenever his name showed up and when he tested it definitely was a no-brainer. Whenever the team asked what I thought about him, I said, ‘Yeah, go for it. He’s very good.’ I think he’s going to help us a lot over the development of the new car with his electric and hybrid experience. That’s a plus as well, having Alex come on board with so much experience. We’ve started testing already the new car and it’s great to see you can develop basically from scratch and put your input into every single detail of what’s going to possibly be the most exciting time in endurance racing over the next few years. Looking forward to it. We have one more race with the DPi, so I’m going to be looking to enjoy. It’s a car that has had so much success. It’s a car that has given me one Sebring win, one Petit, an overall championship and an endurance championship, so it was a great time in my career to have had the chance to drive the Cadillac DPi-V.R. Trying to enjoy the last race at Petit, which is a very special race and nice track to be at for a farewell drive – if I can put it like that. Trying to enjoy that moment and very much looking forward to what the future brings. Me and Alex have had a little experience already driving and going testing with the new car and so far whatever we share has been very positive. And it’s good we can get to do that in a non-pressure environment and get to learn each other, what we want from each other and what we can improve on to become a strong pairing of drivers for the Action Express Cadillac GTP program next year.”

HOW ARE YOU ADJUSTING TO THE VARIETY OF CO-DRIVERS?

“I think it’s going to be great to have Alex onboard. Over the last three years before the beginning of this year it was pretty straightforward with Felipe (Nasr). We developed a relationship form the very beginning testing and even before the season of 2019 started. That relationship as a racing partner just evolved over the three years, and it got to the point where it was very good. I think once you start that relationship from the very beginning, it’s easy to develop and improve as a pair for the better result. It’s definitely much harder to do that in the middle of the season like I had to do this year. It’s not ideal. Looking to the future now with Alex joining us and be able to be involved in the development and testing from the beginning like we have already, it’s just going to help. By the time we get to Daytona, I’m sure it’s going to be smooth, and we’ll be thinking only about performance. At the moment, I think it’s been going very well and we’re already into that phase of our relationship. His driving style is in a way similar to mine, which is a help. We seem to get more or less the same things from the car to go quick and it’s been quite a pleasure to be sharing and learning from him as well things he’s going to bring on to the program from experiences he’s had from other series. And I’m sure from his side as well getting a little updated to the high downforce cars, which I’ve been driving over the last four years. So, I think it’s a plus and plus that we can use from each other and be strong from the very beginning of next season. I’m looking forward to that. Whatever happened over the course of 2022 was not ideal. But, nevertheless, in difficult moments I was always focused on trying to do the best I could for the team, and I believe I was able to do that. Now looking forward to the future.”

HOW CAN YOU HELP OR DOES ALEX NEED TO BE BROUGHT ALONG MORE QUICKLY IN GETTING UP TO SPEED WITH THE PROTOTYPES?

“I think it’s more fine tuning. He’s been driving Formula E, which doesn’t have as much downforce. He was brought up racing Formula 3 in Europe, where it’s a very high downforce car and the driving style is very similar to the DPi and the new Cadillac V-LMDh GTP car. Really, the first test he was asking a couple of things. But you can see that the guy who’s had the formation he’s had in his early days definitely pays dividends whenever he jumps into a high downforce car. It’s almost like riding a bicycle. It took him just a couple of laps and he was up there already. I think he wanted to ask me a few questions just to make me feel important. He’s been doing great. He’s got it pretty much sorted.”

ANY MEMORABLE COMPETITIVE RACES AGAINST EACH OTHER IN F3?

“There’s a funny story we were discussing. 2013 wasn’t an easy year for my team, but I was telling Alex that I had a strong weekend at Vallelunga in Italy. Actually, that was the strongest weekend I had all year. We had three races per weekend back then and I had two podiums and started on the front row over a 32-car grid or something. He said, ‘No way, that was my strongest weekend as well.’ We checked and found pictures of us sharing the podium twice on that same weekend. And in Macau, where I think we finished one after another in 2013. It’s good pictures to have.”

About Cadillac
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Experience, continuity mark roster for two Cadillac V-LMDh cars in new prototype class

DETROIT (Sept. 20, 2022) – Four drivers with a passion for victory will seek to continue Cadillac’s rich heritage of winning on the racetrack in an exciting new era of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype racing.

Competing in the nine-race Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) schedule for 2023 in the all-new Cadillac V-LMDh race car:

Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais, who have co-driven the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R to three victories this season in the top level of IMSA competition, will continue as teammates in a Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared Cadillac V-LMDh.

Reigning IMSA DPi Driver Champion Pipo Derani will be paired with multi-faceted British driver Alexander Sims in the sister Cadillac V-LMDh prepared by Action Express Racing.

Additional drivers for the two Cadillac Racing GTP entries for long-distance races on the 2023 IMSA schedule, which begins with the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29, will be announced later.

Cadillac will also compete in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2023 as the sole U.S.-based manufacturer. Drivers of the Cadillac V-LMDh entry will be announced later for the schedule that includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The WEC season begins March 17 with the 1,000 Miles of Sebring in Florida.

“The new GTP class is set to create some of the most exciting competition in decades,” said Rory Harvey, Vice President Global Cadillac. “We look forward to seeing our world-class driver lineup in the Cadillac V-LMDh and we welcome Alexander Sims to Cadillac.”

Codeveloped by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis manufacturer Dallara, the Cadillac V-LMDh race car features an all-new Cadillac 5.5-liter DOHC V-8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan, which is mated to the LMDh spec energy recovery system to serve as Cadillac’s first hybrid prototype.

Sims, 34, from London, will make his IMSA prototype racing debut at Daytona International Speedway in the Cadillac V-LMDh but already is a member of the GM family.

Sims was the third driver in a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R entry in 2021 for the Rolex 24 At Daytona — finishing second in the GTLM class to the sister Corvette — the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the season-ending Petit Le Mans. He recorded the fastest race laps in class at Le Mans and the Petit Le Mans.

He rejoined the No. 64 Corvette team in June at Le Mans, where the entry earned the pole in the GTE Pro class. Sims recorded five victories and nine podium finishes in 25 IMSA GTLM races in 2017-18.

“I’m excited to be racing back in IMSA full time and to be driving the Cadillac V-LMDh. It’s an impressive piece of kit. I had a good couple of years with Corvette doing some GT racing, which brought me back to the IMSA paddock,” said Sims, who competed against Derani in Formula 3. “It’s racing that I absolutely adore. The format of the racing, the competitiveness, the tracks that we go to are brilliant.

“To be stepping across within the GM family to Cadillac in the top tier of racing with Action Express, which is a championship-winning team, is exciting for me.”

Derani, who clinched the 2021 driver title on the final laps of the Petit Le Mans, has posted six wins in the Cadillac DPi-V.R since joining Action Express Racing for the 2019 season. Overall, Derani has made 59 starts in IMSA prototype competition since 2016.

“As a driver, it’s a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a program of the future of endurance racing. To join Cadillac as a factory driver is a dream come true,” Derani said.

Sims and Derani recently participated in development sessions of the Cadillac V-LMDh at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen International.

Van der Zande has registered eight IMSA victories in a Cadillac DPi-V.R since 2018 and is completing his first season sharing the seat with Bourdais.

Bourdais, the four-time INDYCAR champion, has four wins in a Cadillac DPi-V.R, including the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2021 with JDC-Miller Motorsports. Bourdais has driven to four pole starts this season in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R.

“The development has started on the new car and we’re trying to take it to as many places as possible and I’ve been I’ve been a part of that since the beginning,” Bourdais said. “It’s something I very much enjoy, developing a new car, it’s a bit like a new baby. You kind of put your mark on it and give your feedback and dream to develop it in a way where you feel one with the car. We have a very strong base and Cadillac and Dallara have done a great job. It’s a very exciting program and a very exciting new era for endurance racing.”

Five Cadillac DPi-V.R entries – including cars driven by Bourdais, van der Zande and Derani — will seek to win the Oct. 1 Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta to conclude the DPi era.

The Cadillac DPi-V.R has recorded 27 victories – tops among all manufacturers – in the six seasons covering 58 races heading into the final event of the season.

What they’re saying

Renger van der Zande: “I’m really excited to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac where I’ve been driving since 2018. These are the brands I’ve been with for a long time and it’s where I feel very comfortable because we have the same goals and mentality of how to approach racing and how to win.

“I’m thrilled to stay with Seb. We had a full season together and we complement each other very well on and off track in terms of cooperation so that’s something where it’s a very automatic and a pleasure to continue working with him.

“It’s a new era coming up with Cadillac’s V-LMDh where we’re taking on big fights against other manufacturers who have been at it for a long time and competing in Le Mans each year. We’re trying to go in there and win it with an all-new car and technologies. It’s an amazing project to be part of from the beginning. Everybody is super motivated to develop the car, work on the systems, work on the team, get the right people in place because it’s a bit of a bigger project than the DPI was and there’s a lot more to it with everything being new. There’s a lot to figure out but it’s really cool to see the energy within the team to move forward and we’re part of history here.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “I’m super happy to be back with Chip Ganassi Racing and the Cadillac racing program. It’s super exciting times for endurance racing in general so I couldn’t be happier to keep the relationship going. The cars are really cool and the competition is going to be really high across multiple championships and series.

“I think Renger and I complement each other really well. It’s been a very fruitful relationship and we get along really well. I think our driving styles are somewhat different, but we very easily find the common ground on setups and if one of us doesn’t feel super, super strong, we always feel safe because we know the other one can carry the load. That’s a very, very good thing in a partnership with a teammate like that. Our relationship is only going to build and get stronger and I can’t wait to take it to the next level and win many more races with him.

“The LMDh cars have quite a bit more power, a bit less downforce and a bit more weight. Overall, I think it’s going to be very close as far as the times are concerned compared to the DPIs. We’ll have great battles and really close racing, so I can’t wait to get going.”

Pipo Derani: “As a driver, it’s a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a program of the future of endurance racing. To join Cadillac as a factory driver is a dream come true.

“I’ve been with Action Express Racing since 2019 and we’ve developed a great relationship in terms of knowing each other really well, working together and understanding from each other what we need to succeed. It’s a big pleasure to be staying on with Action Express and a big pleasure to be representing the Cadillac brand that has given me most of my wins and championships in the DPi era.

“To be moving on to a bigger step and representing the brand as a factory driver starting in 2023 is great and a story that continues to grow into great things.

“I hope we can continue to achieve fantastic results and to keep Cadillac on the top step where it belongs. Alexander has lots of experience with electric and hybrid vehicles, which will add a lot to our team. We don’t have the luxury with the development of the new car to go through an adaptation time. We need to hit the ground running and Alexander will allow us to do just that.”

Alexander Sims: “I’m excited to be racing back in IMSA full time and to be driving the Cadillac V-LMDh. Over the last couple of years with Corvette I’ve gotten to know (GM sports car racing program manager) Laura Klauser and others within the GM motorsports family, and they have been brilliant to work with. To be able to continue that relationship while now working day in and day out with Action Express is a great feeling and I’m looking forward to the future.

“My last few years have been in Formula E, so from a technical perspective I hope I can bring some of that experience into this hybrid era of sports car racing. I’ve looked up to Pipo for many years in the level of racing that he’s been able to win in. It’s a lovely opportunity for me to be getting back to the racing that I love and doing alongside him. We raced in F3 together, so we’ve always been battling against each other, and I’ve always had a deep respect for what he does.

“Really looking forward to working with him. To be able to have a solid testing program is important from an engineering and technical perspective, but just as important from the human side is to spend some time getting to know each other in less pressure situations.”

About Cadillac
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

New ringer in the field as Jeff Gordon returns to racing at Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (1 September 2022) – Irish Mike’s Racing is set to take on famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for Round 7 of the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by Visit Cayman Islands.

Craig Conway and Conor Flynn will traverse the yard of bricks in a pair of 40-minute races as part of the Porsche Sports Car Together Fest.

Flynn returns in the No. 95 FlynnCo Cars/ Chillout Systems Porsche 992. His competition in the 16-entry Porsche Pro class includes NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon.

“I was pretty young when he was really going big, but as a kid, Jeff Gordon was my favorite driver,” Flynn said. “It was exciting to finally see him at the track, at different Rolex Series events, but it’s going to be cool to be actually on the track racing against Jeff Gordon. He’s going to bring more fanfare to the event, and a lot more attention for Porsche, the series, and also the drivers.”

Conway drives the No. 97 Diamond Suzuki Porsche 992 in the Pro-Am class.

“Indianapolis was very good to me last year, we qualified on pole in the 991,” Conway said. “No one had been there before, so we were all weaving it out with limited track time. I’m hoping to do OK this year. I’m working on building our confidence level in these cars and working our way forward. We’ll give it a whirl. I like the Porsche Together concept – all Porsche, Porsche, Porsche, and we’re the main show and get treated very nicely. Jeff Gordon hasn’t been in a car in a long time, and he’s jumping into a frying pan here, because this Porsche Carrera Cup is very tough, indeed. But I’m glad he’s coming – he’ll bring a lot of attention to our series.”

Last year, both drivers visited the 991class podium in a standout weekend for the team in Indianapolis.

Flynn placed second in the Pro-Am 991 class in the second race of the weekend, also turning the fastest race lap of the entire weekend in the category. He also placed third in the opening race and fourth in the weekend finale.

Conway had his best finish of the season, placing third in the finale after two fifth-place finishes.

“Indy is definitely a personal favorite for me, and it’s also a favorite for the team as a whole,” Flynn said. “It seems to suit how we set up the car. Porsche puts on an incredible event, so it’s all-around a great weekend.”

For 2022, though, both drivers are learning the new Porsche 992, while Flynn has been placed in the lead Pro Porsche division.

“The 992 is a completely different car, so it has a lot different driving style on how you approach the turns,” Flynn said. “It’s going to be a quick learning curve. We didn’t do any testing at Indy with the 992, so we’re going there with a blank sheet of paper to figure it out. But we feel we’re getting a better grip on the car as the season goes along, so we feel we’re going into the weekend with a positive step forward, and hope we can make rapid progress as the weekend goes along with the practice sessions.”

Both drivers are coming off encouraging weekends, improving their finishing positions from Saturday to Sunday at both Watkins Glen International and Road America.

“I think that a trend that hopefully you will keep seeing,” Flynn said. “Every time we on the track we’re learning more and more about the setup, and I’m learning more about how to adjust my driving style. That’s what we’re focusing on this year, while building a program to be a lot more competitive, a lot more into the game, for next year.”

The season concludes at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta during the Motul Petit Le Mans weekend on Sept. 29-30.

“Atlanta is one of my favorite tracks, so I’m hopeful we can be competitive right out of the box when we go there,” Flynn said.

Brownsburg, Ind. (August 30, 2022) — Hailing from New Zealand, multi-talented racing driver Brendon Hartley will accompany Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 squad for the 2022 MOTUL Petit Le Mans. As the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale, the 10-hour endurance event will be the title decider as well as the final race for the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class before the series moves to the new LMDh hybrid format in 2023.

The team enters the final race weekend of the season with a 19-point championship lead in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi class. Mathematically, if either the No. 10 Konica Minolta or No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura rolls off the line and starts the race at Road Atlanta, they will secure the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Manufacturers crown for Acura.

Hartley is a three-time overall Le Mans winner, two-time World Endurance Championship title winner and former full-time Formula 1 driver with Scuderia Torro Rosso, running a full season in 2018 and scoring points on three occasions. He has two IMSA podiums in his two most recent appearances, including an overall Petit Le Mans win in 2017.

This will be Hartley’s fourth Petit Le Mans outing. As a driver who knows what it takes to win the 10-hour day-to-night battle at Road Atlanta, he is keen to bring his skill behind the wheel to the IMSA championship fight in October.

“I’m very pleased to be joining Wayne Taylor Racing for Petit Le Mans,” said Brendon Hartley. “I have competed against them many times in the past and it’s clear they know how to win races and championships. When Wayne called me a few weeks ago, I jumped at the opportunity, especially having Ricky and Filipe as teammates. I’ve done Petit a few times before and it’s a special event for me—the race in which I made my American endurance racing debut back in 2012. It’s a tough, old-school track that all of the drivers love. I’m well aware that WTR is in the middle of a championship fight, which adds a little pressure, and I am up for it. I have already started to communicate with the engineers and my new teammates who are giving me all the information needed to help me get up to speed quickly.”

Team owner Wayne Taylor is excited to welcome the decorated New Zealander to his driver stable and eager for him to help power the Konica Minolta crew to the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi title.

“Brendon and I have been in touch for several years now, looking for the right opportunity to work together,” said team owner Wayne Taylor, inaugural Petit Le Mans winner and three-time winner as an owner. “He is massively talented and what he brings to our mission is exemplary. His track record at Le Mans, F1 and in the World Endurance Championship speaks for itself. Just as importantly, he will be a great teammate to Ricky and Filipe and an excellent fit for our team.”

President of Honda Performance Development (HPD), David Salters, oversees Honda’s U.S. racing and engineering activities and works directly with the company’s racing teams and sponsors.

“We are thrilled to have Brendon on board and to drive our championship and Daytona winning Acura ARX-05,” said David Salters, President of Honda Powered Development (HPD). “It is very cool to have Brendon come join the fun and race with Ricky and Felipe—that’s a super-stout world class driver line up right there!”

Long-time partner of Wayne Taylor Racing and the IMSA WeatherTech series, Konica Minolta Business Solutions has been a part of the team’s successful run at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for many years and is looking forward to the excitement that the series finale always brings.

“We are very excited to have Brendon joining us as we enter the final race with the championship lead,” added Chief of Operations & Sales Enablement – North America at Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc., Michael Mathe. “This series delivers exciting racing and the season finale at Petit seems to consistently come down to that final corner! Now, with the addition of Brendon to the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 line-up, we can’t wait to see the team perform at its best and cross the finish line.”

Wayne Taylor Racing and Konica Minolta plan to announce their driver lineups in the GTP class for the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech Championship season after the Petit Le Mans finale.

MOTUL Petit Le Mans takes place on October 1st, 2022. Watch green flag coverage live on NBC between 12:00 p.m. ET and 3:00 p.m. ET with coverage of the run to the finish on USA Network between 7:00 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET. Flag-to-flag coverage will stream on Peacock starting at 12:00 p.m. ET.

ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. 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 recently 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 fourteen consecutive years, and 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. 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-05 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports, Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

Third-Place Pro Podium for Johnson in the No. 71 DSC Sport/Erin Levitas Foundation Lamborghini Huracán and P4 Am-Class Finish for Wesley Slimp and Tyler Hoffman in No. 9 HNTB Companies Lamborghini Huracán Highlight Competitive TPC Racing Performance at VIR

DANVILLE, Virginia (August 29, 2022) – TPC Racing and team driver Billy Johnson scored their first Pro-class podium finish of the IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo season Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) with a third-place showing in the No. 71 DSC Sport/Erin Levitas Foundation Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 in the final North American race of the season.

Johnson started from the outside front row, led the 50-minute sprint twice and overcame a late-race car issue to secure the long overdue Pro-class and overall podium finish. Johnson took the lead for the second time in the race with a perfectly timed restart just past the halfway point but also had to deal with the mandatory additional three seconds single-driver Pro-class entries must spend in the pits during stops. He battled in the led pack until the checkered flag and crossed the line for the No. 71’s best finish of the year after defending the final podium position to the finish.

Saturday’s TPC Racing highlight was a fourth-place Am-class finish by co-drivers Wesley Slimp and Tyler Hoffman in the No. 9 HNTB Companies Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2. The No. 9 was in a position to improve on that result with a podium finish in Sunday’s final race but Slimp unfortunately slowed and retired the HNTB Lamborghini on course with a driveline issue early in his race-ending stint.

The VIR doubleheader brought the North American portion of the IMSA Super Trofeo season to a close. TPC Racing and its pair of Lamborghini teams now shift their Super Trofeo focus to preparing for the season-ending event in Portimão in Southern Portugal, November 3 – 6, where both the Super Trofeo North America final rounds and the 2022 Grand Finals will be held.

Next up for TPC Racing is this Labor Day Weekend’s Porsche Sports Car Together Fest event at Indianapolis Motors Speedway (IMSA) where the team fields an expanded and season-high entry of five cars in the weekend’s Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama doubleheader. A press release on the five entries will be issued later this week.

Harris Levitas, TPC Racing Director of Race Operations: “I am extremely proud of the whole TPC Racing team. Everybody has done a fantastic job all year long. They guys just never say no. They never stop. I am proud of the team and all the drivers as well. We have had a lot to work on and learn all season long with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo car. It is our first year running with a Pro-class car and it has been a lot of work, but Billy drove amazing as always. Saturday we finished in P5 but on Sunday we were finally able to get a podium finish in the Pro class, which is a first for TPC Racing. We ended up having a small issue with the car at the end but Billy Johnson still had an amazing drive. The issues just kept him from getting the win that he truly deserves, but his lap times were there all weekend. Wesley and Tyler in the No. 9 car did an amazing job to and were looking at a podium Sunday to go with Saturday’s fourth-place finish but a mechanical issue took them out. We will get both cars all sorted out and ready to go for the North American and Grand Finals in Portugal. It’s great to end the North American season with at least one podium for each of the three teams we have fielded this year in three different classes. It really comes down to the hard work that the TPC Racing crew puts in, at the track until the early hours of the morning, or back at the shop doing the same thing. It’s really great to have podium success with all three cars this year and a nice way to round out the races in the U.S.”

Billy Johnson, Driver – No. 71 DSC Sport/Erin Levitas Foundation Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2: “It’s great to finally get a podium for the No. 71 TPC Racing Lamborghini. We have just been working so hard this year, have had so many hurdles thrown at us and the guys at the shop have just been busting their butts going through the whole chassis. They have addressed a lot of underlying issues, we came to the race this weekend and the car was really fast, but those issues reared their ugly head again. The guys pulled nearly an all-nighter getting the car repaired once again for the race. We qualified second and led in Sunday’s race but unfortunately the problems that keep holding us back arose again. But I had an awesome restart call from Harris to get us into the lead and give us a big gap to stay close after the pit stop. I am just really proud of everybody for all of the hard work, at the shop and at the track where the guys are working non-stop. Hopefully we will get all of these things solidified so they don’t hold us back and we can shoot for the top step in Portugal. I am really looking forward to being back in Europe, particularly with the TPC Racing guys.”

Wesley Slimp, Driver – No. 9 HNTB Companies Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2: “I like how I approached this track in adapting the way I drive. Continuing to chip away is what I can take out of this weekend. I don’t think the results necessarily reflect the work that we are putting in at all, but we will be there. Everything just has to happen at the right time and all at once. My comfort level going wheel-to-wheel with some really aggressive drivers with all sorts of other stuff going on out on track has grown and been monumental for my driving.”

Tyler Hoffman, Driver – No. 9 HNTB Companies Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2: “It was a great weekend. The TPC boys busted their ass all weekend to give us the best car they could. We had some very unique mechanical issues, but the guys never quit, never complained, kept their heads down and got it done. To end with a DNF is not what we wanted, but all things considered, we had a lot of fun. It was good to see the fans, see some friends and Wesley did a great job all weekend.”

About TPC Racing: TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sportscars. TPC Racing specializes in R&D and sales of high-performance modifications for Porsche sports cars and race cars, offering a wide range of vehicle upgrades. Best known for a line of forced induction solutions for the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster, a long-time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled TPC Racing to become experts in Porsche service, tuning, and racing. In 2000, TPC Racing began entering races under its own banner, scoring an SGS-class Championship in 2004 in the Grand-American Rolex Series and was a class winner in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and captured the 2013 and 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Gold Cup Championships. More information can be found at www.TPCRacing.com.