Category: IMSA

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (August 17, 2022) – The heat is on as the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS heads to Road America for the second half of the 2022 championship fight. The Wright Motorsports No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Charlie Luck and Jan Heylen has a strong footing in second place in the team and driver standings, fully prepared for a productive pair of races to gain ground for the title.

“We’re now in the second half of the season, everyone is excited to keep pushing for every championship point,” said Team Owner John Wright. “Road America is a good track for our team, and so much fun to visit. We just raced here with our IMSA efforts and look forward to another weekend of racing at such a great course. Charlie, Jan, and the team have what it takes to compete up front and make those championship gains.”

Last season, Heylen and the team earned a win and an additional podium finish in the World Challenge races at Road-America, while Luck and the team also celebrated a win in the GT America series. Now co-drivers, the pair enters the weekend with proven results, ready to continue the championship fight against the CrowdStrike with Riley Motorsports entry of George Kurtz and Colin Braun.

Similar to Wright’s recent IMSA WeatherTech outing two weeks ago at Road America, possible rain is in the forecast for Friday and the weekend’s two race days, Saturday and Sunday.

The two GT World Challenge races at Road America will have a total of 20 entries, twelve of which make up the Pro/Am class. With three wins and a total of six top-five finishes, the Wright Motorsports crew has solid footing to defend their 2021 Pro/Am championship title. The team recently tested at the 4.048-mile road course, gaining additional seat time and on-track knowledge to continue to build the program’s momentum for the competition ahead.

The first of two 90-minute races will take place on Saturday, August 20 at 2:15 PM US Central, followed by race two on Sunday, August 21 at 1:15 PM CT. Both races will air live in their entirety on YouTube.com/GTWorld.

DRIVER QUOTES

Charlie Luck // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I love the entire experience at Road America: The track, the people, the weather. We had a successful test last week and learned a lot. We’re ready to go!

Jan Heylen // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

We all like going to Road America. It’s a real “driver’s track.” I love that place and love going to Wisconsin. It has a lot of great history there and around the track, so it’s fun to go there. We’re in the second half of the championship, so every point counts. We know what to do. We had a really good test here and we’re well-prepared. I feel good about how we approach a weekend. Hopefully we can come away with another podium.

SCHEDULE | All Times U.S. Central

Thursday, August 18

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM Welcome Party at Siebkens Resort

Friday, August 19

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM Bronze Test

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM GT World Challenge America Practice 1

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM GT World Challenge America Practice 2

Saturday, August 20

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM GT World Challenge America Qualify Driver 1

9:20 AM – 9:35 AM GT World Challenge America Qualify Driver 2

2:15 PM – 3:45 PM GT World Challenge America Race 1

Sunday, August 21

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM Autograph Session

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM GT World Challenge America Grid Walk

1:15 PM – 2:45 PM 90 GT World Challenge America Race 2

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.

Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (7 August 2022) – Despite a weekend of challenges that included extreme temperatures, multiple caution periods, rain and changing conditions during the race, Jr III (“Junior Three”) Racing finished fourth at Road America at the IMSA Fastlane Weekend on Sunday.

Ari Balogh and Garett Grist faced the elements in the No. 30 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 as they made their way from seventh to fourth over the two hour and 40 minute race distance on the high speed 4-mile circuit in Wisconsin. The fourth place finish continues the pursued progress of the Charlotte-based IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar (IWSC) team, having made its debut in the top tier series at Road America in 2021.

Although precipitation didn’t fall much heavier than a mist, slide offs and the ensuing debris caused four total caution periods, with the first on lap 14. The first yellow brought Balogh to hand the car to Grist from fifth as he kept the No. 30 Airbnb Ligier clean and out of trouble during his stint.

By the third full course yellow, Grist had powered up through traffic from sixth to fourth, making an excellent move in the final hour of the race continually matching the speeds of his competitors.

Persistently battling for podium position, Grist pushed to stay with his opponents but had to settle just shy of the podium as he brought the Ligier home fourth in the order.

“It was a bit of a crazy race with lots of cautions and changing weather conditions,” said Grist. “Ari did an incredible job in his first stint keeping the car clean and staying on the track as a lot of other guys were going off and hitting other cars. Good start to the race in that way, but as the race went on, I struggled a bit with pace. I could stick with the cars ahead of me and then we would be even for a bit because we were similar, but I couldn’t get around them exactly. The team worked really hard this weekend and everything was perfectly prepared once again, so a great job by the crew all weekend. We’ll keep moving, keep testing and keep getting better.”

The North Carolina-based crew, which boasts a lot of team members with a range of competition experience including in the NASCAR ranks, developed several approaches to set-up through the weekend to try to keep up with the continually changing weather and track conditions.

“We did what we could this weekend,” said team owner Billy Glavin III. “We really tried to find the pace, but unfortunately, we never got exactly what we needed, especially with the red flags in the practice, we just didn’t have all the time we needed to get up to pace.”

Now third in the championship standings, Jr III Racing will compete again in the IWSC season finale at the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 1.

Staying out of trouble was key in a wild IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (6 August 2022) – Survival was the name of the game Saturday at Road America, as the Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing team avoided the trouble that caused five caution periods to bring its Aston Martin Vantage GT4 home in second in the Bronze Cup and 14th overall in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge’s Road America 240.

With ambient temperatures near 90 and track temps over 100, drivers Rob Ecklin, Jr. and Ramin Abdolvahabi knew they had a challenge ahead in the No. 09 Invisible Glass Aston Martin Vantage GT4 – with their usual Stoner Car Care Aston Martin sidelined with a differential issue, the team recalled the iconic colors back into action on Friday afternoon.

With past IMPC races as a benchmark, the team knew a four-hour race at the vaunted Wisconsin road course would hold nonstop action – and more than a few incidents. The game plan as always was to play it smart, making judicious passes and taking advantage where they could as they sought their first Bronze Cup victory (for Bronze FIA-rated drivers).

The action commenced from the drop of the green, as 39 cars diced for position. Abdolvahabi, starting 23rd, got the worst of it on lap one – hit from behind and from the side in turn three. Assessing the damage, he and the team determined that the car was not badly damaged, so Abdolvahabi continued. The first caution came only 20 minutes into the race, and the team made a strategy call to save time, calling Abdolvahabi into pit lane for left-side Michelin tires and fuel.

“On that first lap, one car shut the door on me and we made contact, which sent me into another car,” said Abdolvahabi. “Then he hit me from behind. I’m just glad I was able to keep it on the road and keep it going, we’re lucky we didn’t get spun around. But that’s the sort of thing that happens in such close racing! The car just wasn’t the same after that – the steering was fine, but the toe seemed a bit off. We just didn’t have the pace.”

The race went green, yellow, green, yellow in rapid succession over the next hour, but Abdolvahabi made smart moves and took advantage of a round of late pit stops to move up to P14. He held steady throughout the final minutes of his stint, handing off to Ecklin with just over two hours remaining.

But shortly thereafter, it was Ecklin’s turn to get tagged from behind in what was rapidly becoming a game of bumper cars. He fought the ill-handling car but still laid down steady laps, climbing from P22 up to P16 with 40 minutes remaining. When the checkered flag flew, Ecklin was second in the Bronze Cup standings and P14 overall.

“Staying out of trouble was key today – those were some hard hits out there today,” said Ecklin. “I couldn’t feel anything technically wrong with the car, but it was just off pace. I couldn’t gain time anywhere. So it was a matter of managing fuel and keeping the car on track. This is a very physical track to race on for four hours, so while we’re disappointed not to get the Bronze Cup win, we’re happy to have brought the car home.”

“Rob and I really wanted P1 in Bronze Cup,” said Abdolvahabi. “The strategy was spot-on, but all those hits just took us out of contention.”

“Finishing on the lead lap after four hours, with a wounded car from lap one on, with some good strategy along the way, I’m pretty happy with that,” said Automatic Racing team manager David Russell. “Driver changes were good, crew work was excellent, and we survived it with a whole car – and in this race, that’s a positive outcome.”

The Stoner Car Care team continues to support End Alzheimer’s Racing, carrying decals on the car to help their efforts to raise funds and awareness.

Next up for the Stoner Car Care team will be the VIRginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix from VIRginia International Raceway. The race will be live streamed in the U.S. on Peacock TV, while international viewers can watch via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com. A race replay will air on USA Network Sunday, September 4 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

About Stoner Car Care

Stoner Car Care produces high-performance car washes, waxes, polishes, and dressings for auto enthusiasts and car care professionals. The Stoner Car Care line-up includes Invisible Glass, America’s #1 Automotive Glass Cleaner, along with many other appearance products. Whether driving, washing or waxing, Performance Matters! Stoner car care proudly formulates all of our product since 1942. www.stonercarcare.com

About Invisible Glass

Automatic Racing sees their way to victory with Invisible Glass, the top-selling automotive glass cleaner in the United States. The Invisible Glass product line includes aerosol and spray bottle cleaner, Invisible Glass with rain repellent for windshields and wiper blades. Find more online at https://www.invisibleglass.com/

About Automatic Racing

Based in Orlando, Automatic Racing is one of the longest-running teams in the paddock, forming in 2001 and competing in all but one of the 11 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge races at Daytona. The team has been developing, preparing and racing the prestigious Aston Martin Vantage GT4 since 2012. Automatic Racing won the 2017 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge title. https://automaticracing.com

About End Alzheimer’s Racing

End Alzheimer’s Racing began in 2019, as father and son duo Bill and Alex Slupski – both experienced kart racers who also work in sports car racing – chose racing as the “vehicle” for their program to promote awareness and raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. Through End Alzheimer’s Racing, they want to be an integral part of the support network for families dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and be part of the cure that ends Alzheimer’s disease.

http://act.alz.org/goto/endalzheimersracing

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – Winward Racing’s first victory of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season anchored an unprecedented Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing IMSA triple-sweep Sunday in the IMSA Fastlane SportsCar Weekend at Road America. Russell Ward and Philip Ellis shook off a couple of near-misses earlier this summer for a convincing victory in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in Sunday’s featured IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race. Winward’s overdue victory followed an overall and Grand Sport (GS) class win by the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 and a Bronze Cup victory by the No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 team in Saturday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race.

The triple-sweep marked the first time Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams won every race entered on an IMSA race weekend since the Mercedes-AMG GT4 program was introduced in North America in 2018, joining the GT3 program that debuted in 2017.

Winward’s victory was the crowning moment of a strong showing on Sunday that saw all three Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams step up to lead the GTD class at various points in the two-hour and 40-minute race that was run in mixed wet and dry conditions. In total, the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Proton USA and the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams joined Winward in leading a combined 39 of the race’s 60 laps.

Winward’s 15 tours up front were the final laps of the race with Ellis at the wheel. The team made the call to gamble on fuel and keep him on track instead of pitting with WeatherTech, Korthoff and several other top contenders with 40 minutes to go.

Ellis ran as competitively as he could while trying to save fuel and protect the lead, but a caution period with just under 10 minutes to go took away any concerns. After taking the white flag leading only to lose the last two IMSA WeatherTech championship points races heading into Road America, Winward’s luck turned for the good on Sunday. The fuel gamble paid off and Ellis took the checkered flag under caution for his, Ward’s and Winward’s first IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) victory since the 2021 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The No. 79 WeatherTech entry of Cooper MacNeil and Daniel Juncadella stepped up as the fastest GTD car in the race but needed some of the same luck that had finally come to Winward. Juncadella charged through the field to lead 17 laps at mid-race, but the No. 79 was later assessed a penalty for running a red light at pit exit after the team’s final stop. Juncadella continued a lap down after serving the infraction and ultimately took the checkered flag in 11th place.

The late caution period that sealed Winward’s victory didn’t work for the strategy followed by the No. 32 Korthoff team and GTD championship leader Stevan McAleer and his co-driver Mike Skeen. After the final pit stop, Skeen cycled back into the race behind Winward and the other teams that opted to stay out and never had a chance to move up in the order before the race-ending caution came out.

Skeen crossed the finish line in eighth place, but McAleer and Team Korthoff still hold the GTD-class championship lead with just two races remaining on the 2022 schedule. Unofficially, McAleer and the No. 32 team have 2,329 points, 36 points clear of the second-place team and drivers.

Murillo’s Saturday Michelin Pilot Challenge victory with co-drivers Eric Foss and Kenton Koch also had positive implications in the Grand Sport (GS) class championship with only two races left in that series.

Coming into Road America second in the championship standings, Foss and the No. 56 Murillo team narrowed the gap to the GS championship leaders by 70 points with their series-leading third win of the season.

Koch was in his final race substituting for regular No. 56 team driver Jeff Mosing who is scheduled to return to the cockpit in the next race at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). Mosing has spent the majority of the summer recovering from rib injuries sustained in a fall while docking his boat this past spring.

Making the most of his final opportunity in the No. 56, Koch muscled his way into the lead after a late-race restart with three laps to go. He crossed the finish line with a .896 of a second margin of victory for his second win of the season co-driving with Foss. They first won at Mid-Ohio in May while Foss partnered with Marc Miller two races later at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the No. 56 team’s other win of the season.

Capstone and co-drivers Gary Ferrera and Kris Wilson extended their comfortable lead in the Bronze Cup standings with its sixth win in the year’s first eight rounds despite a challenging race that saw the team get caught up in more than one contact and near-miss incident.

Saturday’s Pilot Challenge race also saw another strong showing by the No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT4 co-driven by Skeen and Trevor Andrusko. The team has finished in the top-five in the last three races despite a limited competition schedule this season. A fifth-place Saturday at Road America follows another fifth at Watkins Glen in June and a season-best fourth at Lime Rock Park last month.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams in IMSA competition is the race weekend at VIR, August 26 – 28.

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This track suits the Mercedes-AMG GT3 really well as I have been saying, so I just needed to keep it a good clean race, hand it over to Philip and he would get us there. Definitely, without that late yellow, we wouldn’t have been able to finish the race, but this is the kind of luck we have been missing all year. It was good to finally get it and bring home the win. Our team is just amazing. It is one of the toughest seasons we have had in memory, but the performance has always been there. It’s worse when you have to chase that instead of just chasing the luck. I am just super excited for the crew.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I think without the last safety car it would have been too close on fuel. We kind of gambled a little bit but that’s what saved us the win today. It feels great. We have always been there, especially in the second half of the season, and now finally nothing happened to us, which is very nice. We were communicating on the radio and said we would not celebrate under the safety car. We would celebrate at the line, and that’s what we did. Now we will celebrate a little more tonight.”

Cooper MacNeil, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Wow! What an up and down race. My stint started great with a dry track and then the rain came. I was on slicks, and it was raining, but I was able to get to pit lane in one piece. Dani got in and made an incredible charge to the front of the field to lead the race. On the pit exit the light was red but he ran through it resulting in a stop plus 60-second penalty. I don’t believe we would have finished better than maybe fifth without the penalty due to other teams stretching their fuel mileage to the end. On to VIR.”

Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a shame. Going from last to first in the wet was a lot of fun. Then in the dry the car was good. We were in the lead, and I was pretty comfortable. We took the safe strategy which was to pit. Ultimately, that wasn’t going to be the winning strategy. I also got a penalty for exiting the pits under red which was a shame. Racing in so many championships, I wasn’t paying attention to the light. The WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 was good, and it is a lot of fun to race here at Road America.”

Eric Foss, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I am just super thankful for this opportunity. I have been racing with Jeff Mosing for eight years and it is going to be great to have him back for the next race in Virginia. When he had to sit out the majority of the races this year because of his injury, he asked me who I would really want with me in the car. I told him Kenton Koch. We made it happen and it has been a blast racing with him. Our Mercedes-AMG GT4 has just been phenomenal. We have used it since the beginning of the program in North America in 2018 when we moved up to GS. Most teams have jumped around to other manufacturers, but we have stuck with the Mercedes-AMG GT4 because we just know it is such a great platform. It rewards us every time we execute well.”

Kenton Koch, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “To call this a dream summer is an understatement. To have a result like this with Eric and Murillo Racing and close out my time here with a finish like that is incredible. You can’t ask for more than that, and this goes down in history as the best race I have ever done. It felt really good. During the yellow before the race restart, I was giving myself a little pep-talk. I was like ‘you are not going to fold; you’re not going to fold. You are going to be the guy who goes for it’ and I went for it. I was so happy to help bring this awesome program another win.”

Gary Ferrera, Driver – No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Every time I get in the car, my only thought is getting it to Kris clean. I am always going to drive as hard as can, but this was the first time I wondered if I was going to survive to get the car to Kris. All of the crashes, and the only thing that saved me from a big wreck in the Kink was that a car in front of me braked, I just saw it through all of the dirt, but you really couldn’t see anything. We really had a lot of luck.”

Kris Wilson, Driver – No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I truly thought we were snake bit early in the race, but we ended up with almost a top-10 overall in P11. But early on, Gary had a crash in front of him, hit a car and lost a splitter, then he spun in the Carousel to avoid another car and also got hit by a TCR car. But we still got a P11 again and we will keep trying to crack the top-10.”

Trevor Andrusko, Driver – No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I think this year has gone very well, especially the last three races. We have kind of shown that we can show up and compete against these guys that are running a full season. Had we committed to a full season, I think we would have been in a very solid championship position right now. What’s interesting about Road America, and everything leading up to this weekend, is that we seem to show up a little off pace to begin with. Then we chase a lot, and when it comes time to qualify, we are right there where we should be in the top five. Awesome race, really excited for these guys and had a blast. I am really looking forward to Road Atlanta, in front of my home crowd at my home track and I have thousands of laps there.”

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (August 7, 2022) — The Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Super Trofeo (LST) stable weathered uncertain conditions at Road America this weekend. They achieved five podiums and, most importantly, extended the points leads of the No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) car in the PRO class whilst the No. 25 Harrison Contracting Company with WTR LST maintained their lead in the PRO|AM class.

Danny Formal and Kyle Marcelli weathered a caution-ridden race in the first half of the double header on Saturday, beating their championship rivals en route to a second-place finish for the No. 1 Prestige machine. They finished third in class in an unpredictable Race 2, beating their championship rivals again, extending their lead at the top of the standings to 20 points.

Jordan Missig and Aidan Yoder moved from 24th place overall to a top 10 in Race 1, securing seventh place in the PRO|AM class for the No. 53 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing crew. A red flag and changing track conditions couldn’t slow them down in Race 2, where they finished a season-best fourth in the PRO class.

Ashton Harrison and Tom Long continued their perfect streak of podiums for the red No. 25 Harrison Contracting Company car on Saturday with another third place trophy, extending their championship points lead. They podiumed again on Sunday, finishing second. They maintained the PRO|AM championship lead with a margin of 2 points.

Randy Sellari showed class-leading pace in Race 1, qualifying sixth and finishing fourth in a hard-fought effort for the No. 3 JG Wentworth with Wayne Taylor Racing AM class machine. He made it two events in a row with a podium in the second race with a second-place result the next day.

The 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series heads to VIRginia International Raceway next for the final domestic round of the season, with Race 1 going green at 2:05 p.m. ET on August 27th, followed by Race 2 at 11:35 a.m. ET of August 28th. Watch live on IMSA.TV or Peacock.

FINAL RESULTS: NA ROUND 4, RACE 1

PRO CLASS, No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
Kyle Marcelli | Daniel Formal – P2 overall
Qualification by Daniel Formal – P1 overall

PRO CLASS, No. 53 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
Aidan Yoder | Jordan Missig – P7 in class
Qualification by Jordan Missig – P7 in class

PRO|AM CLASS, No. 25 Harrison Contracting Company with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
Ashton Harrison | Tom Long – P3 in class
Qualification by Ashton Harrison – P4 in class

AM CLASS, No. 3 JG Wentworth with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
Randy Sellari – P4 in class
Qualification by Randy Sellari – P6 in class

FINAL RESULTS: NA ROUND 4, RACE 2

PRO CLASS, No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
Kyle Marcelli | Daniel Formal – P3 in class
Qualification by Kyle Marcelli – P1 in class

PRO CLASS, No. 53 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
Aidan Yoder | Jordan Missig – P4 in class
Qualification by Aidan Yoder – P7 in class

PRO|AM CLASS, No. 25 Harrison Contracting Company with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
Ashton Harrison | Tom Long – P2 in class
Qualification by Tom Long – P3 in class

AM CLASS, No. 3 JG Wentworth with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
Randy Sellari – P2 in class
Qualification by Randy Sellari – P4 in class

Kyle Marcelli, No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (PRO)
“It was a sloppy weekend in terms of our races. Qualifying went very well from our end as Danny and I got pole for both races, and an extra two points which is huge for the championship. Race 1 was caution filled. I think we had three green flag laps, with one being the fastest lap of the race. We lost a spot in pit lane as a competitor took an aggressive approach and got by us. In the second race today, we got P3 in the class and P4 overall in another strange race with the weather conditions. The start of the race brought us some challenges, with some issues in the front right shock. Even though we had this issue, I felt comfortable to push the car and was able to get the fastest lap of the race. But then the rain came and the way things worked out, it was strange and put us way back. Danny did a great job by getting us a third place finish and extending our championship lead.”

Daniel Formal, No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (PRO)
“Not our best weekend, but not the worst weekend. Kyle and I were able to get two pole positions in qualifying on Friday. Then yesterday was a good day, but I did 38 minutes under caution. I didn’t even get to do a green push lap. I came into the pits for a safety reason because we saw a car have an issue on the track. The team pitted me and another competitor stayed out and created enough of a gap. Kyle got in the car, he kept pushing and was catching the leader and another 20 minutes caution came out. So, yesterday was very stressful.

“Today, Kyle started in the lead and automatically, watching from the outside, I knew something was wrong. Kyle called the radio and said that something was wrong with the front right of the car. He thought it was the steering rack and then he thought it was a shock. Then, when I got in the car, I felt it immediately. The car was way lower on the front right. Braking stability was very hard to manage. It would pull to the right, plus it would skid the right splitter on braking, plus it rained. So, it was very difficult. I’m not sure what happened. We came into the pits, shuffled, and did a great pit stop. The Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing crew did an amazing stop where we went from third to first. At least, that’s what we thought, but when we took the green we were 14th place. I had to climb back up. It was very hard to drive the way it was. The last six laps, I figured out a different racing line than anyone else to try and stop the car, rotate it, and get on the gas. I made up around four or five seconds against the leaders. I finished right behind them in third position. We also extended our championship lead which is the most important thing. I’m super excited to go to VIR in a couple weeks, it’s one of my favorite tracks in the United States and Kyle is extremely fast there. Hopefully we can seal the championship before Portugal.”

Jordan Missig, No. 53 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing (PRO)
“Obviously, coming into this weekend, we all knew we were going to have fast cars based on last year, so I was pretty optimistic. Right out of the gate, we struggled a little with the front end of the car, so had to make some changes throughout practice. Once we got to Practice 2, the car felt very consistent and had some speed. After we left Practice 2, I felt we were in the window and where we needed to be just like last year. Going into qualifying, I was on a flier and probably three tenths off of Danny until a red came out when we hit Canada Corner. Because we didn’t get a good lap in, we were shuffled back to 24th for the start of Race 1. Myself and Aidan dug deep in Race 1 and came back to 10th overall and P7 in class. For Race 2, we knew it was going to be the exact same. Aidan did a phenomenal job at the beginning with a dry start to hang up there with the PROs. When he handed the car to me, I was able to gain some spots, but the rain began falling which made it all about survival. Everyone began sliding out all over the place which helped us pick up some spots. We were able to pull off a good result in P4 of our class. Really good job for our team and the best finish of the season for myself and Aidan.”

Aidan Yoder, No. 53 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing (PRO)
“This weekend got progressively better and better for our car and there was a lot of learning along the way. Driving around Road America in a Super Trofeo is unlike any other car you could drive around here. There were old habits I had to break and new habits to form. With all the unfortunate red flags and safety cars, I didn’t have a lot of time to develop so going into the races I knew I’d have to dig deep and find it right away. Trying to generate that intensity right away is difficult, but getting in the right mindset is key. We progressively got better through each session culminating in our best finish of the season in Race 2. Jordan did an excellent job. We kept it clean. I’m Looking forward to VIR.”

Ashton Harrison, No. 25 Harrison Contracting Company with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (PRO|AM)
“We’re so thankful to finish P2 in our class and P5 overall with how much the weather changed throughout the race. Even with rain tires on at the end, it was very slick out there. We were able to manage the tread of the tires with the various wet spots on the track, which was a challenge. I’m really happy for our Wayne Taylor Racing team and the Harrison Contracting Company Lamborghini to extend our points lead heading into VIR.”

Tom Long, No. 25 Harrison Contracting Company with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (PRO|AM)
“What a wild race! We got the car ready for the rain, but it was a dry start so we went back to the dry setup. The Wayne Taylor Racing team did a phenomenal job with our Harrison Contracting Company Lamborghini. It’s tough to pass in this series with how tight it is, but we were able to move our way forward today. I knew we were going to hand Ashton a strong car when we made the switch. It got wild on the in lap for me as it started raining and cars went off everywhere. I kept pushing and got into pit road all good, and had a phenomenal pit stop and Ashton took it home. She did an incredible job with how slick it was on the rain tires.”

ABOUT WTR’S LAMBORGHINI SUPER TROFEO DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Wayne Taylor Racing is a leader in sportscar racing, recognized worldwide for fielding championship winning racing efforts since 2007. In addition to their DPi winning team, the team, under the Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing umbrella, has run a stable of championship winning cars and drivers in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series for over half a decade, forming the basis of their Driver Development Program. Since its inception in 2015, the Prestige Performance with WTR team has clinched seven North American PRO Driver, Team and Dealer Championship titles, fielded the first woman World Finals race winner and became the overall 2017 Champions at the World Finals in Imola, Italy. Their Driver Development program has grown into interim classes like IMSA GTD, as it evolves to encompass a greater variety of skill and experience levels. For more information on Wayne Taylor Racing’s Driver Development Program and how to get involved, contact Travis Houge at info@waynetaylorracing.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (7 August 2022) – Irish Mike’s Racing rebounded in challenging conditions at Road America Sunday to better their finishing positions in Round 6 of the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by Visit Cayman Islands.

After finishing 13th in class and 22nd overall in Saturday’s race in sunny conditions, Conor Flynn finished 11th in the Pro class and 17th overall driving the No. 95 FlynnCo Cars/ Chillout Systems Porsche 992 in wet conditions on Sunday.

“All in all, it was a good weekend, and I feel like we made a lot of ground as far as learning how to drive the car,” Flynn said. “We learned a couple of tricks, and this car seems to be all about tricks. We were excited for the rain today. We had a little bit of an issue in qualifying which cost us not be able to set a second-fastest lap, so we started pretty far back, so we’re happy to have been able to crawl our way back up in the rain.”

Craig Conway placed 10th in class and 28th overall on Saturday in the No. 97 Diamond Suzuki Porsche 992. On Sunday, he advanced to ninth in class and 25th overall, missing his season-best finish of eighth in the most recent round at Watkins Glen by only one position.

“We keep making progress with the new car, and that’s what we’re trying to do every session,” Conway said. “I’ve been making forward progress, and that’s our goal, that we just keep moving forward.”

Conway was pleased with his progress racing in the rain.

“I felt like I did a pretty good job, and I was amazed with the aero on this new car and how much of an effect it had in the rain– that took me a while to get used to that. But I was able to build up my level of confidence to keep the speed up,” Conway explained. “I had a couple of good races with a couple of guys. We ended up a little bit ahead of where we started, but at least we didn’t go backwards or go off or do anything to hurt the car.”

Rain or shine, both drivers managed to avoid incidents in the two races, including the Sunday round that started in light rain and ended on a drying track. Both Irish Mike’s Racing drivers recorded their best laps of Sunday’s event on the final lap.

“All in all, both of our cars are clean in terms of not having body damage, although they are really dirty from running in the rain! ” Flynn said. “Our guys are going to be busy cleaning them up and getting them looking great for our upcoming races.”

Next up for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will be historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 1-3. The season concludes at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta during the Motul Petit Le Mans weekend on Sept. 29-30.

“We’re excited to be going on to Indy, which is a track I’ve raced at,” Flynn said. “We like Indy and then Road Atlanta is another of my favorite tracks. I think we’re in a good spot in terms of learning about the cars to finish the season on a high note.”

For the second race in a row, contact with the No. 36 entry undermines a strong effort by the SCM team

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (7 August 2022) – After getting caught up in another driver’s mistake, Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) saw a solid result go by the wayside midway through the IMSA Fastlane SportsCar race at legendary Road America on Sunday.

Drivers João Barbosa and Malthe Jakobsen combined to keep the No. 33 SCM Exelixis/Focal One/Alta Equipment Ligier JS P320 in the top three despite rapidly changing weather conditions early in the two-hour and 40-minute event. But midway through the race, the Andretti LMP3 in second position went off course between turns 13 and 14 and came back on track directly in front of Jakobsen, who was unable to avoid. Jakobsen slid into the tires, ending the promising race early for the team. The two cars had tangled on lap one in the previous event, with the No. 36 sliding into the No. 33, ending the day early there as well.

The day had begun with a great deal of promise, after Saturday’s record-setting pole lap by Jakobsen – whose pole time of 1:59.434 was the quickest LMP3 lap of the entire weekend. But with Sunday dawning gray and cloudy, with a significant chance of rain, teams knew that tire strategy and pace in wet and dry conditions would be key – as would staying out of trouble.

Jakobsen took the green under cloudy and cool conditions and within two laps, paced right on the rear wing of the LMP2 car ahead. The pair swapped positions back and forth, with Jakobsen deciding that preserving his Michelin tires – and his car – was the better idea. 25 minutes into the race and with a light rain starting to fall, a full course caution came out for a car into the turn eight gravel. With rain on the radar, the team took the opportunity to change to rain tires, taking on fuel and making the change to Barbosa.

Coming back out in third position, Barbosa did the best he could to manage the rapidly changing track conditions, as the racing line quickly began to dry. A full course caution with an hour and 20 minutes remaining offered the chance to change back to slick tires – and to Jakobsen, who would take the car to the finish.

But shortly thereafter, the No. 36 LMP3 ahead went off in turn 14 and collected a sign, undoubtedly obstructing his view. He came back on track and came across the track as Jakobsen crested the hill and approached at full speed. With the No. 36 careening across the track, Jakobsen had nowhere to go – he attempted to pass on the left but once he hit the wet grass, it was a quick ride into the tires and out of the race.

It was a disappointing end to the day for the entire team, particularly after showing strong pace in the race to follow on the impressive speed that both Barbosa and 18-year-old Jakobsen showed all weekend long.

“The team did a great job with the strategy,” said Barbosa. “But I went out on rain tires with the DPi cars who were still on sticks and got into the wrong position a couple of times and lost some track position. But I knew conditions were changing, I just needed to bring the car back and give us a chance for a good result. But unfortunately, we were involved in someone else’s mistake that really cost us. It’s so disappointing: the team did a great job all weekend, we had a strong car – but unfortunately, we couldn’t show it at the end where it mattered. Hopefully all the bad luck is gone now, on to Petit.”

“It was a good start, though I was struggling with a P2 car in front,” said Jakobsen. “I couldn’t get any free laps but it was okay since we were still in the LMP3 lead. Joao did a good job in his stint, it was tough with the rain ending so quickly. I went out back on slicks and I was getting closer to the No. 36 and he made a mistake and went off in the grass. I thought he was going to continue in that direction but somehow he made it back on track and I went off trying to avoid him. A really disappointing ending, the team did such a great job all weekend.”

“Joao really got the ugly stint, with all the rain,” said team principal Sean Creech. “Not a full wet nor a full dry track, but very slippery. Malthe did a great job but unfortunately, for the team, the crew, for Lance (Willsey, who had been unable to compete at Road America this weekend), it was unfortunate that we were put off by another car for the second race in a row. So now, we get ready for testing at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and hopefully, we can bring home a win at Petit le Mans.”

SCM thanks partners Alta Equipment Company, Focal One and Exelixis for their continued support.

Next up for Sean Creech Motorsport will be Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s season finale – and race four of the Michelin Endurance Cup. The 10-hour endurance classic, set for Saturday October 1, will be broadcast live in the U.S. on PeacockTV, with NBC and USA Network splitting the broadcast coverage. International viewers can watch the entire race via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com.

About SCM

Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1990 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2022 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

About Alta Equipment

An industry-leading material handling and construction equipment company, Alta Equipment is an innovator of solutions, delivering diverse products and unrivaled support centered on building lasting customer relationships. Alta Equipment began in 1984 with a single location in Detroit and has grown to 57 locations throughout the Midwest, Northeast, and Florida.

https://www.altaequipment.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/

Challenges with weather, pace work against Garcia and Taylor in GTD PRO

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (Aug. 7, 2022) – Corvette Racing came home third in class Sunday at Road America in the IMSA Fastline SportsCar Weekend. Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor finished on the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO podium in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R for their second straight top-three finish at the circuit in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Garcia started third and drove the first 40 minutes in mostly dry conditions, although track conditions grew more treacherous on his slick Michelin tires toward the end of his stint.

The Corvette Racing crew got the No. 3 Corvette and Taylor out at the head of GTD PRO after the first stop. Unfortunately, Taylor had the worst of the conditions as he rejoined the race on wet-weather tires. Even more frustrating was the No. 3 Corvette’s lack of straight-line speed also started to rear its head as Taylor went from first to third on the restart in a matter of two corners.

He fell down to fourth behind the No. 23 Aston Martin, but more than once he took back the position into one of Road America’s brake zones only to fall back again on the long runs between corners. Meanwhile, the rain was somewhat consistent at the start of Taylor’s stint but moved to drying conditions as the second of three full-course yellows flew with 78 minutes remaining. Garcia got back in on slick tires and restarted fourth in class.

He finally got the No. 3 Corvette back onto the podium with less than hour to go while a number of GTD cars were in a fuel-savings mode to try and make the end in case the race went green the rest of the way.

That didn’t happen as a third yellow came out with 54 minutes to go. Corvette Racing engineers elected to keep Garcia out to try and gain an advantage in track position, but a number of GTD cars had the same idea – including the eventual race-winning Lexus.

The race went green with 36 minutes to go but Garcia was swallowed up and passed by two more lapped GTD cars on the run from the final corner to the start-finish line. He was able to hold on to the third position in GTD PRO before a final yellow ended the race with eight minutes left.

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR from Virginia International Raceway on August 26-28.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED THIRD IN GTD PRO:“The way to you get laptime in our car is completely different to everyone else. On every restart we lost at least one or two positions. So you feel helpless and frustrated. There’s nothing we can do to make our car faster. Hopefully the next race at VIR is better.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED THIRD IN GTD PRO: “It was a frustrating day as a whole. It seems our pace over a lap isn’t too horrible, but where our pace is made against everyone else makes it almost impossible to race anyone. It’s the same story on a different weekend from the last five or six races. It’s frustrating overall, so hopefully we can go to Virginia and be a little more competitive than this.”

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

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 80 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Nos. 02 and 01 Cadillac DPi-V.Rs finish second and third in 2-hour, 40-minute race

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 7, 2022) – Cadillac Racing claimed two spots on the podium in the IMSA Fastlane SportsCar Weekend in a drama-filled 2-hour, 40-minute race at Road America.

Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber co-drove the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R to a runner-up finish – its fourth podium of the season – after starting second. The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R co-driven by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande earned its fourth consecutive podium, which includes two victories, with a third-place finish.

The ninth race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season included mixed weather conditions that played with strategy and tire choices on the 4.048-mile natural-terrain road course, four full-course cautions and hard racing late between the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R and the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R that benefitted Bamber in the end as the race ended under caution.

“That was a mixed race and pretty difficult up and down the whole way,” said Bamber, who drove around both Cadillac DPi-V.Rs that went wide while braking in the Kink. “We had the pace and had the fuel to do it at the end. It’s just a shame we didn’t get all the laps.”

The pole-sitting No. 10 Acura won the race.

“I think it’s a really good podium,” added Bamber. “It shows we have a really good car and pace. It’s so close in this championship, a little bit of strategy, a little bit of track position and you win.”

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Tristan Vautier and Richard Westbrook finished fifth after leading Laps 20 through 45 rain-soaked laps. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Olivier Pla and Pipo Derani, placed sixth.

Cadillac Racing teams conclude the 2022 season and the DPi era at the Motul Petit Le Mans on Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Five Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R entries will contest the 10-hour race on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn natural-terrain road course.

In 2021, Cadillac Racing locked up its third Manufacturer Championship since 2017 while the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R earned the Team and Driver championships with a runner-up finish at the racecourse in Georgia.

Cadillac Racing from the cockpit

No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (finished second)

Earl Bamber: “That was a mixed race and pretty difficult up and down the whole way. We were at the front; we were at the back. Tire choice was difficult. The last stop we went to the back and were just trying to make our way forward. The 01 got together with the 5 and we went to third and we were racing the 60 when it went in narrow (in the Carousel) and went off. We had the pace and had the fuel to do it at the end. It’s just a shame we didn’t get all the laps. I think it’s a really good podium. It shows we have a really good car and pace. It’s so close in this championship, a little bit of strategy, a little bit of track position and you win.”

Alex Lynn: “Crazy race with the weather, starting on slicks, then going to the wets and back again. Difficult one, but a good one for the fans. Happy with second.”

No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (finished third)

Renger van der Zande: “We all race hard in IMSA. I wanted to win this one really bad, so I gave it all. We made one mistake on the class split – the last one – and that was the important one, so we lost (position) to the 5 car. I got behind him; that’s out own mistake. Then I had to just barge through to get by. He braked on the wet and we stayed wide and lost a position. It’s another podium, so we should be happy with that.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “I had to make up for my mistake yesterday. It’s shame that we can’t put ourselves back in the championship mix. We were behind the 10 car and the rain started to fall, and at that point the team made the call to stay on slicks with the information they had. Unfortunately, the 5 car was on wets, so we lost track position there. From there, the race kind of unfolded in a bit of a weird way. We gave ourselves a chance, though we didn’t quite execute everything strategy-wise. We’ll just keep digging and try to win Petit.”

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (finished fifth)

Richard Westbrook: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result. We showed again that we can fly at the front and made some great calls, particularly tire-wise, and had good pace in the wet. The car was awesome. The yellows didn’t help us. We had a nice, healthy lead and it wasn’t to be. Tristan did a great job keeping everyone behind him, but then we got stuck in the pit stop and went down to fifth. Tough day, but it was good for bits and pieces.”

Tristan Vautier: “We were in the fight for a podium with Renger (van der Zande) and it was a tough battle. Eventually, he got a run on me when I got behind a GT entering the Kink. We raced really hard, knowing it was for a podium spot. He squeezed me quite hard on the inside to brake on the damp side of the track and we both broke really late and that got us off-line and allowed the 02 to go through. No regrets. The team worked really hard and had a great strategy. We gave it a fight; it just didn’t play out our way today. It was good to be in the lead in mixed conditions. We showed as a team that we could be in the lead and manage it. It was good to be at the front, but only the result counts. We have to move forward to the next one because this one hurts.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (finished sixth)

Olivier Pla: “From the beginning of my stint there was a drizzle all the time. Overall, we were missing speed this weekend for some reason. We were expecting much more and Pipo and I are not happy. We need keep our heads down, keep working going to Petit Le Mans. I think it’s going to be a good place for us.”

Pipo Derani: “It wasn’t an easy race. Unfortunately, we were caught up in all sorts of situations. Unlucky in most of them. Eventually, when we were going to be really close to the other DPis on the restart, a P3 moves and I had to take avoiding action hitting the board. So, just before the restart I had to come in and clear the board that was stuck to the front of the car. Difficult race for us. Never really getting a break to try something. It’s been a difficult season, so we’re going to regroup and we have one more chance to finish on a high. Despite a difficult season we never give up and see if we can have a good race next time around.”

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.

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (August 7, 2022) — Having eluded the team for 17 years, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team won at Road America for the first time and retook the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship lead in dramatic fashion. The team now has a 19-point lead in hand over its sister car and season-long rival, the No. 60 MSR Acura DPi. Next up, the series heads to MOTUL Petit Le Mans, the season finale and final endurance race of the year.

Filipe Albuquerque started the race from pole position after yesterday’s impressive qualifying run. He built a one-second gap over the first few laps and maintained it as rain began to sprinkle and track conditions steadily worsened.

Ricky Taylor assumed his position behind the wheel under yellow with two hours remaining. As the clock ticked below the two-hour mark, unpredictable weather began to define the day. Initially expected to pass quickly, the rain intensified over the course of the caution period and Taylor fell two positions at the restart. He did well to manage a challenging situation, navigating a wet circuit on slick tires before he pitted for wets 20 minutes later. Another 20 minutes passed, and the entire field dove back down pit lane for slicks once more.

In the ensuing pit stop, the team opted to put Filipe Albuquerque back in the car, and he emerged in fourth place. Albuquerque made an electric move into Turn 1 shortly after, taking third place away from the No. 10 Konica Minolta team’s championship rivals.

The No. 60 Acura jumped the No. 10 in the pits during the final round of stops, and another long yellow set up a 35-minute sprint to the finish. Albuquerque, free to push to the maximum, made a brilliant move out of Turn 7 with two wheels on the grass to get by the No. 60 again. This time, the pass was for the lead, and with 23 minutes to go, Filipe never looked back.

With eight minutes remaining, an unfortunate incident amongst traffic for the trailing car ensured the victory for Albuquerque and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05. The race finished under caution, setting up a thrilling finale come October.

“My job was to survive the conditions during my stint today,” said Ricky Taylor. “We were looking on for an Acura 1-2 towards the end which would have been great and the strategy seemed strong. It’s the first win for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 at Road America. Finally, crew member Bill Mullen got a win after 36 years of coming here, so congratulations to him. On top of everything, that feels the best—Bill Mullen got his win. I can’t say enough about Filipe’s drive.”

“What a crazy race,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “We started in first place and we led the first stint, and then the drizzle came. Ricky had a really tough time with a slick track and new, cold, slick tires. He did a hell of a job keeping the car on the track. We were almost last and were nearly lapped by the guys that took a gamble on rain tires, which was the right choice. At that point, our championship was completely over, but the beauty of IMSA and endurance racing is exactly this: it can shuffle unpredictably. I went back in the car even though I would’ve trusted Ricky to go to the end. I had driven in qualifying, so I was confident, and it was dry again. We pushed again—maximum attack—dragging the championship fight to the last race. It came off perfectly for us. Another win, our fourth of the season is just brilliant. We set the goal to win. So far, so good.”

“I’m extremely happy,” said team owner Wayne Taylor. “We came in behind in the championship and now lead the championship heading into the final round. It’s still going to be a race. 19 points is not enough to clinch it. To have four wins makes it a great year. Everybody has done a great job. Filipe was outstanding today and both he and Ricky are so selfless. I’ve never seen two teammates that close. Now, I can relax again.”

The 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season concludes in seven weeks’ time with the 2022 MOTUL Petit Le Mans. Practice 1 begins on Friday, September 29th at 9:50 a.m. ET. Green flag for the ten-hour championship finale will wave at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 1st. Partial television coverage airs on NBC starting at 12:00 p.m. ET, with second-half coverage airing on the USA Network from 7:00 p.m. ET onwards. Full coverage is available to stream on Peacock beginning 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.