Category: IMSA

MONTEREY, California – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams won three pole positions in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca where Team Korthoff Motorsports continued its strong performance this season with a fifth-place GT Daytona (GTD) class finish in Sunday’s featured two-hour-and-40-minute WeatherTech Championship race. Stevan McAleer shook off a bout of race-weekend food poisoning to join substitute co-driver Dirk Müller in bringing the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 up from eighth at the start for the team’s third top-five finish in as many races this season.

Korthoff’s latest strong showing followed an unprecedented run of qualifying success Saturday for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in both the IMSA WeatherTech Championship and IMSA Pilot Challenge series. Russell Ward and Winward Racing secured their first GTD pole for Sunday’s WeatherTech Championship race while Murillo Racing swept both Grand Sport (GS) class poles in Pilot Challenge qualifying.

Kenton Koch, in his first race filling in for the injured Jeff Mosing, won the overall and GS pole in the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 while Brent Mosing – Jeff Mosing’s brother – secured the GS Bronze Cup pole position in the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4.

The pole-winning efforts in both series were backed up by a second-place WeatherTech Championship GTD Pro qualifying run by Daniel Juncadella in the No. 79 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3 and fourth in Pilot Challenge GS by Kenny Murillo in the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Both Juncadella and Ward comfortably settled into running in second place in their respective classes after Sunday’s race start, but both teams unfortunately encountered trouble in the early going.

Ward slipped a wheel off course in the fast, uphill run to the Corkscrew and was uninjured after crashing hard into the safety barrier.

Juncadella pitted from second late in the race’s opening hour to hand the No. 79 off to MacNeil, but a faulty wheel gun resulted in a lengthy stop from which team was never able to recover. The No. 79 took the checkered flag in the sixth and final GTD Pro finishing position.

After Winward’s early exit, both the Korthoff No. 32 and the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 carried the challenge in GTD.

Daniel Morad led 10 laps in the No. 28 early in the second half of the race only to be called to the pits to put starting driver Michael de Quesada back in the car. De Quesada was just shy of meeting the 45-minute minimum drive-time requirement, but he and the Alegra team did well to return to the race in sixth before a brief off-course excursion less than 10 minutes from the end dropped the No. 28 to ninth at the finish.

Meanwhile, the No. 32 continued its typically steady run in the GTD lead pack as McAleer powered through the Friday night food poisoning in both Saturday qualifying and Sunday’s race.

McAleer’s malady was the second driver issue Korthoff encountered at the Laguna Seca race. Early in race week, McAleer’s full-season teammate Mike Skeen was sidelined with COVID-19 and replaced by Müller, who is slated to be back in the No. 32 for the upcoming Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Motul Petit Le Mans endurance races.

In Saturday afternoon’s two-hour Pilot Challenge race, Koch took the lead from the pole at the start to pace the field for the opening 15 laps. His pole was the first for Murillo Racing in GS competition and Koch’s first in GS since Mid-Ohio in 2019.

Kenny Murillo stepped up to the front of the GS field in the No. 72 after Koch pitted and went on to lead the next 16 laps. The Murillo entries were the only two-car GS team to lead the race overall, combining for a total of 31 laps up front.

Despite the race-leading pace, a series of poorly timed yellow flags, bad breaks in traffic and pit stop timing kept both Murillo entries from challenging for the win. The teammates crossed the finish line nose-to-tail and just over six seconds behind the race winner. Closing driver Christian Szymczak took the checkered flag in sixth in the No. 72 and Koch’s co-driver Eric Foss was seventh in the No. 56.

For the third-straight race, the GS Bronze Cup victory was secured by Gary Ferrera and Kris Wilson in the No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. The Bronze Cup is a new championship within the overall 10-race GS schedule for Bronze-rated drivers, which most commonly designates sportsman or “Am” competitors.

Bronze Cup polesitter Brent Mosing handed the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 off to co-driver Tim Probert who pressured the second-place finisher all the way to the checkered flag enroute to a third-place showing.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing competitors in both WeatherTech Championship GTD and Michelin Pilot Challenge GS and Bronze Cup is the Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, May 13 – 15. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams in GTD Pro return to the series at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in late June.

Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This weekend was obviously a battle. Mike getting COVID was a big hit on the team and then myself not feeling great because of some food poisoning, but overall, it was a great result for us. I am sure Dirk will be happy with a P5 and the guys did great on the pit stops. We were the highest Mercedes-AMG GT3 again. We are looking forward to getting to some tracks that will favor us a little better and we’ll attack them, as well. I’m really excited about the progress we’ve made. It’s getting to the middle of the season and we’re still right in the mix and having fun. The first result in Daytona might have been luck of the draw if you want to call it that, but the team is going after it to win this thing.”

Cooper MacNeil, Driver – No. 79 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was an unfortunate first stop with the wheel gun breaking. These things happen. We’ll learn from it. Mechanical things break all the time. It is unfortunate it happened when we were in a position to fight for a podium. The Proton guys bounced back and had a couple of good pit stops after that first one. We never got the yellow we needed at the end. We will be back at Watkins Glen with new wheel guns.”

Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 79 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a tough break with the wheel gun issue, but that is racing sometimes. Everything has to come together and sometimes the luck is not there. It is a shame because we had such a strong WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3 this weekend. I want to thank WeatherTech Racing because we had a proper weapon. It was good fun and I look forward to racing with Cooper again in the future.”

Kenny Murillo – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It’s the same deal weekend after weekend. We put on a good show in Practice 1 and Practice 2, showed our speed, and showed our speed in qualifying. The cars were up in the front, so to get the results we did was a little disappointing, but we know what we can do. It’s very motivating to know we can go out and win races. It’s just a matter of execution. We got really unlucky with the yellows. Even that last short yellow didn’t allow us to get into the top three, even a top five. We were really unlucky on that because the strategy was there, but I don’t think anybody is leaving here too disappointed. We’re just happy we’re out on the track and in the Mercedes-AMG GT4. The results don’t show all the work we put in and how fast are cars are, but we’re happy that we’re in the Mercedes-AMG GT4 and are able to go for wins.”

Eric Foss – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “With Jeff Mosing getting hurt when he fell on his boat, we were able to bring in a quality replacement in Kenton Koch. He’s one of the best in the business. He was my first choice. It was awesome to work with him this weekend and I look forward to having him for the next couple of races. We have really good synergy. He was phenomenal in his first stint, so when I got in the car, I felt we were in a really good position. Unfortunately, we had a yellow that got a little dicey. The restart was a bit tricky, and I had a little bit of a tough time trying to get the balance back in the car. It took a couple of laps, I lost a few spots, and every time I made a decision, it just ended up working out the wrong way. It’s kind of funny because I’m usually good at picking the right lane, but today for some reason it was just one of those deals. The Murillo Racing guys did a great job. With a little better luck in the next couple of races, you’ll see a lot better results.”

Kenton Koch – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It’s good to be back with what I call a family. I have a lot of history with Ken, Eric and Kenny, and literally the whole program here from 10 years ago. Through those 10 years I’ve had five testing sessions with them and keep in touch. We’ve had so many good times, between going to dinner and at the race track and to actually driving with them at the track. It is always good. It’s nice to come into a program and know that everything is going to be on, the guys are going to be it on and literally all you have to do is drive. You don’t have to think about anything. There was a bit of a learning curve for me to figure it out, but they made it easy for me to get that learning curve out of the way very quickly. I was glad I got to qualify the car and get that extra seat time I needed to fully get myself to pace. When we get to Mid-Ohio, we’ll be even stronger.”

Gary Ferrera – No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It was great. We couldn’t be happier with everything and the way it worked out. We wound up winning the Bronze Cup for the third time and finishing 11th overall. Placing as high as we did, even with a little bobble in the pits, the team did a phenomenal job. This is three times in a row without any mistakes. We’re very happy and the Bronze Cup is very exciting. It’s a good bunch of good guys, so it’s good to be a part of it. I’m very happy.”

Kris Wilson – No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Gary really stepped up this weekend. He was a little disappointed after practice, but then today he came with new life, qualified way better than he’s ever qualified before – he was more than a second faster than in qualifying here last year – and his race pace was awesome. He got up to 16th or so before we pitted. He was on fire. It was great. We had more difficulties getting here than in the race. The race actually went pretty well, but we had pre-race transporter problems again this weekend. My teammate and buddy Jon Berry and I drove all the way to Amarillo, Texas just Tuesday afternoon to get our car when our transporter broke down. We brought it in behind Jon’s pickup truck in a small trailer that we worked out of all weekend, but we got the win!”

Tim Probert – No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “First things first, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 was perfect. Ken Murillo set us up with a wonderful car, and it’s always great to have a great platform to deal with underneath you. To be honest, I love the Bronze Cup. It’s a great innovation that IMSA brought in because it adds another level of interest and excitement. It was fun running against a champ like James Sofronas at the end. It was pretty close there, but I couldn’t get by him. We ran together about 20 years ago, believe it or not, so it was kind of trippy to race against him again Saturday. Really enjoyed a fantastic weekend.”

SALINAS, Calif., (May 2, 2022) — While the temperature at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was rather cool, NTE/SSR put some heat into their season at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round four with the No. 42 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo. Lamborghini GT3 Junior driver Jayden Conwright earned the team a second-place starting position and together, he and Marco Holzer drove to earn a sixth-place finish.

“We had a great car this weekend and showed we have what it takes to run up front,” said NTE Sport owner Paul Mata. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck this year that had prohibited us from finishing a race, so it was nice to be able to complete a race and run strong. We showed we have the speed, and we’re looking forward to more progress. It was great to have Marco join our effort as well, and he was a good fit for Jaden. They both performed well and we hope to continue to improve our results this season.”

This race marked the first race back in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for NTE/SSR newcomer Marco Holzer, who previously raced in the IMSA-sanctioned American Le Mans Series. Holzer wasted no time jumping back into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the first time since 2015. He and Conwright used Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions to provide detailed feedback to the team to dial in the No. 42 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo setup for Sunday’s two-hour, forty-minute race.

A strong second-place qualifying position from Conwright showed the GTD class that NTE/SSR has the pace to be a top contender. When avoiding an out-of-class LMP2 spin on track the No. 42 lost a position early in the race, but an incident involving in-class Russell Ward in the No. 57 allowed Conwright to regain the lost position.

The team strategy called for an alternate approach, hopeful the race would play into their hands, but Conwright experienced a small position setback that was chipped down throughout the pit window. Though the No. 42 experienced some intermittent power loss during the first stint, Conwright was able to keep the car within the GTD top-four until the mandatory driver change.

Holzer started his stint in 10th position and spent his time behind the wheel climbing back through the field. Over the radio, he reported to the team that he was losing grip in his aggressive pursuit. After overtaking two more cars with just minutes remaining in the race, Holzer took the checkered flag in sixth place, the team’s best finish to date this season.

DRIVER QUOTES

Jaden Conwright
I think that we had the pace for a podium, so it’s a bit frustrating to have some little technical issues throughout. Given all the issues we had earlier in the year, I don’t think we had a bad result. As a team, we’ve never really worked together in a sprint round so it’s a new environment for us. I think overall there are a lot of positives to take away and we know what areas we need to improve. I’m looking forward to Mid-Ohio. We should have some of the little details ironed out a bit more.

Marco Holzer
I think starting with a sixth-place finish in the first race was good and the car was good. I had a little bit of trouble and destroyed the tires while trying to fight back, but in the last 10 minutes or so I was able to overtake two cars. We have to see where we are losing time. Pace-wise, we are there with the front cars. I’m overall really happy and everyone did a great job. I hope to do more.

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America
Race one on Saturday had an aggravating start for Jeff Courtney, who began in ninth but lost positions by turn one due to multiple cars jumping the start. He focused forward in the No. 42 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2 for the rest of the race allowing him to avoid numerous competitors’ offs, spins, and car-to-car contact. After position gains and setbacks, Courtney used a race restart to his advantage and drove his way through the field earning one position from where he started the race. Courtney maintained this gain and crossed the finish line eighth in class.

Courtney started Sunday’s race fifth in class. Two competitors passed the No. 42 at the start of a full-course caution. A timely review was completed and Courtney was able to regain the two positions before the race restart. With a little over 10 minutes remaining, he held back seventh place with no pressure from behind. With the end of race in sight, the car was forced to complete a drive-through penalty assigned for slowing in pit lane during the pit stop. Due to this lost time, Courtney finished the race in ninth place.

Next up in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the Dallas, TX-based team, is the Lexus Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio May 13-15. The team will make an announcement regarding their plans at a later date. For event information, visit imsa.com.
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Jeff Courtney
I had a blast driving the Lamborghini. It’s a super cool car. The weekend felt like a bit of a disaster due to mistakes; some of my own, some of others. While there were a lot of things that I don’t think went in my favor and I wanted to do a hell of a lot better, there’s no crying, it’s racing. I’m thankful for Paul Mata and the whole NTE crew for a great car and this whole weekend.

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About NTE Sport
NTE Sport is based in Dallas, Texas, and first raced in 2020. Owner Paul Mata has been in the industry for over 20 years before starting his own team and has always focused on bringing together a diverse group of individuals to provide new opportunities and bring new people into the sport. Past female drivers include Sheena Monk and Ashley Freiberg, and drivers from diverse racial backgrounds include Ryan Nash, Jaden Conwright, and Kerong Li. Dedicated to bringing highly skilled individuals from various backgrounds, NTE Sport aims to continue to make North American sports car racing a fun, welcoming, supportive environment while participating in the most competitive series in North America.

About Star Spangled Racing
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Star Spangled Racing is a newer sports car racing team, established in 2020 by first-generation immigrant Tiger Tari from Turkey. Tari is an accomplished businessman, race car driver, and philanthropist with big motorsport ambitions. Star Spangled Racing provides driving opportunities in the USA and Europe. Follow on Instagram here.

About Southwest Funding
Southwest Funding began operations in 1993 under the name Dallas Residential Mortgage. We enjoyed great success early on and before long we were serving the entire state of Texas. This growth caused us to change our name to Texas Residential Mortgage.

As we continued to grow and thrive in the industry, Texas Residential Mortgage was changed to Southwest Funding to better accommodate our growing business in other states.
Today we’re still thriving, thanks in part to happy customers who have spread the word about what our company is doing to help borrowers get a home loan that fits their situation in an enjoyable and timely way. www.southwestfunding.com

Lamborghini Dallas
Lamborghini Dallas has earned the Highest Rated Lamborghini Dealer in the United States award by DealerRater 10 years in a row. With a state-of-the-art showroom, factory-certified service facility, parts depot, and a team of master technicians, Lamborghini Dallas is dedicated to the legacy of the famed raging bull. As a member of Boardwalk Auto Group, we cultivate a focus on top-flight performance. It’s the driving force behind every nameplate we represent, every car we maintain, and every customer we have the privilege to serve. Performance. It’s what we do.

MONTEREY, Calif., (May 2, 2022) – Era Motorsport completed the first sprint race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s LMP2 class this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The Indianapolis-based squad drove a masterful race to finish in second place in the No. 18 Oreca, taking the championship points lead with drivers Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel.

The team arrived at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a strong package, placing third and fourth in the two practice sessions. The No. 18 Oreca LMP2 prototype qualified in sixth place, ready to fight to the front in the short two-hour, 40-minute race on Sunday.

Dwight Merriman started from sixth and played his opening stint smart and smooth. While other cars careered off course or into their competitors, Merriman kept the Oreca prototype intact, narrowly avoiding multiple bouts of contact. He took the car’s first pit stop in fifth place, and the team quickly got the No. 18 Oreca serviced and back on track before a full-course caution temporarily paused the race. He rejoined, racing in sixth under clear, sunny skies, and as the race continued on, Merriman’s on-track performance came alive.

His clean and consistent laps allowed him to gain ground on the competition, methodically working his way through slower, lapped traffic while creeping closer to the other LMP2 cars. He made his climb to third place look easy, running behind the No. 52 of Patrick Kelly, who ran 22.3 seconds ahead. As the race clock ticked on, the pair found themselves running in first and second.

Co-driver Ryan Dalziel took over during the mandatory driver change pit stop, with a fresh set of tires, and the Oreca full of fuel. With one hour, 40-minutes remaining, his performance echoed that of Merriman’s, driving a clean stint to stay out of trouble and be there to fight in the end. In the final thirty minutes, he had worked his way up to second place, racing behind the No. 8 of Louis Deletraz, who had created a sizable lead.

After impressive drives by Merriman and Dalziel, and the support of a speedy crew in pit lane, the No. 18 Oreca LMP2 prototype finished second in class, earning Era Motorsport a second podium in three races. The pair and the team now lead the LMP2 driver and team points with four races remaining.

The LMP2 class will next race at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course, racing alongside the DPi, LMP3, and GTD classes in another two-hour, 40-minute sprint race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Lexus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio will take place on Sunday, May 15 at 2:10 PM ET, live on the USA Network and streaming on Peacock.

DRIVER QUOTES
Dwight Merriman
It was a good day. Everybody did their job. The crew did a great job which made the result possible. I was happy to pick my pace up from yesterday. I haven’t been here a ton in this car so I’m still learning and it’s coming together a little bit. Good result.

Ryan Dalziel
Today was a really good result. Coming into the event, we had an opportunity to leave here with driver point leads, and we accomplished that. It was a tough race, with only one yellow flag. The car was really good, the crew nailed their pit stops, and Dwight had a brilliant stint, so it was a good points day, and I’m glad it’s a quick turnaround to Mid-Ohio.

About Era Motorsport
Era Motorsport was formed in 2018 with the idea of providing unmatched excellence in historic racing. Just two years later, the team expanded to the world of professional sports car racing, fielding an Oreca 07 in the prolific IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2021, the team went on to win at the iconic Rolex 24 At Daytona, in what was their second attempt competing in the event. Motorsport isn’t just a hobby, it is a way of life: a passion that is in the team’s blood. Whether you find us in the IMSA WeatherTech paddock with modern prototypes or chasing down lap records in our fully restored classic sports cars, or even globetrotting to experience historic F1 at some of the world’s most iconic circuits, Era Motorsport has something for everyone. In 2021, the team secured a prestigious victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and also became class champions in the Asian Le Mans Series.

Hardpoint’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Team Continued to Show Promise While Raising Money For Racing To End Alzheimer’s

MONTEREY, California (May 1, 2022) – Hardpoint leaves WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a tenth-place finish in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and a 19th place finish in Saturday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race, with positives in both program’s runs. Both teams climbed into the top five positions at various points in their respective races.

The No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R of Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge earned their fourth consecutive top-10 finish to open the IMSA season, earning them in a variety of circumstances – endurance races, street circuits and sprint contests.

On Saturday, the No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport and co-drivers Nick Galante and Sean McAlister earned a hard-luck 19th place finish, running from the rear of the field up to fifth in the opening hour before falling back to mid-pack at the checkered flag.

No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R Race Notebook

• The result is the fourth-consecutive top 10 finish for Hardpoint to open the season. Only three other teams in the GT Daytona class can claim that feat.
• Those finishes have come in a 24-hour classic at Daytona, the grueling 12 hours at Sebring, a temporary street circuit sprint race and, now, a sprint race on a traditional road course at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
• Ferriol began the race in 12th position but moved into the top 10 on a pit stop under yellow 40 minutes into the race. Those two positions earned by the crew included a four-tire change and full fuel.
• The team dove to pit lane later during that full-course caution period, just past the 45-minute minimum drive time required for Ferriol. Unfortunately, time spent in pit lane does not count toward the time, meaning Ferriol was just short of the minimum based on the first pit stop. He would finish the final 40-minutes of the race, with Legge taking the middle stint.
• Off sequence to some of the class competitors during her stint, Legge nonetheless climbed as high as second place on the track before handing the car back to Ferriol.
• Ferriol’s sequence of laps on fresh tires with 30 minutes remaining made him the quickest car on track for a series of five laps.

No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Race Notebook

• Nick Galante may have provided the drive of the day, moving from 28th and last in the GS class all the way to fifth place. Galante picked up four positions on the opening lap and was running 17th at the full course caution just 20 minutes into the race. When several other cars pitted during that stop, Galante climbed to 8th and was running as high as fifth during his stint.
• The most impressive part of the run was that Galante was running off sequence of many of the class leaders. While running fifth, he was forced to keep a train of four cars on quicker tires behind him. Though three eventually came through, Galante put notice on the field in the stint.
• Galante started from the rear of the field despite qualifying with the 10th quickest time in the GS class due to a post-qualifying penalty that disallowed his qualifying times. IMSA rules require each team to turn in a data stick within a designated time frame, with rules stating that failure to comply “may result in qualifying times disallowed.”
• McAlister exited pit lane in 19th position following the team’s lone pit stop with just about an hour to go in the two-hour race.
• He also made up a handful of positions and was locked in a battle of his own when he spun exiting the Corkscrew. McAlister quickly rejoined, but ended the race in 19th position.
• Despite not beginning the season until round two at Sebring, the No. 22 Hardpoint entry sits 24th of 37 point scoring teams in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class team championship. That tally puts them ahead of two full-season efforts and in position to continue to climb the standings beginning in two weeks at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Hardpoint Quote Board

Rob Ferriol, Owner and Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “We made a big step this week in getting a handle on the Michelin tire and how it works with the GT3 R and the tire guidelines we have this year. The car was good in the race. It’s a double edged sword to finish lower than you had the potential to finish because of small errors that have an effect on the race. When you’re to the point where small errors are making a difference, it’s a good place to be. I personally enjoyed finishing the race for once, it was my first opportunity to finish a sprint race. Granted, it was because we were off by about five seconds in drive time but the guys gave me a good car. I was able to hold station and do a little bit of racing and finish in a top 10 spot. I can hold my head high, the team can hold their head high, and we’ll go off to the next one.”

Katherine Legge, Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “The car was good and we could have done a lot more with it. We made some unfortunate errors during the race, but we had good pace. Rob showed some good pace after the errors to finish the race. But everybody on the team keeps improving, so as long as we don’t make the same mistakes again we can learn and move on, and I know we will.”

Sean McAlister, Driver, No. 22 Porsche Cayman: “Nick handed off the car and did a hell of a job from where we started. It was hectic on the first restart with cars bombing into the brake zones, so I just tried to keep it clean and I think we ended up about the same spot at the end as when I got in. We each had a really good run, I got past a couple of cars and a late mistake cost us a couple of positions. But I was able to keep it off the wall and was working my way back but just needed some more time”

Nick Galante, Driver, No. 22 Porsche Cayman: “When you have that extra boost of friends and family at your hometown race, it helps. On paper maybe it shouldn’t, but it really does provide a home field advantage. And I was so happy to see the car filling up with all the names for Racing To End Alzheimer’s. Having that support helps, too, because I know we’re racing for something bigger. The car was great, I was so happy to see Hardpoint give me a perfect car. Sean McAlister did a great job powering through a stout field, and we’re on the verge of a great result very soon. I can’t wait to get to Mid-Ohio.”

About Hardpoint:
Hardpoint was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team captured the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro-Am championship in its inaugural season and competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R with co-drivers Ferriol and Katherine Legge, joined by Stefan Wilson for Michelin Endurance Cup races. In 2022, Hardpoint has added the No. 22 Racing To End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport driven by Nick Galante and Sean McAllister in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS). More information on Hardpoint can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Monterey, Calif. (May 1, 2022) — The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team achieved a well-deserved victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday afternoon, leading the second Acura one-two finish of the season. The win is the team’s first of the year, and crucial in their quest for the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title. The team is now tied for the lead in the overall standings with their sister Acura, the No. 60 MSR Acura team, with 1,325 points apiece.

For the driver pairing of Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor, the triumph marks their second Laguna Seca victory in a row for the team. Individually, it’s Ricky Taylor’s third consecutive victory at the Northern California road course.

“A great day for Acura, first of all,” said Ricky Taylor. “It’s their second one-two finish of the season and their fourth straight win at Laguna Seca. We knew it would be a strong one for us and we knew that having Acura finish one-two and maximize the points was the goal. It’s nice that we had the Konica Minolta Acura leading the charge. I can’t say enough about the team executing. All we needed to do this weekend was execute and do what we knew the car was capable of. To come away with maximum points and really close the gap in the championship was good.”

Taylor looked unimpeachable from the off, widening the gap to five seconds before an early caution bunched the field and he handed the controls to Filipe Albuquerque under yellow.

Albuquerque ran the bulk of the race, constantly under pressure from the sister Acura from behind. He fell to second place after a pit stop with an hour and fifteen minutes remaining, but wasted no time retaking the lead. In the end, the two Acuras were separated by a second—a dominant performance for the brand and a statement victory for WTR.

“I’m happy and relieved at the same time,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “We came to Laguna with a sense of duty. This is our best race track and it suits our car the best. We needed maximum points. It’s always easy to say, but knowing that we have that responsibility, doing it is a different thing. There was a weight of a lot of pressure on top of us. I was just happy that Ricky did an amazing job in qualifying, securing pole by eight one-hundredths of a second. Taking off, it seemed like we were in control, but whenever I was pulling away, traffic was pushing me back. I was frustrated for a good portion of the race. When I was P2, I was really mad. I couldn’t believe it. I’m happy that I found a little gap to put the car through and get the position back. Again, I was managing the race with the following car in my mirrors, but he never had a move to make on me. I’m glad those laps are over, but the car was great and the team did an amazing job.”

“I’m so proud of this team,” said team owner Wayne Taylor “These two drivers are incredible. The strategists are incredible. The mechanics, the support from HPD and Acura, our partners at Konica Minolta and Harrison Contracting—they make this happen. There’s no one person that makes this happen. It’s the whole group and we’re now tied with the No. 60 Acura ARX-05 for the lead of the championship.”

The 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season continues for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 in two week’s time with another sprint race, the Lexus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. Practice 1 begins at 4:00 p.m. ET on May 13th. Green flag for the two-hour and 40-minute sprint waves at 2:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 15th. Full coverage, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET, can be streamed on Peacock or viewed on USA Network.
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.

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R finishes third for the fourth year in a row

MONTERREY, Calif. (May 1, 2022) – Pipo Derani is in a rut at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The reigning IMSA DPi champion has finished third, co-driving the No 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, in the race on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn natural-terrain road course for four years in a row. But, for accruing championship points anyway, he’ll take it and move on.

Derani, splitting seat time with first-year teammate Tristan Nunez in the 2-hour, 40-minute race slowed by one full-course caution for 18 minutes, led the Cadillac DPi contingent in the fourth round of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.

“I’m really happy to come out of this race with the best Cadillac,” said Derani, who also co-drove to third place in the 12-hour race at Sebring International Raceway in March.

”I think we did the best we could. It’s a good points day for the team. We had to work hard on the Whelen Engineering car during the weekend. But come race day, it was very good. I’m really happy. To keep the No. 31 car on the podium here for the fourth year in a row is quite positive.”

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Tristan Vautier and Richard Westbrook, finished fourth overall after earning podium spots in each of the first three races. The No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, with Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber sharing duty behind the wheel, finished fifth.

The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R co-driven by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van de Zande, which came into the race weekend off a victory on the streets of Long Beach last month, developed a power supply issue early in the race that affected major systems. The crew spent considerable time attempting to address the problem but eventually the car was retired.
Felipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor co-drove the winning Acura.

Another 2-hour, 40-inute race is next up for Cadillac teams and drivers on May 13-15 on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R has finished second the past two years at the natural-terrain road course in Lexington.

USA Network will telecast the race live at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, May 15, with streaming on Peacock. IMSA Radio will broadcast the race at IMSA.com along with XM 207.
Cadillac Racing results and quotes

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R
Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez
Finish: Third Start: Sixth
Pipo Derani: “After we had the yellow flag and I was stuck behind the No. 5, the team pulled me in early (for a pit stop). Then, I had a really good out lap. Eventually, that helped us get ahead, and from there, we could do our own race. I’m really happy to come out of this race with the best Cadillac. I think we did the best we could. It’s a good points day for the team. We had to work hard on the Whelen Engineering car during the weekend. But come race day, it was very good. I’m really happy. To keep the No. 31 car on the podium here for the fourth year in a row is quite positive.”

Tristan Nunez: “The start was definitely difficult. I just tried to keep the rears underneath me. We had a good pit stop and we made some adjustments. We’ll take it. It feels like a win to us. We started in the back, and with a little bit of strategy and a major out lap by Pipo, we got into this position. To bring the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac to the podium is a good day.”

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R
Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook
Finish: Fourth Start: Fifth
Tristan Vautier: “We made the most of the opportunity. It was a rough weekend for us. We kind of struggled finding our way but hit it in the race, so we’re happy about that. Some things didn’t play out for us strategy-wise, but if somebody would have told us this morning that we would finish fourth, it would have been fine. A massive job from the team getting us to that point because last year we finished a lap down. We struggled on pace, but this year I think we were the strongest Cadillac over the last stints of the race.”

Richard Westbrook: “I think we absolutely maximized what we have. We had a really tough Saturday and a really tough warmup. We scraped it together and had a competitive car. We probably had a fourth-place car and we got fourth. I was surprised by how close all the Cadillacs were and all in all I’m really happy. We’re in a good spot.”

No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R
Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn
Finish: Fifth Start: Third
Earl Bamber: “I think we had a good car today and think we had a car for the podium. But, we didn’t execute well and we got some damage on the nose. So, we just had to bring it to the end to grab some points. It’s a shame to see those ones go away, but that’s motor racing. We will rebuild as a team and come back stronger for the next one in Ohio.”

Alex Lynn: “Not the day we dreamed of today. I thought we had a very strong car, but we didn’t make it happen. We will move on to the next one in Mid-Ohio.”

No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R
Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais
Finish: Sixth in class (32nd overall) Start: Fourth
Steve Eriksen (team manager): “During the race, we had an intermittent power issue which causes the whole electrical system to shut down, including the power steering. We took it back to the garage, switched out a couple of components to see if that would make a difference. We were able to get the car started again and it had the same problem, so the more time we spent on it the more we realized we just need to take it back and diagnose the problem.”

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.

Ferriol and Legge Co-Drive the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R While Galante and McAlister Ready For Home Race in No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche Cayman at Iconic West Coast Venue

MONTEREY, California (April 29, 2022) – Hardpoint returns to action this weekend for a pair of IMSA sprint races in two separate Porsche models at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, April 29 through May 1, highlighted by Sunday’s WeatherTech Championship race live on the NBC network. Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge resume their IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD class of the Championship, with Nick Galante and Sean McAlister co-driving the team’s No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge Championship Grand Sport (GS) class.

Saturday’s two-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge race can be seen live from the 2.238-mile racetrack streaming on Peacock beginning at 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. local PDT). Sunday’s two-hour, 45-minute WeatherTech race is live over the air on NBC at 3 p.m. EDT (Noon local PDT) and streaming commercial free on Peacock.

No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R Pre-Event Notes

• Ferriol and Legge combined for an eighth-place finish last season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
• Ferriol finished fourth in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition in 2019 at the track, the same season he earned a pair of runner-up finishes in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge in Monterey.
• Legge has had success at Laguna Seca as well. She won the GTD class race from pole in 2018 for Meyer Shank Racing, that program’s first GTD-class win.
• Ferriol and Legge enter the race tied for ninth in the GTD Driver’s Championship, with Hardpoint eighth in the Team Championship

No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Pre-Event Notes

• The Laguna Seca race is a hometown race for Nick Galante. Galante moved to the Monterey Peninsula 22 years ago to chase a pair of dreams – golf and motorsports.
• The golf portion came first, as Galante quickly became a caddy at Pebble Beach and then a driving instructor at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca before stepping into professional driving.
• Galante’s foray into professional racing began in earnest when he caddied for racing enthusiast Philip Frengs. Frengs’ company, Legistics, Inc., and eventually his charity Racing to End Alzheimer’s, has been a partner of Galante’s for six seasons.
• Galante was the ST class winner in 2018 driving a BMW.
• As the hometown favorite, Galante has participated in a number of event-related media activities in the lead-up to the race.
• This weekend is the closest thing to a home race on the Pilot Challenge schedule for Sean McAlister.
• McAlister has not raced at Laguna Seca since a fourth and a fifth-place finish in Porsche GT3 Cup in 2019.
• While the 25-year-old McAlister’s father is a fixture at the race track, McAlister’s mother will be attending this weekend’s race for the first time in his career – and just a week before Mother’s Day.
• Racing to End Alzheimer’s allows those who have been touched by the Alzheimer’s disease to add a loved one’s name and hometown to the race car for the season via a $250 donation through the R2EndAlz.org website. Through just two events this season, the No. 22 will carry 85 names on the car – including Galante’s late grandmother and his aunt.

Hardpoint Quote Board

Rob Ferriol, Owner and Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is one of my favorite stops on the IMSA schedule; it has so much character and such a rich history. The anticipation as you climb up the hill out of Turn Six and into the world-famous Corkscrew is unlike anything else on the calendar. Tire management this weekend is going to be huge. We did a really good job last year of producing a fast car late in the stint, but still struggled to get the tires turned on early. It’s going to be an even bigger challenge this year with the new tire pressure mandates, but I’m confident the Hardpoint crew, engineers, and drivers are up to the task!”

Sean McAlister, Driver, No. 22 Porsche Cayman: “It’s been a little while since I’ve been to Laguna Seca, but it’s always great to see it on the schedule. I love the track and it’s always a nice bonus that we can drive up instead of having to get on a flight. One of the reason’s it’s a favorite to go to for me is of course the location, but it’s also always an enjoyable experience. There’s a lot of great fans that come out to the event and the facility provides a great fan viewing experience and then the track is just awesome, high speed and one of the most iconic corners in motorsport with the Corkscrew. I don’t think that this being so close to home puts any added pressure on me, I just enjoy that it isn’t a long trip to the other side of the country. There are some extra guests coming this weekend, my mom will be attending and it’s the first race she’s going to be at ever since I started so that’s exciting and a few people from her town in Leona Valley are tagging along with her to come experience the races as well. If there was any added pressure it would be to perform well for them!”

Nick Galante, Driver, No. 22 Porsche Cayman: “This track has its own special mystique, because of the history here and because it’s where I got my start, and it was the track that drew me to motorsports to begin with. Everything I’ve been through at this place, and the fact that it’s my home track, combines to make it so special to me. I raced the Corkscrew in the video games I played for years, and when I finally drove down it, it didn’t disappoint. The turns preceding the straightaways are so important to get right to get a good lap. I’m really looking forward to being “home” here with Hardpoint and with Sean and think we can make some noise this week.”

About Hardpoint:
Hardpoint was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team captured the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro-Am championship in its inaugural season and competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R with co-drivers Ferriol and Katherine Legge, joined by Stefan Wilson for Michelin Endurance Cup races. In 2022, Hardpoint has added the No. 22 Racing To End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport driven by Nick Galante and Sean McAllister in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS). More information on Hardpoint can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

PHILADELPHIA, April 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RDS Automotive Group and Forty7 Motorsports announce a new partnership to compete in the International Motor Sports Association’s (IMSA) Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Series. This will be Forty7 Motorsports’ first venture into the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Series, where they will be running two cars provided by Lamborghini Greenwich and Lamborghini Philadelphia.

Forty7 Motorsports has been competing in various series within IMSA since 2016, including Porsche GT3 Cup, Prototype Challenge, IMSA Pilot Challenge, and their current ongoing efforts in the flagship WeatherTech LMP3 Series. As a team, Forty7 Motorsports has been watching the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series closely for several years. 2022 will finally see them on the grid with two cars initially and an expansion to four cars mid-season.

“In testing, we have seen a noticeable improvement in the new cars through driver feedback as well as quicker lap times. Many of the parts to complete the upgrades have been subjected to the global delays in shipping, which has pushed a lot of work to these final three weeks, but the team came together and got the job done. Squadra Corse has built an incredible series on and off the track for the teams and its dealer partners. Forty7 Motorsports and RDS were a natural fit, not only from a geographical perspective, but also because we both have a shared understanding of the value motorsports bring to a high-profile brand like Lamborghini,” said Garrett Kletjian, team principal of Forty7 Motorsports. He added “Forty7 Motorsports had previously been supporting RDS customers on the racetrack in other brands. This allowed us to showcase our special skillset, while building a relationship with Michael Romano, who oversees Motorsport for RDS.”

RDS Automotive Group is consistently focused on the motorsports heritage associated with its brands, and will continue expanding into exciting new ventures such as the Super Trofeo Series. “We are pleased to join Forty7 Motorsports for the 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo season and are confident they will represent us well. We expect Wyatt Schwab and Nick Parmelee to finish with a podium spot this season,” said Robert DiStanislao, president of RDS Automotive Group. Michael Romano, Director of Motorsport for RDS Automotive Group added, “Having a presence in pro racing, specifically the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series, is proof of just how committed we are to the brands we sell, our partners and our clients. Being in the high-end luxury super car business, many of our clients want to move from enjoying their cars on the road to experiencing them at their peak, on iconic racetracks around the world.”

For the opening event of the season, the team will head to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with cars representing Lamborghini Philadelphia and Lamborghini Greenwich. Drivers for the Philadelphia car are Wyatt Schwab and Nick Parmelee. Wyatt has been with Forty7 Motorsports since 2019, when at the age of 17 drove in their LMP3 program. Wyatt brings his speed and experience to the program as he accepts the new challenges of driving the Lamborghini Super Trofeo EVO2 car. Nick Parmelee has been racing and coaching in Arizona and Nevada for several years. He has experience driving the previous generation Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars and welcomes the opportunity to compete with the new EVO2 car in official series competition. The Lamborghini Greenwich car will be a piloted by a single driver, Jake Walker. Jake is a 16 year old from Valley Forge, PA that is no stranger to Forty7 Motorsports. He has been part of the Forty7 family since competing for the Forty7 Karting team at age 10 and went on to become the United States Champion in Rotax Kart competition. Jake has made a smooth transition to these 670hp Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars and has impressed in testing.

The tenth edition of the Super Trofeo North America will get underway in Laguna Seca on the weekend of April 29 through May 1, and will culminate with the final round at Virginia International Raceway, Aug. 26 through the 28. The continent’s champions will be crowned in Portimão, on Nov. 2 through the 4th. For series and schedule information, visit IMSA.com.

MONTEREY, CA (28 April 2022) – Irish Mike’s Racing continues its two-car assault on the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by Visit Cayman Islands this weekend with a visit to scenic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for a pair of races.

Conor Flynn is coming off a 10th-place finish in class in his first taste of street racing at Long Beach, driving the No. 95 FlynnCo Cars / Chillout Systems Porsche 992. Competing in the lead Pro class, he took 14th overall in the 31-car field after placing 15th overall and 12th in class on Saturday. He placed 15th in class in both races during the opening weekend at Sebring. The team had a two-day test at WeatherTech Raceway during the break between races and is looking forward to building some momentum as the team adapts to the new 992 platform.

“We made huge steps forward with our brand-new Porsche at Long Beach, in terms of development and learning it for the team,” Flynn said. “We worked on getting the car set up for the track properly at the test. Now we’re super excited heading toward this weekend’s big races.”

The test was Flynn’s first visit to the famed circuit.

“Since it was my first time at Laguna Seca, for me it was a matter of just learning the track,” Flynn said. “I’m happy that the race weekend won’t be my first time, when everyone else has been there before. At the test I learned a lot about the track – the proper gearing and all the turns. It’s a very smooth track, a unique track to drive. It’s a different style for me, someone who’s used to Sebring that’s extremely bumpy.”

It was also his first experience with the famed Corkscrew – a plunging downhill series of turns.

“It’s definitely different from what you see on TV,” he explained. “It’s a unique turn and a lot of fun. On TV you can see it coming up, but you’re in it before you know it when you’re actually in the car. It comes up a lot quicker and goes a lot faster than I thought it would. It’s a really cool turn, once you get used to it.”

Travel cancellations forced teammate Craig Conway to sit out the Long Beach weekend, with the veteran anxious to get back behind the wheel of the No. 97 Diamond Suzuki Porsche. Competing in Pro-Am, he finished 15th in the season-opener at Sebring, and 16th in the second race.

“Craig did really good at the test,” Flynn said. “He adjusted to the track really well with the new car, and he real excited about this weekend.”

The Laguna Seca weekend opens with a pair of practice sessions on Friday, at 8:30 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. (all times PT). Qualifying is Friday at 4:25 p.m. The 40-minute race one begins on Saturday at 11:50 a.m., with race two on Sunday at 8:40 a.m.