Category: IMSA

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Team Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports Breaks Through for First IMSA Podium Finish, Taking Third Place in GTD at the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona in No. 32 Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports, and team drivers Stevan McAleer, Mike Skeen, Scott Andrews and James Davison, made their debut Rolex 24 At Daytona a memorable one this weekend with a third place IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship GTD finish in the No. 32 Gilbert Korthoff (GK) Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. The break-through podium showing came in just the GK team’s fifth WeatherTech Championship GTD start, second major endurance race and first-ever 24-hour race. The GK Rolex 24 podium capped a successful week for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams across two racing series in IMSA’s season-opening weekend of competition at Daytona International Speedway, including three podium finishes, an IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge victory in the new bronze class and a top five in the debuting IMSA WeatherTech GTD Pro class.

Out of the record six Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries in the Rolex 24, the GK team stepped up to join its fellow Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams in a strong showing in both the GTD and GTD Pro classes throughout the twice-around-the-clock race. Each of the six entries led at least one race lap in the Rolex 24, with GK taking the lead three times at the front of the GTD field for 21 total laps led.

The GK No. 32 remained a fixture in the top five, and frequently broke into the top three, for 20 hours, remaining competitive throughout the race with each of its four drivers behind the wheel. Andrews drove the final stint and raced into third place after another lead competitor was assessed a penalty following the final restart of the race. The No. 32 crossed the finish line just over six seconds behind the second-place finisher and less than 20 seconds shy of the GTD class winner.

It was the second-consecutive year a Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer team reached the podium in its Rolex 24 debut. In 2021 Winward Racing drove a Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the GTD victory in its first Rolex 24, with a repeat win looking likely for the majority of this past weekend’s race.

Returning 2021 winning drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis were joined by Mikael Grenier and Lucas Auer in the pole-winning No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and stepped up as the GTD team to beat early in the race. From Saturday afternoon through early Sunday morning, Winward led the GTD field 13 times for a total of 151 laps, but a second-straight Rolex 24 race win was not in the cards.

A contact incident in the race’s second hour created a vibration that ultimately led to a costly front-end and hood repair early Sunday morning that put Winward nine laps down from the GTD leaders. Undeterred, Winward returned to the race and steadily picked up a few positions in the final five hours to finish sixth.

In the debuting GTD Pro division, Proton USA fielded a pair Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries for an international group of all-star drivers. The trio of Patrick Assenheimer, Dirk Müller and Austin Cindric co-drove the No. 15 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3 to a fifth-place class finish, persevering in a solo run to the finish after the team’s sister car retired at daybreak on Sunday.

Cooper MacNeil, Maro Engel, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella combined to lead 77 race laps in the No. 97 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3. Gounon was at the wheel and leading GTD Pro Sunday morning as the race entered its final quarter, but the No. 97 was in the pits 20 minutes later with a race-ending technical issue. A cooling system water hose worked its way loose and the No. 97 was retired due to overheating.

Two other Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries competing in GTD also saw promising and race-leading runs end far too soon. The No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Kenny Habul, Raffaele Marciello, Luca Stolz and Fabian Schiller led 25 laps early on, only to sustain heavy damage in a multi-car incident on track just before the race’s four-hour mark. Habul was uninjured in the incident.

Alegra Motorsports was competitive from the drop of the green flag with Michael de Quesada, Daniel Morad, Maximilian Götz and Linus Lundqvist co-driving the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. The No. 28 led three different times for 19 laps at the front of the GTD field in the race’s opening hours, but a technical issue forced the team to the garage and eventual retirement early Saturday evening.

A total of 10 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams competed at Daytona, including four Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries in Friday’s season-opening IMSA Pilot Challenge four-hour race.

Three Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries from Murillo Racing, and the No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Gary Ferrera and Kris Wilson, all finished within the overall top-14 in the four-hour race’s 31-car Grand Sport (GS) class field.

Ferrera and Wilson crossed the finish line 11th overall and first in the Bronze Cup class, a new championship within the overall 10-race GS schedule for Bronze-rated drivers, which most commonly designates sportsman or “Am” competitors.

Second in Bronze Cup, after a solid run to 14th overall, went to veteran teammates Brent Mosing and Tim Probert in the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Murillo’s other entries combined for a pair of GS and overall top-10 finishes. Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss finished eighth in the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 while Christian Szymczak and Kenny Murillo co-drove the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 to a 10th place finish.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing competitors in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is round two of each series during the 12 Hours of Sebring weekend a Sebring International Raceway, March 16 – 19.

Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I’m just extremely proud of all these guys. It’s our first time together, but there’s a lot of guys who have been here before and done this race. It’s a very promising start for the program, and I am really excited to see what we can do for the rest of the year. I am ecstatic to be on the podium. We obviously came here for a win, but this feels like a win at the moment. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 was really consistent throughout, even in really difficult temperatures all night and most of the day. We are starting off with some good points, and that puts us in a really strong position for the championship.”

Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This is a spectacular result for us. Moving up to the GTD class this year, this is my first big event with the new guys and taking on the talent level in this field is no small task. There were 22-plus cars in this field, and we have been running at the front all weekend. It is pretty special, and we are ecstatic for Mercedes-AMG as the highest finishing Mercedes-AMG GT3. I can’t thank the team enough. The car was solid, and it is very easy to drive on old tires, which is important in endurance racing.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a pretty tough Rolex 24 for us. We had a lot of issues throughout the race, but the team really worked hard to bring us back to the front several times. Just like everyone always says, this was a race about just trying to stay alive, and I think there was teams out there that did a better job at that than we did. It’s on to the next one, we have proven we can win here, and now I am looking forward to competing in a full WeatherTech Championship GTD season. I think we will be equally fast at Sebring.”

Mikael Grenier, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I think we should be proud. We were the team to beat, led many laps and from the start of the race we were always in the top three. Philip, Russell and Lucas did an amazing job, and I think the four of us were one of the strongest lineups in the GTD field. The little bit of damage was unfortunate, it was very, very light contact, but enough to create some issues that we paid the price for early Sunday morning. With 61 cars on track, these things can happen, so we just have to keep working hard and come back at Sebring.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “A bit unlucky and a very tough race for us. We had a little bit of contact at the very beginning of the race, which led to the hood letting go on the oval. That dropped us from contention for the win, and even a podium position. Up to that point, everybody had done a really good job, driving wise, the crew on pits stops, great strategy and we had a lot of laps as the leading car in GTD. It was looking strong for the second win in a row, but it wasn’t meant to be this time. We will just have to come back and try again next year.”

Dirk Müller, Driver – No. 15 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We just had to get the car to the finish line. We were in a position to take it if something happened there at the end. We needed some action in front of us to get on the podium, and it didn’t happen. Thanks to everyone on the team, Mercedes-AMG and to Patrick and Austin for being great teammates and strong drivers. It was an awesome experience. Fifth for us was a good result.”

Maro Engel, Driver – No. 97 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “First of all, a big thank you to Cooper and everyone on his team and Proton for all welcoming us in a great way. Our Mercedes-AMG GT3 was handling very well, and we were always in contention. We were leading and unfortunately had an issue in the early morning hours after which we had to retire. It’s a tough race here in Daytona. Last year I was one of the smiling winners, but we will take this one on the chin and come back next year and get the win again. A big thank you to everyone involved and to my three awesome teammates.”

Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 97 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a great experience to be a part of this team, our first race with them and Cooper, and we were in a very competitive position. Racing can sometimes be bittersweet, and only one can win, and it wasn’t meant to be this time. We really showed we were in the fight for it, and that is a good sign for the year and our confidence. We will keep going and keep fighting for good results.”

Jules Gounon, Driver – No. 97 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s disappointing for us. Our Mercedes-AMG GT3 was perfect from the start of the race, but we had to retire the car when we were P1, which is a difficult pill to swallow. The team did a great job in their first race with the Mercedes-AMG GT3, and the car was great as always. It was amazing to have Cooper on the car, and Dani and Maro did an amazing job as they always do. We will try again for a Rolex next year.”

Gary Ferrera, Driver – No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “This is a new team and a new car to me. I only drove the Mercedes-AMG GT4 a few times last year – it’s a proper race car and very strong – so I am super excited we can do this well. I desperately want top-10 overall finishes, and we were just outside of that due to one mistake on a pit stop, but other than that, things are fantastic. I am fairly new to the car, but Kris and I have been doing this for a while. We are kind of like an old couple!”

Kris Wilson, Driver – No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “This is our first win together in GS and we couldn’t have done it without Gary. The car worked well. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 is always great. The handling is great, and the braking is great. We will keep moving forward, hopefully do some testing and build on this solid result.”

Brent Mosing, Driver – No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “The Murillo Racing team was great. They are like one big family for us. Jeff and I are close. He is the youngest and I am the oldest of five in our family. We grew up together really close and loving cars. I have done 100 races through last year’s finale at Road Atlanta, and they have all been with Murillo Racing. That has been great and starting off with the four-hour race at Daytona is always great, and this is the first time Tim and I have done it by ourselves. We are both excited to finish the season off after this great start.”

Tim Probert, Driver – No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “This is so cool. Daytona is the birthplace of it all, the ‘World Center of Racing,’ so it means an awful lot to get our first bronze podium in the first bronze race at Daytona. The Murillo team gave us a great car, flawless, and the team did a perfect job. It was an awesome debut to the season for the Mercedes-AMG GT4.”

Eric Foss, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It was awesome to come back here to Daytona, especially with three cars. Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak in the No. 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4 is a huge addition to the team, adding additional good drivers to share the data and spread the load on setup stuff. It has really helped us work on the Mercedes-AMG GT4s.”

Kenny Murillo, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It was a really big challenge coming into Daytona with two new cars and three total. Everybody was up for the task, decided to give it our best shot, and I think we did that at Daytona. There are always things you need to improve as a team, but overall, I think everyone is happy with how the team performed and how our Mercedes-AMG GT4 performed. We wouldn’t have any other car.”

DAYTONA, Fla., (January 30, 2022) – Era Motorsport, defending Rolex 24 At Daytona winners, had high hopes of a repeat win this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Though the No. 18 Oreca had early race setbacks in the 24-hour endurance race, the drivers and crew of Era Motorsport kept pushing, determined to produce their best effort to the end. A mechanical issue ended the LMP2 team’s day early, just 30 minutes before the checkered flag.

“I’m absolutely gutted for the team,” said Kyle Tilley. “We assembled such an amazing group this year and they poured their hearts and souls into this race. Preparation began weeks ago and we were so hopeful. I am incredibly proud of the team’s persistence in the face of huge odds as the time ticked down. The crew and drivers should walk away from that proud of their efforts. They never once gave up, and they deserved so much better than where it ended. I cannot thank our crew enough for their dedication and passion. I am so proud to have each and every one of them with us at Era Motorsport.”

The No. 18 Oreca showed consistent speed and progress throughout the four practice sessions of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. After days of warm but overcast conditions, race day provided competitors with the exact opposite conditions: cold and sunny for Saturday afternoon’s start. Contrary to the fears of the 61-car field, the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona had a clean start, with no incidents in the opening laps. Dwight Merriman produced a strong opening stint, starting tenth and climbing up to eighth place in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 class.

Unfortunately, the Era Motorsport Oreca brought out the first of many cautions to fall upon the race, when Merriman had contact with the wall in turn six, 43-minutes running. Though the driver was unharmed and said the car was able to drive back, safety officials towed the car back to the team’s garage, costing them valuable laps. The team quickly got to work, putting a new nose on the front, and swapping the driver out to Paul-Loup Chatin. When the team rejoined in tenth as the field went back to green, the car was 10 laps down, but still hopeful to take advantage of the full course caution pass-around procedure to gain any lost laps back.

Chatin ran a smooth stint, keeping position in the LMP2 class, but climbing back up through the overall charts. Merriman took over the driving duties at dusk, continuing the mission to keep the car clean and gain any inch of ground available. In the seventh hour, Merriman pitted, giving the wheel of the Oreca machine to Ryan Dalziel, and quickly into his stint, Dalziel reported an issue with the car’s power steering. The car went back to the garage for the second time during the race, spending six laps off-track while undergoing repairs.

Rejoining sixteen laps down from the class leaders, the team knew the odds of repeating their historic win were small, but they never gave up hope. Despite the odds, the team pressed on, demonstrating persistence and their will to still pull together and achieve the best finish possible. Some attrition for Era’s competitors, as well as the team’s own consistency on track played into their own hands, gaining back five laps by sunrise on Sunday morning. Drivers Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel, Kyle Tilley, and Paul-Loup Chatin cycled through, hoping their consistency would play into their hands. In the end, sixth was the highest the team would climb before a mechanical issue with the gearbox resulted in the team retiring with 27 minutes remaining on the race clock.

The second race on the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will see the No. 18 Oreca return to Sebring International Raceway, with hopes of bettering 2021’s second-place finish at the 2021 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Endurance driver Kyle Tilley will join full-season drivers Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel to compete for the LMP2 win, March 16-19 in Sebring, Florida. For event information, visit imsa.com.

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.

Florida-based team takes its second consecutive Rolex 24 podium finish in treacherous overnight conditions

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (30 January 2022) – For the second time in two years, Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) captured a podium finish in one of the greatest endurance races in the world, the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway – season opener of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The Rolex 24 has a well-earned reputation as one of the most grueling motorsports events in the world. For the SCM team, the 24-hour roller coaster ride included freezing temperatures that rendered tire management absolutely critical, lap leads by both veterans and rookies, and a stomach bug that nearly upended their driver lineup.

A stellar lineup of veterans and rookies took the No. 33 SCM Exelixis Ligier JS P320 to the grid with the belief that they would contend for the victory, having scored a second-place finish in the team’s first Rolex 24 (though Sean Creech has competed in over half of the 60 Rolex 24 races). Four-time Rolex 24 winner João Barbosa and Dr. Lance Willsey (competing in his 12th Rolex 24) were joined by two rising sports car racing stars – Malthe Jakobsen and Sebastian Priaulx. The quartet took to the 3.56-mile combination road course and NASCAR oval on Saturday afternoon looking to improve that one step on the podium.

With grid positions set by last weekend’s 100-minute race, Willsey took the green flag in fifth position. After a single stint, he handed off to Barbosa, who quickly took the No. 33 into its first race lead of the day, for 14 laps. The veteran pair traded the seat back and forth through the first seven hours, steadily pacing in the top three.

As the sun set and temperatures dropped further, tire management became the name of the game. Barbosa and Willsey both found that the Michelin tires required at least three laps to come to temperature, with Willsey terming the out lap in the frigid air “diabolical.”

Priaulx was the first of the team’s rookies to head out on track for his first stint in a 24-hour race. Unfortunately, Priaulx immediately ran afoul of IMSA’s on-track systems, unknowingly running the red light at pit out, which resulted in a drive-through/plus 60-second penalty. Returning to the fray in third position, the 21-year-old Guernsey native was determined to gain his lap back – which he did in short order, gaining his lap back and retaking the lead with 14 hours remaining.

What made Priaulx’s eventual triple stint that much more impressive was the fact that he was battling the effects of a stomach bug throughout the stint, but refused to let that affect his performance behind the wheel.

Priaulx handed off to the 18-year-old Jakobsen, who took the helm under a full course caution. Taking the green with a 4.5-second lead, the young Danish driver put 15 seconds between himself and second position within five laps before handing back to Willsey. But as the morning hours marched on, and temperatures inched closer toward freezing, the caution periods fell against team strategy. With eight hours remaining, the team found itself in fifth position, two laps down but digging hard.

As Willsey completed his final stint, it was up to the three remaining drivers to continue the march. Willsey acknowledged the on-track deficit but reiterated his belief that the SCM trio would be able to get back into contention.

“There’s no question that it’s really difficult out there,” said Willsey. “I was struggling to get the tires to come in, the fronts especially. But the car is really good – and even though we’re a couple laps down, I like the driver lineup we have remaining, fast guys who can take this car to the front. The team has done a great job, we’ve done nothing but fuel and tires and that’s every team’s dream. It’s about blocking and tackling now, setting up the rotation for the final four hours.”

Willsey’s words would prove to be downright prophetic.

Jakobsen fought hard to get the leader behind him and took advantage of a timely full course yellow with eight hours remaining to climb to within one lap in second position. He handed the wheel to Priaulx, who piloted the car into the very welcome daylight hours as it became clear that the five contending LMP3 cars were on very different strategies and sequences but all battling loose race cars. Priaulx valiantly took the wheel for a double stint, fighting the balance and his stomach to complete his drive time, and the final five hours would come down to a rotation of Barbosa and Jakobsen.

Barbosa put the car in third position through his late race double stint, setting the team’s best race lap (on lap 510 of 670 race laps, with a time of 1:42.172) before handing the car to Jakobsen on the final pit stop. Claiming second place, Jakobsen held on through an extremely intense final 30 minutes that saw significant amount of paint exchanged throughout the field to give the team its second straight podium finish at Daytona.

“It was a long night!” said Jakobsen, whose stints came during the better part of 13 hours of darkness. “I got in rather late so all the running I did was in a very short time frame. It was so much fun. I’m happy to finish on the podium, even though it was so close to grabbing the win. I had no expectations, being my first 24-hour race. It was so tough, and I was really happy with how it turned out. The team did a great job, it was fun and that’s the most important part.”

“This was one of the most challenging races here, with the cold temperatures at night,” said Barbosa, who captured his 11th Rolex 24 podium. “We really had to manage the tires, but it was the same for everyone. It’s sweet and sour right now. You always want to win, but it’s such a tough race so to finish on the podium with this team is a real testament to all the work they’ve put in. They know what they’re doing and they did a tremendous job, as did all the drivers. We lacked just that little bit of luck with the yellows, and some speed at the end. But we’ll try again next year – we have to wait a full year but I’m so proud of this effort.”

“It was tough,” said Priaulx. “It’s as mentally hard as physically hard when you’re not well, but you have to push through it. It takes a lot out of you. I caught a bug and didn’t feel well under the safety car but you have to deal with it. I’m happy that we got through and that I was able to finish my stints. It was hard to manage in the cold, and it was frustrating to deal with the penalties, they put me really into the GTD traffic, but we gave it everything we had. It’s a privilege to be here, I appreciate the chance to race here. The team did a great job and to finish on the podium in my first Rolex, you can’t describe it. It does hurt a bit, not to get that top step, but hopefully I can come back!”

“When all you do for 24 hours is fuel and tires, good things are going to happen,” said Willsey. “I can’t say enough about the job that the crew did, the car ran perfectly for 24 flat out hours. We pushed this car hard, and here we are. Huge thanks to our partners, Alta Equipment and Focal One for the support.”

“We wanted one more step,” said Creech. “We’ve finished second to Bill Riley two years in a row. He’s a great guy and a great competitor, but we really wanted to get that win. We had a couple mistakes that set us back, but that’s how it goes. Neither Seb nor Malthe had ever been in a multi-class endurance race and they both did great; they didn’t put a wheel wrong. Lance and Joao were solid as usual, but the racing gods just didn’t lean our way. We’ll head to Sebring to go for the win and come back here next year to tackle this one again.”

Next up for Sean Creech Motorsport will be the 70th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring March 16-19 at Sebring International Raceway. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on the NBC family of networks, while international viewers can watch 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, includingGroup C, IMSA GTP, WTSCC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM moved to the WeatherTech Series in 2021 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey.

The No. 99 GridRival/GNARLY Jerky/de Boulle Porsche 911 GT3 R Carried the Hardpoint Foursome to a Competitive Finish Despite Damage and Time in the Garage

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 30, 2022) – Hardpoint completed the 60th edition of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Sunday afternoon in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener with an 10th-place finish that didn’t reflect the ultimate on-track pace of the team’s No. 99 GridRival/GNARLY Premium Jerky/de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The final 10th position came with just minutes to spare in the race, moving around a class car that that had recently retired with three minutes to go and grinding to the finish 35 laps behind the GTD leader. Hardpoint had spent time early in the race running in the top five but was forced to the garage early Saturday evening for repairs, setting them back in the field.

Co-drivers Rob Ferriol, Katherine Legge, Stefan Wilson and Nick Boulle began the race in 14th position in the 22-car GT Daytona (GTD) class with Boulle behind the wheel. Over the course of his two-hour stint on Saturday afternoon, Boulle improve to 11th before handing the car over to Wilson for the next leg of the race.

Wilson continued the team’s climb during his double stint, moving comfortably into the top five and reaching as high as second in the standings as a round of pit stops cycled through. That run through the field was Wilson’s debut in the classic 24-hour race, in part through a partnership with Hardpoint and Cusick Motorsports that will see Wilson join the Legge and Ferriol for all Michelin Endurance Cup races in 2022.

The early promise faded quickly just after the six-hour mark, however. Still running competitive lap times, now with Ferriol behind the wheel, the Hardpoint Porsche 911 GT3 R ran to the inside of a Prototype 2 class car that was 10 laps off the pace and had run wide in turn three. The Prototype and Ferriol made side-to-side contact, damaging the splitter, front right damper and bending the steering rack, which forced the team to the garage for a one hour and 15-minute repair.

Despite a tremendous effort by the Hardpoint crew, the unscheduled work left the team 37 laps down and in 17th place when they returned to the track.

The team and drivers went back to work, running lap times matching their earlier top-five pace, led by Legge’s team-best 1:45.895 (121.025 mph). The combined effort throughout the night and into Sunday afternoon saw the team make up six additional spots to land in the top 10 at the finish with 672 laps completed for a total of 2,392.32 miles.

Hardpoint returns to action with season-long drivers Ferriol and Legge, along with Wilson, in the No. 99 GridRival/GNARLY Premium Jerky/de Boulle Porsche 911 GT3 R for another historic endurance race, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway, March 16 – 19.

Hardpoint Quote Board

Rob Ferriol, Driver and Hardpoint Owner, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “We’d be a DNF if it weren’t for the guys and gals behind the wall here. We lost 30 laps after the incident with the P-car and they put it back together. They replaced shocks, splitters, bumpers, diffusers, the steering rack, and got us back out on track so that we could fight and got it back up to P10. At the end of the day, it’s their P10 and their finish. In stick and ball sports, plays can change the momentum of the game. But in racing, one single moment, one error, can change the entire outcome of the race. We had a great car, we had a great lineup, everyone was competitive, and we were very racy. Unfortunately, the incident last night put us behind and I think without that we would have had a really good position. We’ll take that P10 and the positives that come with it and roll on to Sebring.”

Stefan Wilson, Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “You have to reset expectations when things happen like that in the middle of the night. I’m really happy with the ability to experience this event and also use it as much as possible as a learning exercise for myself. From where I started this event to where I finished, I learned a ton about driving this Porsche 911 GT3 R and I’m excited to take that experience on to future events. The team did an amazing job and really put us into contention straight away, the car was handling amazing, we just had some bad luck. What was amazing was the bounce back the team had, repairing the car and showing some grit to come back and take a top 10. We cut it close but to get it in the last few laps was special.”

Katherine Legge, Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “This showed the promise and how much we had grown since last year because we were fast. If we hadn’t sustained the damage we could have been in with a shot at the podium and the win. So I’m disappointed for that but really impressed with Rob’s pace. Especially his last couple of stints, he was doing the same pace as the leaders and that’s really good news, too. This team fights and they never give up and I think we’ll show them at some point soon what we’re made of and what we’re capable of.”

Nick Boulle, Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “The team worked so hard leading up to the race and then all night. Tire guys, fuel guys, they really did a good job and no one made a mistake that cost us a significant amount of time. It’s bittersweet because it was a great top 10, but there was a result in this if we had kept it clean. Hopefully we’ll take this experience on to something bigger the next time and come home with some hardware in the future.”

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 a Porsche 911 GT3 R with co-drivers Ferriol and Katherine Legge. More information on Hardpoint can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Daytona Beach, Fla. (January 30, 2022) — The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team finished in second position in the 60th Running of the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA with a persevering performance that saw them fight back from two laps down to secure a podium finish. The blue and black Konica Minolta machine contested the lead until the very end with co-drivers Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi achieving the team’s fourth consecutive trophy at the crowning event on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar and bringing home a one-two finish for Acura Motorsports and Honda Performance Development. The Konica Minolta team currently holds second place in the championship just behind this year’s 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona winner, the No. 60 MSR Acura ARX-05 team.

Filipe Albuquerque led the field away from green and despite bitterly cold track temperatures, kept the team in the top-five throughout his early stints, handing the car to British driver Will Stevens with 22 hours remaining in the race. Stevens’ first IMSA endurance seat time saw him take the lead before unavoidable contact cut a tire. Despite falling two laps off the lead, Ricky Taylor put his head down and, with the help of numerous cautions, stormed back to the front, as dusk fell on Daytona Beach.

Alexander Rossi, Filipe Albuquerque, and Will Stevens rotated through the late hours of the night and early morning, before Taylor handled the difficult day-to-night transition in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura. The team fluctuated between first and third as the near-freezing overnight temperatures did little to cool the hotly contested DPi battle for the overall lead.

Rossi and Albuquerque took turns behind the wheel as the Sunday sun rose higher and the clock ticked down, battling for the lead amongst the top-three competitors, before Taylor once again took the helm for the final fight to the finish, just seconds behind his former teammate and co-winner of the 2021 Rolex 24 trophy last year, Helio Castroneves.

“I’m very proud of being part of the Acura/HPD program and sponsored by Konica Minolta, Harrison Contracting and CIT,” said Team Owner Wayne Taylor, who was named Honorary Grand Marshal and honored in the pre-race festivities with fellow recipients Marion Andretti, Hurley Haywood, Jack Roush, Bobby Rahal and Scott Pruett. “A big thanks goes out to everyone on my team. The drivers all did an outstanding job. Obviously, I wanted to win, but if I wasn’t going to win I wanted an Acura to win. I didn’t want anything else, so I feel great to be part of such an amazing manufacturer who understands racing and how to communicate with people. They really care about everyone on the team. I see a great future together with Acura and all my partners. Four in a row was going to be a new record and it just didn’t happen. It’s what you live with. I’m more upset for the drivers and team, to be honest, than I am for myself. I know how hard they all worked. Ricky, Filipe, Will and Alex were outstanding throughout and the team fought back from adversity. We were two laps down and they did what they do. I’m very happy and I’m so glad there was a one-two for Acura who were up against five Cadillacs and the might of Ganassi and Action Express. We did it again.”

After becoming the most prolific qualifier in IMSA history in 2021 and winning the Michelin Endurance Cup, veteran and two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion Ricky Taylor scored his second consecutive Rolex 24 at DAYTONA podium to kick off 2022.

“A great day for Acura,” said Ricky Taylor. “HPD does so much work for us and I think it shows in the reliability. We were up against five other Cadillacs versus two Acuras. The reliability was amazing and the performance of the engine and the cars was flawless. The team executed beautifully, but I just didn’t have enough at the end to go get Helio. I’m disappointed right now, but tomorrow we’ll begin working towards Sebring. I think it’s a really good start to the year. I’m really proud to have my teammates next to me, they all did an amazing job. Thanks to Konica Minolta, Harrison Contracting and all the guys that gave us the opportunity to be here. Looking forward to Sebring now. It can’t come soon enough.”

Returning full time co-driver of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 and 2021 Michelin Endurance Cup Champion Filipe Albuquerque, who has won at Daytona twice in DPi and once in GT machinery, commented on the hard-fought trip around the clock to secure his second consecutive Rolex 24 podium.

“What is there to say,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “It was a great job from everyone at Wayne Taylor Racing, Konica Minolta and Acura. Congratulations to Acura for the one-two finish. To be honest, I don’t think anyone expected that because I don’t think we had pace to match the Cadillacs, but that’s how it unfolded. When it’s that close, you want to win. It’s such a long race, everyone is so tired. The emotions are strong when you win, and emotions are really strong when you lose. We’re all sad, especially when we were so close, but it is what it is. We continue the championship, and our focus is now on Sebring.”

Will Stevens, who made his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racing debut during the Rolex 24. With a podium in his first effort, he remains fully focused on improving at the next round.

“Overall, it’s obviously not the result we wanted,” explained Will Stevens. “We came here with high hopes and we came here to get the win – the result these guys deserve. We’re disappointed, but it’s a great result for Acura, finishing first and second. As it’s my first time with the team, I’d have loved to win, but we can be proud of the fight we put up, and next time we can do one better in Sebring.”

Seven-time INDYCAR race winner, 2016 Indianapolis 500 champion, 2021 Baja 1000 Winner, 2021 Rolex 24 Champion and 2021 Endurance Cup Champion Alexander Rossi gave his thoughts on his second consecutive Rolex 24 podium with the team.

“We almost did it,” said Alexander Rossi. “It’s amazing for all of Wayne Taylor Racing to be able to say that they had an opportunity to win a historical four in a row. Ultimately, we came up a little short, but an amazing day for Acura and HPD. To get a one-two finish here in a race where, historically, they’ve struggled. To finally get the results and to get two Rolex 24 at DAYTONA wins in a row and a one-two today is amazing. It’s special to be a part of it.”

Thursday, March 17th will mark the start of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Autoparts weekend with Practice 1 at 10:15 a.m. EST. Green flag for the 12-hour battle waves at 10:40 a.m. EST on Saturday, March 19th.
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. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac races to third place in twice-around-the-clock event

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2022) – Taped front and center in the JDC-Miller MotorSports hauler is a big, bold and inspirational message for the four drivers of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R and crew. Believe.

It is a reflection of the passion of the entire organization, which in the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona – and every IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race – lives by the credo of when you all pull together, you move as one.

With Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Luic Duval and Ben Keating sharing the seat of the powerful and nimble Cadillac DPi-V.R, the little team that could placed third by a mere 4.420 seconds in the twice-around-the-clock race to lead the five-car Cadillac contingent.
The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, with reigning IMSA DPi driver champion Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez and Mike Conway behind the wheel, finished fourth for defending IMSA DPi team champion Action Express Racing.

“It makes it bittersweet, but what a great job by the team overall,” said Vautier, who earned his first Rolex 24 podium finish in the DPi class. “We were in contention the whole way and probably the fastest car all the way to the end, so that’s what makes it feel bittersweet because we thought we could have gotten it.

“But, overall, my first podium in the Rolex 24. Big thanks to the team for the hard work over the winter to make us so competitive. We didn’t get a Rolex but we can still celebrate.”

The Rolex 24 At Daytona race lap record changed hands five times among four Cadillac DPi-V.R entries.

Alex Palou, driving the No. 1 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, etched his name in the IMSA record book with a lap of 1 minute, 33.724 seconds on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway road course with just under two hours left in the race.

At dawn, Earl Bamber returned to the track following time in the garage to replace a fuel pump in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R to reset the record with a lap of 1:33.811. Bamber bested the lap of Loic Duval (1:33.834) in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R. Earlier in the race, Kevin Magnussen (1:34.000) in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R and Renger van der Zande (1:34.02) in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R broke the record set in 2019.

The No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R returned to the garage in the 13th hour after being bumped off course. Minutes later, the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R – the overall leader at the time – pitted for fuel and tires with Sebastien Bourdais behind the wheel. The call was made to head to the garage to address an electrical issue. Both cars returned to the race to collect season championship points.

Cadillac DPi-V.R entries return to action March 17-19 for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.
Cadillac Racing results:
No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)
Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval, Ben Keating
Finish: Third overall

Loic Duval: “Happy about our race in general, but we had it. I think we were the only Cadillac able to win the race. I was able to catch up (after being pushed off course on late restart) but I was way too far away. Frustration because I think we had something. The whole team tried everything we could.”

Richard Westbrook: “We had a 20-second lead and it was all comfortable. We know with IMSA racing that you can never sit on your laurels. There’s always going to be a yellow. It was just bad luck. They (IMSA) didn’t give us the opportunity to pit and the two Accuras did (just before a yellow flag) and it changed the nature of the race. Up to that point, it looked like we had it covered. I’m just proud of this team getting a podium. It’s a great start to my DPi journey.”

Tristan Vautier: “It makes it bittersweet, but what a great job by the team overall. We were in contention the whole way and probably the fastest car all the way to the end, so that’s what makes it feel bittersweet because we thought we could have gotten it. But, overall, my first podium in the Rolex 24. Big thanks to the team for the hard work over the winter to make us so competitive. We didn’t get a Rolex but we can still celebrate.”

Ben Keating: “What an incredible race that was run by the team. We were there at the end because of how consistent we were. If we wouldn’t have had any of those yellow flags at the end, we would have won it. We had a 20-second lead because we were consistent without any mistakes. The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac was incredible to drive and I’m excited to be on the podium in the Rolex 24. My time behind the wheel was the most fun I’ve ever had in a race car.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)
Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez, Mike Conway
Finish: Fourth overall

Pipo Derani: “We tried and unfortunately it didn’t happen this time. At least we were there to put up a good fight at the end. We had no pace after that last restart. We have to analyze why. A big thank you to Whelen Engineering, Cadillac and the Action Express Racing team. It is good points for the championship. We finished the race flawlessly without any problems. Just a shame we wanted a little bit more. We will focus on Sebring and the Championship. Tristan did a great job in his first race with us and I am looking forward to working with him leading up to Sebring.”

Tristan Nunez: “For my first race with the team in the Whelen Cadillac and it is hard to ask for more with a fourth-place finish. Obviously, we want to win, but the car is in one-piece and we have a long season ahead. Last year they didn’t have that great of a 24 and won the championship. We have a long season ahead of us and lots of races to look forward to.”
Mike Conway: “Like Pipo said we were struggling there at the end with grip. We were hoping to duke it out upfront and at least have a go. After a few laps we couldn’t quite stay there. It was a great effort by the Action Express team. We had really good pace all race. Then we kind of fell a bit short. Credit to everyone on Whelen Cadillac for the work over the last two weeks. We were hoping for at least a podium, but it wasn’t to be.”

No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)
Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez
Finish: Fifth in class; 11th overall (-22 laps)

Jimmie Johnson: “All in all, we had a reasonable Ally Cadillac and a reasonable opportunity to win. I was overtaking a P2 car into the night. My right rear tapped his front going into the Esses in Turn 2, and with that touch it broke the rear suspension and sent me off spinning into the grass. That is where we lost all of our laps. I went through there 50 or 60 times through the course of the weekend and that one time I tapped another car and broke the Ally Cadillac. Every lap matters for us. We are not regulars. For Action Express and Hendrick Motorsports the more reps we get behind the wheel the better we will be.”

Kamui Kobayashi: “Obviously, it was a shame not to be fighting with the leader. I think we had a good pace. I think we had the potential to fight, but maybe not to win. I think for the 24 we had a good run with Jimmie, Jose Maria and Mike. The team did a great job. We did our best. Ally and Action Express gave us a good car. This has been my first race of the season for the last couple of years and puts me into a good mood for the season. Thanks to the team and IMSA for a great couple of weeks.”

Mike Rockenfeller: “Like I said before the race, you can win or you can be last. I mean you have to stay so clean here you have to make it through the night. We got caught up in traffic and had an incident there. It is part of the game. You overtake so many cars so many times in your stint, sometimes you get squeezed and there is a little touch. It took a while to repair and you cannot recover. We had a good Ally Cadillac and everyone worked hard and drove good. We will come back and try again at Sebring.”

Jose Maria Lopez: “The Action Express boys did a great job with the car and on pit lane today. The Ally Cadillac had good speed throughout the race. We had some bad luck with contact with Jimmie, but the team was able to make the repair and get us back in the fight. This is such a great race, I had a great time running my first race at Daytona. It was an honor to race with Jimmie and my friends Rocky and Kamui.”

No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)
Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Marcus Ericsson, Kevin Magnussen
Finish: Sixth in class; 12th overall (-27 laps)
Alex Lynn: “I guess heartbroken doesn’t sum it up enough. Mostly I believe our Cadillac was the car to win, but that is endurance racing. So many times, 24-hour races can break your heart, but it’s that one time when it goes seamlessly that makes it worth it. We will be back to try again. A big thank you to everyone because the car was faultless and yeah, we won’t give up.”

No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)
Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou
Finish: Seventh in class; 14th overall (-39 laps)
Renger van der Zande: “We were ready to go at the end, get me in to fight for the win. But when I came out of bed, basically what happened is we had an issue and I found out we were many laps down. Managed to help a little on the Cadillac side. Disappointed, but I think we had the fastest car.”

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.