Category: IMSA

Mooresville, NC (12 November 2021) – Jr III Racing is set to contest the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (IWSC) in the LMP3 category with Ari Balogh and Garett Grist. The growing team will field the Airbnb Ligier JS P320 in their first full season campaign in the top echelon of North America sports car racing.

In preparation for their 2022 campaign, Jr III Racing is partaking in the Motul Petit Le Mans this weekend at. Balogh and Grist are joined by Spencer Pigot for the 10-hour season finale on Saturday, November 11th. The 10-hour race will be the first endurance race in team history but made their IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship debut this year at Road America.

Jr III Racing will continue their IMSA Prototype Challenge program with two entries – one of those for Balogh and Grist who will run both series next season. The No. 3 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320 will complete the IPC lineup for the team.

“I am thrilled to be representing Jr III Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship next season,” said Grist. “Becoming a part of this team has been seamless and everyone works at a high professional level. Ari (Balogh) and I have shown that we are capable of contending for wins and by taking this partnership that we have to IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship we will be in a great position to represent Jr III Racing well.”

In preparation for their 2022 campaign, Jr III Racing is partaking in the Motul Petit Le Mans this weekend at Road America. Balogh and Grist are joined by Spencer Pigot for the 10-hour season finale on Saturday, November 11th.

Dallas-based team adds additional Michelin Pilot Challenge entry for Finale

DALLAS, Tex., (November 9, 2021) – NTE Sport’s freshman season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will end next weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as the team competes in the season finale, Motul Petit Le Mans. Don Yount, Jaden Conwright, and Benjamin Hites will drive the No. 42 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, racing in the ten-hour endurance event on November 13. The young team has also expanded its program, adding a Michelin Pilot Challenge entry to the weekend, with Jean-Francois Brunot and Kerong Li driving the No. 41 Audi R8 GT4.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
In their debut season, the team has completed three races in its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD class, impressively earning a top-five finish in their second round at the Six Hours of the Glen with drivers Don Yount, Jaden Conwright, and Markus Palttala.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time,” said Team Owner Paul Mata. “Our program is small, but we’ve shown that we’re able to race well and work the strategy in what is a very competitive class. Don and Jaden have really adapted to the car well, and we’re excited to welcome Benjamin and see what we’ve got!”

Yount is the only driver to compete in each of NTE’s events this year, having previous experience in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge, and Prototype Challenge. Conwright made his IMSA debut this year at Watkins Glen International, where his talent was first showcased to the field in his third-place qualifying session. The pair, with Markus Palttala, finished fourth, showing a competitive performance for a podium finish.

At 22 years old, Benjamin Hites will make his IMSA WeatherTech debut next weekend. The Chilean race car driver first appeared in sports car racing in 2017, competing in the Top Race Series Argentina, where he stayed for two years. By 2018, Hites was competing in the United States, participating in Ferrari Challenge North America, earning two wins and five podiums. He continued to gain experience around the world, participating in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, and the International GT Open, where he celebrated a win in September.

Forty-three entries are slated to run in the final race, and the GTD class will be comprised of 15 cars, each also running three drivers. While the partial-season team is not in the hunt for any championship titles, the group behind the No. 42 Audi will still be eager to finish the season on a strong note to provide momentum into the 2022 season.

“Even though we’re putting a lot of resources into the final race of the year, we’re also working hard to set up a strong 2022,” said Mata. “We are working on a couple of various things for next season, and hope that a great finish at Petit Le Mans will provide a strong momentum into the new year.”

Motul Petit Le Mans will take place from 12:10 pm to 10:10 pm Eastern on Saturday, November 13, with live coverage beginning on NBC, then switching to NBCSN starting at 3:00 pm. IMSA Radio will offer live, commercial-free audio coverage of qualifying and the race. International listings and full event information can be found on imsa.com.

DRIVER QUOTES | IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
No. 42 Audi R8 LMS

Don Yount
I’m looking forward to a return to Atlanta to run in Petit Le Mans. I’m excited to see what November weather brings to the race. I know NTE and my co-drivers will bring their best game to the event.

Jaden Conwright
I’m very thankful that everyone from NTE Sport is giving me another opportunity to run with them again in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship in their Audi R8 GT3. Like Watkins Glen, I haven’t been to Road Atlanta before in my career, but I’ll be looking to continue to build off the momentum that we created earlier this year. It looks like it’s shaping up to be a grueling and competitive Motul Petit Le Mans, but there’s no doubt that we have the right guys and equipment to take on the challenge and aim for that podium that we came just short of in Watkins Glen!

Benjamin Hites
I’m really happy to join NTE for Petit Le Mans and to make my IMSA debut in such an important race. I would like to thank Paul and the entire NTE Team to trust me the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, and I’m looking to achieve a good race result alongside Jaden and Don.

Michelin Pilot Challenge
This weekend, the team will also return to its Michelin Pilot Challenge roots, racing the No. 41 Audi R8 GT4.

This weekend will mark a new chapter for Kerong Li, born in Xian, China, and now a student at Boston, University. Li started his motorsports career at the Primal Racing School in Atlanta, Georgia, then graduated to race radical cars. He advanced to the F4 US Championship and this weekend will make his sportscar racing debut in Friday’s Michelin Pilot Challenge race.

Born in Madagascar but now residing in Atlanta, Georgia, Jean-Francois Brunot will get to enjoy the home-race experience this weekend. His lifelong passion for competitive racing saw him racing his first Motocross bike at six years old and karting by age twelve. He climbed the U.S. sports car racing ladder, obtaining success in SCCA, NASA, Mazda MX-5 Cup, and more before joining the professional ranks of IMSA, 24H Series, and various other international sports car racing championships.

The Fox Factory 120 will begin on Friday at 1:10 pm Eastern, airing live on imsa.tv and NBC SportsGold’s TRACKPASS. Fans can also listen to live IMSA Radio coverage throughout the weekend and follow live scoring all on imsa.com.

BRASELTON, Ga. (8 Nov. 2021) – After starting 2021 off in a big way with Wayne Taylor Racing’s win in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Justice Brothers will look to end the IMSA season on another high with a big result in this weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans.

After enjoying success in both IndyCar and NASCAR racing since 1950, Justice Brothers’ involvement in sports cars began in 2015, when Ed Justice Jr. sponsored the winning GTD Park Place Porsche. Justice Brothers joined Wayne Taylor Racing in 2016 and scored an overall victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2017. They also won Motul Petit Le Mans with the team in 2018 and 2020.

Wayne Taylor Racing also scored the overall victory in America’s third-oldest consecutive- running endurance race in 2014, while team principal Wayne Taylor was lead driver in winning the inaugural Petit Le Mans in 1998, driving a Doyle-Risi Racing Ferrari 333SP. Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Alexander Rossi will share the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05, looking to also clinch the season championship in the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship finale.

“It’s always dramatic to come to the end of the season with an endurance race,” said Ricky Taylor, oldest son of the car owner. “This race track rewards an aggressive style and some risk, but also carries a high penalty for risk as well. Balancing that, especially given the tight points battle, brings a lot of drama, but we know that coming to these big endurance races, the No. 10 car is always there.”

Justice Brothers joined Wayne Taylor Racing in winning the 2021 season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, with the team leading the DPi championship throughout the entire season.

“I think a lot of our success comes down to our experience and attention to details,” Taylor said. “There’s a core group of guys who have been here for 14 years, and with that accumulated knowledge they know what they need to focus on, and then communicating that to the drivers. Although we are pushing ten-tenths, they let us know the little things we could do to make the car last longer and keep it in better condition. Strategically, they make sure we’re there at the end and in a position to win.”

The team recently had a successful test at Michelin Raceway, but Albuquerque said the race – especially the closing hours – could be a different story.

“Petit is one of the best races in the world,” Albuquerque said. “It’s a challenging track when you are testing, and then it’s a totally different track when you are racing. Those final hours here at night – with the traffic and fighting for the championship – is still another thing. You start passing everywhere, and it just goes wild. It’s great for the fans, and crazy for the drivers.”

The Justice Brothers will be sponsoring another leading contender for overall honors with the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing No. 60 Acura ARX-05 DPi with Juan Pablo Montoya, Dane Cameron and 2021 Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves. Justice Brothers helped Shank to back-to-back IMSA GT Daytona crowns in 2019 and 2020, and has moved up to continue to sponsor car owner Mike Shank at sports car racing’s highest level, in addition to co-sponsoring Castroneves’ record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory for MSR in May.

Justice Brothers, Inc. is a manufacturer and worldwide distributor of over 100 car care products, fleet, farm, and industrial lubricants and cleaners. Since their beginnings in the additive industry, the Justice Brothers Corporation has been an innovator in the development of technically advanced products to solve problems in the automotive service industry. During their over 85 years in the automotive industry, Justice Brothers has built a large and loyal customer base that encompasses quick lubes, dealerships, and independent auto stores.

Atlanta Driver Ryan Eversley Joined by Tyler Stone Carrying Atlanta-based Hella Pagid on the No. 94 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

BRASELTON, Georgia (November 9, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks is bringing their own hometown flavor to its home race for this week’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, where the team’s No. 94 Hella Pagid/Sabelt Honda Civic TCR will be piloted by Ryan Eversley and returning driver Tyler Stone.

Friday’s two-hour Fox Factory 120 is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. EST and can be streamed live via TrackPass on the NBCSN app. The race will be rebroadcast at 1 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 23 on NBCSN.

Atlanta Speedwerks is based in nearby Gainesville, Georgia, and team owner Todd Lamb calls Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta the team’s home track. Eversley, who is from Atlanta, currently sits sixth in the driver’s championship point standings heading into his home race.

Eversley and Stone will carry the logo of partner Hella Pagid once again, whose U.S. base of operations for their performance brake systems is in suburban Atlanta.

Atlanta Speedwerks had a successful run at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta a season ago, where Lamb and Brian Henderson earned the TCR class pole position and finished on the podium with a third-place finish.

Henderson will miss this year’s season finale for the impending birth of his first child, opening the door for a return to Atlanta Speedwerks for Stone.

Stone has driven with Atlanta Speedwerks before, driving the No. 94 Honda Civic TCR at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in 2019, pre-pandemic. That was the most recent of 15 career starts in IMSA competition, coming mainly in Touring Car classes in Pilot Challenge and previous iterations of the championship.

In addition, the No. 94 Hella Pagid/Sabelt Honda Civic TCR will carry an in-car camera for the television broadcast of the Fox Factory 120 on Friday afternoon.

The race event, the season finale for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season, begins on Wednesday, November 10 with a 2:15 p.m. EST practice session. Thursday, November 11 features a second one-hour practice followed by qualifying at 3:55 p.m. EST. That qualifying session sets the grid for the two-hour Fox Factory 120, which takes the green flat at 1:10 p.m. EST.

Todd Lamb, Owner: “We’re really looking forward to coming back to our home track of Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, to welcome back Tyler and pair him with Ryan. It’s a chance to race in front of some friends and partners at Hella Pagid, and friends and family of both the team and of Ryan’s since we’re so close to home. Obviously we’ll miss Brian Henderson this week, but he’ll be rooting us on from home. This is always a difficult race but we’re hoping to repeat our podium performance from a year ago and finish the season on a high note.”

Tyler Stone, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “I am really excited about the opportunity to be back with Atlanta Speedwerks and am looking forward to teaming up with Ryan Eversley. I believe with Tod and the guys behind the wall we should be in a great position for a strong finish.”

Ryan Eversley, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “It’s the last race of the year and I’m happy that it’s my home track, and the team’s home track as well! I know we’ll have a lot of fans cheering the Atlanta Speedwerks team on all week. Tyler and I will have our work cut out for us getting gelled quickly but with his experience at Road Atlanta and racing in TCR before, I think we’ll be able to fight for a result. This crew has been working hard all season long and I’d love for us to bring home a trophy to thank them for their efforts this year.”

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

North America’s Premier Vintage and Historic 24-Hour Race Runs Next Week at Daytona International Speedway for the Seventh Time

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (October 20, 2021) – The entry list for the 2021 Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Classic Daytona presented by IMSA has been posted, and the seventh running of the Classic 24 Hour race at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), October 27 – 31, has attracted a stout lineup of former race winners, debuting contenders and a strong contingent of Stuttgart’s finest in support of Porsche as the official marque of this year’s event.

Debuting in 2014 at the “World Center of Racing,” the immediate success of the inaugural HSR Classic Daytona called for a second running in 2015. After a year off, the 24-Hour classic race on the 3.56-mile DIS road course returned in 2017 and is now an annual fixture on the HSR calendar.

The HSR Classic Daytona features seven different Run Groups competing in succession for a full 24 hours on the iconic Daytona International Speedway (DIS) 3.56-mile road course. The various period-correct classes within each Run Group combine to make just about any closed-wheel competition sports car from the last 60 years eligible for the HSR Classic Daytona.

The full weekend of vintage and historic competition next week at the “World Center of Racing” also features the HSR Daytona Historics that is part of HSR’s series of season-long sprint and endurance racing championships.

The 2021 HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA and HSR Daytona Historics entry lists can be found by clicking here.

HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA Run Groups:

Group A – 1962 – 1972: Featuring the oldest cars in the Classic 24 certain to conjure up golden memories, Group A includes legendary and early FIA-era prototype and GT machines that raced in international and world championship competition. The group has attracted race cars such as the Lola T70 and Chevron B21 and a nice mix of 1960s and ’70s production-based Porsche 911 and 914 entries that will wage a classic Porsche vs. Corvette GT battle with some big-bore Vettes of the same era. An entry to keep an eye on is the quick GMT Racing 1972 No. 8 Chevron B21 (pictured above) that John Delane drove to the Group A win in last December’s HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour.

Group B – 1973 – 1982: It’s hard to believe the newest cars in Group B are pushing 40 years old considering the ultra-quick sports prototypes and turbocharged, wide-body GT cars in this class still deliver maximum thrills on track. This year’s Classic 24 will be no exception with Chevron B26 and B36 models set for a sports prototype clash with a Lola T294. On the GT front, a pair of Porsche 935 tribute cars go up against an IMSA GTO Camaro, two BMW CSLs and several Porsche 911 RSR and IROC models. Two entries of note (pictured below) include Alain Rüede who returns to the Classic Daytona with his 1982 No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro IMSA GTO car for the first time since stepping up to score the overall Group B win in 2019. The other is the 1974 No. 9 Porsche 911 RSR of Jack Lewis who marks his 50th year of competition at Daytona after debuting at the “World Center of Racing” in a 1971 IMSA support race.

Group C – 1983 – 1993: Group C appropriately showcases the mighty Group C and GTP era of the mid-1980s and early ’90s. Some true racing treasures are always part of this group, and this year’s gems include GTP Jaguar XJR-5 and XJR-16 entries and two iconic Porsche 962s ready to pick up their battle for the Group C win from last year. A mass of Porsche 944 Turbo and S models are also in the mix, with many pulling double duty at Daytona competing in the Classic 24 and the weekend’s Inaugural HSR Street Stock Road Racing and RS/International Sedan Reunion. The headline bout (pictured at top), however, will be Angus Russell in his 1985 No. 15 ex-Kremer Brothers/Leyton House Porsche 962C prepared by Amalfi Racing and the pristine purple ex-Wynn’s/Hotchkis Racing 1986 No. 10 Porsche 962 of Joe Robillard and Robillard Racing. Russell scored the overall Group C win last year but Robillard returns fully focused on taking this year’s Group C crown.

Group D – 1994 – 2003: Sharing the track with Group C, competing entries in Group D include historic yet familiar prototypes and European and American-made GT cars. Group D is open to first-generation Daytona Prototypes and features some of the coolest production-based GT machines from the 1990s. Former winners returning to the Classic 24 include Forest Barber and Terry Borcheller in Barber’s 2003 No. 54 Doran JE4 Daytona Prototype they co-drove to the Group D win in their last HSR appearance at Daytona in 2019. That victory came 15 years after Barber, Borcheller, Christian Fittipaldi and Andy Pilgrim drove the Doran to the overall victory in the 2004 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Another returning winner is the flame-throwing Sundry Racing 1995 No. 5 Oldsmobile Aurora GTS of Steve Cohen that broke through for the overall Group D win in the 2018 HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA.

Group E – 2000 – 2018: This blue-chip Group lets ALMS and Le Mans prototypes not eligible to race at Daytona in their prime get a chance to compete on the 3.56-mile high-banked road course. The largest group in the Classic 24, Group E may also produce the biggest and fastest battle of the race. David Porter is shooting for his third straight Classic 24 Group E victory in his GMT Racing 2007 No. 7 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP (pictured above) but faces the formidable challenge of a familiar car and competitor. Juan Gonzalez now owns and campaigns the ex-Rollcentre Racing 2007 No. 18 Pescarolo-Judd which both he and Porter, the car’s previous owner, have driven to combined HSR Classics victories at Daytona and Sebring. The Peugeot and Pescarolo will compete against a Lola B12/80 and a packed field of modern GT cars recently retired from contemporary competition. Among the GT notables is the Speed Works 2016 No. 71 Lamborghini Huracan Evo IMSA Super Trofeo series car of Greg Griffin (pictured below). The IMSA Lamborghini series does not compete at Daytona, so Griffin will be the first to give this specification of Huracan EVO some competitive laps on the DIS road course.

Group F – 2000 – 2018: Group F showcases modern Prototype and GT race cars just a few years removed from their contemporary competition prime. The division is home to the popular Oreca FLM09 Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) “PC” cars and Gen 2 and Gen 3 Daytona Prototypes “DP” cars no longer eligible for current IMSA competition. William Hubbell, Robert Tornello and JC France should be among the pacesetters in their Corvette Daytona Prototypes, but the trio could be challenged by the 2010 No. 54 Oreca FLM09 PC entry of Chris Ronson. A GT standout is the returning Doran Racing 2005 Ford GT Mk7 for Brad Jaeger, who co-drove to a B.R.M. Endurance Challenge GT Modern (GTM) victory in the Ford GT last year in the Daytona Historics.

Group G – HSR Cars: Group G is home to HSR classes not represented in the other groups. Offering a mix of primarily production cars from six different decades of competition, Group G includes many of the same teams and race cars that compete in HSR’s Vintage GT and Historic GT groups and the HSR Classic RS Cup and HSR Stoner Car Care Global GT series. Porsche models from all generations make up the majority of the entries, but several BMWs and Camaros will battle with a Lotus Exige, a “1965” Cobra Challenge replica racer and even a trio of Volkswagen GTI and Audi RS3 front-wheel drive TCR touring cars. Among the returning entries is 2019 Group G winning co-driver Todd Napieralski and his 2016 No. 39 Chevrolet Camaro SS.

A competitor test day on Wednesday, October 27, kicks off the 2021 HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA. The full-day test sets the stage for the following four days of official competition, which culminates with the classic 24-hour race from Saturday, October 30, at 1 p.m. EDT straight through to the final checkered flag 24 hours later on Sunday, October 31.

Spectator tickets for the HSR Classic Daytona can be purchased at DIS Gate 40, off of Williamson Boulevard, beginning Thursday, October 28 at 7:30 a.m. EDT. A variety of single day, two-day and three and four-day weekend passes are available for purchase as well as RV and tent camping options and parking passes. Learn more at www.HSRTickets.com.

The 2021 HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA entry list can be found by clicking here.
About HSR: Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.

DANVILLE, VA (9 Oct. 2021) – Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports’ third foray into IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition resulted in an 11th -place finish in Saturday’s Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway.

Guy Cosmo and Mike Skeen co-drove the No. 32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GT Daytona class, covering all but one of the 85 laps in the two-hour, 40-minute contest.

“For our first weekend with this revamped team, I think we learned a lot,” Cosmo said. “We just didn’t have the pace this weekend. So we took a little bit of a ‘Hail Mary’ with the strategy to see if it could get us anything, but ultimately, we finished where we would have, anyway.”

Cosmo started eighth and settled into 10th position in the early laps. He pitted at the 47-minute mark, with Skeen taking over in 13th position.

“The opening stint was real exciting,” Cosmo said. “The track was still damp in a number of sections, so racing side by side was challenging. I got into a groove early on. It was the same issue that we’ve been battling this weekend, we just didn’t have quite enough front end to make the car turn as much as we needed to, but we were doing alright. A couple of guys got a run on me, as we were slipping and sliding coming down into 17, heading into Turn 1.

“When somebody gets alongside, you’ve got to leave them room, but then you’re off-line and on the damp part of the track,” said Cosmo. “Losing a position is one thing, but you also lose time because you had to slow up. We did what we could; we just didn’t have enough grip. When we got Skeen in the car, we were hoping he could let it rip, but he was facing the same thing.”

The race had its lone caution at the 1:15 mark. While most of the GTD competitors took to pit lane for service, Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports opted to stay out, moving Skeen up to second in the class. When the race resumed with 1:14 remaining, Skeen ran second before making his final pit stop. Skeen returned to the event in 13th, gaining two positions in the closing laps.

“We knew going into the race that we weren’t starting up front, so we had to make it up somewhere,” Skeen said. “We had a decent pace at the start of each stint. Once the yellow fell, it was a matter of seeing where we fell on the fuel. We made a guess, but came up a little shorter than we wanted to. Still, it was a decent, clean result, and the car came home in one piece.”

Cosmo qualified 10th in Friday’s opening session, running 1:44.790-seconds. Since the team is not running for the championship, Skeen ran two easy laps in the second session that awards GTD points, opting not to post a competitive lap.

Only one race remains on the 2021 WeatherTech Championship season, the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge Co-Drove to Top 10 Finish in IMSA WeatherTech Competition on Saturday

DANVILLE, Virginia (October 10, 2021) – Team Hardpoint scored a win, three additional podium finishes and a hard-fought top 10 during the Michelin GT Challenge weekend at the team’s home track of VIRginia International Raceway (VIR).

With the team shop based at the track, Team Hardpoint was rewarded with a Pro-Am class win and a second place from Efrin Castro in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America doubleheader, a runner-up and a third-place finish for Riley Dickinson in the Pro class, and a top-10 for team owner Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge in the top-level IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Saturday.

Castro drove his No. 65 Fine Fare Supermarkets/GoDominicanRepublic.com Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to a second-place finish during Saturday’s 40-minute race, but upped his pace on Sunday. Starting second, Castro charged to the class lead at the race start and led for the opening 33 minutes before falling to second. Still hanging with the lead pace, Castro moved back to the lead on the final lap around a spinning car and earned his fourth win in 13 races this season.

“This race is probably the most satisfying race that I’ve won, because I won it by strictly giving it all I had,” Castro said. “I fought from the beginning to the end. I was actually fighting other guys who were not in my class, but we’re here to race and I just kept pushing and gave it my all. I want to give a big shout out to Team Hardpoint and the guys on the team, I’m surrounded by great guys that are pushing me and giving me the positive energy that I needed to fight this war today.”

Dickinson was locked in a battle both days with Pro Class championship leader Seb Priaulx. During Saturday’s race, Dickinson’s No. 53 Porsche Austin/Team Hardpoint Porsche 911 GT3 Cup ran nose-to-tail and side-by-side with the point leader for the race distance after starting fourth in a battle for the final two podium positions. The scenario repeated itself on Sunday, this time for the race win, with Dickinson ultimately claiming the silver medal. The strong weekend moved Dickinson to fourth in the season long point race with just a tripleheader at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta left on the calendar.

“It’s so close right now between really us four at the front,” Dickinson said. “It’s a matter of who is going to make the first mistake, and it goes all the way back to qualifying. Overall, it was an unbelievable weekend, we got really great results for the team and for me personally as well. It’s another thing that we can build off of. Going into Road Atlanta we’ve really got some confidence, we just need to go in there and put it all together and get a nice qualifying. We can put ourselves in a position to finish the season off strong. The Porsche Austin 992 was on rails this weekend. There’s not much you can do when everyone is running the exact same lap times. It’s a testament to how competitive the series is right now. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America is by far the most competitive in my opinion. It was a great weekend for us, and a great weekend for Team Hardpoint.”

Ferriol and Legge persevered for a 10th place finish on Saturday afternoon in the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R. Ferriol started the two-hour, 40-minute race 11th in the GTD class, fell back early and worked his way back to 10th for the team’s first pit stop at the 50-minute mark.

Legge took the wheel at that stop, running 13th after the first round of stops cycled through and picking up a position at the first full course caution 25 minutes later. The team made a strategy stop under that long yellow with 1:16 to go, adding a fresh set of Michelin tires and filling with fuel. Legge had worked as high as seventh as various strategies played out, and dove to pit lane for a splash of fuel with 46 minutes to go in order to get to the end.

The Team Hardpoint Porsche cycled further down the order as fuel strategies played out, but Legge fought back to 10th place at the checkered flag.

With only Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta remaining, Legge sits ninth in the season-long point championship and Ferriol 10th. Ferriol leads the Bob Akin Award point race, open to FIA Bronze-rated drivers who compete in the GTD class.

Both the IMSA WeatherTech Championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup return to action at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the Petit Le Mans event, November 11 to 13. Both championships conclude their season at that event, with the Carrera Cup tripleheader and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans race for the WeatherTech Championship.

About Team Hardpoint:
Hardpoint Motorsports 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’s 2021 plans include a full-season effort in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a multi-car effort in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America. More information on Hardpoint Motorsports can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.