Category: IMSA

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (August 8, 2021) — Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque made the most of a challenging afternoon for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 in the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America. Their fourth place finish means that they maintain a 41-point lead over the second place No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a total of 2,380 points.

Ricky Taylor started the sprint on the front row and made a daring dive around the outside of Turn 1 at the start, using every bit of his skill to maintain control and keep second place. He drove consistently to hold that position through the first round of stops and a pair of early cautions and restarts.

A minute past the halfway mark, Filipe Albuquerque climbed aboard and filtered out in P3 thanks to an alternative strategy by the No. 60 Acura that saw them take the lead. Albuquerque had to make an unscheduled stop with 24 minutes remaining. After a close battle with the championship rival No. 55 Mazda resulted in contact entering the Turn 9 Carousel, a puncture necessitated a tire change on the following lap.

After the No. 60 made a late additional stop for fuel, they emerged in fourth place ahead of Albuquerque in fifth. It wasn’t the Road America victory that the team had been hoping for, but with seconds remaining, Filipe took fourth position from the sister Acura car to maximise championship points under the circumstances.

“Tough day here at Road America,” expressed Ricky Taylor. “The streak is still in the wrong direction here for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Wayne Taylor Racing team with a win at Road America just eluding us. But, the team did a great job once again. I feel like had we gotten some track position on the start and led the race we could’ve controlled it a bit better. The No. 31 did a great job today keeping us behind. We tried everything we could and unfortunately a puncture caught us out. We recovered well. The team kept pushing and we kept trying. Our friends at Meyer Shank, Acura teammates, really helped us out at the end to give us some extra points. We come out of it still in the points lead and if we can have bad days like this, hopefully this is our worst day, we’re in good shape. We’ve had that little buffer, now we can’t afford any more of these. We can get it out of the way and move forward to Laguna Seca and hopefully have a good run.”

“Good start from Ricky putting the No. 31 under pressure,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “I think we had a really, really good car. In clean air we were a little quicker, but we were stuck behind the No. 31 which obviously had great pace. It was a really tight race, with a chance to use the traffic to make a pass and get the position. From then on we would’ve been in control, but that didn’t happen. The contact with the No. 55 Mazda was a racing incident and it is what it is. It’s very frustrating that we got the puncture because it completely took away the possibility to fight for the win or eventually finish P2. At this point in the championship all the points are important. We are still leading but with a more narrow window. The car is good and we will still compete for wins.”

“I don’t know what this track does to us, but we never seem able to win here,” reflected team owner Wayne Taylor. “We had a good race and unfortunately we had a tire go flat and that put us at the back. We managed to finish fourth and managed to maintain the lead in the championship, so that’s all that counts.”

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 2021 returns to the track for the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship on September 10-12. Practice begins on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Green flag will wave on Sunday, September 12 at 4:10 p.m. ET with live coverage on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
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 customers’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), content services, 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. Wayne Taylor Racing’s existing lineup of partners that also features Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports , Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 8, 2021) – Corvette Racing finished second and third in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Sunday at Road America as the program now heads across the Atlantic Ocean for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

GTLM championship leaders Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor finished second in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, just ahead of Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy in the No. 4 mid-engine Corvette. Shortly after the race, all focus turned to Le Mans with the team traveling over in the coming days with the Test Day set for Aug. 15.

Sunday’s race marked Corvette Racing’s 20th event at Road America, and early on the two C8.Rs were in control. Taylor and Tandy ran 1-2 during the opening minutes. An early-race call to take fuel and tires just 22 minutes in gave the No. 4 Corvette the advantage during the opening hour. Running second, Tandy took fuel and fresh Michelin tires just ahead of a full-course caution period.

Once the GT pits opened for stops, the No. 3 Corvette side switched to Garcia along with a full fuel fill and fresh tires. Meanwhile, Tandy remained in the No. 4 C8.R and took just enough fuel to top off the tank to move from third to first ahead of the restart at the 40-minute mark.

Tandy continued his good work in traffic on the restart to move five seconds ahead of Garcia before a second full-course caution 20 minutes later. Tandy and Garcia both stayed in with the No. 4 C8.R retaining an advantage.

Garcia stopped the No. 3 Corvette for more fuel and tires with 75 minutes left with the No. 4 coming in less than 15 minutes later for a driver change to Milner. Disaster struck, though, as the car’s wheels spun while on the airjacks. Race officials assessed the No. 4 C8.R a drive-through penalty for the infraction.

Meanwhile, Garcia set out to pressure Matt Campbell in the No. 79 entry late but the pace and gap was too much to overcome.

Corvette Racing next makes its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which runs Aug. 21-22.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “Not bad. It was all about gambling. Before the first yellow, we had decided to split strategies to put pressure on the Porsche and they decided to follow us. I think we probably took a gamble on some tires and it didn’t pay off on that first stint I did. We lost some track position and had to change strategies from that point on to make up one stop. The information I got on my stint probably helped us close the gap. We had to get pushing but they (the No. 79) made it to the end. So we did all we could do – keep the pressure up and pray for a little less fuel in their tanks. They did right and won the race. I’m happy with it considering how the race went. It’s a shame the 4 car had that drive-through (penalty). I think they would have put the Porsche under a lot more pressure and would have to push. Maybe that would have put us more in contention. You never know in these races.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “It’s not a win, but looking overall with how the day went I think we can be happy. We went a little bit off strategy tire-wise and it didn’t pay off. But we were a little off-strategy with the 79 there at the end. Had there been a yellow at the right time, things could have gone our way. We can’t be too upset with a second-place after winning three in a row.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED THIRD IN GTLM: “Nick did an awesome job at the start. The pace was really good, he held on to the tires and the strategy was good. It was just one small, little mistake on the pit stop. My engineer Chuck wants to take the blame, but it’s also on me as well. In the moment and heat of it, we knew the stop was going to be finished around the time that the driver change was done. The information I got was that they were waiting on me, but obviously there was still some work being done and the car was in the air. There were a lot of things happening all at once there. At the end of the day, I don’t think it would have made a massive difference in the end result. Maybe we would have finished ahead of the 3 car. The 79 today was significantly faster than us at every stage of the race. Now the focus is on Le Mans. We definitely learned a lesson today. In the heat of the moment there, we need to make sure our processes are perfect. It wasn’t right there but we will take that lesson, move on and not make it again.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED THIRD IN GTLM: “It’s not the result we wanted in the end. It was an interesting race for us in the 4 Corvette. We had a good start and led a couple of laps. The C8.R was good and we made a great call to pit before the first yellow. The pace of the Porsche at the end of their stints forced us into a box and we were trying to second-guess them because we saw the pace the car had. We had the mistake on the pit stop that set us back, and from then we were hoping for a yellow which never came. But now we go to Le Mans having run at the front again. All we need to do is finish off one of these races.”

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

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (7 August 2021) – Making his first start at Road America in a GT-type sports car, Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports’ Shane Lewis quickly got up to speed by qualifying 10th for Sunday’s IMSA Sportscar Weekend at Road America.

Lewis turned a lap of 2:09.990-seconds, battling tricky weather conditions on the historic four-mile circuit in the No. 32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo co-driven by Guy Cosmo.

“I would have liked to have done better, but I’m happy with P-10 considering everything that’s been going on,” Lewis said. “We got to the grid just in the nick of time. We have been working to get our setup right. We went out there on slick tires, and unfortunately rain came on my hot lap. I managed to get a lap in, and that was good enough for P-10.

With IMSA’s new twin-tier qualifying for the GTD class, Lewis’ lap set the team’s position on the starting grid. Cosmo then went out for a second 15-minute session, which awards points for GTD competitors. Since the team is not racing for the championship, Cosmo recorded a lap of 2:19.128-seconds and parked the Mercedes.

The two-hour, 40-minute race takes the green flag at 1:40 p.m. on Sunday.

The Road America race will be streamed live on NBC Sports Gold Trackpass on Sunday, beginning at 1:40 p.m. The event will be televised that evening on NBCSN, with a three-hour broadcast beginning at 7 p.m.

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Taylor Puts Corvette on Pole
1-2 GTLM start for team’s 20th race at Road America; Milner second in qualifying

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 7, 2021) – Jordan Taylor gave Corvette Racing its second pole position at Road America in three years with the fast time in qualifying for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend race – the team’s 20th event at the historic road course and a fourth straight 1-2 qualifying result in GT Le Mans (GTLM) on the season.

Taylor, driving the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with Antonio Garcia, set a best lap of 2:20.979 (103.368 mph) ahead of Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute race. Taylor and Garcia arrived at Road America after three straight victories and lead the GTLM Drivers Championship, as does Chevrolet in the Manufacturers standings.

Taylor went 0.627 seconds quicker than Nick Tandy in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette that he shares with Tommy Milner. Tandy and Milner were second in the two most recent GTLM races at Watkins Glen and Lime Rock, and they also won the non-points Detroit round in mid-June.

Directly after Road America, Corvette Racing departs for France and its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As is tradition, the team in May used Road America – with its long straights and sections of fast, flowing corners – to test and develop the Corvette C8.R’s low-downforce setup and aerodynamic package.

Corvette Racing will race at Road America in IMSA competition at 1:40 p.m. CT on Sunday. Same-day coverage on NBCSN starts at 8 p.m. ET with live streaming coverage on TrackPass and NBC Sports Gold at 2:35 p.m. ET. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio will be available on IMSA.com.

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM POLE-WINNER: “Obviously a good session for us. We had a wet session to get an idea of what the car might be doing. So heading into qualifying, we had some confidence to know what to expect with tire pressures and to how to warm up the tire. It was a little bit drier than yesterday with not as much standing water. Getting the lap time in early when the tire was at its peak is what got us the pole. We almost replicated the lap at the end but I think that was just figuring out where to go in the wet. The C8.R was consistent and it was strong. It’s another 1-2 in qualifying for Corvette Racing so that bodes well for us in the race no matter if the race is wet or dry.”

MORE ON QUALIFYING: “It’s good to be back at Road America. It’s one of our favorite events of the year. It’s Corvette Racing’s 20th race here so it’s special be part of that kind of history at this track. Another 1-2 for the team but it was definitely tricky. We had in-between conditions today for qualifying – we had a wet session yesterday, dry this morning and in the middle for qualifying. It’s good getting the car in these different conditions, especially leading up to Le Mans next week where all these conditions can play a part of it. The more miles we get on the Corvette in these mixed conditions and learn, the better we will be at Le Mans and for tomorrow.”

ARE MIXED CONDITIONS SOMETIMES MORE DIFFICULT THAN FULLY WET? “It was a tricky session. Just watching the first GTD session, they were on slicks but it looked like it was raining on half the track so we didn’t know what to expect. For us, it seemed kind of damp everywhere – like a light rain. But even then, each corner felt different each lap. It was hard to tell if that was tire degradation or grip level or rain. It’s hard when you don’t have that many cars around you to kind of judge from. Thankfully we were able to get that lap in early and set a second pretty good lap at the end. No matter what conditions we get tomorrow, the C8.R will be strong.”

DESCRIBE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO DRIVE THESE CARS IN THE RAIN: “It’s definitely sketchy. When I joined them in 2012 as a third driver, it was known that Gary Pratt (team principal) doesn’t like testing in the rain just because it’s so easy to make a mistake; you’re in a knife edge the whole time. In testing you can’t learn a whole lot, but at the same time you need to test some amount to be prepared for a weekend like this where it is in these conditions. From a driving point of view, it’s on edge… more on edge in the brake zones and everything than it would be in the dry. Locking front tires, locking rears, sliding the car… thankfully the team has developed so many bits of technology in the car: lock-up lights to warn the driver when you’re locking up a tire, traction control lights to let you know when the rear is slipping to give you more signals than what you’re feeling in the car. They’ve definitely made it easier for us throughout the years, but I think that’s what everyone is doing around the world to elevate racing and competition. That’s why I think you’ve seen everyone come so close when it comes to laptime.”

IS THERE A FUN FACTOR TO IT? “It’s fun when you’re fast! When you’re slow, it’s very stressful because it’s so easy to make a mistake. If you just touch the paint at the wrong angle, you’ll be spinning off and you can’t catch the car. It’s impossible. You’re very on-edge but at the same time there is a bit of thrill with that where you are on edge, and the more on-edge you are the more laptime there is. So it’s risk versus reward. Robin Liddell was the one who said years ago in GRAND-AM that any driver who enjoys the rain is lying because at any moment you can send it off pretty quickly. Hopefully tomorrow isn’t as bad as last year. Antonio drove yesterday where it was more wet than today. I think no matter the conditions, the car has been proven. We’re looking forward to it.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALFIED SECOND IN GTLM: “We just missed it a bit with the setup. We’re still working on getting the balance where we need to be. Tomorrow is going to be the challenge if it’s dry with the temps and the tire degradation. If it’s wet, which is looking likely, that presents its own challenges as well. We got some good work in today but the majority will come tomorrow in warmup to make any last-minute improvements.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (August 7, 2021) — The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 will start second on the grid for the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America. In a wet session that saw numerous competitors spin off track as time wound down, Ricky Taylor performed well to clock a time of 2:08.677 and put the blue and black Acura on the front row.

Full-time co-pilot Filipe Albuquerque will partner Taylor for the two-hour, 40-minute sprint around the high speed, 4.048-mile, 14-turn, Road America circuit. Sitting atop the championship with a total of 2,068 points, the No. 10 Konica Minolta ARX-05 team is looking to achieve an elusive first win at the Wisconsin circuit.

“A bit of a tricky qualifying,” said Ricky Taylor. “Damp conditions on wet tires. I’m really thankful that Filipe gave me some great tips before qualifying and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team worked together. I did some laps in the rain yesterday, but Filipe really gave me tips on what it took to go faster and we ended up P2. The No. 31 did a great job nailing their lap and getting the pole. It was difficult and we were up against all our championship rivals in the top three. Tomorrow looks like it could be wet, dry, or mixed conditions and we’ll have to prepare for anything. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura has been really strong in the dry and I think we’ve shown we can be in the mix in any condition.”

Green flag for IMSA Sportscar Weekend at Road America will wave at 2:40 p.m. ET tomorrow, August 8th. Live coverage will begin at 2:35 p.m. ET on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and will replay at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports.

DPi STARTING GRID:

1. Whelen Engineering Racing (No. 31 Cadillac DPi) Felipe Nasr & Pipo Derani (2:07.919 at 113.921 mph)
2. Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 (No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura DPi) Ricky Taylor & Filipe Albuquerque (2:08.677 at 113.250 mph)
3. Mazda Motorsports (No. 55 Mazda DPi) Oliver Jarvis & Harry Tincknell, (2:08.716 at 113.216 mph)
4. Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing (No. 01 Cadillac DPi) Renger van der Zande & Kevin Magnussen (2:09.194 at 112.797 mph)
5. Mustang Sampling / JDC-Miller MotorSports (No. 5 Cadillac DPi) Tristian Vautier & Louic Duval (2:10.497 at 111.671 mph)
   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 customers’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), content services, 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. Wayne Taylor Racing’s existing lineup of partners that also features Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports , Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (5 August 2021) – Rebel Rock Racing returns to the scene of one of its greatest moments this weekend as the team looks to build momentum for the second half of the 2021 Michelin Pilot Challenge campaign with a strong run in the IMSA Sports Car Weekend at Road America.

Frank DePew and Robin Liddell are looking to return to the form that saw them place the No. 71 Urban Grid Chevrolet Camaro GT3.R in victory circle earlier this season at Sebring in Saturday’s two-hour race on the scenic and historic four-mile circuit – a track where they made headlines back in 2019.

“We’re excited about going back,” DePew said. “I think we’ve got a decent shot. We tested there this year, and I feel that my driving’s come along a lot as long as I stay mistake-free. I feel confident that we will do well at Road America, and the team will have an opportunity.”

Also boosting the team’s hopes is an adjustment to IMSA’s Balance of Performance, which severely handicapped the Camaro entering the season.

“We got a little BOP bump,” DePew said. “We got a 2 mm restrictor increase, which gets us a bit closer to where we were in the past. That should help us, because up until now, the car has not been very raceable. Being so restricted, forces you to take chances to get by people, because we really couldn’t get a run on some of the quicker cars off the corners. I think it’s going to make a difference for us.”

The team is coming off a DNF following an incident 30 laps into the most recent race at Lime Rock Park, after mechanical issues and incidents led to back-to-back DNFs in the two events at Watkins Glen International.

“Obviously, we haven’t had a great run in the last few races, but we’re looking to make amends for that,” Liddell said. “We had a good test there back in May, and Frank is pretty comfortable with the car there. The slight increase in BOP is going to help, so the car’s performance is going to be improved, which is important because of the long straights at Road America.”

DePew also feels that the long straights will help in his mental approach to the race.

“I’ve got to work on my patience and on my qualifying performance as I am not able to qualify at the level that I race. This put me behind cars that I could have put behind me in qualifying. This leads to impatience and poor decisions,” DePew said. “I need to keep the car safe – but still push to move forwards. I’ve just got to keep my head on like I have done when we have gotten results.”

Rebel Rock Racing won the Road America 120 in 2019, when Liddell charged from fourth to first in the closing turns on the final lap to give the team its second victory.

“It was a very exciting race,” Liddell recalled. “Actually, we were very lucky to get in the position we did; coming into the last corner I felt I would be happy to just finish second. Then coming up to the checkered flag, I couldn’t believe it when we were able to take the win. Sometimes you make your own luck, but sometimes luck just comes your way.”

The team will be bringing back the same car that took the Road America victory, after it has sat back in the shop since an incident at Mid-Ohio in 2020.

“This is the car that won two races for us in 2019,” Liddell said. “It was repaired at Irish Mike’s body shop and has been rebuilt by the team since the accident at Mid-Ohio last year, and now it’s back and ready to go.”

Following Road America – Round 7 of the 10-race campaign – Rebel Rock Racing travels to sunny California for a two-hour race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday, Sept. 11.

Additional updates via:
http://rebelrockracing.co
https://twitter.com/rebelrockracing
https://www.instagram.com/rebelrockracing/

Hella Pagid Brake Systems, with its U.S. Base in Suburban Atlanta, is a World-Wide Company known for Reliability, Trust and Performance

GAINESVILLE, Georgia (August 5, 2021) – Hella Pagid Brake Systems, a world-wide brake systems specialist for the independent automotive aftermarket that operates as a joint venture with OE automotive suppliers TMD Friction and HELLA, has joined Atlanta Speedwerks for the remainder of the 2021 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season and will appear prominently on the No. 84 Hella Pagid Brake Systems/Sabelt Honda Civic TCR co-driven by Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker and as an associate sponsor on the No. 94 Qelo Capital/Dinner with Racers Honda Civic TCR driven by Ryan Eversley and Scott Smithson beginning this weekend at Road America.

With its US operations based in suburban Atlanta, Hella Pagid Brake Systems sponsorship is an evolution of the long-standing partnership between Atlanta Speedwerks and Pagid. Hella Pagid Brake Systems in the North American market offers OE competence for friction and brake rotors, predominately for European cars – but with an ever-expanding range. For friction, Hella Pagid Brake systems offers over 100 compounds to truly provide the right compound for each car and in brake rotors features high carbon content making then quiet and excellent in dissipating heat.

Fred Snow, President of Hella Automotive Sales which distributes Hella Pagid Brake Systems products for the North American market, said “We are very pleased to come on board with Atlanta Speedwerks, a local team that is performing at a high level,” Fred Snow, President of Hella Automotive Sales, which distributes Hella Pagid Brake Systems products for the North American market, said. “We look forward to our relationship growing and being part of their success.”

Hella Pagid joins a No. 84 Honda Civic that currently sits seventh in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR driver standings with Henderson and Noaker, as well as the team standings. Along with the sister No. 94 Qelo Capital/Dinner With Racers Honda Civic TCR driven by Ryan Everlsey (second in the Driver Championship), Scott Smithson and team owner Todd Lamb this season, Atlanta Speedwerks has earned two wins a total of four podiums, and six front-row starting positions this season in just six of 10 races.

“It’s an honor for us at Atlanta Speedwerks to work with a company with a presence like Hella Pagid,” Lamb said. “We’ve known the company for years through my previous work as an automotive engineer and through our relationship with the Pagid Racing brand, but this is a step forward to represent both the racing and the OEM side of their business. We’re hoping Brian, Robert and the 84 team can carry the Hella Pagid brand into victory lane again before the year is out.”

This weekend’s race at Road America takes place on Saturday, August 7 at 4:35 p.m. CDT and can be seen live via TrackPass on the NBC Sports app. The weekend begins on Friday with two hour-long practice sessions, with qualifying at 8 a.m. CDT on Saturday morning to set the grid for the race.

About Hella Pagid
The joint venture consisting of automotive supplier HELLA and automotive supplier TMD Friction, part of Nisshinbo Group, distributes brake components and accessories on the worldwide automotive aftermarket. Both partners have a 50 percent share in the joint venture. Hella Pagid benefits greatly from the expertise of the two automotive suppliers, skills which complement each other exceptionally well. This joint venture perfectly combines the strengths of two market-leading companies in original equipment, aftermarket, and service. TMD Friction is the world’s leading manufacturer of brake linings, whose product portfolio combines top brake technology with constant innovation. Hella Pagid products are distributed via the HELLA global retail organization.

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.

Seeks First Win in Two Different Series

ATHENS, Ga. (August 3, 2021) – With the second half of the 2021 race season looming, driver Dylan Murry is clearly anxious to notch his first victories in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America series.

“This year has been going great, but I’m definitely ready to finally take that top step after four podiums and near wins this year,” said the Athens, Georgia resident as he prepared for this weekend’s IMSA Sportscar Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. “I am running two different series this year, so I’m getting a lot of seat time, which is great. I can’t wait to give it everything we have for the rest of the season.”

As he’s done previously, Murry will perform double duty at Road America in both the Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320 (LMP3 class) and the BGB Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

The son of former sports car world champion, David Murry, he’s currently tied for third in the LMP3 driver standings with co-driver Jim Cox and is seventh in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro driver standings.

“We have been increasing our performance throughout the year,” said Murry of his season thus far. “We get stronger each race. We haven’t had the best of luck for some of the races this year, but all in all, we have been extremely strong and have been proving our speed.”

Murry has dealt with the vast performance differences that both the LMP3 car and the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car present, while managing his time between the two series.

“It definitely has been a little challenging going back and forth between the cars,” said Murry. “I have been trying to separate my time equally between the cars. The good thing is that there are multiple drivers with the LMP3, so if my sessions are back-to-back, my co-driver can start or finish the practice sessions in WeatherTech.

“It’s definitely different between the Porsche and Liger. They both have the same acceleration, but the side G forces are much more in the Ligier. It doesn’t take a lot of time to get used to each car again, but there are some tracks that are more different than others. Going into Road America, I think that track will be a lot different between the two cars. Going through the kink, we are full throttle at over 150 mph in the LMP3, but in the Porsche, we’re going to have to be using the brakes for that corner. It will definitely take some time to get used to that specific corner in each car.”

While the emphasis is on finishing the 2021 campaign strong, Murry already has his sights set on the 2022 season.

“I hope next year will be even more exciting than this year, which is pretty hard to do,” he said. “I am really hoping to get my first factory drive for next year. I’ve been working very hard to try and put something big together and we will see where it goes.

“I have my hopes up that each year will keep getting better and better, bigger and bigger. I’m so thankful for how my career is accelerating right now, and I have more drive than ever to continue that growth.”

About Dylan Murry

Dylan Murry made his IMSA debut in the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series in 2018 alongside his father. They were the first father-son combination to race in the series. In 2017, he finished in the top 10 in both NASCAR K&N Pro Series races that he competed in. He also has 12 overall championships to his credit in go karts as well as in the Pro Class Legends and Pro-Legends Winter Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway.