Category: IMSA

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y., July 2 – The No. 84 Dawson Racing D3+Transformers team turned in a sixth-place result in the LMP3 class of the WeatherTech 240 at Watkins Glen International on Friday evening, wrapping up two races in six days at the historic track in Upstate New York.

Less than a week after the Dawson team made its debut in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen with another sixth-place result, Friday’s two-hour and 40-minute contest represented the first sprint race for the organization in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. However, while the six-hour race was relatively drama free for the group, the team and drivers Theodor Olsen and Dominic Cicero faced numerous challenges during this weekend’s event on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course.

Olsen qualified in the fifth position on Thursday in the Dawson Ligier JS P320 despite a spin while vying for second, but he was required to start from the rear of the grid per IMSA rules after the team elected to change engines overnight. Soon after the race began the young Norwegian driver found himself down on power and was forced to go to the garage around the 40-minute mark to replace faulty fuel injectors.

As the team made repairs, rain came during the race’s first full-course yellow with just over an hour complete. The red flag was soon displayed for lightning in the area, with the race stopped for a total of 45 minutes and 47 seconds.

The No. 84 was back on track with Dominic Cicero behind the wheel when the green flag was again displayed with just 36 minutes remaining. The driver from La Quinta, California, piloted the car on a damp, but drying racetrack until the engine issues returned and the team elected to retire with eight laps remaining. Part of the decision was a show of sportsmanship to not affect the outcome of the race in any class due to being down on power.

The No. 74 from Riley Motorsports claimed the LMP3 win, with the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac taking the overall victory.

Ian Dawson, CEO/COO, No. 84 D3+Transformers LMP3:
“The target was to get a good finish; we changed the engine as a precaution to make sure
we could do that and unfortunately right from lap one we had a problem with the engine we tried to rectify. We lost 19 laps while the injectors were changed. The engine ran okay for a little while, but then started to slow and slow and slow, and rather than cause any damage with eight laps to go we decided to just bring the car to the garage and save a potential blown engine or jeopardizing someone else’s race.”

Theodor Olsen, driver, No. 84 D3+Transformers LMP3:
“It was not the race we expected today. We had a good feeling when we were out on the grid, all the fans were watching and some children came by and said, ‘Good luck and nice car with the Transformers.’ That really elevated my whole feeling about this. We were really hoping for a good race. When the green lights came on, we didn’t have the power like the other cars in front of me. I couldn’t get up to them. So, I then told Ian [Dawson] that we had some problem with the engine knowing we changed engines yesterday and he had me bring it back to the garage for repairs. We need to find out why the new engine had injector issues and go from there.”

Dominic Cicero, driver, No. 84 D3+Transformers LMP3:
“It was my first time in the car for the weekend when I got in for a stint after the garage stop. I hadn’t really done any laps yet and was trying to get used to the wets [tires] and the new setup in the middle of a restart, which was difficult to say the least. I was just trying to stay out of everybody’s way so we would not ruin their race. I know we were a few laps down from our fuel issue. We had a fuel injector issue that caused a loss of power. So, we were just out there more to cruise around and see if we fixed it. That was the hardest part, just not messing up the GTD and prototypes and everybody’s race, with tough conditions. It was drying; it was super wet on the ”Boot” side of the track with slicks on, and then it was dry on sector one, and coming through these last couple corners of sector three and then into one. It was a risk-reward issue I think for me, so I did not push too hard. But we had the same issue that we came in for earlier in the race. The engine was cutting power and we couldn’t keep up with anybody on the straightaway. Such a pity.

“I think instead of damaging the motor and all the laps we were down already, we decided to bring the car back in. Then I think for me I just felt like we were a hindrance in the race with the DPis, because we were off the pace there and I was running more with the GTDs and their pace. I think the wiser part of that was to regroup and reset and to figure out what’s wrong.”

Dawson Racing partners for the No. 84 entry include Hasbro, Chevron Technology Ventures and Gnarly Jerky.

For more information, please visit www.dawsonracing.com.

About Dawson Racing:
Dawson Racing is a highly competent manager, owner and operator of an international sports car racing team. Its principals, Ian and Simon Dawson, have over 60 years of experience with factory and private global racing teams including engineering, technology, infrastructure and marketing resources.

Friday Evening’s Sprint Race Featured 45-Minute Red Flag For Lightning, Effectively Shortening the Opportunity to Move Forward

WATKINS GLEN, New York (July 2, 2021) – Team Hardpoint EBM drove to an eighth place finish on Friday at Watkins Glen in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition, a two-place improvement over last Sunday’s six-hour race at the same track.

The team worked through the week to improve the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven in this week’s sprint race by season-long co-drivers Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge. Though last weekend’s race was run in hot and sunny conditions, Watkins Glen saw rain every day beginning on Monday – including during the race, which was stopped near the mid-point for a 45-minute red flag for lightning in the area.

“All credit to the team this week,” Ferriol, the team owner, said. “They’ve been away from home for a week and a half, two weeks now. Living out of a hotel, through torrential downpours, getting the car prepped and then re-prepped after last week’s race. They got the car back together and nice and straight so we could go out and race today. It’s a top 10. We moved up a couple of spots over last week.”

The race resumed with 50-minutes to go and Legge in ninth place. Legge improved one position in the final stint and turned the team’s quickest lap of the race just two laps from the checkered flag as the track was drying.

With two races in less than a week at Watkins Glen, this weekend’s two-day sprint event featured just one practice session, held in the wet, and a 15-minute qualifying session – both on Thursday in advance of Friday’s race. An incident in that practice session led to a penalty for the opposing driver but limited Team Hardpoint EBM’s track time significantly.

“We didn’t have the best car today,” Ferriol said. “We only had half a practice session in the wet and we wanted to make a change in the dry from last weekend. We didn’t get a chance to try it so we had to test it in the race. It wasn’t spot on, but it was closer to competitive than we were last week. That’s a positive sign and a positive step and we’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing all season and just move forward.”

Team Hardpoint EBM’s next chance to move forward will be at Lime Rock Park in a GT-only event, July 16-17. Ferriol and Legge will once again drive the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R in the two-hour, 40-minute race.

About Team Hardpoint EBM:
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. Team Hardpoint EBM is a joint venture between Team Hardpoint and Earl Bamber Motorsport formed in late 2020 to utilize the resources of EBM and co-owners Earl Bamber and Will Bamber and the early success of Team Hardpoint. 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 Team Hardpoint EBM can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

No. 3 Corvette takes GTLM victory over teammates Milner, Tandy in No. 4 C8.R

WATKINS GLEN, NY (June 27, 2021) – Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor won for Corvette Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech 240 on Friday, their second GT Le Mans (GTLM) victory in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R at Watkins Glen International in five days.

Garcia got the jump on Corvette Racing teammate Tommy Milner – sharing the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette with Nick Tandy– on a traffic-filled restart with 28 minutes remaining in a storm-interrupted race.

Taylor led from pole position before Tandy moved ahead in the No. 4 Corvette about 15 minutes into the race. The gap between the teammates constantly ebbed and flowed with traffic – from slower GTD and LMP3 cars and the quicker DPi and LMP2 runners.

Taylor was the first Corvette driver to hit pitlane at 51 minutes running. He came in from second place in class and handed over to Garcia, who left with a full tank of fuel and fresh Michelin tires. Tandy carried on for another two laps before stopping just before the pits closed for the race’s full-course caution period.

Milner got in the 4 Corvette and returned to the lead behind the safety car. Heavy rain started to pelt parts of the circuit with the field under yellow. Two laps later, race officials halted the race due to a lightning strike in the immediate area of Watkins Glen.

The field began rolling again with 50 minutes to go behind the safety car. Another full-course caution period with 36 minutes left forced another reset before the race went green the rest of the way.

The next event for Corvette Racing is the Northeast Grand Prix from Lime Rock Park on July 16-17. The race will air at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 17 with live streaming coverage on TrackPass and NBC Sports Gold at 3:05 p.m. ET. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio will be available on IMSA.com, Sirius 216, XM 202 and SiriusXM Online 992.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE-WINNER: “We can’t complain, for sure. The main thing is the C8.R is really, really strong and kind of easy to drive in those conditions. Somehow that red flag was kind of a relief. It was going to be a nightmare out there between Turn Six and Turn Eight. Luckily there was a red flag, which made things still interesting because we had to stay on slicks. I knew that was the main thing but I had to take chances there. I knew it was wet, but I had to be a little more aggressive than Tommy. He got caught out in the last corner with some of the P cars, so I had to take advantage. The grip was very, very good. I opened the gap and then just maintained because you never know… there might have been another yellow and I had to have good tires for the end. I’m very happy with the No. 3 C8.R, but obviously Team Chevy and Corvette Racing are doing a great job. I’m looking forward to the next race and especially Le Mans which is coming soon.
“It was very challenging for sure. We pitted just before the red flag, and so did the 4 car. That would have been a key part of the race without the red because it would have been interesting to know how Tommy would have dealt with the damp track on cold tires. Those one or two laps of green before the red let me switch on the tires a little bit, at least. Even if we had to wait for a half-hour, somehow I heated up the tires pretty quickly before the start. Tommy was the one who had to take the risks. The first restart after yellow, I knew I could switch on the tire a little bit better than him. So on the second one I was all-out and he got caught up on the last corner with some P cars. I just took advantage. After that, you had to close your eyes. From the Carousel onward, you had to believe the grip would be there. I knew the first two laps would be the main thing in the race. I could pull out those two seconds and kept the gap from that point. From that point, Tommy was the one who had to take the risks to close in. I didn’t want to push so hard because you never know if you’ll go yellow again and I’d need good tires. It was a good battle with our teammates, which is difficult because they have the same car and same tools as you. I’m very happy for Corvette to go 1-2. We’re looking forward to the next few races, and Le Mans is coming closer. We’re looking forward to that too.”

THE PASS FOR THE LEAD.
“It was green for us but I made the pass basically coming out of the last corner. We weren’t side-by-side into Turn One. I knew after the Bus Stop that it would be a little wet so I took a little more risk than Tommy did to open the gap and hold it. I was lucky that I could keep the car on the track. It can go either way. You can pull out a second or put it in the wall. I was glad for the first option.”

WERE THERE OTHER DIFFICULT MOMENTS AFTER THAT?
“Oh yeah, but there were for Tommy as well. We were both flat out. The car was really good in those conditions. We realized that all last year with all the wet races we had. The C8.R looks very strong in all conditions.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE-WINNER: “I was struggling with tire temp in the beginning. But once I got in a rhythm, the car kind of came to life for the second half of my stint. Once we handed it over to Antonio, the weather hit and we had a red flag. We were happy to see it go green again. Obviously we had a great spot on TV today to get some great racing in. Antonio made a great restart and was able to get by the No. 4 car and then kind of maintain it from there. So another great day for Corvette Racing going one-two and another great day for us in the No. 3 car.
“It was a good race all the way through. We had a good battle with the 4 car all day. I ran second most of my stint and then the way the pit cycle worked, it was going to be interesting to see how it fell through with fuel strategy and tire warm-up. Once it went red, we knew we had some practice time and qualifying in intermittent conditions, so we had some good confidence in what the car would be like once it went back green. Antonio got by the 4 car on the restart and maintained that gap through the end. It’s another great day for Corvette Racing with a 1-2 finish and for us in the 3 Corvette to go back-to-back with the Six Hours last weekend.”

HOW MUCH FUN IS IT RACING AGAINST YOUR TEAMMATES?
“I’d say it’s fun, but it’s stressful at the same time. There are no team orders of who will win the race. They let us race on track, but obviously any contact will be frowned upon. We had a head-to-head battle at Daytona and the last couple of weekends has been head-to-head. The guys in the 4 car are professionals and two of the best in GT racing. Like Antonio said, it’s great to have that rivalry but it’s difficult when you’ve got such great drivers in both cars. You’re competing against the best in the same equipment. We’ve come out on top the last two races but just as easily those guys could have won as well.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “Obviously the long red flag really reset the race. I’m really frustrated. I had some traffic coming to the green, some cars pitting coming to the green and that held me up massively. That was basically the race there. Antonio got by me by start-finish because I had such a bad run out of the last corner. It caught me off-guard. I left a gap just to account to any speed differential but I didn’t expect (the car ahead) to hit the brakes in the middle of the corner. There was traffic up the hill, and Antonio probably had two or 2.5 seconds on me. I think we ended up 2.5 seconds behind. It’s frustrating… we’re doing everything right with the things we can control with the strategy. Nick did an awesome job at the start to get us out front. It’s just not going our way right now. It’s tough. But I’m proud of the guys. I know they’re bummed. We’ve been fast and done everything right that we can control. We haven’t had the luck. On to the next one.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTLM: “It’s bitterly disappointing. We put ourselves in position as a team to have what looked like a pretty comfortable 1-2. Up to the point, the way the guys managed the race – the pit stops, how the engineers set the car up for the race – had us absolutely flying. A few laps before the last yellow, I felt something strange on the car and we’ll have to investigate what happened. We’re disappointed, but there are a lot of positives to go into next week with.”

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.

Watkins Glen, N.Y. (July 2, 2021) — Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team finished third in a challenging, lightning storm affected WeatherTech 240 at the Glen. The team extended their lead in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship by 81 points over their closest rivals, the No. 55 Mazda Motorsports DPi, bringing their points total to 2,068.

Ricky Taylor got away phenomenally at the start. The No. 55 Mazda pressured him as he saved fuel early, but he pushed ahead to hand Filipe Albuquerque the lead with two hours to go.

After close battles with the No. 31 Cadillac and No. 55 on his out laps, Albuquerque held second place as the pit stops cycled through. His track time on the weekend was limited by rain in practice, but Filipe adapted quickly. At the one-hour and 35-minute mark, lightning struck during a full course caution, bringing the race to a halt. Per IMSA regulations, the clock continued to run under the red flag. The field went green with 36 minutes to go, only to be yellow flagged again straight away.

On a damp and difficult surface, Filipe fell back to fourth at the final restart. As time ticked down and the sun set on the Finger Lakes, he fought with the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac ahead, getting pushed wide through Turn 7. He recovered brilliantly to retake the position, finishing on the podium for the fourth race in a row and the fifth time in six races.

“The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team should be quite happy,” said Ricky Taylor. “We increased our points lead, but it was a difficult race today. Filipe did an amazing job dealing with difficult conditions. The cars ahead of us were in a position where they could take more risks and we put Filipe in the car with no practice laps. He got right into the fight and brought us another podium finish. We are five for six on podiums and that’s what wins championships. We need to continue on this trend and the team is still executing well. It’d be nice to get on the top step of the podium before the year’s out, but I think if we keep trending this way we can continue to control the championship.”

“We started really well with Ricky qualifying on pole position by four tenths,” Filipe Albuquerque elaborated. “Great job by him. Obviously, we made adjustments from the previous weekend so we really felt that we’d tuned it up. As the race went on, straight away, it seemed we weren’t as strong as we’d thought. The No. 55 Mazda was strong and the deltas to the Cadillacs were closer. Ricky held on really well and the strategy came along. The No. 31 Cadillac got a bit lucky, pitting one lap before the red flag which was an advantage to them. On the restart, I was P2 and unfortunately lost a position with a wiggle there, and then the rest of the race was really tricky for me since it was wet in four corners and dry in the others. Good fight with the No. 5 car. In the end, we came home with P3. We’re happy, but not 100% happy, because we want to win. We finished ahead of the Mazda and gained points on them in qualifying and the race which is good for the championship. Others, like the No. 31 and No. 01, are starting to make moves and are just behind in the championship, so we need to keep pushing!”

“Another podium for the No. 10 Konica Minolta team,” said Wayne Taylor. “We still maintain our points lead, which is really what we’re fighting against. It was a strange race. We led for quite a long way and then we had the red flag. I thought we would have been second, but the No. 01 car managed to get past us. Then the No. 5 car got by us, he actually pushed us, and I was happy that Filipe got back past and put us back on the podium. Decent weekend. Looking forward to Road America next month.”

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 2021 returns to the track for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America on August 6th. Practice begins on Friday at 6:15 p.m. ET. Green flag will wave on Sunday, August 8th at 2:40 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.

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (July 2, 2021) – Friday afternoon at an overcast Watkins Glen International, Wright Motorsports secured their third podium of the 2021 Michelin Pilot Challenge season. Following a second-place finish with Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen in the Porsche No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, the team acquired their fourth top-five finish in four races.

“Our second straight weekend at Watkins Glen International was a good points weekend,” said Team Owner John Wright. “We’re still hungry for that first win, but our consistency in securing second-place finishes plays into our hands well. We had some mixed conditions for this race and put in a good fight in the end. Everyone in our program did a great job executing.”

Ryan Hardwick took the green flag from the second position under sunny skies, but it was only a matter of time until the skies grew dark and light rain sprinkles started to fall on the course. The first 20 minutes of the race ran under caution to clean up a disabled car and spilled fuel on track. The race eventually went green, and Hardwick settled into the top three, staying there for the entirety of his sixty-five-minute stint. The No. 16 came in for fresh tires, a tank of fuel, and a new driver, with Jan Heylen taking over the Porsche for the second half of the race.

He joined the race in third behind Bill Auberlen and Trent Hindman, allowing the top-two cars to fight it out while he hung back and saved fuel. Hindman, not as lucky on the fuel game, pitted from second place with 17 minutes to go. Heylen assumed second place and was able to close the gap to the leader as a caution period came out with 13 minutes to go so that the safety workers could pull a car out of the gravel. The field went back to green with just a handful of laps remaining. Heylen and Auberlen engaged in a nail-biting lap for the lead, but in the end, Auberlen took the win by just 0.6 seconds. The Wright Motorsports strategy earned the Porsche yet another podium, gaining valuable points to go towards the 2021 title fight.

The next battle for the championship title of the Michelin Pilot Challenge takes place in just two weeks’ time at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut. The Lime Rock Park 120 will include another two-hour sprint race, on Saturday, July 17 at 11:05 AM ET, live on TRACKPASS. For full event information, visit imsa.com.

Driver Quotes | Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport

Ryan Hardwick
Another second-place finish makes three so far this year. We had a good chance there right at the end. Jan and the No. 95 were racing each other hard and clean. Our win is coming one day soon. It’s good to finish second, and we have a lot of consistency, but it sure would be nice to get that win. I want to thank our team: they made a great car, and it was strong in qualifying and in the race. I’m really looking forward to Lime Rock Park. I think we should be really strong there.

Jan Heylen
Overall, it was a good race and a good points day again. Ryan drove a solid stint, and we played it well on strategy, with me saving some fuel for the majority of my stint. We were able to push at the end. The right opportunity to overtake just wasn’t there and Bill Auberlen was good in the damp parts of the track. I think we would have been a little better if it stayed completely dry, but it was a good result for us. It’ll move us well up in the championship, though we still lost some points to the BMW.

1st Phorm
1st Phorm is a sports nutrition company based in St. Louis, MO. In 2009, CEO Andy Frisella and his business partner Chris Klein started the brand, and since then, it has become the fastest growing supplement company in the world. 1st Phorm has set the standards in the industry for quality and helping people reach their goals. This new racing partnership is not their first time in the exotic car scene either. 1st Phorm has been the title sponsor for the Gold Rush Rally for six years running. With over a million followers across social media, 1st Phorm has amassed a huge cult-like following known as, “The Legion of Boom.” They stand for a movement in the fitness world. To turn it back to what it was meant to be. Helping others improve their lives, to be a good human… and to drop the excuses and do the work. 1st Phorm is a winning brand and they don’t expect anything less when it comes to their race team. For additional info: www.1stphorm.com

Mountain Motorsports
Mountain Motorsports is a group of motorcycle and powersports dealerships with multiple locations in the southeastern United States. The company was founded by lifelong friends Ryan Hardwick and Justin Price when they opened their first location as a single-line Honda dealership in Sevierville, Tennessee in 1999. The company has since grown into one of the largest retailers of motorcycle and powersports vehicles in the nation, spanning nine dealership locations representing eleven of the industry’s most well-known brands. For additional info: www.mountainmotorsports.com

Una Vida Tequila
Una Vida translates to One Life. That is how this brand started. By people who want to live their “One Life” to the absolute fullest and to their highest potential. A group of guys from the Midwest who love great quality tequila, and want their One Life to have meaning and impact others.

One Life, One Tequila is our CORE BELIEF. We’re building the only tequila brand you will ever need to drink. Una Vida is bigger than just tequila we’re also building a culture of people who want to live their life to their utmost potential.

Our story begins and continues to grow bottle by bottle. It’s a life mission for us to create a community of people who all raise a glass knowing they’re living their ONE LIFE! For more information, visit unavidatequila.com

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship.

Watkins Glen, N.Y. (2 July 2021) – Jr III Racing made a strong comeback to take fourth in Friday’s IMSA Prototype Challenge race at Watkins Glen International. Garett Grist and Ari Balogh combined in the No. 33 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 to capture the season best result for the entry.

Unfortunately the sister No. 3 Talon Expeditionary Services entry of Marc Sharinn and Ken D’Arcy suffered a terminal failure on the false grid prior to the race, resulting in early retirement from the race.

With qualifying late on Thursday, Balogh qualified the orange and yellow Ligier and placed it on the fifth row for the race. The No. 3 Ligier was qualified by D’Arcy and was set to start 16th for the 105-minute race on Friday.

Taking the green flag from 9th, Balogh moved into eighth on the opening lap. Following the first caution on Lap 2, the field went back to green on lap five where Balogh settled into race pace with the No. 33 Ligier and rounded out the group on the lead lap in eighth.

After 15 laps of green flag running, the second caution was deployed as Balogh brought the No. 33 Ligier to pit lane for new Michelin tires, fuel and a driver change. Grist took over the controls and returned to the course in eighth.

Grist was forced to return to pit lane two times in six laps to serve two drive through penalties for wheel spin while on the jacks during the pit stop on Lap 22 as well as a pit lane speed violation while serving the first drive through penalty on Lap 25.

As rain began to fall on the back half of the track, multiple cars went off course which brought out a timely third yellow flag which allowed Grist to advance to sixth. A strategy call kept the No. 33 Ligier on slick tires as the field packed up for the final restart of the one hour, 45-minute race.

With the green flag in the air, Grist pushed the Ligier setting the fastest lap of the race and the weekend of 1:40.508-seconds on lap 40. He worked his tools inside the car to make the move into the top-five of the running order on lap 41. Cutting a four-second gap to the position ahead in one lap, Grist moved the No. 33 into fourth-place after making a smooth pass on the outside through the bus stop.

Coming to the checkered flag just in time for the skies to open above, Grist brought the No. 33 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 home in fourth – marking the car’s best finish of the year.

“I can’t say enough about the car that Jr III Racing gave me today,” said Grist. “If we didn’t have that second drive through penalty we would be in an even better spot. The team did a great job and the car had remarkable pace as I was able to set my fastest laps of the race near the end. I had a great time battling (Steven) McAleer and was able to send it in a tight spot, so either I was going to get it done or he was going to take me out. Overall, it was such a pleasure being here this weekend and working with Billy (Glavin) and his team. To get a good result made it that much better.”

Jr III Racing will have an extended break from IMSA Prototype Challenge competition as the series returns at VIRginia International Raceway October 8-10th for the penultimate round.

No. 3 Corvette just beats out Tandy, No. 4 C8.R in dynamic qualifying session

WATKINS GLEN, NY (June 26, 2021) – Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor followed up a victory in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen with the GT Le Mans (GTLM) pole position Thursday for the IMSA WeatherTech 240 at Watkins Glen International.

A winner with Antonio Garcia on Sunday, Taylor set a time of 1:43.821 (117.895 mph) in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R ahead of Friday’s two-hour, 40-minute sprint race.

The time was a scant 0.224 seconds quicker than Nick Tandy in the No. 4 Corvette C8.R that he drives with Tommy Milner. Like Taylor, Tandy’s best lap – 1:44.045 (117.641 mph) – came on his final time around the 3.4-mile, 11-turn circuit on a quickly drying track.

It was the second GTLM pole in less than a week for the No. 3 Corvette with Garcia claiming the honors ahead of the Six Hours.

Rain pelted Watkins Glen throughout Thursday afternoon. The day’s lone practice session featured a mix of light and more moderate showers that left the track damp throughout. Conditions dried out for qualifying with both Corvettes opting for slick Michelin tires for qualifying.

Weather for the race could mirror what Corvette Racing experienced Thursday, giving team strategists and engineers plenty to think about before Friday evening’s green flag.

Friday’s race will air live at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN and Trackpass via NBC Sports Gold. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com, XM 202 and SiriusXM Online 992.

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM POLE-WINNER: “It’s great to be out front again. We were all glued to the TV watching Madison (Snow’s) qualifying trying to decide whether to go wets or drys. We knew he was on wets and a couple other guys were on drys, and they were way out for most of it. Then they bridged the gap on the last lap but not enough to get him. We thought maybe if they had a couple more laps, slicks would have been the way to go. So we committed to it. The first couple of laps were a little git sketchy but as soon as you built some temperature, the grip level was pretty high, other than (turns) 9, 10 and 11. You needed a nice rhythm to keep building temps, finding brake points and how much speed you could carry. I caught someone with two to go, which kind of broke the rhythm and kind of had me stressed the last lap. But thankfully everything worked out. When you are head-to-head with a guy like Nick Tandy, you really need to make the most of it. He’s a guy I’ve grown up watching and respected. So to go head-to-head with him, I knew I would be nailing everything and had to be on my A-game. I’m glad it worked out. It’s going to be a tough race tomorrow, but it’s nice to have Corvette Racing with another one-two.”

WAS THE RACING LINE DRY AND COULD THE SLICK TIRES WORK ALL THE WAY AROUND OR WERE THERE WET SPOTS? “To begin with, there were definitely wet spots in some of the short chutes between corners. Turn Nine was still pretty slick and 10 seemed a little slick. Everywhere else, it looked damp but you had to commit and trust that the grip was there. It was more of a mental game than anything. There definitely was a very narrow line. On a couple of laps, I got maybe six inches to a foot wide and you lose the front end of the car. You definitely had to be precise. By the end, everyone knew where the grip was and you could carry speed.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTLM: “It was an interesting day today because we got to run in the full wet conditions, we got to run with the wet tires in the dry conditions and then we got to run a slick tire in a wet to dry condition. You don’t often get that sort of thing in one day. It makes it difficult to plan what you are doing, or to make any plans. It’s kind of interesting in some regard because it is different. For the qualifying session, when it is like this you go out on slicks and you know every lap is getting quicker and quicker. It’s always difficult to know how hard to push the car on the tire. But that is why we are in the car to find out. The good thing is we have both cars with decent lap times and in one piece. I think it’s given us all good experience of what the weather could bring tomorrow.”

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.

Smithson Joins Ryan Eversley In No. 94 Honda Civic TCR For Friday’s Race Just Days After Eversley Won and Teammates Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker Finished Fourth

WATKINS GLEN, New York (July 1, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks driver Scott Smithson may have the toughest job in the paddock this week, co-driving the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR with Ryan Eversley in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Smithson, who is driving a select schedule this season, missed last Saturday’s four-hour race while the rest of the series got experience on the 3.7-mile circuit. Eversley, who now leads the Driver’s Championship with the 94 car leading the Team Championship, won the race while paired with team owner and driver Todd Lamb for Atlanta Speedwerks’ first IMSA victory. Meanwhile, Robert Noaker and Brian Henderson were qualifying on the Motul Pole and finishing a strong fourth in the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR after leading the most laps.

Instead, Smithson arrived on Wednesday afternoon to a track that he’s yet to visit previously, for a car that he’s driven in just one other race to date. Though Smithson and Eversley did earn a podium at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, he wasn’t a full weekend behind the rest of the field.

Thankfully, Atlanta Speedwerks had a plan. The team arrived at Watkins Glen nearly a month ago for four consecutive race weekends, beginning with Porsche Club of America and then an SCCA Super Tour race, followed by two consecutive IMSA races. Smithson climbed into one of the Atlanta Speedwerks’ SCCA Spec Miatas for the Chin Track Day on Thursday morning to get a feel for the track.

“The track is awesome,” Smithson said. “It flows really well, and it’s just a beautiful track. Driving the Spec Miata, I got some orientation but in talking to Ryan, you drive the TCR car a little bit different. All in all, I think we’ll be good.”

In all, Smithson was able to get about 60 minutes of track time. With just an hour of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice in advance of Thursday evening’s qualifying session and Friday’s two-hour race, the Chin Track Days – longtime friends of Atlanta Speedwerks, who carry a Chin Track Days decal on the Honda TCR cars – proved an invaluable resource, even in a car other than the Honda Civic TCR race car.

The key to the race may be Smithson’s ability to race the situation as it presents itself, rather than try to match last week’s victory. That’s especially true as the race is half the distance, and rain is a strong possibility.

“To be completely honest, it’s a little bit of added pressure because I want to bring it home for Ryan and get him another win,” Smithson said. “But I have to play it smart. It’s a brand-new track for me. Conditions might not be optimal. So I need to bring the car home and let him get it done.”

Instead, Smithson will have to do the best he can and know he played a role in last week’s victory from afar, including watching his personal backer, Qelo Capital, joining Sabelt, Pagid Brakes, Valvoline, Dinner With Racers and Lemons of Love in victory lane on the side of the Honda Civic TCR.

“It was bittersweet, because I wanted to be a part of it but it’s awesome to see that car and the Qelo brand in victory lane,” Smithson said.

Smithson and Eversley, Noaker and Henderson, and the rest of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge field run the first official session of this two-day event at 3:35 p.m. EDT on Thursday afternoon before Smithson and Henderson qualify their respective cars in a 15-minute session at 7:55 p.m. EDT. Henderson will be looking for the fifth-consecutive Motul Pole in as many races during the 2021 season, while Smithson will be trying to keep Eversley and the team car atop the point standings during Friday’s two-hour race at 2:35 p.m. EDT. Friday’s race can be streamed live through TrackPass on the NBCSN app.

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.