Category: IMSA

WATKINS GLEN, New York – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams competing in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series will reach the halfway point of the 2021 racing season this week, thanks to a quick span of back-to-back races this weekend and next Friday at Watkins Glen International. The tight schedule for both IMSA series begins with the traditional Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen this weekend, June 25 – 27, which is followed less than a week later by an IMSA WeatherTech Championship and IMSA Pilot Challenge sprint-race doubleheader at The Glen, Friday, July 2.

First run more than 50 years ago on the legendary 3.4-mile Grand Prix course in upstate New York, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen race weekend is an endurance race showcase for both the WeatherTech Championship and the Pilot Challenge series.

A pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams compete in this Sunday’s featured six-hour WeatherTech Championship race while six Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries will do battle in Saturday’s four-hour Pilot Challenge race.

By contrast, next Friday’s doubleheader features a two-hour and 40-minute WeatherTech Championship sprint and the series-standard two-hour race for Pilot Challenge competitors. The sprint-race event was added to the 2021 schedule earlier this year as a replacement for an event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park outside of Toronto, which was cancelled for the second-straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WeatherTech Championship races at The Glen are the fifth and six rounds, respectively, in this year’s 12 race championship. The Pilot Challenge races in turn are the fourth and fifth rounds on this year’s 10-race schedule.

This Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen IMSA WeatherTech Championship race is scheduled to start at 10:40 a.m. EDT. Live streaming on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold begins at 10:35 a.m. EDT with the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) telecast airing at 7 p.m. EDT Sunday night.

Full-season competitors Michael de Quesada and Daniel Morad are set for both WeatherTech Championship races at The Glen in the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. They will be joined in Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hour by Alegra’s endurance race driver Billy Johnson.

Alegra will be joined on the WeatherTech Championship GT Daytona (GTD) grid in the six-hour race by the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Kenny Habul, Mikael Grenier and Maro Engel.

Engel returns to the No. 75 after competing with SunEnergy1 Racing in the 12 Hours of Sebring. He also co-drove the race-winning No. 75 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, and has been in contention for the Michelin Endurance Cup GTD Driver Championship ever since.

The Sahlen’s Six Hour is round three of 2021 Michelin Endurance Cup, which awards the top performers in the year’s four endurance races at Daytona, Sebring, The Glen and November’s season-ending Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Coming into The Glen, Engel is just one point shy of the Endurance Cup driver championship leaders, 23 – 22, while Mercedes-AMG is second in the Endurance Cup manufacturer championship, 27 – 22.

The six-strong Mercedes-AMG GT4 Grand Sport (GS) class entry in Saturday’s four-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge race includes a Mercedes-AMG customer team making its IMSA debut for the second-consecutive race.

Co-drivers John Allen, Kris Wilson and Gary Ferrera will give the first-year Capstone Motorsports team its first IMSA GS start following the team’s initial victory in SRO America GT4 competition earlier this month. Allen, Wilson and Ferrera co-drive the No. 60 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 in tomorrow’s four-hour race.

Capstone’s inaugural IMSA start follows the IMSA debut of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer racing team FCP Euro one race ago at Mid-Ohio. Team drivers Nate Vincent and Michael Hurczyn scored a top-10 finish in the No. 11 FCP Euro Mercedes-AMG GT4 in Ohio and look to improve on that result at The Glen.

Winward Racing brings a two-car Mercedes-AMG GT4 entry to The Glen after securing a podium finish with the team’s No. 57 entry of Bryce Ward and Alec Udell at Mid-Ohio. The third-place showing was the first podium finish of the year for the Mercedes-AMG GT4 in IMSA competition and came in the season-debut of Ward, Udell and the No. 57 team.

Winward’s second entry is the No. 4 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Ward’s son, Russell Ward, and his co-driver Indy Dontje.

Another successful two car Mercedes-AMG GT4 team competing at The Glen comes from Murillo Racing. Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss are frequent contenders in the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 that competes alongside the No. 65 Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Brent Mosing, Tim Probert and endurance-race addition Kenny Murillo.

Saturday’s featured four-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race is scheduled to start at 2:35 p.m. EDT with live coverage on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. International viewers can watch live at www.IMSA.tv.

On-track action in both the IMSA WeatherTech Championship and IMSA Pilot Challenge began Friday at Watkins Glen. Practice sessions for both series was followed by Pilot Challenge GS qualifying Friday afternoon.

Daniel Morad, Driver – No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “The first four rounds of the championship haven’t gone to plan, with some things outside of our control and few things we could have done better together. We are really looking to regroup and bounce back, and I know that the Alegra Motorsports guys have worked hard on our Mercedes-AMG GT3 to get ready for this weekend. Everything has been checked, we are 100% ready for a six-hour endurance race. Having Billy back will be great with our three-driver lineup again. We are really looking forward to exploiting the full potential of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 around the fast circuit at Watkins Glen. This is one of my favorite circuits in the world now based on the surface since the repaving a few years ago. It just has the most grip of any race track I have been on around the world. After four races with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 package, Alegra Motorsports really understands the car and its sweet spots. I think the pace will be there. It is just going to be down to the drivers and the pit stop execution going perfectly.”

Bryce Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I think Watkins Glen is another track that I really enjoy. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t go to The Glen last year, but it is so nice to be back now. Two races in a row at the same track is going to be a lot of fun. For me, it’s particularly important. The real pros can step into the car and knock it out of the park straight away, but it takes me a little bit of time to settle in. The first race we’ll get a bit of practice, but the second we don’t get much practice at all. We’ll have a decent amount of drive time between the two and I’m really excited to be there for both races. I’ll be traveling back home between races, but the rest of the team will prepare the cars and hopefully spend a little bit of time in New York City and have a good time and get some good food and be ready for the second race.”

Alec Udell, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We had a great car, the team executed perfectly, we had a great pit stop and Bryce drove a great first stint there, so we’re really happy with the result at Mid-Ohio. We can carry that momentum into a circuit that for all intents and purposes is going to suit the Mercedes-AMG GT4 really well. I think most circuits do, and that’s a testament to the Mercedes-AMG brand and to the car. For us as a team, it’s focusing on making the fewest mistakes, staying clean and keep working forward. I think we’ve got a really good package with myself and Bryce and the Mercedes-AMG GT4, and we’ve proven that a few times over the past season. The four-hour race this weekend is going to add an entirely new element. It’s always more challenging, but when you add more time to the race, there’s more opportunities for things to happen, more opportunity to show well. Our focus is on maximizing the amount of time we have on the track and taking the Winward machine to the front.”

Kenny Murillo, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Ultimately, I am just grateful for the opportunity to not only drive a Mercedes-AMG GT4 again but to do it with Brent and Tim. We had a really good time at Daytona, and it was really my first time competing on the lead lap and battling in some restarts here and there. I am looking forward to putting what I learned at the beginning of the year to good use here at this Watkins Glen race.”

Robert Noaker Earned The Third Motul Pole Award For the No. 84 Honda Civic TCR, With Todd Lamb Qualifying Second in the No. 94 Honda Civic TCR

WATKINS GLEN, New York (June 25, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks locked down the front row for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class race on Saturday at Watkins Glen International, with Robert Noaker earning his second Motul Pole award in the opening four races and Todd Lamb qualifying second during Friday’s session.

The 17-year-old Noaker’s best lap of 1:56.046 (105.475 mph) in the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR was quick enough to set a new track record in the class and earn the team’s third top starting position in four races in the 2021 season. Noaker’s co-driver, Brian Henderson, scored the top spot at Daytona International Speedway in the season opener.

“I love this track,” Noaker said. “I’ve only been here one other time before this but on sims I’ve always loved it. It’s very different than any other track with the banking and there’s not much runoff. The car was handling and it’s good to get pole. It’s a four-hour race, so it’s just going to be staying out of trouble and try to stay out front. Hopefully I’ll hand the car off the Brian clean and see what he can do with it.”

Noaker was 0.825 ahead of Lamb in the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR during the session. Qualifying for the first time and racing for just the second time this season, Lamb turned a best lap of 1:56.871 (104.730 mph) just before the checkered flag flew on the 15-minute session. Lamb will co-drive with Ryan Eversley during Saturday’s four-hour race sitting second in the team championship and with Eversley second in the driver’s championship point standings.

“It was a great qualifying,” Lamb, also the team owner, said. “I’m really glad we can have both cars on the front row. We’re really coming together as a team, and to me that’s the biggest thing of all. It’s awesome to be able to drive this weekend, but as a team owner I just want to be able to have success and see both cars on the podium.”

The Tioga Downs Casino Resort 240 at The Glen gets underway at 2:35 p.m. EDT on Saturday from Watkins Glen International. The race can be seen live on the NBC Sports app via TrackPass.

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.

BATAVIA, Ohio. (June 22, 2021) – After a rare weekend of no racing, Wright Motorsports is back in action this weekend at Watkins Glen International for an action-packed event. The Ohio-based Porsche customer racing team will field five entries across the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands.

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Headlining the weekend’s festivities, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen will feature 40 entries from five classes. The No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R with drivers Patrick Long, Trent Hindman, and Jan Heylen will compete against 13 other entries in the GTD class. Over the course of the race, pit stop strategy, the speed of driver changes, and performance on track will be crucial keys to ultimate success. The six-hour event is the third of four endurance races in the full season calendar, known as the Michelin Endurance Cup (MEC). Wright Motorsports currently sits second in the MEC, following strong performances at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Twelve Hours of Sebring. The team also stands third in the full season point standings and looks to be a strong contender this weekend. Last season, the team never finished outside the top four in each of the four MEC race events.

As announced last week, the full-season lineup has undergone changes, with Ryan Hardwick stepping out of the GTD program to fully focus on his Michelin Pilot Challenge efforts. This weekend will mark Trent Hindman’s third race with the team, and his first as the full-time driver for the remainder of the season alongside Porsche Factory driver Patrick Long.

The field will take the green flag on Sunday, June 27 at 10:30 AM Eastern, and the race will air live on NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS, and tape delayed on NBCSN at 7:00 PM ET. IMSA Radio will also offer their comprehensive commentary live, and fans outside the US can check IMSA’s international coverage for their listings by country. Live timing of all the sessions will be available on livescoring.us.

DRIVER QUOTES

Patrick Long
No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
Watkins Glen is such an iconic track with a storied past on a world level. What doesn’t come through by watching it on TV is just how fast of a track it is. The stakes are high here and it is super rewarding when the car is tuned right and the driver is on song. But it is also one of the most difficult tracks I have ever been to in my career.

I really like the six-hour format. It blends the best of both worlds, of sprint and endurance. It will be a hard push from the start but with a few more pit stops and more strategic choices, it adds to the spectacle. Having Trent [Hindman] on board for the remainder of the season is really rewarding. He is a star in the making. It is fun to go racing like this, with friends like Johnny Wright, Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen, and Trent. Working with people you are really inspired by is special.

Trent Hindman
No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
Massive thank you to John and the entire Wright Motorsports team, 1st Phorm, and Ryan Hardwick for having me back in the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R. It’s been an honor to work with this team, Patrick, and Jan throughout Daytona and Sebring. I’m grateful to be back in an extended capacity.

It’s our first time back to Watkins Glen since 2019. The time spent away from this racetrack should pose a strong challenge to all teams upon returning this week. Fortunately, the excellent preparation by the Wright Motorsports team gives us confidence that we’ll be in the fight for the win.

Jan Heylen
No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
We had a good test a few weeks ago and the team is really well prepared. There’s been a driver change, which was Ryan’s decision, but I know I’ll miss him in the car. He’s the reason we’re there and Ryan’s the guy that put the program together, so not to have him in the car is definitely going feel a little weird and take some time to get used to. We owe a big thank you to Ryan and 1st Phorm for all of their support, We have Trent, who will step in for Ryan and do a great job. It’ll be great to have him back. This may not be our strongest track, but with the driver lineup we have, we’ll come away with some good points and keep our eye on the championship. We’re excited to be here and it will be a busy weekend for all of us.

MICHELIN PILOT CHALLENGE
With two podium finishes in three races, the No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport is also on the hunt to get closer to the GS class lead in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. Driven by Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen, the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche has started both races from pole position. Despite missing the first race of the season, Wright Motorsports will be a strong contender for the 2021 championship title as the season progresses.

The Tioga Downs Casino Resort 240 will run for four hours, the longest race length of the season. Thirty-eight cars from ten different manufacturers will compete on Saturday, June 26 starting at 2:35 PM. The race will air live on NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS and tape-delayed on Wednesday, June 30 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Eastern.

DRIVER QUOTES

Ryan Hardwick
No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
I’m so excited for these back-to-back race weekends at Watkins Glen. It will be nice to have my complete focus on the Michelin Pilot Challenge series and our Cayman GT4. Switching back and forth between the GTD and the GT4 cars was really challenging for me, and that played a lot into my decision to focus on one car for the remainder of this season. The Glen is my favorite racetrack on the IMSA schedule! It’s so challenging to run at a quick pace here for an entire race. Our focus is to run a couple of clean races, gain some positive points and keep chipping away at the overall championship lead.

I’m also excited to welcome Trent back to our team for the rest of the WeatherTech Championship season. I expect our GTD program to pick up right where we left off the last time Patrick, Trent and Jan were all in the car together at Sebring. The GTD class is probably more competitive now than ever before, and I’m confident that we’ve put together one of the best teams in the paddock. It’s going to be a fun and exciting remainder of the season!

Jan Heylen
No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
I’m excited to go back to the Glen with Ryan. We’ve come off two really good weekends in the GT4 car. We’re back into the championship. We need another good result to put us in the top three, and to really fight for the championship. I think the Glen could be a tough race for us depending on how hot it’s going to be. We have a really good car, but we know that we lose some performance when it gets hot, so hopefully, the weather works with us a little bit and especially since, since we have a doubleheader there. Ryan is in great form, and our testing went really well. Ryan was quick and we’re really looking forward to it and I hope we can come home with another podium finish.

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP NORTH AMERICA PRESENTED BY THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
It has been almost two months since the Porsche Carrera Cup North America raced rounds three and four of the championship at Circuit of the Americas, and Wright Motorsports is ready to get back to racing with their trio of Porsche race cars. After bad luck and poor weather conditions in the first two doubleheaders of the season, drivers Max Root, Hutton McKenna, and John Goetz are hoping for a clean event, eager to pick up some solid results and points in the weekend’s pair of 45-minute races.

Both races will air live on imsa.tv, on Friday, June 25 at 12:55 PM ET and Saturday, June 26 at 9:30 AM ET.

DRIVER QUOTES

John Goetz
No. 57 Porsche GT3 Cup
I’m looking forward to another fine event with PMNA at one of my favorite tracks—Watkins Glen. All the high-speed corners with the new 992 Cup’s excellent downforce will make for a wonderful experience.

Max Root
Moorespeed-Wright Motorsports No. 7 Porsche GT3 Cup
I’m looking forward to getting back to Watkins Glen International. It’s a really special place with a lot of historical value. This weekend, we’re sporting a retro livery, thanks to our sponsors EvaClean, Matter, and Isringhausen. We’re going to be coming out swinging strong. We’ve had some tough luck this first half of the season. We’re not going to let it stop us and we’ll give it everything we have.

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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. The 2020 season will see the team return to IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (June 22, 2021) – Three months have passed since Era Motorsport finished second at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and since then, the LMP2 sports car racing team has made their European Le Mans Series debut, already completing the first three races of the season. This week, the Indianapolis-based team travels to Watkins Glen, New York for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The team secured the class victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, followed by the second-place Sebring finish. The two strong results put the team in second in the Michelin Endurance Cup, the four-race endurance points battle within the full season championship. Since the 2020 Six Hours of the Glen was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the team’s rookie season, this weekend will be Era’s first time racing in the fan-favorite event.

Endurance addition Ryan Dalziel will race alongside full-season pilots Kyle Tilley and Dwight Merriman in the No. 18 Oreca LMP2 car. Thirty-nine other entries are slated to compete in the six-hour event at Watkins Glen International Raceway, a permanent road course located in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

In preparation for the big race, the team has recently completed private tests at the 3.4-mile, 11-turn circuit. This will also be the first IMSA event since early 2020 that sports car racing fans will be allowed back in the paddock as well as the pre-race open-grid fan walk.

For fans not attending the event, the race will air in the United States live on NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS streaming service on Sunday, June 27 from 10:30 AM to 4:40 AM Eastern, or tape-delayed on NBCSN starting at 7:00 PM ET. Fans outside the U.S. can likely watch on imsa.tv or check listings by country on the IMSA International Coverage page. IMSA Radio will also be offering live coverage of the race, steaming worldwide for free.

Kyle Tilley
I’m super excited for the Six Hours of the Glen! It was the event I met Ryan Dalziel at in 2013, as well as the site of my first event in the United States, so I feel like it’s come full circle! We had a really successful test there a few weeks ago, so confidence is high! That combined with some of what we learned in ELMS, I think we are looking very strong!

Dwight Merriman
I’m feeling confident about our standing coming into Watkins Glen International. We’ve really been putting in the work to consistently improve where we can, and after two strong podium finishes in IMSA this year, I think that consistency will only move us forward.

Ryan Dalziel
After a win and second place in the first two endurance races in IMSA, we are ready to continue that run and hopefully with a finish at the top step. We have learned a lot while racing over in Europe about the Oreca LMP2 which I hope translates over to the IMSA program. Love my Era Motorsport family and I’m ready for more success together.

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About Era Motorsport
Era Motorsport was formed in 2018 with the idea of providing unmatched excellence in historic racing. Just two years later, the team expanded to the world of professional sport car racing, fielding an Oreca 07 in the prolific IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2021, the team went on to win at the iconic Rolex 24 At Daytona, in what was their second attempt competing in the event. Motorsport isn’t just a hobby, it is a way of life: a passion that is in the team’s blood. Whether you find us in the IMSA WeatherTech paddock with modern prototypes or chasing down lap records in our fully restored classic sports cars, or even globetrotting to experience historic F1 at some of the world’s most iconic circuits, Era Motorsport has something for everyone. In 2021, the team will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the full LMP2 season and also contest in the full seasons of the Asian Le Mans championship and European Le Mans Series.

The team and drivers have competed in over 30 hours of racing in preparation for this weekend’s endurance event

ORLANDO, Fla. (21 June 2021) – The Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing team heads back to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) action this weekend in Saturday’s Tioga Downs Casino Resort 240 (2:05 p.m. Eastern, NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS) at historic Watkins Glen International.

Rob Ecklin Jr. (Lancaster, Pa.), Ramin Abdolvahabi (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and New York local driver Brandon Kidd (Rochester, NY) will take the wheel of the No. 09 Stoner Car Care Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for the four-hour race, the second of two endurance events for the series this season.

The team has not seen IMSA action since March’s Sebring event, though they have been anything but idle. While earning three podium finishes in the World Racing League’s endurance events at Road America and Daytona (including a victory in the second of two eight-hour races at Road America) in it’s previous generation Aston Martin, the team has competed in over 30 hours of racing.

The team also conducted a two-day test at VIRginia International Raceway recently, bridging the gap between the older Aston Martin and the latest iteration, which is in its third year of IMSA competition. Between the race events and the test, the team and drivers feel more than race ready as they approach the weekend at the Glen, where they enjoyed the car’s first race lead in 2019.

“I feel very good about getting back behind the wheel of the ‘new’ Aston Martin,” said Ecklin. “We made some good improvements in the VIR test that we’ll take into this weekend. We know this track well, but the caveat is – we haven’t been here in two years. The last time we were here we led midway through the race, so we know the car has had pace here in the past. I always go humbly into this race weekend, knowing we have to get back into the “feel” of the track. It’s such a fast track and it requires commitment to get maximum speed, especially out of the Hairpin and The Boot, so it has its share of challenges.”

Kidd joined the team and the series in 2018 following multiple seasons racing late model stock cars, dirt track sprint cars and the NASCAR ARCA series. Born in Syracuse and living in Rochester, Kidd knows the area – but not necessarily the Glen. The weekend is the best chance his friends, family and co-workers will have to see him race (a registered financial planner, Kidd works with Rochester-based Pinnacle Investments, who will have a sizable contingent at the Glen).

“I’ve only raced at Watkins Glen twice before, both with the Stoner Car Care team,” said Kidd. “I’ve put a ton of laps in on my simulator, which is the next best thing. It’s one of the best tracks in the world to race on so to have that in my backyard is very special. It’s also quite special to be able to have family, friends and co-workers come to watch me race – and this is their only chance to do that. Access is getting better as we’re coming out of COVID, so we’re expecting a lot of people and that makes the race weekend even better for me. Few of my friends know much about racing so they always leave with a greater appreciation for what’s involved.”

The continued competition through the 2021 season has the team eager for a return to IMSA action this weekend.

“These guys are all warmed up,” said Automatic Racing team manager David Russell. “We may not have been running with IMSA, but we’ve been racing a great deal. The WRL runs on street tires, which requires the drivers to be a little more on the edge, so I think it will make the guys just that much faster. It’s been a great training tool, especially just the sheer number of hours spent in race mode. There’s a great deal of confidence in the team so hopefully those ingredients will add up to an inspiring weekend.”

The Tioga Downs Casino Resort 240, part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen weekend, takes the green flag Saturday at 2:05 p.m. Eastern. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on NBC Sports Gold’s TrackPass, while international viewers can watch via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com. NBCSN will broadcast a two-hour race recap, currently scheduled to air Wednesday, June 30 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern (check local listings).

About Invisible Glass

Automatic Racing sees their way to victory with Invisible Glass, the top-selling automotive glass cleaner in the United States. The Invisible Glass product line includes aerosol and spray bottle cleaner, Invisible Glass with rain repellent for windshields and wiper blades. Find more online at https://www.invisibleglass.com/

About Stoner Car Care

Stoner Car Care produces high-performance car washes, waxes, polishes, and dressings for auto enthusiasts and car care professionals. The Stoner Car Care line-up includes Invisible Glass, America’s #1 Automotive Glass Cleaner, along with many other appearance products. Whether driving, washing or waxing, Performance Matters! Stoner car care proudly formulates all of our product since 1942

About Automatic Racing

Based in Orlando, Automatic Racing is one of the longest-running teams in the paddock, forming in 2001 and competing in all but one of the 11 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge races at Daytona. The team has been developing, preparing and racing the prestigious Aston Martin Vantage GT4 since 2012. Automatic Racing won the 2017 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge title.

Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (20 June 2021) – After charging to second in the order on the first lap of the the Rev Group Grand Prix, Meyer Shank Racing took a gamble on strategy midway through the race that didn’t play out as the team had been hoping, as driver Jack Harvey finished the race 17th in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda on Sunday.

Starting from third, Harvey took advantage of a good jump on the start and made the pass for second going into turn 1. Harvey held second place through his first fuel stint before a lap 13 pit stop.

Harvey reentered the track fourth and continued his battle up front. Despite staying in the top ten, three yellow flag periods slowed Harvey’s charge back to podium position, with the team looking to take a different approach back to the front by electing to pit on lap 34 with a bold call on fuel strategy.

With the race having generated so many caution periods, the team had reason to anticipate that more would follow, allowing the strategy to pay dividends for Harvey at the checkered flag.

But after losing ground to fuel save, it was too little too late when a lone yellow came late in the race as Harvey put his head down to come home a disappointed 17th.

“Today was a tough day and definitely not the result that we had hoped for,” said Harvey. “We had a really great start and our pace on reds was pretty good. I know the guys on the stand were playing out different scenarios to get us back to the top. We made a strategy call and I had to save a ton of fuel at the end of the race. But unfortunately the strategy didn’t play out how we had hoped, which is pretty unfortunate considering the pace that we had all weekend.”

Meyer Shank Racing will be in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar action next weekend at Watkins Glen International for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.