Category: IMSA

DAYTONA BEACH, (February, 1, 2021) – For the second year in a row, Wright Motorsports has produced a near flawless performance during one of the most challenging sports car endurance races in North America to finish fourth, just seconds shy of a podium result. Racing the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R with drivers Patrick Long, Jan Heylen, Klaus Bachler, and Trent Hindman, the team put on a clinic for overcoming on-track adversity, rebounding from contact from another car to race at the front of the GTD class for a fight to the finish.

“I really want everyone on our team to be proud of our finishing result,” said team owner John Wright. “Daytona is a challenging event, and as we saw with many of our competitors, she can deal you a tough hand. But we had the best people in pit lane to keep moving forward and create the best outcome possible. “

The Rolex 24 at Daytona was nothing short of a test of character for Wright Motorsports. Following an incident during the Roar Before the 24, the Ohio-based team was forced to switch to and rebuild another chassis ahead of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, as well as add driver Trent Hindman to replace an injured Ryan Hardwick. The team had the car ready to qualify for the main event, setting a grid position of ninth place for Saturday’s 3:40PM start.

Jan Heylen’s opening race stint immediately had the Belgian driver on his toes, when contact at the front of the GTLM field resulted in several cars dodging a spinning Porsche as the field came to the green flag. Heylen managed to avoid any conflict from his starting position and climbed to fifth place in the opening laps. As predicted by many, the addition of the LMP3 class added to the on-track action throughout the race, and especially the first stint. The first hours of the race were presented with several full-course cautions, allowing the Wright Motorsports team to showcase the efficiency of their pit stops, by gaining additional positions as the field came in for tires and fuel.

With a 3:40PM start time, dusk settled on the track early into the race, and the Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R had already climbed to second position. Trent Hindman took over from Heylen under caution, entering the race in third. Due to Hindman joining the team just days before the race, his almost 90-minute stint was the longest amount of time he had been in the car. The GTD champion adapted well, racing clean and taking care of the car in what proved to be another chaotic stint of multi-class traffic and on-track incidents.

Klaus Bachler was the next driver to take over, taking advantage of the strong position Hindman had helped hold the team in, and at the five hour mark, the young German brought the team to the GTD class lead after a smooth pass on the No. 97 of Charlie Eastwood. He extended his lead during his stint, and Patrick Long stepped in as the final driver to turn his first laps just before 10:00PM. Unbeknownst to the public, Long’s radio had a technical issue, resulting in him lacking team communications for a good portion of his stint. He continued to manage as the team worked to troubleshoot the issue from pit lane, trying to also maintain his six second gap over the No. 1 of Bryan Sellers. While the gap had significantly closed before the end of his stint, Long still closed out his run as the GTD class leader.

Heylen resumed his driving duties at 11:00PM, maintaining a top four position in the first hour until contact from another car spun the No. 16 Porsche. In the early minutes of Sunday morning, the No. 16 1St Phorm Porsche had to pit to assess the damage to the left side of the car, making an unplanned pit stop. The incident dropped the Porsche down to 12th place, and down two laps. While the team was able to continue, the damage hampered the team’s performance, resulting in the No. 16 car not being able to be as competitive as before the contact.

In the hours to follow, the driver rotation continued, and the engineers and strategists on pitlane expertly utilized the full-course cautions and wave-around procedures to get back on to the lead lap by 2:00AM. While typically the night hours are for maintaining position and focusing on survival to fight in the morning, everyone at Wright Motorsports stood focused on getting back to the front end of the field. Stint by stint, caution by caution, the 1st Phorm Porsche climbed her way up the charts. By 8:00AM the team found themselves back in the top three, ready to fight for a coveted podium position.

The hours that followed showed an increase in tension as well as accidents, with several cars going off course while pursuing advancement of their position. The battle for the top three intensified, with four cars continually rotating through the podium spots. In the end, the 1st Phorm Porsche finished in fourth, and while not on a podium step, the team started the 2021 season off with a strong championship points pull. The series next travels back to Florida for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, March 17-20, 2021. The race will serve as the second round in the four-race North American Endurance Cup, and endurance race championship within the 2021 full season championship. For event information, visit imsa.com.

Driver Quotes

Patrick Long
This was a great start to the season from a points perspective. Naturally, we were hoping for a podium and striving for a victory, but it unraveled for us after contact with the No. 9 car in the evening. The damage to the car hurt us. From there, we were just trying to push as hard as we could in the changing conditions and have a clean race. We executed all day but things happened outside of our control, and that is what dictated the result for the day. There were strong cars ahead of us today, but a lot of our full-season competitors had hard days. I am proud of the whole Wright organization, and we have our eyes forward to Sebring. This one goes out to Ryan Hardwick.

Jan Heylen
First of all, a big thank you to Ryan Hardwick, 1st Phorm, Mountain Motorsports, and Una Vida Tequila for making this event happen and letting us race here. It is one of my favorite events to do, and to do it with Wright Motorsports and the teammates we had all month, it was special. The team did an amazing job leading up to the race to produce a car that we could race with, and we had a reliable car. We had zero mechanical issues, and no issues in pit lane. It shows how good Wright Motorsports is and all the guys work so well as a team. Hats off to them. They did an amazing job. It was a long week for everybody. We were really hoping at the end to pay Ryan back with a podium. We came close, and we did everything right, but just didn’t have it in the end, likely due to the impact from the other car. It’s tough to race for 24 Hours and to be there right at the end. Such is racing, and it was still an amazing experience. I look forward to going back to Sebring to do it all over again.

Klaus Bachler
Obviously, it was a great job by the whole team, for the entire month. It took a lot of work to get us racing and everyone on the team did a great job. Ryan is okay, and that’s the most important thing. We had a really good start to the race, but then bad luck hit with that late night incident when that other car that hit us. We struggled a bit after that, but in the end, we gave everything to stay out front. It was a great day for the championship and points. Thanks to everybody for their hard work.

Trent Hindman
First off, I want to give a big thank you to Ryan Hardwick, John Wright, and the Wright Motorsports team for having me this week. I know it was a difficult situation, but I’m glad I was here and able to fill in and at least try to compete for the win. I think it became pretty clear pretty early on that there were just some cars that were going to be hard to beat. But our strategy was perfect, the team made zero mistakes at all. We nailed every single pit stop. So, it was just a pleasure to see that operation. I’m not necessarily looking forward to ever competing against them again, but really just a big thank you to all the guys over there for welcoming me with open arms and giving me the opportunity to join the team.

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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

VICTORY: Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Team Triumphs in Rolex 24 At Daytona Debut at Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Winward Racing and team co-drivers Russell Ward, Indy Dontje, Philip Ellis and Maro Engel earned the first Rolex 24 At Daytona victory for the Mercedes-AMG GT3 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). The team and drivers secured a historic win in the team’s debut in the nation’s premier endurance race, which ran for the 59th time this weekend at DIS. Engel drove the winning No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 across the finish line just ahead of the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing entry, anchoring a one-two Mercedes-AMG GT3 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) class finish.

The victory marked a string of “firsts” for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing and the Winward team and drivers. In addition to the first Daytona win for the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Winward Racing, the victory was the first for all four drivers at the “World Center of Racing,” and came in the Rolex 24 debuts of Ward, Ellis, Dontje and the Winward team.

The No. 57 Winward Racing entry was the highest starting Mercedes-AMG GT3 of the three competing in the Rolex 24. Ward started the race in fifth and he and his teammates seldom ran lower than that throughout the twice around the clock race.

All four drivers led race laps in the No. 57 to combine for a GTD-class high 362 laps up front. Dontje first put the Winward Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the lead for 14 laps early Saturday evening in his second driving stint of the race. Ward followed and returned to the front of the GTD field after taking over from Dontje. From there, the No. 57 maintained or battled for the lead for the rest of the race.

For the final four hours, Winward’s toughest competitor was the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Kenny Habul, Mikael Grenier, Luca Stolz and Raffaele Marciello.

The No. 75 drivers maintained a steady pace in the top-10 throughout the race’s opening hours on Saturday, but Stolz first gave a sign of things to come when he moved up to fourth in the seventh hour.

By Sunday morning, the No. 75 was lapping on pace with the Winward entry, with Stolz and Marciello frequently right on the No. 57’s bumper. The No. 75 led 13 race laps, but in the end, Engel built just enough of a gap to secure the win. Marciello followed Engel across the finish line to seal the first Mercedes-AMG GT3 one-two IMSA race finish since Long Beach in 2017.

Debuting Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team and season-long IMSA GTD entrants Alegra Motorsports made it three Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the top-10.

Co-drivers Daniel Morad, Billy Johnson, Maxi Buhk and Mike Skeen, and the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 team, persevered through a myriad of typical endurance race issues for a hard-earned ninth-place finish.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the 12 Hours of Sebring, March 17 – 20, at Sebring International Raceway.

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams competing in SRO Motorsports Group America series make their season debut at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, March 5 – 7.

Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing: “I am very, very happy for our Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams, and for all of the people involved, so that we could achieve this fantastic victory here at such an iconic race. We’ve been able to put the name of Mercedes-AMG in the record book for the famous Rolex 24 At Daytona. I can only thank the teams, all of our three customer teams, which worked together from the Roar on in preparation and with the strategy to optimize the car for the end of the race. It’s amazing to see that we started the race just average and ended up with the perfect car to control the lead of the race. Thank you to all involved and to those back home in Germany.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We didn’t come here with a lot of expectations. It was a learning experience for us, a step up for us from GT4 to GT3. The crew and I have been preparing a long time for this, about an entire year. All the time off we had from April 2020 to when we started back racing, we’ve been preparing for this. I think it really showed off. At the end of the day, our team just wanted it more than everybody else out there.”

Indy Dontje, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I feel great. I’m still getting a lot of messages from Holland, from home, that I’m one of the five Dutch guys who won this race, so it’s really something to be proud of. Winning the Rolex 24 in GTD with this team as rookies, we were underdogs the whole weekend, and in the end to win it with such great speed, is unbelievable. The whole weekend was intense and really busy, but I really enjoyed every moment. I’m really happy.”

Maro Engel, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This is absolutely amazing. Huge thank you to my three amazing teammates. It’s their first time at Daytona in a GT3 car – and HTP Winward Racing’s first time at Daytona in GTD – and what a performance they all did. And we had an absolutely fantastic Mercedes-AMG GT3. The car was such a pleasure to drive, and the strategy was just perfect. I’m overwhelmed and I’m just super happy.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I’m just speechless. When Maro crossed the line, I was standing on the pit wall bawling my eyes out. It’s crazy to think these guys at Winward are here for the first time. Russell, Indy and I being here for the first time in a GT3 car. It’s amazing to be a part of it, and amazing to be a part of the first Rolex 24 win for Mercedes-AMG at Daytona as well. And to make it a one-two just adds to it. In my opinion, it couldn’t be any more perfect.”

Raffaele Marciello, Driver – No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a challenging race, and our car got damage pretty much at the beginning, so we had to fight quite a bit with the car. At the end, to finish second – I’m not happy, of course, I wanted to win – but the result for the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a great result. One-two is really, really special, so I’m happy for everyone with Mercedes-AMG.”

Luca Stolz, Driver – No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I’m happy about second place, and a Mercedes-AMG GT3 one and two finish is awesome. It’s my third time here at Daytona, and it was two times really unlucky. It’s good to be finally in victory lane. The team did great. We had a great car and a great driver line-up, and thanks to Kenny for putting a great team together. It was not an easy race. We had to push really, really hard. In the end, we just fell 10 seconds too short, but that’s what racing is about. I hope we can come back again and win.”

Maxi Buhk, Driver – No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Ninth in the end was not the result we aimed for. We had quite high expectations coming from the Roar. In the beginning, it looked like we had some serious pace, but all of a sudden, we lost a bit. It didn’t work out as we wanted to, and in the end it’s a bit disappointing, but there is always next time.”

Billy Johnson, Driver – No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This was my first race in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 car and also my first race with Alegra in a Mercedes-AMG. We got the car at the last minute and didn’t have much time to prep it and test it, so we went into this race weekend learning the car. At the end it was a good points day for us. We brought the car home in one piece and we finished the race, so the car was reliable and excellent. We had a really good set up but there are still some things to learn. We’ll take what we learned for this weekend and apply it to the next race. Overall, it was a great weekend for the car, and for me, and the debut of the team with the Mercedes-AMG GT3.”

Daytona Beach, Fla. (January 31, 2021) – The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 scored its third victory in a row at the 59th Running of the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA after numerous hard-fought battles throughout the prestigious 24-hour race. The result now means the Wayne Taylor led team equals Chip Ganassi Racing for most consecutive overall team victories at the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA. Most notably, the Konica Minolta team has won the iconic endurance event four out of the past five years and, today, garnered the first overall win for the Acura brand and the ARX-05.

Filipe Albuquerque started the race for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura team from the fifth position, before quickly settling into a rhythm aboard the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05, maneuvering his way through the 49-car, five-class field. As the race transitioned into the night earlier than usual thanks to the later start time, the blue and black machine, also piloted by teammates Ricky Taylor, Alexander Rossi and Helio Castroneves, hit the front of the field to take the lead before having to pit for a necessary brake change during a timely full course caution with 11 hours remaining.

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 maintained their pace throughout the night and well into the next day, and by the time there were five hours remaining, the team had made its way back to the top of the leaderboard and continued to extend its lead as the hours ticked away.

With the added excitement created by a handful of late race full course cautions, the blue and black Konica Minolta machine continued to demonstrate front running pace and was able to clinch a third Rolex 24 victory in successive years. With an all-new year driver line-up, along with embarking upon a new and exciting manufacturer relationship with Acura, this was a special moment for the team.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment from the whole team,” said (Ricky) Taylor. “Everybody from Wayne Taylor Racing, Konica Minolta, Acura, HPD and Harrison Contracting all have their own way of winning and doing things. So, to bring together a new manufacturer and team relationship and start off with such success at the most difficult race of the year, it puts an emphasis on what a talented group of people we have here. I’m really proud of my Dad especially, for the team he has put together as he works really hard. As a son, I am very proud, and as a team member, everyone pushed their hardest and all the effort that went in over the very brief off season was just a full team effort and executed to perfection.”

“What a start with Wayne Taylor Racing, Konica Minolta and Acura,” noted Albuquerque. “It could not have been better, and this was the craziest race of my life and probably for many of the other drivers as well. It was very tough, especially mentally because we had to fight hard drive fast all the time as we were probably lacking just a little bit of pace. But we had the advantage with the fuel, and we had track position so I was holding on to that for everything I could, and in the end, the car behind had a puncture which made our life easier. I’m just so happy, and a big thanks to Wayne, Ricky, Helio, Alex and the rest of the team as it was perfect execution by everyone.”

“That was quite a dramatic 24 hours, but I’m really proud of the entire team and Acura,” commented Rossi. “I’m just so proud to be a part of an incredible accomplishment with Wayne Taylor Racing winning three in a row. To do it with a new manufacturer and start their journey together like this is something that is very special to be a part of, and I can’t wait for the next one.”

“What a day, I’m super happy and actually, I don’t want to leave at all!” enthused Castroneves. “I want to stay here as the 24 hours was an amazing experience with Wayne Taylor Racing, I can’t thank them enough for making me a part of this amazing group. The most joyful aspect is enjoying this with Ricky, so we carry the same momentum from last year and it’s just been amazing. What a day, I’m just so happy!”

“What a fantastic week,” an ecstatic team owner Wayne Taylor highlighted. “I know I’ve surrounded myself with great people from Konica Minolta, to Harrison Contracting, to Acura, to HPD and to all of my fans and friends. It was something really special for me having had a 28-year relationship with another manufacturer where we had a lot of success. So, to be able to get another program, with another manufacturer and to be as successful for both of us, is really just fantastic.”

The 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continues on March 17th for the second longest endurance race on the calendar, the Mobil 1 Twelve hours of Sebring. Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Alexander Rossi will pilot the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 for the historic event, and the trio will be looking to achieve the team’s second victory at the iconic Florida venue.

About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future™ with its expansive smart office product portfolio from IT Services (All Covered), ECM, Managed Print Services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for thirteen consecutive years, and the World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent three years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and work 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 and CIT.

Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTLM No. 62:
James Calado (GBR)
Alessandro Pier Guidi (ITA)
Davide Rigon (ITA)
Jules Gounon (FRA)

(Daytona Beach, Fla., January 31, 2021)…The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari Team came to the 59th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona with one goal in mind – to win the race. Team Principal Giuseppe Risi has fielded cars in this twice-around-the-clock endurance classic since 1998. This year’s Ferrari 488 GTLM is the 22nd entry for the Italian team owner and Ferrari of Houston and Ferrari of the Woodland Texas dealership owner.

Although the Risi crew and drivers ran a very strong race, they didn’t quite make it to the podium, finishing in fourth position in class. Two GTLM cars were on the lead Lap 770, and the third and fourth place cars were just one lap down after 24 hours of racing in the 59th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.

Drivers of the Risi Competizione Ferrari GTLM entry for 2021 were Ferrari Competizioni GT factory drivers James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Davide Rigon and young French endurance hotshoe Jules Gounon. They all had very solid drives and the popular No. 62 Ferrari led on several occasions as Race Engineer Rick Mayer tried to use strategy to achieve a top step podium outcome.

Pier Guidi clocked the fastest GTLM lap of the race during the early morning hours, on Lap 429, with a time of 1:42.411.

The race was relatively by the book for the Houston, Texas-based team. They cycled through their drivers and tried to take advantage of the 11 cautions throughout the course of the 24-hour race.

Although a hit by another car on the first lap caused a bit of a fright for starting driver Pier Guidi and the Risi crew, fortunately they didn’t suffer any setbacks. Calado had a brief spin with a LMP3 entry at the Daytona “Bus Stop” that required a pit stop for flat spotted tires and check for damage.

The team had to serve two drive through penalties, one for Calado’s spin, for which he was found guilty by Race Control, and one when Pier Guidi had to make an emergency fuel splash when caught out at a caution.

The No. 62 Ferrari battled between first and fifth place in the competitive GTLM class most of the race, depending on pit stops, cautions and other circumstances and they battled with the two factory Corvettes and BMWs throughout the race.

The winning No. 10 Daytona Prototype car completed 807 laps. The Risi Ferrari completed 769 laps for its fourth-place finish in the GTLM class and 14th overall in the 49-car field which saw minimal attrition. Weather for race varied from mostly cloudy and windy today with highs of mid 70s degrees F to lows in the high 50-degree temperatures last night.

The last time that the Risi Competizione team stood on the podium was in 2019 with a second-place class finish after leading much of the late race. Risi Competizione finished fourth with this very same chassis at last September’s postponed 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Risi Competizione pit stop shows James Calado getting out of the Ferrari 488 GTLM and Alessandro Pier Guidi ready to strap in

QUOTES:

Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione Race Engineer:
“We were not competitive again this year. The others all had a power advantage to our Ferrari. That’s just an imbalance in the rules and out of the team’s control. It was a race of attrition and luck for us, which didn’t go our way. The car balance was good; all the drivers were happy with the general car and we had great pit work and no strategy errors, but no pace. All the drivers and the crew did a great job. It’s rough to stay up 36+ hours knowing you’ll only move forward if others have issues, makes for a long two days.”

James Calado, driver No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTLM:
“Thanks to all the team, the mechanics, and everyone that helped out over the last two weeks. The guys did an amazing job in the pit stops. It was faultless. We did everything we could but we struggled with pace. Thanks to Giuseppe for coming back. You can see he’s massively passionate and it’s such a shame that it’s not recognized properly because we’re here to race fairly and it is unfortunate that it’s been another year where we’ve been at quite a large disadvantage compared to our competitors. It’s a tough one to take again but we’ll continue to do our job the way we’re doing and let’s see what happens in the future.”

Alessandro Pier Guidi, driver No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTLM:
“It’s a bit frustrating, all the years we’ve come here with the GTLM F488 we’ve not had a fair BoP. I really feel bad for Giuseppe, he’s so passionate and so much money and effort is spent to race for attrition and hope for others to falter so you can move up. I hope one time we will have a level playing field to compete in Daytona.”

Davide Rigon, starting driver No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTLM:
“The BoP was sadly not in our favor. The team, anyway, I have to say, did an amazing job. I have to say thank you Giuseppe and every single person on the team that did their job 110%. I’m super proud and happy of the team. The car was awesome but we were missing some speed on the straight line, especially the last few hours. I really enjoyed this race with my teammates; they all did an amazing job. I’m happy we gave it our all, but it was not enough. Fourth place…it’s always good to finish a 24-hour race but we deserve a bit more.”

Jules Gounon, driver No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTLM:
“It was a bit disappointing to finish fourth. It’s always a disappointment when you’re not on the podium but to be honest, the Risi team did a fantastic job. We did the maximum we could do with what we had, especially BoP-wise. It’s been an honor for me to be driving again for Giuseppe and the team. (We were) fourth for Le Mans and fourth for Daytona. Looks like this car is made to be fourth. Maybe next time we will have a better one. It was an amazing race though and I’m proud to have been part of it with Giuseppe and his team and hope to see everyone again soon.”

The Risi Competizione Ferrari team has not yet announced any additional racing plans for 2021.

For more information, please go to www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione, Twitter @RisiComp and Instagram @RisiComp.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2021) – Corvette Racing’s No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R of Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg won the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Sunday for the first long-distance victory for the mid-engine Corvette race car.

Taylor led a 1-2 Corvette C8.R finish to the checkered flag ahead of Tommy Milner’s No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R that he drove with Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims. This is the fourth Rolex 24 victory for Corvette Racing and first since 2016.

JIM CAMPBELL, CHEVROLET U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, PERFORMANCE AND MOTORSPORTS: “Winning the opening race in the 2021 IMSA season keeps momentum going from the end of last season,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president Performance & Motorsports. “What a difference a year makes! I am so proud of the progress Corvette Racing team has made since last year’s race to win the 2021 Roles 24 At Daytona with the Corvette C8.R. It so special to win this endurance race at Daytona for the fourth time in our class.”

LAURA KLAUSER, CHEVROLET SPORTS CAR PROGRAM MANAGER: “What an amazing team effort by everyone at Corvette Racing to get the Corvette C8.R to Victory Lane with a one-two finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. It was a hard-fought battle for this incredible result. The months of work and preparation by everyone associated with this program were evident today on both sides of the Corvette garage. This truly is One Team. I’m proud and pleased for the teams, our Corvette owners and our fans. This is the best possible way to start a new season, and we are going to work hard to capitalize on this momentum.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “This is both one of the best days of my career but also one of the most frustrating and disappointing. I did have COVID in late December with some symptoms. I isolated until I fully recovered, and followed all Spanish and CDC protocols to be cleared for traveling. It’s frustrating but there are protocols that are in place for this. It’s painful not to be able to celebrate with Jordan, Nicky and the rest of the team. We worked so hard over the past months and weeks to achieve an endurance win like the Rolex 24. We didn’t make mistakes, we had good pace with the Corvette. After winning the championship a year ago, this was the type or result we all wanted for the start of a new season.

“Ever since we started at Daytona with this new car, we knew it would be fast and competitive. Obviously, the preparation we had last year wasn’t enough to win this race. But after the lockdown, that gave us an opportunity to develop the C8.R and we went on to win six races as a team and the championship. Last year, we didn’t manage to win a long race so it was still in our minds to get this, and now we’ve started with a big one like the Rolex. We proved today that Corvette Racing was the strongest team.
“I have to say this was a flashback to the 2016 race (a runner-up finish in a Corvette 1-2). It was pretty nerve-wracking when it looked like it could happen again but I’m glad we came out on top this time.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It is definitely different. My two previous ones were in prototype with my Dad’s team. I never had a chance to finish the race when we won, so I think that part of it was definitely daunting and intimidating. I was extremely nervous the hour leading up to my last stint, just knowing what was at stake and how big of a deal this race is for Corvette Racing and to Chevrolet. To have everyone here and seeing the history of the team at this event… the success is kinda down to your hands in that last couple of hours when you are in the car. I wanted to do my job well and hit my marks and not make mistakes. I had an amazing battle with Tommy (Milner)… super respectful. I thought it was a great race. I’m just so happy. It’s my first class win at Daytona and third Rolex. So unbelievable and I never could have dreamed it any better to be honest.

“It is just a testament to Corvette Racing. It just speaks volumes about the team and proof of what they’ve done in the past and how well they execute these big events. The Corvette C8.R has only done one 24-hour race, and that was last year. So to come back in their second year and finish one-two with no issues is just unbelievable. We had perfect strategy, perfect pit stops and none of the drivers made mistakes. It’s all down to the team and execution and teaching the drivers what they need to do to win these events. It’s an honor to be a part of it. The driver is just a small piece of the whole puzzle. We get to stand on the podium but all the people on the team deserve it. They are the ones that put in the hard work in the offseason to make it all possible.

“It was bittersweet to end the day like we did with Antonio having to leave the track after the test. I was super upset and disappointed for him when I got out of the car after what I thought was my last stint and was told he couldn’t get back in the car. He lives for these events, especially this one. He really wanted to finish this race to capitalize on when they finished second in 2016 to kind of make up for that. So I felt bad for him in that respect, but he should be unbelievably proud of this whole team. He is the leader of this No. 3 car. He’s the one that drives the setup of it which is why we were so quick at the end of the race. He’s taught me so much as a driver, understanding the tires, how to do drive the car and understanding this new GT world that I’m in. If it wasn’t for Antonio, there’s no way I would have driven that last stint the way I did. Huge thanks to him. I know I’ll see him in a couple weeks when he can come back into the country and we can hang out and celebrate in person. I know he will hold this Rolex proud. I’m so honored and happy to be a part of this with him. We’ve never won an endurance race as teammates so this is the first one and very special.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “This feels amazing. The Rolex 24 is a race I always wanted to win, and now we did it. It’s a little weird with what has happened with Antonio, but we still did it together and it is an awesome victory. It’s the first endurance win with the Corvette C8.R so yes, this is amazing!”

DID THIS COME AS A SURPRISE: “It doesn’t come as a surprise but you still need to make it happen, drive for 24 hours and make no mistakes. The C8.R showed it could do it. It won the championship last year. After a year of development and coming back to Daytona, I always knew we were going to have a shot at this one. The team, the car, the drivers… everything needed to work perfectly and it did.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. 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 www.chevrolet.com.

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA
CORVETTE RACING 18-HOUR REPORT
JANUARY 31, 2021

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 31, 2021) – Corvette Racing found itself locked in a fierce five-car GT Le Mans (GTLM) battle and continued to run 1-2 in the category as the Rolex 24 At Daytona entered the final six hours.

Nick Tandy held a five-second lead in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R that he took over from teammate Tommy Milner inside seven hours to go. Milner, Tandy and Alexander Sims combined to lead 407 of the 574 laps at the 18-hour mark of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s biggest race.

Their biggest challengers so far have been No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette teammates Jordan Taylor – who ran second behind Tandy – Antonio Garcia, and Nicky Catsburg, who have combined to lead 133 laps heading into the final six hours. The result is far from over as the top four GTLM cars were within 14 seconds of each other entering the final stretch run.

A victory this afternoon would be Corvette Racing’s fourth at the Rolex 24 and first since 2016.

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s really tough out there, and it’s not going to be easy to the end. You can tell BMW and the Ferrari are coming fast. I expect a pretty close fight all the way to the end.”
INTER-TEAM BATTLE: “No question that just as good as our Corvette has been, they (the No. 3 C8.R) has the same package that we do. They are certainly quick and we’ve been basically nose to tail in one form or another for the entire race. That will be a big fight at the end, there’s no question about that. As we saw in 2016, the team is OK with some racing at the end. With an hour or two to go, they’ll let the guys race a little bit than we have been. At the moment, the pace of the two cars seems to be almost dead-on. There hasn’t been a point in the race where I’ve had to maintain by them or the 3 car has to maintain behind us. It’s been really good racing. It’s easy in these situations when you have guys that are so close to you all the time to keep your focus. It’s been a 24-hour race that has gone by pretty quickly.”

MORE ON THE 2016 FINISH: “It’s looking that way right now, for sure. There is still quite a ways to go so there’s a lot that can still happen. There’s a lot going on the track and a lot that can go wrong on the track, through traffic, on pitlane, with some car gremlins. It looks like the 25 is having some issues. We’re definitely not counting our chickens. We have a long way to go to get to 3:40. It would be fun if we could have two Corvettes up front at the end racing hard. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a red or black car up there, too.”

ANY FURTHER SHIFTING PROBLEMS: “We haven’t had the same problem as at the start of the race where I lost drive for a moment. It’s just a function of us knowing what to do if it does get to that point. It is a concern for us, but it seems like for the last 10 hours or so that the three of us have been able to manage the problem a little bit. It doesn’t really hurt us on pace and laptime. If the problem does occur, then it costs us some time but we all know what to do quickly to get the car back in gear. As long as it stays like it is, I don’t think it will be any problem for us. But in a 24-hour race, you’re always concerned about these little issues that could potentially get worse. We’re all that we can as drivers to minimize the problem area. Let’s see what happens.”

PACE OF BMW IN THE FINAL HOURS: “It’s definitely in the back of my mind. On one of the restarts recently, they certainly had quite a bit of horsepower and were able to drive right past me. We’ll see how it goes. It seems like our long-run pace is a little bit better than the BMWs and possibly the Ferrari as well. I think they’re both a little quicker at the beginning of the stint. It’d be nice if it would go green all the way to the end because I think that would benefit us. But I’d be very surprised if there weren’t a couple more cautions.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We had some hard racing last year between the Corvettes. Mid-Ohio was one in particular that I remember well. This is the staple and style of racing that we see from Corvette Racing, like 2016 when Oliver (Gavin) and Antonio (Garcia) battled over the last hour nose to tail just like this. I think it’s going to come down to the wire again. It’s nice to see Corvettes battling 1-2 but everyone else is still fast. It will be tough to the end.
“Last year was an amazing race for Corvette Racing as a whole coming out with the C8.R in its first year and being so dominant. It was great to win the championship but coming in 2021, it’s like a full reset for the team. Last year was great but now it’s all starting again, and everyone wants to win a Rolex. A win last year would have been a tough order in the car’s debut race. We came back strong and won here in July. We won six races but they were all sprint races. We definitely want to get one on the endurance side.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. 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 www.chevrolet.com.

DAYTONA, Fla. (29 January) – Navigating the sheer number of unknowns is the name of the game for Sean Creech Motorsports (SCM) this week, as the team plans to take its No. 33 SCM Exelixis Ligier PS320 to the front of the field in this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship seasons opener, the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

While plenty of challenges await the team as they ready the car to race for 24 hours, one is for certain: one of the stoutest driver quartets in the LMP3 field – four-time Rolex 24 winner João Barbosa, 2020 ELMS LMP3 champion Wayne Boyd, Yann Clairay and Lance Willsey – will be up for the challenge, and they have a very strong roster of support from pit lane.

2021 full-season SCM drivers Barbosa and Willsey paired up for last Sunday’s Motul Pole Award 100, the race for qualifying positions in the Rolex 24. Barbosa put the Ligier into the lead and midway through his stint, had broken away from his competitors by nearly a lap and a half. But with 30 minutes remaining, a loss of fuel pressure ended what might have been a winning run. But the team knows that the pace is there, job one now is to make sure the car can take the fight for 24 hours.

“We need to get the car to be reliable, that’s first and foremost,” said team principal Sean Creech. “The crew work is good, the drivers are good, we just need to keep the car on the track and the rest will fall into place. We had the pace in the race last Sunday, we just need to get it to the finish.”

Few drivers in the field know exactly what it takes to finish the twice-around-the-clock battle at the front better than Barbosa, with four prized Rolex Cosmograph Daytona timepieces in his collection. The Portuguese-born Ormond Beach resident understands the total team effort required to capture victory at Daytona.

“It takes a strong team to win this race – the crew, the drivers, everyone,” said Barbosa. “This is such a team sport, so if one of those pieces doesn’t work, you won’t get a result in a 24-hour race. The team has done a really good job and obviously they’re working to correct the issues we had last Sunday. Mechanical issues are always the last thing you want to have happen in this race, so we’ll work hard to avoid that. I’m glad it happened last weekend and not this one!”

Willsey took the green flag in last Sunday’s race, and the urologic oncology physician, who has competed in 11 previous Rolex 24 events, acknowledges the sheer number of unknowns as they prepare for the endurance classic.

“The best thing about the Roar was coming away with the knowledge that we were close to where we need to be to run up front,” said Willsey. “It’s going to be a fascinating race, first of all to see the LMP3 cars go for 24 hours, then add in the challenge of racing hard but not being too hard on the car. We don’t really know what to anticipate in regard to the potential pit falls, so it will be a fine line between pushing hard and taking care of the car to be there in the end. The crew has worked tirelessly to get this car prepped and I am blessed to share the car with three of the best drivers in the paddock, so now, it’s just about the uncertainty. As always, the only fear right now is fear of the unknown.”

Boyd, from Northern Ireland, won three of five races to capture the 2020 European Le Mans Series championship in the LMP3 class, and he appreciates the opportunity to make his 24-hour race debut in the prestigious event.

“I’m really happy to be here, it’s a great opportunity for me,” said Boyd. “This will be my first 24-hour race and it’s one of the most famous races in the world, so that’s a good place to start! I’m going to spend the next few days looking at video and honestly, trying to chill out a bit and rest. I’ve spoken to a lot of drivers who have experience in 24-hour races, to see what I need to be doing now, so I’ll make sure I’m ready! We had some issues at the Roar but our pace was strong, so
hopefully we’ll get everything resolved and be ready to go.”

Frenchman Clairay has both experience in the LMP3 car (winning an IMSA Prototype Challenge race in 2018 with a Creech-led ESM) and in 24-hour races and emphasizes the need to take care of the car above all else.

“The most important aspect of this weekend will be managing the car over the entire 24 hours,” said Clairay. “We have a lot of experience with the car, so this week is about checking everything, especially after the issues we had on Sunday. It’s a long way to ask the car to go, so we’ll closely monitor the car throughout the race. And it’s the same for the drivers, we’ve been preparing for the past month. The track is not that difficult for the drivers, so the key is to have confidence in
the car, try to keep a clean line so you can either overtake or avoid incidents ahead of you. But I’m ready for this, and I really appreciate the chance to be here. It’s a great opportunity.”

Note: the LMP3 teams are required by IMSA to make an eight-minute pit stop within the first 22 hours to change brakes.

The 59th Rolex 24 at Daytona takes the green flag at 3:40 p.m. Saturday live on NBC. The race will be broadcast in the U.S. between the NBC and NBCSN networks (check local listings) while international viewers can watch via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com.