Category: IMSA

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA
NO. 3 CORVETTE C8.R MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 26, 2021

Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg – teammates in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Tuesday to discuss the upcoming Rolex 24 At Daytona, expectations following the 100-minute race during the Roar Before the 24, transitions of new team members into the No. 4 Corvette and other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT:

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
IMPRESSIONS FROM THE ROAR BEFORE THE 24: “I didn’t do as much as Jordan and Nicky since they did the race. A 1-2 for Corvette, though, is all you can ask for. Everyone ran smooth, we had good strategy and everything ran according to plan. We still don’t know where our competitors are (on pace) but we need to focus on our program, what we do and try to learn as much about the C8.R as we can. Doing all that should make us prepared for the big one Saturday.”

IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUITY ON THE 3 CORVETTE SIDE: “It’s good to have this team of crew and engineers. Initially last year was a big shift between the Rolex 24 and our first race after the lockdown. Now things are running very smooth. It’s a good starting point to have everyone on the same page – same drivers, same mechanics and same engineers. We just need to keep the momentum going and winning races.”

TAKING CORVETTE RACING’S FIRST ROLEX 24 WIN SINCE 2016: “Every time you come back here, you want to win. The last time we won the race for us on the 3 car was 2015, and the 4 car won in 2016. We want to be back up there and get a watch, for sure. I think the C8.R is the car to do it. I just hope this past year of racing helped us to develop it in order to compete and win a long race like this one. You never know what is going to happen and how the car will behave. I think we did all we could to be as prepared as possible. Let’s hope to be up there right at the end and be able to fight for the win again.”

BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE C8.R SINCE ITS DEBUT A YEAR AGO: “Everything changes. There is constant development going on every day. Each time we hit the track, there is something to learn. There is input from the drivers and data to analyze. So the car improves every day. Now with more tools like the simulator and some other things, the C8.R is far away from being fully developed. The guys at Corvette Racing are still working flat-out on that… not only on performance but also on reliability. Everyone is working as a group to make it faster and more reliable. Things are going in the right direction. We need to see where we are Sunday morning and if we are able to carry on and win it again.”

ON ADDTIONS OF NICK TANDY AND ALEXANDER SIMS TO THE NO. 4 CORVETTE SIDE: “Coming from other manufacturers, you get to know where the strong points are on other cars. Once they drove the Corvette, they could figure out the good points of this car but they also may have some new ideas about how to make this car better. It’s not only about the current setups but also how you work with the car, how you work the tires… all that additional experience helps a lot. Corvette Racing has been very consistent with the same guys, so getting new guys coming in from other teams helps a lot to get a wider view and more input on how to improve things. These additions are big gains for Corvette Racing to get these guys who have a ton of experience to help improve the car and the whole team.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
IMPRESSIONS FROM THE ROAR BEFORE THE 24: “We’re going in with some good momentum after last year, winning five races and the championship. It was a strong showing for the C8.R. Coming back to Daytona having a year under our belt with this car, a lot of development and winning the sprint race here last year gives us confidence. This year with new cars and new classes, it’s definitely going to change the game a bit with how careful and cautious you are going to be through the night with some new drivers in new cars. At the end of the day, it’s the same style of racing where you have to survive to the end. It could be a little extra important in making sure you get to the end of race with a very strong car and a very fast car. You know that at the end of these races, you can get a late yellow and go racing at the end. We learned a lot this past weekend that can help us with it.”

TEAM AND CREW CHANGES ON THE 3 CORVETTE AFTER NEW FACES LAST YEAR: “It’s the same crew. All of the same guys are still there. Some of the truck drivers moved around and a couple of guys retired in the off-season. But our engineer is still John Lankes, we have the same car chief (David Marin) and same crew guys going over the wall. There are no big changes on the crew side, just the management side (Marc Maurini as team manager).”

ROLEX 24 OUTLOOK FOR THE CORVETTE C8.R: “It has all the right pieces to get the Rolex. Last year when we hit Petit Le Mans and the Sebring 12 Hours, those were big on our list because we wanted to get an endurance win with the C8.R. The Rolex 24 is like a championship in itself; if you win it, it’s such a big prize and huge honor. I know everyone’s focus is on the Rolex on the one hand, and after that you start looking at the championship as a whole.
“We had the right pieces last year. We had a very good race and finished fourth with no major issues. Coming out of the box like that and not having much development on the setup side, the crew not having a lot of pit stop experience and strategy with a new car, and maybe not understanding fuel mileage and drivability… now we are way more prepared and it gives us a lot of confidence that we had such a strong race last year. I think of how far the car has been developed, even during the couple of months that we were in lockdown. I think we have all the right pieces. It’s just down to things going our way, getting traffic in the right places and not getting caught up in other people’s races. It’s always difficult to win these races, but we do have the right pieces at Corvette Racing. All we need to do is stay out of trouble for 20 hours and hopefully go racing for the last couple.”

CHANGES ON THE NO. 4 CORVETTE SIDE: “It’s been good. They obviously are professionals, so they’re coming in and were up to speed right away. It’s always interesting to have new guys coming in to have a different perspective. We drove the car all year, and some of the guys have been developing it over a couple of years. It’s interesting to have gotten to this point and have some fresh faces come in and give it a different perspective. They can see things from the outside now that maybe we are used to, maybe some habits that we’ve developed. It’s always good to have that, and it will be good for the rest of the year for us to keep developing this car.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
THOUGHTS ON BEING PART OF THE RACE AT THE END OF THE ROAR: “It was a bit different this time. Normally we don’t go racing before we go into the actual Rolex 24. I must say I was a bit skeptical at first but I actually really liked to do this race. It gave me an opportunity to get a stint under my belt and do some driver changes, and it feels like very good preparation for the event. To come back with a 1-2 result was very good for us. It was very good preparation for the Rolex.”

TRAFFIC WITH LMP3 CARS AND HOW IT COULD IMPACT THE RACE: “I was quite surprised at the Roar. I was kind of expecting it to be very difficult, but then it turned out not to be. I do feel like it will be more difficult (in the race) than other years. The LMP3 cars seem to be doing exactly the same speed in any particular sector. We are pretty much the same speed everywhere. After every restart, it will mean we will behind the LMP3s. So it will be intense. As Jordan mentioned earlier, I think we have to be more careful than previous years and try to make it to the end because there will be a lot of action.”

DOES THAT MAKE RESTARTS THE MOST CHALLENGE PART: “I definitely think restarts and in the night, as well. I think some of the LMP3 drivers might be new to night racing. Going out on cold tires for some of those guys is difficult just like it is for us. I think we have to really take care and try to make it until the last hours before we start pushing.”

PROGRESS OF THE CORVETTE C8.R FROM LAST YEAR’S ROLEX TO THIS YEAR: “My breaks between the races I do are a bit bigger than the other guys. So every time I step in the C8.R, I feel like a big step has been made. If I compare it to Daytona from last year, I can feel things like general car balance is better, drivability is better. If I look at myself, I feel more comfortable within the team and with the car now. I feel more ready for this race in general. Those are the two biggest things.”

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.

along with Inaugural Motul Race for The Pole 100 at Daytona International Speedway

Winward Racing No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Co-Drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis Secure Top-Five Rolex 24 Starting Position with Fifth-Place Qualifying Finish Sunday

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – This weekend, seven Mercedes-AMG Motorsports Customer Racing teams successfully completed three days of testing and qualifying at the annual 2021 Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). The teams will compete in two different IMSA sports car racing series at the season opening IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 at Daytona this week.

An annual tune-up for IMSA racing teams prior to each year’s season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, this year’s Roar featured the traditional schedule of day and night practice sessions, along with the first modern-era qualifying race for this weekend’s 59th running of the twice around the clock race.

Sunday’s Motul Race for The Pole 100 saw three Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams lock in starting positions for this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, scheduled to start at 3:40 p.m. EST. Live Rolex 24 coverage on NBC begins this Saturday, January 30th at 3:30 p.m. EST.

The highest finishing Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team in Sunday’s 100-minute qualifying race was the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, co-driven by Russell Ward and Philip Ellis.

A single pitstop strategy, combined with top driving by Ward and Ellis, secured a top-five qualifying race finish that will see the No. 57 start from fifth on the grid in the GT Daytona (GTD) class at the Rolex 24 next Saturday.

Starting driver Ward didn’t let a steady rain in the opening stages of the qualifying race stop him from turning in one of the best drives of his career. He moved from third to second in GTD during the opening minutes of his rain-soaked run, then took the race lead with one hour remaining.

Ward led three laps but soon gave way to other front-running competitors as he and the Winward team began to conserve fuel as part of the one-stop strategy.

Eventually pitting from fourth place, Ward handed the No. 57 off to Ellis for the final 50-minute run to the finish.

Ellis returned to the race in eighth and steadily began to reel in the competitors ahead. On the final lap, Ellis made a pass for fifth to secure the top-five result and fifth place starting position in what will be Winward’s first Rolex 24 start this weekend.

Ward and Ellis co-drive the No. 57 in the Rolex 24 with Indy Dontje and Maro Engel.

Mercedes-AMG GT3 competitors Alegra Motorsports and SunEnergy1 Racing also completed the qualifying race to secure Rolex 24 starting positions, but both teams were among eight competitors assessed penalties early in the race for improper yellow flag pass-arounds.

Despite losing several laps to the leaders after serving the penalties, both teams picked up positions while persevering to the finish.

Kenny Habul and Raffaele Marciello recovered for an 11th place finish in the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, while Daniel Morad and Michael de Quesada rebounded for 15th in the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Habul and Marciello co-drive the No. 75 in the Rolex 24 with Luca Stolz and Mikael Grenier. Alegra’s full Rolex 24 driver line-up includes Maxi Buhk and Billy Johnson joining de Quesada and Morad in the No. 28.

Four Mercedes-AMG GT4 competitors at the Roar made the most of their three days of testing, preparing thoroughly for Friday’s season-opening IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series four-hour race.

The Roar pacesetter was the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of co-drivers Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss, which was fastest in one session and top three in two others, including Sunday morning’s fifth and final test run of the weekend.

Mosing and Foss return for the 2021 season competing alongside Murillo Racing’s sister car, the No. 65 Mercedes-AMG GT4 entry of Brent Mosing and Tim Probert. Kenny Murillo co-drives with the full-season teammates in the four-hour Daytona opener.

In addition to their Rolex 24 debut, Ward and Dontje pull double duty at Daytona, also competing in the No. 4 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. Ward and Dontje finished third in the entry in last year’s four-hour race at Daytona.

Another three driver Mercedes-AMG GT4 entry testing at the Roar in preparation for next Friday’s race was the No. 10 LAP Motorsports/Bluff City Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. The No. 10 is co-driven by Anton Dias Perera, Scott Andrews and Colin Braun.

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and No. 4 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It’s amazing to be here in the big show. Everyone here is pushing hard to win, and this is where the most professional guys in GT racing in America come to race. I felt quite at home out there. I think the importance of the Roar is just to keep the car in one piece, particularly because it’s such a tight turnaround this year. That was the number one goal. It was good that it rained a little bit and we got to see that. That was the first time in the rain for me at Daytona. It’s quite a fun track in the rain, you’ve got to watch out in a couple of places, but we managed to get a lot done without damaging the car, so it’s really, really good. It’s rest and relaxation for Monday and Tuesday and then we’re right back at it. We’ll come back for the big event and see what we can do.”

Raffaele Marciello, Driver – No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a good three-day test for us. Our Mercedes-AMG GT3 is handling well. I think we’re ready for the big one next weekend, all of the team is settling well, and I am looking forward to my first Rolex 24. We took a penalty in the qualifying race and it was unfortunate, but we don’t care so much about it past today. We’re in a good position and we can do well in the 24-hour race either way. There are not so many corners at Daytona, so that’s not really challenging, but with all the traffic it’s quite challenging! With all the traffic, strategy-wise it’s quite interesting. You need to always be focused and not make any silly mistakes.”

Daniel Morad, Driver – No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “The way we were treating this qualifying race was just to iron out the kinks. We’re just documenting everything, taking the data and putting it toward next week. There are a few new members of the team we’re just trying to learn how to work with, and communication is how you win 24-hour races. Not making mistakes, like today’s, was just a communication error with an improper pass around. It’s a good that it happened now and not in the 24 hours because that’s something that will kill your race. Unfortunately, that penalty just ruined Sunday’s qualifier, otherwise we would have had a good race. It was a hectic race for being a qualifier! A lot of guys were being overly aggressive, and I just didn’t want any part of it and risk damaging the car.”

Eric Foss, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “The Murillo Racing guys worked extremely hard in the off season. They went through the car with a fine-toothed comb and refreshed a lot of the components. We’re at the Roar so it is a test session, but I think we have the best Mercedes-AMG GT4 we can have right now for the race weekend. There are a lot of positives from the weekend. Jeff did a phenomenal job driving, as did my teammates in the 65 car. They were all up to speed and really strong, the crew was just flawless in all of their practice stops and we’re ready for the four-hour.”

Kenny Murillo, Driver – No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It was a really good Roar. I know the Murillo Racing guys really worked hard all off-season long with some solid goals, and they definitely accomplished them. When they’re working that hard, it inspires us as drivers to work just as hard. As a whole, the test went really well for us as a team and drivers. For me, I took huge strides in my driving ability. The Roar offers a good opportunity for us to do that. Brent and Tim did an awesome job showing improvement. Their coachability is amazing. They just got quicker throughout the weekend and Brent set his personal best in the last session, so we’re walking away from this really happy. Eric is a really good mentor, he’s one of the fastest Mercedes-AMG GT4 guys out there right now and a really good benchmark for us to look at. We’re really confident that we’re maximizing the car and maximizing ourselves as a team, and that’s all we can ask for.”

Anton Dias Perera, Driver – No. 10 LAP Motorsports/Bluff City Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We started the weekend with some problems, but we sorted through that and yesterday afternoon we got caught up with the rest of the pack in terms of pace. We’re still working on making the car faster and some strategy, and Mercedes-AMG has been super supportive. We’re happy with it. We are back at Daytona for the first time with LAP Motorsports, and they have a good pedigree and real legacy in high-level motorsports. They are a motorsports team that is in the high echelon of performance, and it’s been a nice transition with them. The level of engineering and the level of crew is in keeping with a professional motorsports program. Our whole campaign has moved on along with them and with the addition of the two pro drivers we have with Colin and Scott.”

Daytona Beach, Fla. (January 24th, 2021) The starting grid for the 59th Running of the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA was determined today during the Motul Pole Award 100 as the annual Roar Before the 24 event came to a close. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 will start next Saturday’s 24-hour event from the fifth position.

Full-time co-drivers, Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor, participated in the sprint race at the 3.56-mile, 12-turn permanent road course at Daytona International Speedway. Filipe Albuquerque started the 100-minute race under wet conditions with Michelin rain weather tires fitted, before transitioning to slick tires during the driver change with Ricky Taylor who brought home the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 in fifth position.

“It was nice to get everyone in the rhythm of racing together,” said Ricky Taylor. “Filipe did an amazing job. It was really nice to be back with Konica Minolta, Wayne Taylor Racing, and the Acura family. I think everyone is already gelling really well. We have a lot of positives to take out of today. The result isn’t exactly what we wanted, but the pace was there, and the team performed really well.”

“I’m quite happy with my job with the car because I didn’t know what to expect since it was my first time with this car on the rain tires,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “I ended my stint in third position and we had some good fights with the Cadillac who seem very strong at the moment. Ricky had a challenge because he had to run with the slicks on a very damp track. The most important part was to not have any issues, crashes or problems because we are all still learning about the car. It’s good enough to start the 24 Hours in fifth position, so now we continue to learn and get stronger.”

Practice for the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA begins this Thursday at 11:40 a.m. EST. The green flag for the race itself will wave at 3:40 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 30th with live coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST at NBC.

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.

Drivers Christina Nielsen and Earl Bamber Picked Up Six Positions In No. 88 VB Enviro Care/Richard Mille Porsche 911 GT3 R Late After Early Incident

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 24, 2021) – Team Hardpoint EBM’s No. 88 VB Enviro Care/Richard Mille Porsche 911 GT3 R will start next weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship 24 Hours of Daytona on the seventh row of the GT Daytona (GTD) class of the after a 14th-place finish during Sunday’s Motul Pole Award 100 at Daytona International Speedway.

Drivers Christina Nielsen and Earl Bamber, who will share the car in the 24-hour race with Katherine Legge and Rob Ferriol, and the team’s pit crew showed resilience and true overall speed throughout the 100-minute race despite a challenging result.

Nielsen started the race 10th on the grid and, with the track wet from a morning shower, on Michelin rain tires. Nielsen climbed two more positions in the opening 30 minutes despite two early full-course caution periods. On the second restart of the race, Nielsen moved to seventh and was challenging for another position when contact forced a spin into the tire barrier in Daytona’s “bus stop” complex. The crash brought out a third full-course caution and damaged the right front fender and aero, and a series of pit stops for the crew to temporarily fix the damage left the Porsche three laps down from the leaders.

Bamber took over with just more than 50 minutes to go in the race. Running in 16th place and three laps down, Bamber and the team persevered to make up one of those laps in the short sprint and two more positions by the checkered flag.

“I think we started with a pretty solid car from the beginning,” Nielsen said. “We’ve been testing a few things, and might have gone a little bit too edgy in the final one. The nice thing is that our feedback is the same. It’s nice when the drivers are looking for the same car, because sometimes driver style means a little bit different preference for the car setup. Everyone seems to be on the same page. I’m glad we got to try it now and I feel like we’re nice and prepared for the setup and handling for the actual race weekend. IMSA races are competitive from the first lap, but I’m happy to be back and hoping for a better result next week.”

The 2021 event schedule features a quick turnaround following the Roar Before The 24 practice and qualifying weekend, with just four days until Team Hardpoint EBM and the rest of the field are back on track for Thursday’s practice.

“I think we’ve got a good car,” Bamber said. “We’re rolling about with a new bunch of guys, so I think it’s good to do a race. It gets everyone in tune, it’s a bit of a wake-up call. It was a shame that we had a bit of damage in the race, but we’ve still got a straight car. It was superficial stuff, so we can tidy that up now. We’ve got our starting spot, so there’s a lot of positives. Come the 24, we’re just going to keep building and building and get stronger as a team.”

At 3:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, the No. 88 VB Enviro Care/Richard Mille Porsche 911 GT3 R will begin the 24-hour test – the team’s debut effort in the race. The race can be viewed in its across the family of NBC networks, including NBC and NBC Sports, or in its entirety on the NBCSN app via Track Pass.

Noteworthy: Team Hardpoint EBM has welcomed the Florida Chamber Safety Council to the No. 88 VB Enviro Care/Richard Mille Porsche 911 GT3 R beginning with the 24 Hours of Daytona. The Florida Chamber Safety Council is a one-stop resource to help Florida employers successfully design and implement workplace safety, health, and sustainability initiatives.

“There is nothing like a well-prepared race car to show a true focus on workplace safety and health, and the Florida Chamber Safety Council is ready to go racing once again with Team Hardpoint EBM’s Porsche,” Florida Chamber Safety Council President Katie Yeutter
said. “We’re thrilled to be riding along with Katherine and Christina once again, and teaming up with Rob and Earl for the first time. We’re looking forward to a safe, fast 24 Hours at Daytona and happy to be a part of it.”

More information on the Florida Chamber Safety Council can be found at www.flchambersafety.com.

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 combine 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.

Former chassis comes back home for qualifying fight

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (January 24, 2021) — Exactly 365 days after Black Swan Racing purchased a Porsche 911 GT3 R chassis from Wright Motorsports to run the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona, the car is coming back to its previous owner to race on track in Sunday’s Motul Pole Award 100 and next week’s Rolex 24. An incident in night practice resulted in Wright Motorsports needing to acquire a replacement chassis, and just as one team was able to help the other team last year, Black Swan Racing was able to return the favor this weekend.

The No. 540 Porsche 911 GT3 R was slated to run the opening event for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but the entry was withdrawn following a positive COVID-19 test for team owner and driver Tim Pappas. Luckily for Wright Motorsports, the car remained in Daytona, and immediately following the diagnosis of the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R from Saturday’s incident, owner John Wright had called Pappas.

The team received the car first thing Sunday morning and the crew has been working quickly and methodically to prep the new chassis for this afternoon’s Motul Pole Award 100, which the team still aims to compete in. Although the team captured pole position on Saturday, they will be starting from the rear following the chassis swap. If Saturday’s qualifying session was any indication, the Porsche 911 GT3 R should be a strong contender in the already stacked GTD class. The field will take the green flag at 2:00PM Eastern and can be streamed live on NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS, or imsa.tv for international audiences. A tape-delay of the qualifying race, which will set the grid for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, will air on NBC Sports Network at 4:30PM.

Bringing the story full circle, the Black Swan Racing chassis has not competed since finishing in fifth-place at the 2020 Rolex 24. The rear-engine Porsche will have a chance to add to its success in one of the world’s greatest endurance races on January 30 – 31 with the 59th Running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

“We would like to thank Tim for taking our call and helping us out,” said Wright. “We’re so grateful that the car was on site and we were able to get the deal done, get a hold of the car, and get to work quickly. We hope he’s doing well, and we wish him the best.”

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

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (22 January 2021) – Rebel Rock Racing kicks off it’s 2021 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season with the Roar Before the Rolex 24, a three-day test at Daytona International Speedway beginning on Friday, January 22.

The Roar offers Michelin Pilot Challenge teams the opportunity to shake off the racing rust accumulated during the off season with six hours of testing over the course of the three-day event. The 2021 race series gets underway on January 29 at Daytona with the BMW Endurance Challenge, the first of two four-hour events on the 10-race schedule.

“It’s going to be very valuable track time,” said Liddell, who doubles in the role of team manager. “The weather for the next 10 days is expected to be pretty consistent. We’ve got a strong package, and an experienced team in the pits.”

The weekend will also see teams take to the track for the first time under a new set of Balance of Performance (“BOP”) configurations. To keep the field competitive and allow for the widely ranging different types of car platforms, IMSA generates event-specific performance parameters by varying a range of elements including engine power, fuel capacity and weight.

The 2021 Daytona event will open with the Camaro’s settings featuring a significant decrease in air available to the engine which will result in lower top speeds on the high banked track. .

“We’ve had a pretty big BOP adjustment for Daytona,” said Liddell. “But if we do a good job, run consistent laps and stay out of trouble, we should still have a good result in the race and a strong start to the season.”

With the BOP adjustment, the Roar has taken on added importance for the team as it looks to get off to a strong start for 2021.

“It’s kind of frustrating for us to have the power reduced as much as it is, but we know that we just have to execute on everything as best as we can as a team and we could still have a reasonable result,” said DePew. “Our Camaro has never run with this setup, and we’ve never been that strong at Daytona, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Based in nearby DeLand, Florida, Rebel Rock Racing has not had great results in both of its prior starts at Daytona with the Camaro. The team was collected in an early incident in the 2019 event but came back with a strong finish to the campaign, winning at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Road America to jump from 34th in the points after 3 races to finish ninth in the final standings.

Last year, Rebel Rock ran as high as fifth in the Daytona opener but was slowed by driveline issues in the final hour, falling to a 13th- place finish. Once again, the team bounced back, placing first and third in the two events at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. A misinterpretation of the minimum drive-time regulations cost DePew and Liddell a podium finish – and potential victory – in the finale at Sebring International Raceway in November, as they were 3 seconds shy on Frank’s drivetime requiring a driver change for the final lap while the car was in 2nd place.

“We had a standout performance at Sebring, but that’s where we’ve done the bulk of our testing and development,” said Liddell. “Coming to Daytona is a very different animal. Daytona hasn’t been the best track for this car, and I think with this new BOP that will be the case once again.”

For 2021, Frank and Robin will not be joined by Andrew Davis who was the team’s third driver for the endurance races over the last two years, as Andrew will join another team for a full-season program in 2021. The move will also see DePew gain more seat time as he prepares for the longer stints in races like the four-hour opener at Daytona. DePew is looking forward to the challenge.

“I spent last year getting in shape, so I’m up for the challenge,” DePew said. “I’m enjoying it, and the continued seat time will help me continue to improve my performance. I was quite happy with where we left off last season. I’m certainly going to miss Andrew (Davis) and he is still part of this Rebel Rock family in a way. But this new approach will give me added practice, and more time in the car is going to help me so I’m looking forward to that.”

Having raced for several years in historic and Porsche Club competition, DePew has made rapid progression since committing to racing in a professional series.

“Frank finished the season very strongly, and this improvement gives him the chance to step up into a slightly different role,” said Liddell of the two-driver line up. “Now, he will have to drive longer in the two 4 hour races and will have to mentally pace himself for the longer time he will be in the car. That’s an important part of his development as a driver.”

Opening Michelin Pilot Challenge practice begins on Friday January 22 with a one-hour, 15-minute sessions at 10 a.m. (all times ET). There will be a second practice, a one-hour, 30-minute session at 2:30 p.m. Saturday January 23 includes two one-hour practices at 10:30 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. Sunday January 24 concludes the Roar with a one-hour, 15-minute test at 10:35 a.m.

The BMW Endurance Challenge officially begins the 2021 season at 1:35 p.m. on Friday, January 29.

Additional updates via:
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