Category: IMSA

DAYTONA, Fla., (January 20, 2021) – The final preparations for the 2021 race season are underway this week as IMSA competitors will descend on Daytona International Speedway for this week’s Roar Before the 24. Wright Motorsports has a busy two weeks ahead, running in both the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge in the upcoming Roar and Rolex 24 at Daytona. The first full-series test of the season will allow adequate time for the Porsche customer racing team to prepare both efforts for next week’s big event: the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
After concluding the IMSA WeatherTech season with an exciting victory at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the Wright Motorsports GTD effort will be riding the momentum into the new year, bringing back the same car, drivers, and crew that they ran in 2020. This consistency will prove to be a great aid in the Roar Before the 24, saving the team of any initial shakedowns necessary for new efforts. Ryan Hardwick and Patrick Long will reprise their roles as the full season drivers of the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R. Jan Heylen, the North American Endurance Cup addition, and Klaus Bachler, the fourth driver in the Rolex 24 lineup will also return to the team following successful runs in 2020, where the team narrowly finished second in the GTD team and driver championships.

The format for this year’s Roar Before the 24 differs from years before, in that after several test sessions, the field will qualify for the Motul Pole Award 100, a 100-minute qualifying race that will set the grid for next week’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. Fans can watch the race live by subscribing to NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS on Saturday, January 24 at 2:05PM Eastern, or tape delayed on NBC Sports Network at 4:30PM Eastern. International audiences can stream live on imsa.tv. IMSA Radio will also offer worldwide live audio commentary to coincide with the qualifying race.

Michelin Pilot Challenge
As previously announced, the 2021 season will see Wright Motorsports enter a No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport into the Michelin Pilot Challenge, the support series for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The program expansion will provide full-season drivers Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen additional track time, gaining the same edge as several of their WeatherTech competitors doing double duty. The Roar Before the 24 will provide the Michelin Pilot Challenge drivers and teams five on-track sessions over the course of two days. There will be no official video stream or radio coverage of the sessions, but the team’s social media will provide session updates via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Roar Before the 24 Schedule
Friday, January 22
10:00AM – 11:15AM Michelin Pilot Challenge Session 1
11:30AM – 12:20PM WeatherTech Session 1
2:45PM – 4:15PM Michelin Pilot Challenge Session 2
4:15PM – 5:15PM WeatherTech Session 2

Saturday, January 23
9:15AM – 10:15AM Michelin Pilot Challenge Session 3
10:30AM – 11:30AM WeatherTech Session 3
3:00PM – 3:15PM WeatherTech GTD Qualifying
4:20PM – 5:30PM Michelin Pilot Challenge Session 4
7:00PM – 9:00PM WeatherTech Session 4

Sunday, January 24
10:00AM – 10:20AM WeatherTech Warm Up
10:35AM – 11:50AM Michelin Pilot Challenge Session 5
2:05PM – 3:45PM WeatherTech Motul Pole Award 100

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

The IMSA Veterans Will Pilot Atlanta Speedwerks Second Announced Car Beginning with Season Opener at Daytona International Speedway

GAINESVILLE, Georgia (January 20, 2021) – IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge veterans Ryan Eversley and Greg Strelzoff will co-drive the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR for Atlanta Speedwerks in 2021, joining teammates Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker’s No. 84 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR on the grid beginning with Daytona International Speedway.

Both Eversley and Strelzoff have had success in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition. Eversley is a multiple IMSA podium finisher and has most often been behind the wheel of a Honda and Acura over the past five seasons. Strelzoff has been away from the IMSA paddock since 2016 but earned six podium finishes in the ST class during the 2013 to 2016 seasons.

Eversley is hoping to build on a streak of two consecutive seasons on the Pilot Challenge TCR podium, with appearances at Sebring in 2019 and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2020. Eversley remains a factory driver for Honda, where he has won races and championship in TCR and GT3 machinery.

“I’m pleased to be joining Atlanta Speedwerks for 2021 and since I’m from Atlanta myself, I think it’s a perfect fit!” Eversley said. “Greg and I have known each other for several years and battled in the ST class quite a bit so I think we will gel pretty quickly. We’re both extremely motivated to get the No. 94 Honda Civic TCR on the top step of the podium and, based on the performance of this team had last year, I think we’ll be strong.”

Strelzoff has been away from the IMSA paddock for a handful of seasons, making his last start in 2016. He’ll make his TCR debut during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test weekend, January 22-24.

“My goal for this year is to win,” Strelzoff said. “It’s the only thing I didn’t do in the previous years. I am excited to try the new TCR cars, and definitely to open for such a well-known and respected driver in Ryan. I hope I can turn the car over in good condition and position for Ryan to get us on the podium.”

Atlanta Speedwerks enters the 2021 season with championship goals, following a select-event season in 2020 with a pole position and podium finish at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and a fifth-place finish in the Team Championship in a full-season 2019 effort. Henderson and 16-year-old Noaker will pilot the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR alongside the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR of Eversley and Strelzoff, with a third Atlanta Speedwerks car still in the works.

“Between our drivers and our crew members, this is the most experienced that Atlanta Speedwerks has been entering a season,” Team owner and veteran driver Todd Lamb said. “Jonathan Braswell and Jason Hoover will serve as car engineers, and we’ve added Rob Baker as Team Manager with his multi-car experience in IMSA. It’s all with the goal of putting together a talented crew that can help us win races and perhaps a championship. We’ll need everyone to bring their ‘A’ game to the track to do that.”

The 2021 season opens with a four-hour race at Daytona International Speedway on the Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend, January 27-29.

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.

DETROIT (Jan. 19, 2021) – Chevrolet has named Laura Wontrop Klauser as its newly created Sports Car Racing Program Manager as the manufacturer continues its shift toward an engineering-based approach throughout its motorsports programs.

Klauser, who resides in Detroit, moves into the role which includes engineering and technical oversight of Corvette Racing on behalf of Chevrolet. Already she manages the Cadillac DPi-V.R and Camaro GT4.R programs in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The goal is to expand the level of engineering and technical direction for Corvette Racing as it sets a course for its future with the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, along with all the Chevrolet road-racing programs.

“It’s a huge honor to move into this role with Corvette Racing,” said Klauser, who has been part of General Motors’ racing activities for the last five years. “It unquestionably is one of the premier programs in all of sports car endurance racing. The rich history of Corvette’s successes in IMSA is something of which everyone at Chevrolet can be proud. At the same time, this motorsports management restructure is a great opportunity to rethink how Chevrolet operates on IMSA weekends. My goal is to promote more synergy between our racing programs and funnel our technical learnings back to GM so we continue to make and sell better cars to our fans and customers around the world.”

Klauser earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Engineering. She began at General Motors in 2008 and spent eight years on the production side of the business including advanced design work on the Corvette C7. Motorsports competition came calling in 2016 after stints on the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Cruze and Spark production teams. She was named Program Manager for the Cadillac ATS-V.R effort in Pirelli World Challenge.

A year later, Klauser helped launch the Cadillac DPi-V.R program, which to date has claimed two Manufacturers Championships, four Michelin Endurance Cup Championships and 18 race wins including four consecutive victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Corvette Racing has spent the last 22 years building its championship pedigree with 14 Team titles along with 13 Manufacturers and Drivers championships. Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor are coming off a GT Le Mans title-winning season in which they won five times and drove the C8.R to its first victory in July at Daytona.

Klauser also is heavily involved with SAE. A past participant the student level, she remains an active member and volunteer for the FSAE program as Dynamic Events Coordinator for the Michigan Competition. She has served on the SAE Detroit Section Board since 2011 holding the Chair position for 2018.

She also is a familiar face to the Corvette customer and enthusiast community. Klauser has participated as a Corvette Team representative at the National Corvette Museum Birthday Bash’s Ladies Garage and Corvettes at Carlisle events annually. She also participates in track days driving her 2013 Corvette Grand Sport.

“We are pleased to have someone as enthusiastic and experienced as Laura as our Sports Car Racing Program Manager,” said Mark Stielow, Chevrolet Director of Motorsports Competition Engineering. “Corvette Racing and GM’s road-racing efforts will benefit from her engineering experience with both the Corvette and Cadillac production cars, and her relationship with a large number of our fans and Corvette owners.”

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will open its 2021 season with the Roar Before the 24 from Jan. 22-24 and the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31, which will air beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 30 across NBC, NBCSN, TrackPass and the NBC Sports App. A 100-minute qualifying race from the Roar will air on TrackPass at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 24 and again same-day at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. IMSA Radio will air full qualifying and race coverage at IMSA.com.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which powers everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at .

TORONTO, Ontario, (January 18, 2021) – After closing out the 2020 race season with a second place finish at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, Tower Motorsport is back for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Challenge’s season opening event, the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The No. 8 Tower Motorsport Oreca LMP2 07 will be driven by John Farano, Gabriel Aubry, Timothé Buret, and Matthieu Vaxiviere.

Farano and Aubry will join forces as the full season drivers, with Buret and Vaxiviere stepping in to finish out the Rolex 24 At Daytona lineup. Farano, a seasoned veteran with two championships to his name (Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS Class in 2012 and European Le Mans Series P3 class in 2018) closed out the 2020 IMSA race season with a win at Petit Le Mans and as second place finish at the Twelve Hours of Sebring. He also raced in the LMP2 class in the 2019/2020 Asian Le Mans Series, scoring one win in two races.

“I am very happy to be back racing in the IMSA Wheatertech Sportcar Series and greatful to Peter Baron who will continue to support our 2021 program and do what he does best, calling strategy. We are all very much looking forward to welcoming back our crew from 2020 as well as new team members to our program including: Team Engineer Matthieu Leroy, Crew Chief Rick Capone, Lead Mechanic Erwan Barreau, and many more talented staff members that I can’t wait to meet.

“There is always so much excitement surrounding The 24 Hours of Daytona and I believe this years event, will bring more excitement than ever with more than 40 of the most competitive and talented LMP2 drivers coming from all over the world, all competing for the coveted Rolex watch. I could not be happier to be reunited with Gabriel Aubry and Matthieu Vaxiviere, whom I have had the great pleasure to work with in the past and to welcome Timothe Buret, who we have great confidence in, rounding out our talented 24 hour lineup.”

Gabriel Aubry started racing single seaters in 2015, and just three years later had advanced to compete in the World Endurance Championship with Jackie Chan DC Racing. He finished runner up in the 2018-2019 championship, with three wins and three additional podium finishes. In 2019, he finished second place in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, followed by a second-place finish at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

“I am happy and grateful to join John and the Tower Motorsport for the full 2021 IMSA season,” said Gabriel Aubry. “After two years of doing the Michelin Endurance Cup, it is a step up and the experience gained over the season will be massive. LMP2 field will be much better than what it used to be and we are set for a challenging year ahead.”

Timothé Buret first raced in North America in 2015, competing in the Road to Indy’s Pro Mazda series with Juncos Racing. The Frenchmen was a championship contender in his rookie season, earning one win and eight podiums in his North American debut. The following season he entered into the world of sports car racing, where he raced in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Over the next four years, Buret has only expanded his resume, venturing into the GT World Challenge Europe and GT4 Europe.

“I am so happy to be joining John, Gab, and Matthieu for the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Buret. “I love US racing. To be back here will be something very special for me. I have so many good memories here back in 2015 when I was competing in the Pro Mazda series, winning my first major race at Indianapolis, fighting for the Road to Indy title and living in the US. It will be my first appearance at Daytona but our ambition is high as my motivation is.”

Like most race car drivers, Matthieu Vaxiviere began his motorsport career racing go karts and just six years later, he earned his first championship title in the French F4 Championship in 2011. He has since climbed up the motorsport ladder, racing in the Formula V8 3.5 series, Series, ELMS, GP3 Series, and the FIA World Endurance Championship, concluding the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, resulting in two podium finishes. He made his IMSA debut in 2019, earning two podium finishes in the Konica Minolta Cadillac.

“I’m glad to race in LMP2 with one of the best teams in IMSA and to be able to fight for the victory,” said Vaxiviere. “Winning Daytona has been on my wish list for a long time. I’m looking forward to race again with John, who I had a great feeling in Silverstone when they call me for a one shot. To be alongside Gabi and Tim, two drivers that I know well, will be something good for the global atmosphere of the team.”

Tune-In
The TRACKPASS via the NBC Sports Gold app will again stream all IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races live, with IMSA Radio continuing their thorough coverage of qualifying and race sessions. The Motul Pole Award 100 will air live from 2:05 PM to 3:45 PM ET, Sunday, January 24, 2021. The 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona live coverage will begin at 3:30PM ET.

Charlotte, N.C. (2 January 2021) – CB Motorsports is set to make its IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) debut starting in 2021. The team will open the 2021 IMSA season with the BMW Endurance Challenge with drivers Caleb Bacon, Mark Kvamme and Trenton Estep behind the wheel of the No. 81 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for the four hour endurance event at Daytona International Speedway.

The opening round will feature a four hour endurance format as Kvamme, Bacon, and Estep will look to launch the IMSA season with a big result. Kvamme and Estep are slated as a full-season pairing for the championship campaign on board the No. 81 Hyundai.

Kvamme returns stateside following his latest campaign in the Asian Le Mans series in 2020. With nine previous starts onboard Prototype and GT platforms at the 3.56-mile Florida circuit, the veteran racer brings a wide range of Daytona experience as he looks forward to a return to TCR class competition in 2021.

“It’s exciting to be back at Daytona International Speedway for the start of the season with CB Motorsports,” said Kvamme. “While I have driven an assortment of cars at Daytona, the Hyundai Veloster N TCR will be a new and exciting challenge. The IMPC TCR class has some of the closest racing in IMSA competition and I got a taste of that with a few outings in 2019. Returning to the TCR field with Caleb (Bacon) and Trenton (Estep) as my teammates is an exciting opportunity. They are talented drivers that I get to work with. Together we have a great chance to fight our way to a podium and open the season on a high note.”

The 2018 IMSA Porsche GT3 Challenge USA champion Trenton Estep will return to IMSA action in 2021 as Kvamme’s full-time co-driver in the No. 81 Hyundai. The 21-year-old has made quick progress in his racing career, moving from karting to quickly establishing himself in sports cars. Estep made his debut at Daytona International Speedway in 2019 as he brought home a top-five finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. He will make his first IMPC start at the 3.56-mile course with CB Motorsports.

“I am super excited to be a part of Hyundai and CB Motorsports,” said Estep. “The Hyundai Veloster N TCR has proven itself time and time again in the last two years of the Michelin Pilot Challenge. We have a good opportunity to fight for podiums. I know my co-driver Mark Kvamme well and we work well together. I’m excited to be alongside him and to start working with Caleb (Bacon). Mark (Kvamme) has become a mentor of mine on and off the track and our journey in Michelin Pilot Challenge is a new chapter for us both. 2021 will be a fun year for the three of us in the No. 81 Hyundai.”

CB Motorsports will field a single entry at Daytona in January, and is building operations in preparation for expansion to a two-car team with a second Hyundai Veloster N TCR car starting in Sebring. The team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina and anticipates the completion of its new 9,000 square-foot shop in the spring.

Racing is in the blood of the Bacon family with a history in Motorsports dating back to the 1980’s with Caleb’s grandfather Al Bacon, who raced in the GTU category with Mazda Motorsports. The family has fond memories of Daytona, with Al having taken four Rolex 24 class victories (1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993) behind the wheel of a Mazda RX-7.

The son of the eldest Bacon, Chad Bacon, has been around racing since he was five and began racing in1989, finding success before stepping out of the cockpit to focus on son, Caleb’s racing starting at the age of four.

The youngest of the Bacon family Caleb (15 years-old), began racing go-karts in several series around the country before making a move to sports car racing competing in Spec Miata. The 2020 season saw Bacon enter in the SRO ranks with a Hyundai Veloster R Spec TCA car.

Now ready to make another step in the motorsports ladder, Bacon will make his first IMPC start in January for the four hour endurance event. It will be a big weekend, as the young American will turn 16 just days before taking to the high banks of Daytona.

“I’m really excited to be joining IMSA,” said Bacon. “I know that the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series is very competitive but with my knowledge of the Hyundai Veloster from SRO I’m hoping that I will be able to adapt quickly. It’s great to be paired with both Mark (Kvamme) and Trenton (Estep). Mark has driven many different cars throughout his career and Trenton and I actually raced go-karts together back in the day. Hopefully we can get off to a fast start down in Daytona and start the 2021 IMSA season off strong.”

The IMPC season is set to start January 22-24 with the annual Roar Before the 24 practice weekend. The first round of competition will be just one week later (January 27-31) with the four hour BMW Endurance Challenge set for Friday January 29th.

Father-daughter line up set to compete alongside father-son duo in 2021

Mooresville, N.C. (29 December 2020) – Building on its debut season of IMSA competition, Jr III (“Junior Three”) Racing will expand into a two-car effort for the 2021 IMSA Prototype Challenge (IPC) season. As the first team in North America to take delivery of the all-new Ligier JSP30, Jr III Racing is looking ahead to a big season in IMSA competition.

Having staged a successful 2020 IMSA campaign with the father-son driving pair of Greg and Eric Palmer in the No. 3 Copps Industries Ligier, the team will grow to a two-car operation for the 2021 season as the team is set to campaign the No. 33 Airbnb Ligier JSP30 of Ari and Natasha Balogh. Greg and Eric Palmer will also enter their sophomore year with the Charlotte-area team for 2021.

The Palmers combined for five top-ten finishes in six outings in 2020 including the team’s best IMSA finish of fifth at Sebring International Raceway.

Jr III Racing Team Owner, Billy Glavin knows the importance of family having started the team with his father and fellow racer, Bill Glavin Jr. That same familial importance that started Jr III Racing has now extended into its driver lineup with the father-daughter duo of Ari and Natasha Balogh. The pair are set to make their IMSA debut next month at the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

Ari Balogh, 56, began racing four years ago and has competed in Trans Am, Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC). Balogh won the 2017 PWC SprintX GTS Am Championship on the strength of four wins, two poles highlighting a season that saw him take podium finishes in all 10 races. He continued to split time between the three series for the following two years, earning a podium finish at VIR in last year’s IMPC event.

“Joining Jr III Racing and competing in the IMSA Prototype Challenge is an exciting new challenge for my daughter and I,” said Ari Balogh. “Billy (Glavin) has put together a great team of professionals who support me and Natasha’s (Balogh) venture into Prototype racing. The Ligier is unlike anything I have driven before. It requires a new driving style that I have been adapting to during our test sessions. I am looking forward to getting the season started soon and getting behind the wheel of the No. 33 at Daytona International Speedway.”

Natasha Balogh, 21, first began racing after her parents enrolled her in the National Auto Sport Association’s Teen Driving Clinic in order to learn how to avoid collisions in her street car.

Thoroughly enthralled by the experience behind the wheel, the then-15-year-old began racing in NASA and SCCA events, which saw Natasha score a second-place finish in the E1 class at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in 2018.

What makes Natasha’s story even more remarkable is that she has a hearing disability which involves an enlarged vestibular aqueducts, or EVA. Because of this condition, Balogh must be particularly careful to guard against head injuries or experiencing extreme changes in pressure (i.e. airplanes or scuba diving). Her love of racing and her trust in her equipment gives her the confidence to take on the challenge, and Balogh’s recent test with Jr III Racing has her ready to get the season underway.

“Hopping into the Ligier for the first time was unreal,” said Natasha Balogh. “Beyond the sensation of being in a closed cockpit vehicle, the speed and aero is really out of this world. I’m excited to get more seat time so I can get settled before the season starts, but I’m also excited to start testing the limits of what the car can do. Jr III Racing is an incredible group of professionals. The camaraderie and teamwork is palpable. Having teammates that are a father-son duo shows the team is centered around family and emphasizes how important it is that the team is cohesive. Seeing as success comes from teamwork, to see that in the team, and across the drivers, I’m really optimistic about what we can accomplish together.”

Billy Glavin looks to continue both the on and off-track growth for the young team.

“We are very excited to welcome the Baloghs to the team as we take on this next chapter for Jr III,” said Glavin. “Jr III Racing was formed as an outgrowth of the passion my father and I share for the sport. So having a father-son and father-daughter driver pairings as part of the team just adds to the family-oriented environment we have. We learned so much in our first year in IMSA. Now we have our program running efficiently with knowledge of how the Ligier performs at each track that we are able to use to continue our progress. I am looking forward to heading back to Daytona to start the season.”

Jr III Racing will debut its new Ligier machines in Race One of the 2021 IMSA Prototype Challenge season at Daytona International Speedway January 22-24, during the Roar Before the 24 weekend. Live coverage of the 2021 IMSA Prototype Challenge season opener will be available on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

Sixteen-Year-Old MX-5 Cup Race Winner Robert Noaker Will Team with Brian Henderson in Honda Civic TCR

GAINESVILLE, Georgia (December 17, 2020) – The Atlanta Speedwerks pairing of Brian Henderson and 16-year-old Robert Noaker will reunite for the 2021 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series in a Honda Civic TCR, one of three Honda Civic TCR cars Atlanta Speedwerks plans to campaign in the championship.

Henderson and Noaker are no strangers to Atlanta Speedwerks, teaming together for the season finale at Sebring this past November. An overnight engine change by the team forced the duo to the rear of the field for the start but climbed as high as third and eventually finished sixth.

With a co-driver yet to be determined, team owner Todd Lamb will pilot a second Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR entry during the 2021 season. Atlanta Speedwerks is continuing to make plans for a three-car effort during the 2021 IMSA season.

“2021 is shaping up to be a really great year for Atlanta Speedwerks,” Lamb said. “Robert and Brian are both race-winning drivers. It’s the third year of our IMSA TCR program, so we really understand the nuance of the Honda Civic TCR. We saw that throughout 2020, especially at Sebring to finish the year. With an open third car that we plan to fill in time for Daytona, we expect to see Atlanta Speedwerks contending for wins and championships this season.”

Just 23-years-old, Henderson is the veteran of the team and a long-time Atlanta Speedwerks teammate, co-driving with Lamb in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in both 2019 and 2020, and prior to that racing in the Mazda Global MX-5 Cup for Atlanta Speedwerks.

“I am so happy to be back with Atlanta Speedwerks for the 2021 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season in our Honda Civic TCR car,” Henderson said. I’m excited to be pairing with Robert for the season, especially after he had a great debut at Sebring earlier this year. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue growing my skills as a driver and team member. I know we have what it takes to be a major contender this year and can’t wait to get back on track!”

Noaker’s Sebring debut with Atlanta Speedwerks was his first IMSA race, though the young racer is no newcomer to the spotlight. Noaker finished eighth in the Global MX-5 Cup standings as a 14-year-old in 2018, winning at Mid-Ohio and earning a Guinness Book of World Records achievement as the youngest driver ever to win an Indy Car-sanctioned race. Noaker finished fifth in 2019 with a pair of wins, and as the runner-up in 2020 with a season-high four wins.

“I am looking forward to the challenge and opportunity of racing the Honda Civic TCR this year with Atlanta Speedwerks,” Noaker said. “Sebring was a different experience for me but I enjoyed it. I am happy to be driving with Brian this season. We will have a very good crew behind us this year to hopefully contend for wins. I can’t wait to get back on the track at Daytona.”

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season begins January 22-24 at Daytona International Raceway with a four-hour race on the weekend of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Those interested in campaigning the 2021 IMSA with Atlanta Speedwerks should contact the team via email at todd@atlspeedwerks.com.

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, and parts. Headquartered near Atlanta, Georgia, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.