Category: IMSA

Corvette brings strong history to IMSA season’s only GT-only race

DETROIT (August 21, 2024) – Corvette Racing’s summer stretch in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship wraps up with the series’ lone GT-only race of the season – the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.

Three of the first-year Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are set for Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute sprint race: Nos. 3 (Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims) and 4 (Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg) for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO plus AWA’s No. 13 GTD entry (Orey Fidani and Matt Bell).

The trio of Z06 GT3.Rs will look to continue Corvette Racing’s incredibly strong history at the 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course that sits on the Virginia-North Carolina border.

Corvettes have made a habit of being at the front and – more often than not – winning at Virginia International Raceway. The program’s IMSA factory team has won six times at the circuit since 2012, and DXDT Racing swept both rounds of GT World Challenge America there earlier this year with Milner, a Virginia native.

He ranks second in IMSA VIR wins among active drivers with three. The only driver with more is Garcia with four, including last year with Jordan Taylor in the No. 3 Corvette C8.R. In addition, Sims (2018 GTLM) and Bell (2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge) have one VIR victory to their credit. Meanwhile, Fidani is set for his first WeatherTech Championship start at VIR, and Catsburg will make his debut at the circuit.

A victory this weekend by either Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports or AWA would give the Z06 GT3.R its second (or third in the event of a sweep) IMSA win this year. The GTD PRO effort also is on a streak of two consecutive pole positions and four in the last five races, a strong showing for the first-year Corvette.

In GTD, AWA is coming off a season-best, fifth-place finish the last time out at Road America. A repeat – or besting that result – at VIR would solidify Fidani’s lead in the Bob Akin Award standings, with the highest points-scoring Bronze driver at the end of the year earning an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 25. The race will air live on USA starting at noon ET with live streaming on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Friday afternoon’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I can divide VIR into three parts – from Turn One to before the Esses, then from there to the Oak Tree corner. I really like the last part of the lap from the backstretch all the way to start/finish. It’s very challenging with how aggressive you need to at the end of the backstraight, and down the hill into the last corner is really challenging but fun. I love it there. We’ve had a lot of success there. I’ve won with Jan there and with Jordan. It’s another great track for Corvette Racing, so let’s see if we can add to that this week.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It has been a few years so I’m looking forward to going back to VIR. I’ve won once and probably should have won twice. I really like the place. It has a lovely flow to it. From Turn Three pretty much all the way up to Oak Tree Corner, it’s so fun and challenging. Some are flat-out and some are ones where you have a small lift to balance the car. The entry off the backstretch is great with compressions, crests, camber changes and things. It’s really cool.

“There are a bunch of complicated corners that you need to get right and compile them all to get a good laptime. They’re tough corners where if you get it wrong, you can hemorrhage two- or three-tenths without blinking. It’s a very unforgiving track, which is great. It adds an extra dimension where you know you have to get it right. As with other American tracks, it’s a place where sometimes you have to be brave and step into the slight unknown to get the performance. If something goes wrong, you’ll know very, very quickly, which is good.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This is a reason for a lot of drivers why VIR ends up being one of their favorite tracks – because there are so many sequences of corners and sections of the track that are all unique in their own way. They all present their own challenges, and it all culminates in the challenge of driving these cars and getting the most out of them. It’s a place where if the car isn’t just right, you can have big moments. It’s a fun, fun sequence of corners all the way around. The car and the driver are doing a lot of work. VIR is a playground for these racecars to do that for the whole lap.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really excited to go to VIR. It’s a track that I’ve never been to. I’ve done quite a lot of laps on the simulator and it seems pretty awesome with cool, flowing corners, high speeds and elevation changes. It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to for awhile. I’ve always watched the races from there. I remember some cool moves from Nick Tandy shoving a Porsche out of the way not too long ago when he was in a Corvette, which was awesome. It’s always a challenge going to a new track but it should be good. VIR seems like a unique place – one of the American tracks that stands out and that drivers love. I usually enjoy these types of tracks so I’m looking forward to it.”

AWA PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The last time I was at VIR, I won! So I’d like to do that again. I was in the 2020 LMP3 championship. It’s been a good circuit for me. I’ve tested there a few times but that was the only time I’ve raced there, and I’m one-for-one so let’s see if we can do the same.”

“It’s a pretty iconic circuit. You have a lot of high-commitment corners. The Esses obviously are pretty famous. Hogpen – the last two corners – is my personal favorite section of the track coming into the frontstraight. It’s a high-commitment track. Corvettes have had a lot of success there in the past. I’ve had some fun watching old videos of IMSA there the last few years and the Corvettes battling the Porsche there and knocking them down a peg or two. So yeah, I’d like to go and do the same.

“You have a technical Sector One where you have to really piece it together to make sure you’re on the right part of the track at the right time. Then it’s a big commitment for Sector Two up through the Esses at high-speed into Turn 10 – a high-speed left where if you get that wrong, you’re in for a world of hurt! Then you have the tricky last sector with Hogpen at the end. It still takes a pretty big commitment with the elevation change, and that always makes a circuit, and there’s plenty of it there. It’s another gem in the IMSA schedule.”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really looking forward to coming back to VIR. It’s been a few years since I last raced there, I’ve spent time in the simulator getting back up to speed on the track. It is a true rollercoaster ride, and a lot of fun to drive. Following our strong finish at the last race in Road America, we’re eager to keep building off that. We continue to learn more and more about the car after each round, and we’ll be doing all we can to see further improvements.”

2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points

GTD PRO Drivers Standings

1. Laurin Heinrich – 2256
2. Ross Gunn – 2180
3. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 2083
4. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 2066
5. Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow – 2023
6. Nicky Catsburg/Tommy Milner – 1961

GTD PRO Teams Standings

1. No. 77 AO Racing – 2256
2. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2180
3. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 2083
4. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2066
5. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 2023
6. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 1961

GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings

1. Porsche – 2304
2. Aston Martin – 2216
3. Chevrolet – 2154
4. Lexus – 2139
5. McLaren – 2019

GTD Drivers Standings

1. Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 2396
2. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 2128
3. Parker Thompson – 1870
4. Mikael Grenier – 1796
5. Albert Costa Balboa/Manny Franco – 1781
6. Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 1559

GTD Teams Standings

1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 2396
2. No. 96 Turner Motorsport – 2128
3. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsport – 1796
4. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 1781
5. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan – 1677
6. No. 13 AWA – 1283

GTD Manufacturers Standings

1. Mercedes-AMG – 2500
2. Aston Martin – 2027
3. Lexus – 2022
4. BMW – 1970
5. Porsche – 1963
6. Chevrolet – 1798

CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: By the Numbers

• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at VIR since 2012 – Corvette C6.R (2012-2013), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and the mid-engine Corvette C8.R – which raced at VIR for the final time in IMSA competition in 2023 – and Z06 GT3.R, both of which are eighth-gen Corvettes
• 6: IMSA class wins at VIR for Corvette Racing. Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin won in ALMS GT competition in 2012, and Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen won overall in 2016 and 2017. Garcia and Jordan Taylor drove the C8.R to a win in 2020 and 2023 with Milner and Nick Tandy victorious in 2021.
• 6: Overall VIR race wins for Corvette Racing – 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024. The first five came in IMSA competition with DXDT Racing winning once overall in June’s GT World Challenge America’s event as it swept the Pro class
• 13: Number of VIR victories in IMSA for Chevrolet since 2002, including the American Le Mans Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series; that’s the most among manufacturers
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 51: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. DXDT Racing’s Bryson Morris joined the list at Road America in GT World Challenge America
• 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
• 135: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 116 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and seven in GT World Challenge America
• 301: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August at Road America in IMSA
• 6,448.44: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 12 previous events at Virginia International Raceway
• 386,963.37: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!

Corvette Racing at VIR (wins in bold)

2012

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 8th in GT (Garcia fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Clinched ALMS GT title)

2013

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GT (Clinch GT team, manufacturer titles)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GT

2014

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 7th in GTLM (Taylor replaced Magnussen – injury)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GTLM

2015

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM

2016

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM (Magnussen pole)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GTLM (Gavin fastest race lap)

2017

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

2018

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

2019

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM

2020

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM

2021

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM (Milner pole)

2022

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTD PRO (Taylor fastest race lap)

2023

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTD PRO

2024 – GT World Challenge

No. 63 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Tommy Milner/Alec Udell – 1st,1st in Pro

No. 08 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Bryan Sellers/Scott Smithson – 6th, 3rd in Pro-Am

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Media interview transcript ahead of this weekend’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

Corvette Racing factory driver Antonio Garcia was part of a media Zoom today to talk about this week’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIR and the lone GT-only race in this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He is a four-time winner at VIR with Corvette and will team with Alexander Sims in Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

VIR is a place where you’ve had quite a lot of success in the past. What is it about that racetrack that seems to resonate with you and the Corvette team and how do you carry that momentum with that this weekend?

“I don’t really know. I mean, I personally like this racetrack and as you said, Corvette Racing has always been successful there. I don’t know if it’s only because we only run alone there as a GT-only race and that probably helps to keep everything tidy as far as strategy and the classes aren’t shuffling the order too much. It suited the C7.R. It definitely suited the C8.R. So I’m looking forward to going back there and seeing where we are. We definitely have had very strong performances this year especially in qualifying. We only managed to win in Canada but I think we just need to keep putting everything together to be able to go to the end and finally get another Corvette 1-2 like we did there.”

You have four wins at VIR. Do you have a favorite? Is there one you like more than others?

“Those are difficult to choose from. I really liked last year because we kind of knew that Jordan (Taylor) was going away from the team and it was nice to see him going across the line in the same week after he actually announced that he was not coming back with us this year. So it was cool. I seem to forget all the other wins! I remember the last one with Jan (Magnussen). I always like it there, but I don’t have a favorite, I don’t think. I do like all of them. But yeah, I’ve had a lot of racing there.”

VIR seems to be a kind of love-it-or-loathe-it track. And sometimes that changes for a driver on the day. But generally the consensus is it’s a real driver’s track, but one where mistakes can be very costly. What do you agree with? Do you love it? Do you loathe it?

“I like it there, especially after the new pavement from a couple of years ago. It really brought up the overall grip. That made it very, very similar, even in GTD cars, pretty close to how the GTLM cars felt. So, more grip is always fun. You’re going faster, but obviously, the mistakes are there. If you make one, you can always hit something there. So I always like it. It produces good racing and I always look forward to going back there and seeing how the weather does because at times it’s tricky. This year doesn’t seem like it will be as hot as it was last year, but yeah, let’s see what it brings this year.”

There was a lot of contact at Road America, and when the drivers comment about it, invariably, they say contact is part of IMSA racing. Are we getting to a point where there’s too much contact from your point of view?

“Probably, yes. I never like contact too much. I don’t really like ABS and at times that brings in times where everybody dives in and just prays for the car to stop. There’s a lot of big moves and at times you just rely on your systems, and at times the system doesn’t quite work as well as you think. That’s probably one of the things. The cars are going faster and faster, and the braking zones are getting also way shorter, so the whole thing is kind of going in the wrong direction from that perspective. We were unlucky. I felt we didn’t deserve what happened at the last race where we got hit on the very first lap and obviously the car wasn’t quite what it needed to be after that. But for sure that always happens at the end of the year, also. Everyone wants to get a good result and at times decisions are not as good as they are at the beginning of the season. I believe we are on the high end of where I would like racing to be. But let’s see how it goes in the last three races. We’ve always seen that Petit Le Mans is always crazy. And if we are at this level now, I don’t know what’s going to happen at Petit.

VIR is highly technical, high speed. Is this a track, due to its nature, where it’s important to be careful about contact?

“There are some big braking points, and everywhere else it’s pretty much single-file unless you make a big divebomb into a corner. With tire degradation being a little bit lower than previously at VIR, the speed differential is also not too big so passing opportunities are less. The yellow-flag situations are not as big, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a caution-free race. I don’t know how it’s going to play out. But I always like being at VIR because you need to be fast and every single lap counts.”

You’re fourth in Teams and Drivers points, I think, 190 points back. How are you approaching the team’s championship hopes at this point?

“We’re still going for the Manufacturers title first and obviously thinking also about the Teams and Drivers championships. We’ve been on the wrong side of things many times this year. After the race at Detroit, we kind of lost track of where we needed to be in the championship. But after Watkins Glen, I would say everything looked to be on the right path. So I would still think on a race-by-race basis and if we have a good result this weekend, we’ll get that much closer. But I’m not really looking at driving points. I’m looking at every event as an individual one, and I just want to, if possible, win the last three. Even if we do that, I’m sure it will be pretty tight or maybe not able to win the championship. I will just think about race race-by-race again.”

Corvette has a good track record at VIR but it’s the first one in IMSA with the new car. From a technical point of view, how does the car need to be set up for a track like this, and how do you expect the car to perform?

“Last year, we definitely didn’t have the ultimate pace (throughout the year). As we saw in qualifying, we never had much of a chance to be really up toward the front. I don’t know the reason for that, but for sure this car produces the laptime in a way that is much closer to our competitors in the same way, let’s put it that way. I was surprised at many races this year where I was not expecting to be competitive at all, like Laguna, for example, and then all of a sudden we were. So I think the new Corvette GT3 really works everywhere, as we have seen. I believe the package and the pace we have works everywhere we go. I expect the car to be decent at VIR, for sure. I don’t know the level… if it will be very competitive or not much, but I would think we will be up there. My only question mark would be Indianapolis, where we really didn’t perform well last year. I would assume or I would think that we’ll be better also at Indy. This car has been really good ever since we got rid of all the little problems we had earlier in the year. I expect we will have another chance for a win, and let’s see if that’s true. But so far, the car has been performing well on every single track, so I don’t think VIR will be different.”

Could you give us a snapshot of the season with the new car? At what point in this year did you feel that you fully untapped the potential with this car. And do the various Corvette Racing customer programs help, specifically with Tommy running over in the SRO Championship and some data that you can then bring back to the table?

“I think the car has been good since Sebring. That was the one where we really had the pace but the strategy kind of didn’t go our way. I think we hit the pits closed twice when we were about to pit, and we had that at Laguna as well. That’s part of racing. The last round of bad luck we had was at Detroit where I led only for a lap. From that point on, the car has been very, very competitive and it was just a shame that we couldn’t really convert (those earlier instances) into a win. We took the weight of our shoulders with the win at Mosport.

“(The Z06 GT3.R) is a way more-balanced car and that works all around in this class. We don’t have to be extreme like we were last year with setups in order to be competitive against the rest of the class. Now we just try to make the car fast and that’s it. We don’t need to play and gamble on crazy setups. So it’s made things a little bit easier.

“Having the No. 4 car back gave us more chances to have a bigger test program on the same weekends, so now we can divide the program and kind of work toward the same direction in order to make the car good for the race. That really helps compared to previous years when we were alone. Then to have cars everywhere else like in SRO or even racing in WEC… that not only puts mileage on the car, but that also helps overall for fixing little things that a new car needs. The car needs mileage, and now that the car is racing in not only one championship but three championships, that speeds up everything. Every single team has had little things that we can fix, and I think that helps everyone. I only see positive things about this car and being able to race not only in IMSA and in some other championships, too.”

ALTON, Virginia (August 20, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team will finish out the sprint portion of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). With a string of three consecutive sprint events, the No. 45 GTD team remain within the top 10 in the championship points standings.

Kyle Marcelli will return behind the wheel of the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 alongside co-driver, Danny Formal, after missing the last round at Road America due to a minor arm injury. Both Marcelli and Formal have success at the 3.27-mile road course as the pair swept both races for the win in the 2023 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship. Marcelli and Formal will be looking to capitalize on their familiarity with VIR as they have finished inside the top six in three of the four sprint races thus far this season.

“I am really proud of this team and drivers,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Principal. “Our organization took on a lot this year with our expansion into GTD, so to be sitting in the Top 10 in the Championship, we should be proud. We still have a few races to go, and I am excited to see what more we can achieve. With the support of DEX Imaging and Lamborghini, I am confident we will continue to show our strength on and off the track.”

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team will begin preparations at VIR with practice at 2:00 p.m. ET on Friday, August 23 followed by qualifying on Saturday, August 24, at 4:50 p.m. ET. The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR is set for 12:10 p.m. ET for the two-hour, 40-minute sprint with broadcast beginning at 12 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock.
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Drivers

Kyle Marcelli: “VIR is a special place to drive. It’s a unique, old-school circuit that is high risk, high reward. The layout offers a variety of low-speed and high-speed corners along with elevation and lots of curb strikes making this place an engineering challenge, and often a give-and-take mentality. I’m excited to return to the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini for what is the final sprint race of the season. The goal is clear, we will do everything we can to get a podium finish.”

Danny Formal: “VIR is up next – the last round of the sprint championship. It is my favorite track in the world. Just one of those tracks that commitment is everything and risking it gets the biscuit, so super excited to get back to VIR. I’m excited to get back to racing with Kyle, my teammate for many, many years. It was great to race with Sandy at Road America and it’s great to have Kyle back also. It’s going to be a hot weekend, it’s always muggy at VIR but our No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team is ready to go for it. It’s the last sprint round, so we are going for a podium. We really advanced the car in Road America, especially during the race, our race pace was quite good, so super excited and ready for it.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

Rosenqvist qualifies on the front row while Malukas qualifies P3

Madison, IL (16 August 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) came back from the three week break in top form, with both team cars qualifying in the top three and marking the 12th and 13th times that MSR has qualified in the top six this season.

After scoring a third place finish in his rookie season at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR), David Malukas continued that momentum into this weekend’s qualifying run. Malukas manned the No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda to the top of the charts early on in qualifying on Friday afternoon with a two lap average speed of 179.503 mph – which was over 1 mph quicker than the third fastest driver.

Malukas’ pole run held for more than half the session, until teammate Felix Rosenqvist claimed the top spot, posting an average speed of 179.796 mph. Although Rosenqvist was poised to start at the pointy end of the field he was bumped to second in the final moments of the qualifying session.

The No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda also took a 9-place grid penalty for an unapproved engine change which will provisionally drop Rosenqvist to 11th for Saturday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500. The penalty will also move Malukas to P2 with the young racer starting on the front row on Saturday.

Coverage of Saturday’s 260-lap race at World Wide Technology Raceway will begin at 6:00pm ET on USA and Peacock. Live radio coverage will be broadcast on SiriusXM Ch. 218.

Meyer Shank Racing Team Quotes:

David Malukas: “We definitely did a really good job with the setup. Missed it a little bit, but it’s so hard to judge, with the temperature changing and the track being so green. There’s a little bit more time in it, but coming from practice one, it was pretty good.(On using every inch of the racetrack) It was definitely getting a little bit close! On that exit from Turn 2, I had to lay on the deployment of the hybrid, I was really pushing it, getting close to those walls – and that’s what it takes to get a good lap.”

Felix Rosenqvist: “It was a pretty solid run, no major mistakes. I had a little bit of understeer on the first lap so I tweaked the car a little bit for the second lap. We have a nine-place grid drop so we need to be up there, so I gave it everything I had. It felt like it was a solid run, it’s a solid car, so we’ll hang tight and see where we end up.”

Mike Shank: “We’ve been quick on ovals this year, which has been great. I give a lot of credit to our Andretti technical alliance for the basis for that. There’s a lot more going on back in the garage before qualifying, to get these cars to their optimum – there’s quite a sequence that we got right today, same with the drivers. The deployment of energy now is really interesting, with all the tactics, I’m super proud of where we are. Obviously, tonight’s practice will be different, with the change in temperature, but we have a plan.”

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 7, 2024) – Max Opalski and his Max Opalski Racing survived a rough and tumble IMSA Ford Racing Mustang Challenge weekend at Road America to earn a pair of finishes solidly in the top 10. The effort with his family-run team was tops among all single-car teams in the championship, trailing only those with multiple data points to use for car setup.

The No. 2 Team MOR/Opal Enterprises Ford Mustang Dark Horse R earned a pair of sixth-place finishes at the four-mile circuit and moved into the top 10 in points for the season-long championship.

Saturday’s race began with a fourth-row start, where Opalski moved into seventh-place just after the green flag. Three full-course cautions for incidents, including one with just over two minutes remaining in the 45-minute race, slowed the action at the front and left the 18-year-old unable to move forward any further.

Sunday saw more activity for Opalski. Starting fifth but on the inside line, he was wrestled back to sixth on the first lap before yet another full course caution came for an incident elsewhere on track. He was seventh when a second caution period bunched the field with just under 30 minutes remaining, and put his mind to moving forward when the race resumed with just more than 20 minutes and 30 seconds to go.

He made up one of those positions into Turn One on the restart, then added another spot into the top five under braking in Turn Five. Unfortunately, he was deemed to have made unnecessary contact with a competitor during that move in a call that stood despite disagreement from the team. The assessed penalty was 10 seconds added to his post-race time.

Opalski didn’t let that call faze him, however. He put his head down and closed the gap on those in front of him while pulling away from the field behind him, giving him enough of a gap at the finish after crossing fifth that he only lost two positions, scored in seventh.

“We gave it everything we had this weekend but, unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough to make something happen,” Opalski said. “Even though we didn’t have the pace we wanted we were still on track for a respectable fourth-place finish until we got that penalty. Despite that, everyone put it so much effort this weekend and I feel we did good with the car we had.”

The pair of finishes in a weekend that caught out a number of his rivals elevated Opalski four positions in the standings, to tenth, as he continues to erase a deficit that occurred on the opening weekend. He’s begun the climb with a top-five at Watkins Glen and the pair of sixth-place finishes this weekend, his best point weekend of the season.

Up next for Mustang Challenge is a Labor Day weekend race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, alongside the World Endurance Championship August 30 to September 1. That doubleheader will serve as rounds seven and eight of the 10-race championship, which concludes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway the first weekend of October.

About Max Opalski Racing: Founded in 2024 by 18-year-old racer Max Opalski, Max Opalski Racing has put its maiden-season effort into the IMSA Mustang Challenge championship featuring the brand-new Ford Racing Mustang Dark Horse R race car. Based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Max Opalski Racing is dedicated to championship-winning racing efforts within their customer racing program, which includes driver coaching at races and testing in their program. Away from the Mustang Challenge program, Max Opalski Racing utilizes the skills and abilities of Opalski for coaching, both in real life and through sim racing. More information on Max Opalski Racing can be found at MaxOpalski.com, on Facebook and on Instagram.

Alex Sedgwick captures his fourth podium of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America season to remain in the championship hunt

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (August 7, 2024) – PT Autosport with JDX Racing earned a hard-fought second place finish in last weekend’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America, with Alex Sedgwick powering from a 10th place starting position to finish second in race one of the doubleheader at Road America.

The 25-year-old Warwickshire, UK native battled hard all weekend, keeping his No. 98 PT Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car in contention for the season-ending championship. Sedgwick added a sixth-place finish in race two to remain in second position in points.

Sedgwick came out of the box flying in Thursday afternoon practice, pacing second behind the points leader for much of the session but settling for eighth.

Qualifying for the pair of 40-minute races took the green flag late Friday afternoon, and Sedgwick wasted no time getting up to speed, briefly in P2 with his first timed lap, but back to P11 and ready to make a charge when a car into the wall in Turn 11 stopped the session. Heading back out, Sedgwick found himself mired in traffic and settled for a tenth place starting position for race one, and eighth in race two.

At the drop of the green on Saturday morning, Sedgwick worked his way into clear air, which served him well in Turn 5 as four cars ahead tangled and went off. With smart moves and quick reflexes, Sedgwick finished lap one in fifth position, then made the move for fourth coming out of the Kink.

The race settled in with Sedgwick staying close to the leaders. With 20 minutes remaining, a car went off track and brought out a full course caution. When the race went back to green, the car ahead went wide on Turn 1, and Sedgwick made a bold move to pass not only that car, but the car ahead of him, surviving a couple of knocks to his left rear to take over second position. By the time Sedgwick had taken the position, the championship points leader had built a substantial lead in the race, and Sedgwick held his ground to earn his fourth podium of the season.

“I benefited from a bit of chaos on that first lap, but I was able to sneak through,” said Sedgwick. “I was tracking down the top three and that yellow helped me catch up, and I was able to get by the guys ahead on the restart. Not quite enough left in the car and the tires to get close to Loek for the win but it was a positive finish – a good recovery to keep our championship hopes alive.”

Sedgwick found himself in a brawl at the drop of the green in Sunday’s race two, as the car ahead at the green slowed, causing Sedgwick to lose two positions in the usual Turn 1 chaos. He gained them back by the end of lap one. A caution for a car off in Turn 3 stalled the action, and on the restart, Sedgwick pulled alongside teammate Elias de la Torre in Turn 6 but de la Torre had the inside through Turn 7, pushing Sedgwick into the dirt. Refusing to relent, Sedgwick made the pass stick in Turn 1.

Sedgwick continued the charge, taking sixth with 20 minutes remaining, but not without a bit of paint exchanged. He was able to bridge the gap to fifth position, but having used up much of his tire tread after getting boxed in at the start and picking up a push late in the race, he took the green in that fifth spot.

“Could have been better, could have been worse,” said Sedgwick. “We were just missing a bit of rotation and speed that we had yesterday. We’ve got some more work to do now for the rest of the year but I know this team is up to the task.”

PT Autosport team principal Jason Myers appreciated the effort by the JDX Racing team, continuing to keep Sedgwick in the championship hunt.

“What a great weekend – though it certainly had its high and lows – that saw Alex progress more as a driver and also further into his second place position in the standings,” said Myers. “His qualifying was uncharacteristically outside the first few rows, which he immediately corrected, finishing the race P2 after carving through all but the leader of the race. JDX is obsessive about getting the setup on the car just right and giving Alex a Porsche he can really go race for the win with. Our engineer Ryan (Neff) is really standing out in a class of his own, and our car chief Cody Wollenslegel gives this car 110% of the much needed attention it deserves. Definitely looking forward to Indy and seeing Alex close the championship gap some more.”

PT Autosport would like to thank partners STEAM Sports Foundation, Classic Car Club Manhattan and New Jersey Motorsports Park, as well as JDX Racing partners Byers/Porsche Columbus, and Renier Construction.

Next up for PT Autosport and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will be the doubleheader in support of the IMSA Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The races will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.TV, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.

About PT Autosport — Discover Unique Talent. Develop Champions.

PT Autosport, based at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, campaigns rising star Alex Sedgwick (UK) in the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America series with JDX Racing, 2022 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Henry Drury (UK) in the Toyota GR Cup North America series with Precision Racing LA, and 2023 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Brenna Schubert (USA) in select SPEC-MX5 races for the 2024 season.

PT Autosport is dedicated to providing merit-based motorsport industry opportunities for diverse individuals with high integrity, grit, and coach-ability, achieved through a development program for young aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other professionals. The first step of this process is applying for the annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, in which aspiring drivers aged 18-23 can compete for a team racing partnership with the team.

A rigorous evaluation process of applicants determines the final competitors for the driver shootout. The winner earns financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career. The review process also provides the team the chance to identify unique talent for other roles in motorsport, including race engineers, mechanics, and professionals.

PT Autosport is building a community that fosters the development of young talent to find a place where they can make an impact in the motorsport community as a career.

PT Autosport social media

Instagram: @pt_autosport
TikTok: @ptautosport
Twitter: @PtAutosport
Facebook: PT Autosport
YouTube: PT Autosport

ST CHARLES, Ill., (August 6, 2024) – Last weekend in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, AO Racing put in a strong performance in the most recent round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Racing in front of their home crowd at Road America, AO Racing earned a first-ever podium finish for the No. 99 Oreca LMP2 prototype of Spike the Dragon with drivers PJ Hyett and Paul-Loup Chatin. The No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 Rawr, driven by Laurin Heinrich and Julien Andlauer, also put up a strong performance, earning a hard-fought fourth-place finish.

“What a home race,” said Team Principal Gunnar Jeannette. “For Spike to get his first podium at home is absolutely fantastic. We moved Roxy up from 10th to fourth, which given the challenges of the weekend, it feels like a podium. We were a little unlucky with the way the last yellows of the race went, but it was still a great result. All the crew did an amazing job, and we’re looking forward to finishing off the remainder of the season strong.”

Spike’s admirable home performance began with PJ Hyett’s fourth consecutive pole position in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Hyett and the purple and orange dragon have secured four of the five available pole positions this year, a remarkable feat in Hyett’s first year of LMP2 racing. He and Chatin celebrated their first WeatherTech podium of the season with their third-place finish, with team family and friends in attendance.

Roxy returned for her first event of the 2024 season, subbing in for her brother Rexy, who is enjoying his summer vacation at an undisclosed location. Drivers Laurin Heinrich and Julien Andlauer had a strong run in their first outing together as co-drivers, defending AO’s championship points lead. With the fourth-place result, the team holds a 76-point lead with three races remaining.

The team next heads to VIRginia International Raceway, August 23-25.

About AO Racing

Founded in 2022 by PJ Hyett and Gunnar Jeannette, AO Racing has swiftly risen to prominence in the world of professional sports car racing. With an unwavering commitment to on-track excellence and fan engagement, AO Racing commands attention with its fun liveries and fan-friendly presence, becoming a dynamic force in the sport. Central to AO Racing’s success is its unique blend of performance and personality. The iconic liveries of “Rexy” and “Roxy,” the T-Rex Porsche 911 GT3 Rawrs and “Spike” the LMP2 Dragon have captivated fans worldwide, earning AO Racing a dedicated following. With a focus on making racing accessible and enjoyable for enthusiasts of all ages, AO Racing has become a beloved favorite among motorsport lovers. The team has a global footprint, with strong efforts in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Asian Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. With passion, precision, and a touch of flair, AO Racing is writing the next chapter in the annals of motorsport history.

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams Winward Racing and Korthoff Preston Motorsports combined for a competitive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship performance that produced a GTD pole position, a race-leading run and a fourth-place finish at Road America this weekend. Mikael Grenier won the first pole of the season for the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 team on Saturday and went on to lead 21 laps in Sunday’s two-hour and 40-minute race. Closing driver Kenton Koch then ran as high as third in the No. 32, but it was the championship-leading No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Russell Ward and Philip Ellis that emerged in the race’s final minutes for a Mercedes-AMG-best fourth-place finish after a last lap shake up in the GTD ranks.

Grenier led the first nine laps of the race from the pole and, after a quick dash to the pits under an early caution with the majority of the competition for a splash of fuel, regained the top spot for 12 more circuits up front. He pitted from the lead after a nearly 90-minute race-opening stint and Koch took over for the fight to the finish.

The stop was well executed, but the No. 32 pitted under caution and lost a few on-track positions after some competitors took their pitside service a few laps earlier. Undeterred, Koch kept the pressure on and steadily worked his way back up the order and into the top three with just under four minutes remaining in the race.

Taking the white flag for the final race lap in third, and with Ellis close behind in the Winward No. 57 in fourth, Koch was exiting Turn 3 only to quickly encounter an off-pace GTP entry that had just rejoined the race from the pits. Quick action by Koch avoided what would have been a heavy collision, but the No. 32 momentarily went off course and, in an instant, dropped from third to the team’s seventh place finishing position.

Equally quick reflexes by Ellis just behind kept him from collecting both Koch and the GTP car, but after briefly inheriting third place, the split-second lost avoiding the collisions allowed another competitor at full speed to slip by for the final podium spot.

Despite finishing out of the top two for only the second time this season, Winward maintained its position as the top team in GTD despite a hard-fought and challenging race at Road America.

Starting driver Ward took the green flag from fifth on the grid and, for the second-straight race, drove two stints in another solid race-opening run for over an hour. Ward handed the No. 57 off from fourth place to Ellis who closed out the race’s final 90 minutes with an eye on both a strong finish and maintaining the team’s season-long first-place standing in the GTD championships.

Despite losing a bit of their points lead for the first time this year, Ward, Ellis and the Winward No. 57 remain atop the GTD driver and team championships by 268 points, 2,396 – 2,128, with three races remaining on the 2024 calendar.

The Korthoff Preston team also continues to hang tough in the GTD team championship standings in third place with 1,796 points.

Meanwhile, the collective performance of both Winward and Korthoff Preston at Road America increased Mercedes-AMG’s strong lead in the GTD manufacturer championship standing to an even 2,500 points, a season-high 473 tallies ahead of the second-place competitor’s 2,027 points.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), August 23 – 25. The VIR race is the only race of the year featuring only the production-based GTD and GTD Pro series cars.

Mikael Grenier, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had a good weekend in general. We had a good race strategy, but we got a bit unlucky with the second full course yellow because some of the competition had already pit before that because they had a short stop to do. We lost some track position there, but it was just really unlucky because I think we were on the right strategy actually. At the end of the race, Kenton did a good job, and I think we were in for a third-place finish, which would have been great for the championship. Then out of Turn 3 there was a slow GTP car you couldn’t get around. Kenton did a great job not making contact, but he lost the back of it and went off track and we went from P3 to P7 on the last lap of the race. It’s just frustrating because it was the slow GTP car just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe we can learn something from that, how to deal with traffic, but really there was nothing that could have been done there. Next, we go to Virginia, hopefully we can have the same performance we had this weekend, and we will be without the GTP cars there.”

Kenton Koch, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It started off well. Mik did a really good job, putting it up front and keeping it up front, and we did everything right in the pits. The strategy was good and put us in a position to be on the podium, but it is just frustrating when you’re on the final lap and a slow car with a mechanical issue comes out of pit lane. Coming out of Turn 3 on the last lap, I just wasn’t expecting him to not accelerate. I had to quickly lift to avoid hitting him after how fast we got on him. Had I known what he was going to do, I would’ve totally taken the corner completely differently. But hindsight is 20/20 and it’s frustrating for everyone because these guys really deserve more. We were on the podium in third place here last year, we came so close again, but it’s been one of those years. Hopefully we can come home with more in the future.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s good that I’m at the same level and pace as the competition I am racing against. We can extend my driving stint and not sacrifice anything, and that’s what we did in Canada, and we did it here at Road America. It’s good and opens up some strategy options for us, but it was a tough race for us with the current GTD rules. We’ve won this race before and been fast here before, but it really just wasn’t our weekend. The crew did an incredible job as always, the car felt quite nice, but that was all we could do and the best we could do on Sunday. We drove flat out, that’s all we had, but there was really no chance to fend off the winner and some of the other cars. This is really competitive racing, and I’m not saying we have to be the fastest everywhere, but there needs to be some give and take in the rules. We just didn’t even have a chance at Road America, but our guys are incredible, they always get the most out of what we have, and I’m not disappointed about P4, which is about where we are.”

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 4, 2024) – Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) capped off the sprint portion of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with Sunday’s IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 team led the charge for the WTRAndretti stable to bring home third place on the podium.

Starting from the pole position for Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute sprint race, Filipe Albuquerque and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 had control of the field as the green flag waved. With a handful of cautions in the opening 30 minutes of the race, Albuquerque and the No. 10 team opted to keep the Portuguese driver behind the wheel while other teams completed driver changes in early pit stops. Albuquerque continued to extend the gap to those behind and soon came to pit lane to switch positions with co-driver, Ricky Taylor.

Alongside their No. 10 teammates, the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 team started on the front row in second for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America. Jordan Taylor started off strong and took the lead in the opening half hour of the race. A string of cautions and strategy at play, Taylor pitted from the lead and the red and black crew went to work, changing tires and switching drivers from Taylor to Louis Delétraz.

With a busy pit lane under yellow and opting for a driver change, Delétraz and the team cycled to the rear of the GTP before the field came to the restart. Knowing the speed and strength in the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06, Delétraz used patience and precision to work his way forward. The No. 40 team and Delétraz experienced a roller coasters stint on track, including a penalty then to leading through pit sequences. With the final push to the end, Delétraz had his sights set on working up to top five contention but got shuffled back in the running order. The No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 team tallied an eighth-place result at Road America.

Next on the schedule for the duo of WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTPs is the team’s home race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The new addition to the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, the Battle on the Bricks six-hour endurance event will take place on Sunday, September 22, 2024.

Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “Disappointing day for the whole team. We really had dominated the whole weekend, but we didn’t dominate when it really counted which was at the end of the race. The No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 had a great start and then the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 got out front and ran a really, really good race. Ricky’s run at the end of the race, from ninth to third was exceptional, but lots of questions we have to ask ourselves about today’s race. Thankful for the support from HRC, Konica Minolta, DEX Imaging and all of our partners and we will be ready come Indy.”

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers

Ricky Taylor: “We had a great car today in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06. Both cars were fantastic, locking out the front row. I think it’s just a shame not to come away with a result, honestly. Hats off to the guys for the test we did, improving the car. Between HRC and WTRAndretti, we developed some really good processes that we put into practice in the race that gave us a lot of performance. But at the end of the day, it’s still not the result we wanted. We need to win races, and this was a bad day in the points for the No. 40 car. I’m looking forward to our home race in Indianapolis, but this one stings for sure.”

Filipe Albuquerque: “With such strong pace in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, obviously the win was what we wanted, but strategy was a bit crazy and chaotic with the yellows. It seemed like we couldn’t get quite to the end, so we had to pit for fuel, and Ricky did a monster job on recovering from last to third. Obviously, he had the advantage of new tires, but he still made it happen. There was great pace in the car; it was just a shame we couldn’t come away with the win, so that’s a bit frustrating.”

No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Louis Delétraz: “A difficult day. Jordan had a fantastic start, and took the lead, then we had control of the race. Our first pit stop was bad and went from first to basically last. That more or less ended our race. It was very hard to overtake without tire advantage. I tried everything to overtake and come back forward and made some mistakes on the way. We had pace today, but once you’re behind, you’re behind, and we didn’t have the tire advantage at any point to come back. So, one to learn from and forget, and we’ll be back in Indianapolis.”

Jordan Taylor: “Not a great day overall. Starting one-two was great, and we led some laps in the beginning, which was nice. It felt like we had a great car in clean air, and I think once we lost track position early on after that first stop, it was so tough to make passes. We were kind of stuck from then on, and the field is so competitive these days. We didn’t have enough traffic to make moves again. It was good to see the No. 10 car bounce back to get a podium, but I think it was a day of ‘would’ve, could’ve, should’ve’.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Acura, Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC), Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

Fifth and sixth for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller; season-best fifth in GTD for AWA

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (August 4, 2024) – The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R recorded top-five finishes in both GTD PRO and GTD on Sunday at the end of a chaotic IMSA SportsCar Weekend event at Road America.

The No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports entry of Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims finished fifth in the GTD PRO class, with the AWA duo of Matt Bell and Orey Fidani matching that result for their best GTD finish of the season in their No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The GTD PRO pole-sitting No. 4 Corvette of Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner placed sixth in the hectic race.

The two-hour, 40-minute contest looked more like a short-track race with six full-course caution periods. Two yellows inside the final hour worked against the three Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, all of which looked to be in good shape on fuel strategy going into the final 70 minutes.

The first unlucky break against the Corvettes came on the opening lap as Sims went spinning from second place after contact from another GTD PRO car, a dive-bomb move that sent the No. 3 off-track and into the gravel. Recovery crews quickly pulled Sims back onto the track with minor damage to the suspension of the car.

That left class pole-sitter and leader Nicky Catsburg as the lone Corvette at the front of the field, and the No. 4 he shared with Tommy Milner led the first 10 laps before stopping for tires and fuel during the first caution period of the race. A handful of GTD PRO cars stayed out to jumble the running order, which put a greater premium on track position.

Both the No. 3 and No. 4 Corvettes attempted to manage their fuel usage across the final 75 minutes to regain the top positions, but two full-course yellows in quick succession alleviated all fuel concerns for the full GTD PRO field.

In GTD, Bell and Fidani were the day’s top movers by gaining 16 positions overall and 10 in class for their first top-five finish of the season. Fidani drove the first 46 minutes before Bell took over to the end. He was involved in multiple battles with other class competitors – five and six cars at a time – but stayed clean to the end.

The result meant that Fidani continues to lead the Bob Akin Award standings, with the season championship going to the top Bronze-rated, points-scoring driver.

The next race in IMSA for the Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs is the Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway on August 23-25.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “The first lap led to our whole race. The opening contact damaged the car somewhat, and from that point on we had to gamble on a different strategy, save fuel and do something different. In a way, it got us some positions but when it came time to fight at the end, the car wasn’t where it needed to be. We definitely tried to squeeze as much as we could out of it. It’s a shame. It was a little mistake (by the 64) but it hurt the momentum of our race.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “Rocky (Mike Rockenfeller) came and apologized. I know that there was nothing malicious in it. It was just a mistake, and we all make mistakes. That’s the way it goes. I have to give great credit to the Corvette, which held up pretty well for a decent hit. We had a little movement in the rear toe, and we could finish the race with it. Well done to the recovery crew to get me out of the gravel so quickly. That kept us on the lead lap and in the race. We came away with fifth which isn’t what you want after starting on the front row, but under the circumstances it could have been race over at that point. It was a good recovery. That’s racing, and we’ll go on to the next one.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – SIXTH IN GTD PRO: “On our side, we had great racecars. The Corvettes were very good. It’s hard to pass here. What happens with guys that don’t think they have a car to win, they start making gambles on strategy and in this series you can win on gambles. Driving in traffic here makes it hard to follow cars. Even if you have a fast car, you can’t always use it. We’re very well aware that track position is king, so we try to prioritize that. Things just didn’t fall our way today. There were multiple situations and opportunities for us to make the right calls, and in the situations I think we made the right calls. I’m not happy with the end result, but the effort and strategy and the whole crew… everyone did a great job and did everything right. Luck was just not on our side.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – SIXTH IN GTD PRO: “Honestly it was a disappointing day today. I felt that as a team we executed really well and the Corvette was in a super-nice window in terms of balance. The start went well and from my point of view we did everything right and ended up with nothing. It’s unfortunate because I feel like we deserved something more today. Some of these races become a bit of a lottery. So I’m disappointed but on the other hand pleased with the momentum we have. We are getting more and more on top of the car. We are reliable, we are performing well in terms of setup, qualifying and race pace. The guys in the pitlane are doing good work. It was a good weekend with all the Oshkosh guests, and we had a lot of fun. It would have been nice to come away with a win instead of basically nothing. It is what it is, and now we can look forward to VIR which is a new track for me. It seems to be another awesome place, and I can’t wait for the next event.”

AWA POST-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FIFTH IN GTD: “That was absolute chaos and a proper IMSA race! There was some seriously dicey, proper GT racing going on and I loved every bit of it, to be honest. A few people got a bit too far over the line and that cost them, but I think we struck the right balance and managed to progress through the field. It was nice to put in a couple of decent overtakes and we went up the field as people made mistakes. I think we were the top mover on the grid with great work by the team. We were super-sharp in the pits and super-sharp with strategy again. We’re marching toward that first podium. So yes, a good day in the office.”