Category: Other Series PR

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R seeking season-defining result in WEC ‘home’ race

DETROIT (Aug. 26, 2024) – Cadillac Racing returns to Circuit of The Americas this week, aiming to deliver a season-defining result in its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) homecoming.

The six-hour Lone Star Le Mans – the sixth round of the eight-race season — also marks the WEC’s return to the racecourse in Austin, Texas, after a three-year absence. The race was a fixture on the calendar from 2013-2017. Green flag is scheduled for 1 p.m. CDT Sunday.

GM COTA highlights

• Cadillac DPi-V.R sweeps podium in 2017 IMSA race.
• Chevrolet Corvette DP sweeps podium in 2016 IMSA race.
• Chevrolet Corvette DP wins 2013 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race.
• Johnny O’Connell wins 2016 Pirelli World Challenge race in Cadillac ATS-V.R GT3 and the 2013 race in a Cadillac CTS-V.

Sebring International Raceway hosted the last WEC race in the U.S. in March 2023, which was also the debut of the Cadillac Racing Hypercar program. The No. 2 V-Series.R turned heads with a fourth-place finish.

GM Motorsports has had successful runs at the 3.426-mile road course, including the Cadillac DPi-V.R sweeping the podium in the 2-hour, 40-minute (73 laps) IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race in 2017.

This year, Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn will pilot the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, which is the only Hypercar entry to qualify in the top four in each of the past three races (second at Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans, fourth at Brazil). Eighteen Hypercars are entered.

“I love the fact that we have such passionate fans in America, and I think they’ll enjoy seeing the WEC there again,” said Bamber, a New Zealand native who lives in Atlanta. “I think there is going to be a lot of America at the event. It’s some of the best racing in the world right now, especially in Hypercar and I think for fans going to COTA, seeing this field will be a great spectacle.”

Bamber is a two-time winner at COTA, including co-driving to an LMP1 victory in 2017, and both drivers tested at COTA in July prior to completion of full-course resurfacing. Portions of the course that incorporates 113 feet of elevation change were repaved earlier this year.

Cars will run counterclockwise on the 20-turn (11 left, 9 right) track that opened in 2012 and draws inspiration from some renown international circuits.

An uphill run into the hairpin Turn 1 is the venue’s signature corner. Turns 3 through 6 take cues from Silverstone’s high-speed Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex and Turns 12 through 15 are a nod to Hockenheim’s stadium section.

“COTA is a very technical track, very difficult to get right,” Lynn said. “It really is amazing behind the wheel, and to watch from grandstands and viewing banks.”

Race day is Pink Cadillac Day, which is celebrated annually on September 1 to honor the iconic 1950s car. Cadillac is embedded in pop culture, being featured in more than 400 movie scenes and referenced in more than 300 songs. A special pink Cadillac prototype racecar will complement the exciting lineup of Cadillac V-Series vehicles on display during the weekend.

What they’re saying

Earl Bamber: “I love the fact that we have such passionate fans in America, and I think they’ll enjoy seeing the WEC there again. The fans make the American races. You go to Sebring you see them camping for a whole week. The same at Road Atlanta and Daytona. I think we’ll get a big turnout at COTA and Austin is a fantastic city to go to as well. I think there is going to be a lot of America at the event. Fans will see titanic battles. There is action all over the place all the time. I think it’s some of the best racing in the world right now, especially in the prototype class, and I think it will be a great spectacle for the fans. The teams are upping the level and it’s feeling more and more like a Formula One paddock when you walk through the paddock. (about the circuit) The track is super challenging and it’s going to be hot, so it will be a real endurance race for the cars and the drivers behind the wheel. After the test there, we’ll be well-prepared, and we’ll be able to lean on our American colleagues as well from what they know. I think it will be one of the highlights of the program. A lot of people talk about the climb leading into the first corner, but actually I like the last sector with a really fast, long right-hand corner and the other fast corner to finish the lap. Overall, I think it is going to be grueling, a challenge for the teams for strategy and I think it’s going to race really well so looking forward to it.”

Alex Lynn: “Being back in the U.S. is really cool and important for us as GM. We want to win one of these races and stand on the podium again and that’s our goal. Because it was so hot (during July 2023 test) the grip was so low that actually it was alright. I hope it is a bit higher grip this time with the resurface, but I think that’s the thing with COTA is that when it’s so hot the grip becomes super low, so that actually wasn’t that difficult. COTA is a very technical track, very difficult to get right. There is a lot of lap time to be found with drivers exploiting the curbs. We don’t drive there a lot, so it’s a tough track to nail. But it’s a challenge we all enjoy. Sector 1 is by far my favorite. You’ve got that huge hill to Turn 1, then the big downhill sweeping into what is really a recreation of Maggots and Becketts from Silverstone. It really is amazing behind the wheel, and to watch from grandstands and viewing banks. Austin in itself is such a cool place too. Racing in the U.S. is cool, but that city just adds to it. The people there are so welcoming and for that reason I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love going there.”

(July test days) “The test in Austin went well. The circuit had not been repaved before we tested, though it has been repaved since with the new F1 tarmac. That won’t be too much of a surprise with how our car will react. I believe our car works well on European tarmac tracks like Qatar and Imola, which recently were repaved FIA-grade tracks.”

Barry Boes Fights Back from Early Incident for Fifth Class Win of 2024; Shredded Tire Ends Frontrunning Young Gun Carson Kvapil’s Day Early

Overview:

Date: Aug. 23, 2024
Event: Mission Foods Watkins Glen SpeedTour (Round 9 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
Layout: 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course
Format: 30 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, mid-70s

TeamSLR:

● Barry Boes – Started 11th, Finished 10th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)
● Carson Kvapil – Started 3rd, Finished 25th (Shredded Tire, completed 10/30 laps)

Noteworthy:

● Boes scored his fifth Pro-Am Challenge-class victory in nine races this season and third in the last four races. He entered the weekend with a 97-point lead in the championship within a championship.

● Boes’ 10th-place overall finish, his best in four career starts at Watkins Glen, was all the more impressive as he was spun from behind on the second lap of the race. He limped his car to pit lane to replace a flat right-rear tire, rejoined the race in 26th and still on the lead lap, and picked up 16 positions the rest of the way.

● Austin Green of Peterson Racing was the highest-finishing M1 Racecars competitor for the second race in a row, placing second from his eighth starting position.

Barry Boes, Driver No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang:

“(Adam) Andretti hit me from behind coming into turn one, so I knew he was going to be aggressive. I made sure I left him no room coming into the Bus Stop and he decided to try to make a little room, anyway, took me out, lost a tire. I thought the car was really messed up and then I realized it was the tire so I rolled it back to pit road to my TeamSLR guys as fast as I possibly could. They changed that tire in record time and got me back out there again, and then the car was fantastic. I was passing people like they were driving in a different class. This feels fantastic.”

Carson Kvapil, Driver No. 17 SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:

“I thought all weekend we had a really good car. I thought in practice and qualifying we had a really good piece. Thought we were easily top-three in speed and we had a shot to go get the pole. We qualified third, I think we were only two-tenths off the lead time, so I didn’t think that was too bad. We struggled a little bit with some turn at the very start of the race just with the fuel load and stuff like that. And then we had that tire problem come to us again. Qualifying was the same issue, we did our qualifying run and then the right-front tire came apart on the last lap. Not really sure what the deal was with that, but the same thing happened in the race and it kind of stinks. We had a really fast car and I thought at the end of the race it was going to come to us. We were kind of in a good spot, riding in fourth, I thought we had more speed than that, I was just trying to take care of it and not kill it right away and save it for the end. Just can’t thank Scott Lagasse Racing enough, and Josh Wise and Scott Speed and everybody who’s part of the Chevy program for giving me this opportunity. Hopefully we can come back and do a little better than that next time.”

Next Up:

The 2024 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series returns to action next weekend for the first time since 2014 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, for the CTMP SpeedTour. The weekend kicks off with a three-pack of test sessions Thursday (Aug. 29) at 10 a.m., noon and 2:40 p.m. EDT. Official practice is set for 11:50 a.m. Friday (Aug. 30), followed by qualifying at 3:50 p.m. Race time Saturday (Aug. 31) for the 41-lap, 75-minute event around the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit is 2:15 p.m. Series partner MAVTV will provide live television coverage augmented via live video stream on the Trans Am channel on YouTube.

About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 120 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Jake Drew Finishes Fourth, Boris Said Jr. Eighth

Overview:
Date: Aug. 23, 2024
Event: Mission Foods Watkins Glen SpeedTour (Round 9 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
Layout: 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course
Format: 30 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, mid-70s
Winner: Thomas Merrill

Silver Hare Racing:

● Jake Drew – Started 3rd, Finished 4th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)
● Boris Said Jr. – Started 12th, Finished 8th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)

Noteworthy:

● Drew’s fourth-place finish was his sixth top-four in eight races this season.

Jake Drew, Driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing/Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro:

“Big picture, this is the first of back-to-back weekends, so we brought home a clean car, which is good, we can load it up and take it to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The Silver Hare/Franklin Road Camaro was good. Maybe I was pushing a little too hard for the first half and maybe we were lucky that caution came out because I feel like everything kind of reset and everything came back to me. I felt real strong the second half. I had a couple of chances to get by (second-place) Austin Green there but just kind of struggled when I got to him and fell back. And then I just made a mistake on the last lap and lost the final podium spot. Live and learn and go on to the next one and just make fewer mistakes.”

Boris Said Jr., Driver, No. 75 HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“It was definitely an improvement from qualifying. We fixed some things for the race. The car was a little tight and we kind of had some back luck. I hit oil before the yellow flag came out. But we ended up alright, so it’s on to the next one from here. Always a great effort by everyone on this Silver Hare Racing team.”

Laura Hull, Co-Owner, Team Manager, Silver Hare Racing:

“It was a solid weekend for Silver Hare Racing coming back from the long break. Jake and Boris brought Silver Hare two top-10s. Strong competition as always here and just couldn’t be happier. Jake finishing fourth after fighting the second half of the race against a real veteran, Rafa Matos, who we have so much respect for, a clean racer. Boris fought hard, made his way to ninth, was really solid there. Great finishes for both of our drivers and Maurice and I are very proud. The crew worked diligently hard. And now we’re going to Canada. I’m very proud of the fact that both the Silver Hare/Franklin Road Camaro, and the HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Camaro both look great. We’ll take all of that knowledge and keep pushing forward. As always, so proud of our Silver Hare Racing family. We just keep building, getting closer, and working toward all of our goals. At some point, I feel as the season winds down, you’ll see us back on the podium.”

Next Up:

The 2024 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series returns to action next weekend for the first time since 2014 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, for the CTMP SpeedTour. The weekend kicks off with a three-pack of test sessions Thursday (Aug. 29) at 10 a.m., noon and 2:40 p.m. EDT. Official practice is set for 11:50 a.m. Friday (Aug. 30), followed by qualifying at 3:50 p.m. Race time Saturday (Aug. 31) for the 41-lap, 75-minute event around the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit is 2:15 p.m. Series partner MAVTV will provide live television coverage augmented via live video stream on the Trans Am channel on YouTube.

About Silver Hare Racing:

Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series. The multicar team has won the TA2 Masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, call 336-870-5151, or visit SilverHareRacing.com.

Jake Drew, Boris Said Jr. Look To Pick Up Where They Left Off Before Summer Break

HIGH POINT, N.C. (Aug. 20, 2024) – The Silver Hare Racing duo of Jake Drew and Boris Said Jr. head to iconic Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International to kick off the home stretch of the 2024 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series season Friday at this weekend’s Mission Foods Watkins Glen SpeedTour.

The 30-lap, 75-minute race around the 3.4-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen circuit will be the first of back-to-back weekend events for Trans Am competitors, who eight days later will return to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, for the first time since 2014. Drew and Said look to pick up where they and the Silver Hare team left off when the series last raced, also on back-to-back weekends June 22 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington and June 29 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Drew, the 24-year-old driver of the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing/Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro who’s competing in his first career TA2 season, scored back-to-back podium finishes of third at Mid-Ohio and Road America, the latter round featuring his first pole of the year. The podium finishes elevated his total to three for the season and moved him to fifth in the driver standings. He scored his first podium with a second-place finish in just his second TA2 start April 14 at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana. A native of Fullerton, California, Drew also moved to the top of the TA2 Rookie of the Year standings despite running one fewer race than his nearest competitors, and into third in the Young Gun standings for drivers 25 and under.

The veteran of a half-dozen NASCAR Truck Series events in 2023 and a 23-race slate of ARCA Menards Series outings from 2021 to 2023 that featured three road-course victories in 2022, narrowly missed a podium finish in his TA2 debut in the season’s second round March 24 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. As is the case most every weekend on his rookie TA2 tour, Drew will be taking to the Watkins Glen circuit for the first time. But he’s certainly proven to be a quick study.

Said, the 20-year-old first-year driver of the No. 75 HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro, finished seventh at Mid-Ohio and eighth at Road America to give him four consecutive top-eight finishes, a streak that included his best career TA2 finish of sixth May 25 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut. The Escondido, California native is looking for a breakthrough run this weekend on the track he’s watched his dad, Boris Said, enjoy numerous successes in NASCAR and sportscar competition over the years.

In last year’s TA2 round at Watkins Glen, the Silver Hare Racing Camaro of Connor Zilisch was the first to take the checkered flag after starting on the pole. But what would have been the team’s fourth victory of the season was disallowed after a ride-height violation was declared in postrace technical inspection. Zilisch and Silver Hare went on to win the very next two rounds at World Wide Technology Raceway outside St. Louis and Virginia International Raceway in Alton, the High Point, North Carolina-based team’s home track, both victories coming from the pole after leading every race lap. Silver Hare finished 2023 with a TA2 series-high five victories.

This weekend’s Mission Foods Watkins Glen SpeedTour kicks off Thursday with a 35-minute TA2 test session at 2 p.m. EDT, followed by a 30-minute official TA2 practice session at 4:45 p.m. Qualifying is at noon Friday, with the TA2 race, round nine of 12 on the 2024 schedule, set for 4 p.m. with live television provided by series partner MAVTV, augmented by live-streaming video on the Trans Am and SpeedTour channels on YouTube. MAVTV will air a 60-minute race show at 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 5.

Silver Hare Racing leverages its Trans Am effort to promote its arrive-and-drive program, where aspiring racers and even tenured professionals hone their road-racing skills on some of the most revered tracks in North America. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Daniel Suárez, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Harrison Burton have all wheeled Silver Hare Racing-prepared cars to burnish their road-racing abilities in top-flight equipment.

The team offers six, professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing for both competition and private testing. Silver Hare Racing has a dedicated, fulltime crew and operates out of a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. At the track, two 53-foot Featherlite transporters serve as the team’s base, each outfitted with a lounge and smart TVs for data and video review, as well as for hospitality.

To further Silver Hare Racing’s driver development capabilities, the team’s race shop in High Point is now equipped with a SHOCKWAVE Simulator, a tool specifically developed for drivers to accelerate racetrack familiarity, improve car control and confidence, and build stamina. SHOCKWAVE has been involved in racing since 1965 and is currently actively participating in NASCAR, ARCA, Trans Am, Late Models, and Sprint cars. Its Trans Am package replicates a Howe Racing TA2 chassis, complete with cockpit controls and sounds.

“With NASCAR having so many more road-course races, it’s our goal for Silver Hare Racing to be the preferred team for drivers to get that road-course experience,” said Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing co-owner and team manager. “We want to be that important step in the ladder for the young, up-and-coming drivers. We want people to know we have an arrive-and-drive program, where for people who want to run this track or another, we provide the opportunity to do that and be successful.”

Jake Drew, driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing/Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro:

It’s been eight weeks since you scored your second of back-to-back podium finishes and your first TA2 pole in the most recent round at Road America. Safe to say you’ve been looking ahead to this weekend at Watkins Glen?

“As a driver, we definitely don’t like taking eight weeks off, but I think it was good for the series and our team and all teams involved to regroup and get back on track. We had a lot of races in a short stretch and I’m sure everybody could use that break. I’m super excited to get back into my Silver Hare/Franklin Road Chevrolet and excited to take on another new track like Watkins Glen. Potentially, I feel like it has a lot of similarities to Road America, where we got our first pole and shared a lot of success. Toward the end of that last stretch of races, we were building some good momentum and I’m looking forward to picking up where we left off.”

Another new track for you in Watkins Glen this weekend, but there is a wealth of resources out there to draw from in learning the track. What have you been doing to prepare, and what are your impressions of the track?

“I’ve been doing a lot of iRacing and have been watching race videos back so I can be as prepared as possible and deal with whatever comes to me. As we all know, it’s definitely a high-speed track and has a lot of high commitment to it, so you’ll have to have a lot of trust in your car and your equipment. You’ll need momentum on your side in some places dealing with elevation changes and what not. I’m looking forward to getting there and utilizing our practice time and working hard together as a team and do the best we can.”

You’re entering the home stretch of your first TA2 season. How has the experience matched your expectations so far?

“It’s definitely more competitive than I thought it was going to be, and I don’t mean that in a way that I was underestimating it in any way, just out of respect to all the other teams and competitors who’ve been doing it for a long time. I think it’s a really great series that more people should get involved in. I’ve really enjoyed learning a new car and a new team. Silver Hare is a family, and that makes it super enjoyable. With these last four races coming in, I’m definitely adding some pressure on myself – I really want to bring home a win, if not multiple wins. We just got our first pole at the last race and we have a few podiums, but winning is always the best, so I’m looking to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”

Boris Said Jr., driver, No. 75 HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

You’re back on track for a points-paying TA2 race for the first time since Road America the last weekend in June. How have you enjoyed your time away from Trans Am, and what are your thoughts about Watkins Glen?

“Seems like it’s been forever since we raced at Road America, so I’m excited to get back to it this weekend. It was good to not be off for the entire eight weeks since I got to run the All-Star Race at Lime Rock with Dad, and then I got to meet up with some friends in Cyprus and Spain. I got to do some jet skiing and windsurfing and it was very relaxing. So, like I said, I’m really excited to get back to it with our Silver Hare team. I’ve been running on the simulator a lot to get ready for these next two races. I like Watkins Glen a lot because it’s a fast track and it’s fun. And I’m really excited for Mosport (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) because I’ve never raced there before but I really enjoy running it on the simulator.”

Your dad has had quite the history at Watkins Glen, having been a regular contender in NASCAR over the years, and the winner of several sportscar races. Does that make the track extra special for you as you kick off the home stretch of the season?

“It’s a very cool track. I went there as a kid a lot and it’s cool to be able to race there. I really like the track and the ambience. It’s a great way to kick off this last four-race stretch of the season. I think consistency is the biggest thing we’ve been able to achieve this year as a driver and a team working together to this point. I can’t put my finger on exactly how that has come about, just a lot of little things. I’m looking forward to building on that starting this weekend and finishing the season strong.”

About Hendrick Automotive Group:

Representing 131 franchises and 25 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its 94 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. For more information, please visit HendrickCars.com.

About HendrickCars.com:

HendrickCars.com is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop thousands of new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.

About Silver Hare Racing:

Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the TA2 division of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli. The multicar team has won the TA2 masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six, professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, please call 336-870-5151 or visit SilverHareRacing.com.

ST. CHARLES, Ill., (August 20, 2024) – Porsche driver Klaus Bachler is set to join AO Racing for next weekend’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIR in Roxy, the Porsche 911 GT3 Rawr. He will race alongside full-season driver Laurin Heinrich during the GT-only weekend as AO Racing continues its quest to maintain its championship lead in the final stretch of the season.

“We’re extremely grateful for Klaus to join us for the VIRginia International Raceway race weekend in Roxy,” said Team Principal Gunnar Jeannette. “He’s one of the most experienced Porsche GT drivers in the world, and currently leading the WEC championship in the same car. We know he will do a good job in our continued push for the series championship.”

Following Sebastian Priaulx’s departure from the team last month, Julien Andlauer was the first driver to step in to fill the open seat, starting with a one-off run at Road America earlier this month. Due to a schedule conflict with the European Le Mans Series, the team sought out Bachler to be the next driver to step in. With over a decade of experience racing Porsches, Bachler is poised to be a strong addition to the team.

“I am really looking forward to joining AO Racing together with Laurin for VIR,” said Bachler. “It is the first time for me driving Roxy and I cannot wait for it. VIR is one of my favorite tracks in North America and I will give everything to help the team for their championship run.”

The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR will be a GT-only event, featuring just the GTD PRO and GTD classes. The field will take the green flag for the two-hour, 40-minute race on Sunday, August 25 at 12:10 PM ET, airing live on Peacock.

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, Wis., (August 19, 2024) – With just two race weekends remaining in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America season, Wright Motorsports leaves Road America’s doubleheader still holding onto the championship points lead. Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer, and the team of the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R earned a second-place and third-place finish in the two rounds held at the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin area track, effectively maintaining their gap over the competition.

“This weekend was all about consistency and resilience,” said Team Owner John Wright. “The team executed flawlessly under challenging conditions, and both Adam and Elliott delivered impressive performances. We knew the weather could be a factor, and our ability to adapt played a key role in securing these podiums. Now, with the championship still within reach, we’re focused on finishing these final races strong.”

The weather was anything but predictable for Rounds Nine and 10 of the GT World Challenge championship, and the group at Wright Motorsports knew rain would play well into their hands. A storm rolled through Road America just before the start of the race but the circuit had dried enough for competitors to start on the standard Pirelli slick race tires. Adelson took the green flag for the first race from fifth position in class, and advanced to fourth in the opening lap. He had damage to the rear of the Porsche at the hand of another car early in his stint, and when other cars pitted to assess damage or penalties, he continued on. The strategy not to pit allowed him to climb up to third place, despite damage to the rear diffuser. He made a normal planned stop at the halfway point from third. Skeer took over and engaged in an exciting late-race push for position, netting the fastest lap of the race. In the end, the team celebrated a third-place result and decent points day.

Skeer started race two on Sunday from third overall and second in class. He slid into the PRO class lead and second place overall on the start, maintaining position and keeping the rest of the field behind the Porsche. Adelson jumped in at the halfway point, fending off heavy pressure from the designated pro, Alec Udell, in the DXDT Racing Corvette. The Corvette eventually got by, but Adelson masterfully kept the Porsche near the front of the field, finishing the race in second place.

Provisionally, the team holds a 35-point lead in the championship, with 200 points still remaining to be awarded in the final three races.

Barber Motorsports Park will host the final doubleheader of the season, September 6-8 before the series faces the grand conclusion to the season: the Indianapolis 8-Hour. The eight-hour endurance race will see the team take on a third driver in a final-race, double-points showdown, October 3-8 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

DRIVER QUOTES

Adam Adelson

It was not the results that we would have hoped for. We have to be happy with how we place, but every race, we keep on doing our rain dance. The Porsche is always amazing in the rain. On Saturday, it looked like it was coming straight for us, but right before the race, the storm split into two and just went everywhere except for where we are. But it’s all about keeping the points lead and staying as close to, if not beating, the Corvette. That’s what our focus is on. The best way to do that is to just concentrate the most we can on ourselves.

Elliott Skeer

It was overall, an interesting weekend for us at Road America. We knew it was not going to be the Porsche’s strongest track, but to ultimately have the base we did was a testament to the team at Wright and what they can make this Porsche do. Saturday was grimy and messy, even without the weather hitting. We seem to be cursed when it comes to not getting rain in the races. We left Saturday very frustrated as some missed opportunities and came into Sunday prepared to do what we needed to do. I’m extremely happy with my stint, as it was one of my best so far this year. I really drove to maximize everything out of the car that I possibly could. Adam had quite a strong race there, doing what he could. I’m just super proud of the pace that he could hold either way. He drove a very strong stint. The Corvette was able to get around us and run away with it. Ultimately, though, for the next round of SRO, I’m feeling very confident about Barber. I’ve had this one highlighted for a while, and I think that we can really make our Porsche shine there.

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and 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. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.