Reigning IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR champion Robert Wickens was involved in a crash on Saturday at the first Nürburgring Endurance Series event on Germany’s legendary Nordschleife circuit. The Canadian, who was driving a Target Competition …
Reigning IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR champion Robert Wickens was involved in a crash on Saturday at the first Nürburgring Endurance Series event on Germany’s legendary Nordschleife circuit.
The Canadian, who was driving a Target Competition Hyundai Elantra TCR, was approximately 2.5 hours into the race and running second when the sizable incident took place; the reason for the trip into and over the barriers was unknown.
According to a spokesperson from his Bryan Herta Autosport IMSA team who spoke with RACER, Wickens was airlifted to a local hospital in Koblenz out of an abundance of caution after mentioning he was experiencing slight discomfort in his chest. Due to the late timing of the incident, the decision was made to hold the former DTM and IndyCar star overnight for observation.
It isn’t often that the story is about a team that started 26th overall and won the race. But if you had to guess who did it, you’d probably choose Rebel Rock Racing, Robin Liddell and Frank DePew. Liddell grabbed the lead late in Friday’s race and …
It isn’t often that the story is about a team that started 26th overall and won the race. But if you had to guess who did it, you’d probably choose Rebel Rock Racing, Robin Liddell and Frank DePew.
Liddell grabbed the lead late in Friday’s race and made a three-stop strategy work to drive from 26th overall and 23rd in the Grand Sport (GS) class to win the Alan Jay Automotive 120, the second race of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season at Sebring International Raceway.
“It was wonderful,” DePew said. “We didn’t expect this. We’ve just had the car for a little while, and we’d been working on the setup, trying to get the car where we knew what the tires would do.”
The qualifying result didn’t necessarily show what the brand-new No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo could do, but a strategic play that limited the team to just three pit stops during the two-hour race helped DePew and Liddell put themselves in position to win.
“When I was driving, the fronts were completely rooted,” DePew said. “We weren’t even sure about fuel, but we’re completely happy.”
Liddell’s fierce final stint let the No. 71 Aston Martin finish 1.817s ahead of another Aston Martin – the No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 co-driven by Valentin Hasse Clot and Rory van der Steur.
Chad McCumbee and Jenson Altzman finished third in the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4, 2.766s behind Liddell.
Miller and Taylor return to TCR victory lane in No. 17 Audi
The four rings is making a whole lot of sense after two wins in two races. Michael Levitt/Lumen
Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor drove the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSport Audi RS3 LMS TCR to a convincing victory in Touring Car (TCR) class action Friday at Sebring.
Miller engaged in a spirited battle with Motul Pole Award winner Harry Gottsacker in the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR in the first 40 minutes of the two-hour contest. After the various strategies played out over the course of several mid-race cautions, Taylor emerged in the lead.
“It was a smooth weekend from start to finish,” said Taylor. “That’s what we wanted, and the team gave us that. I’m just happy the car ran well. The crew put in a lot of work after Daytona, and here we are.
“It was a tough race nevertheless,” he added. “It might have looked easy, but we were saving as much fuel as possible while just giving it our all there.”
It was the second consecutive Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR win for the No. 17 duo, who also triumphed in the season opening BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway in late January.
“We feel good, but the competition is really tough, and we know those guys are coming,” Miller said. “We had the best strategy today, which won us the race. But there’s a lot of fast cars so we need to keep working.”
Taking the checkered flag in second place was the No. 80 Victor Gonzalez Racing Team Hyundai shared by Morgan Burkhard and Chase Jones, but the car did not meet minimum ground clearance in post-race technical inspection and was moved to the back of the class.
Andy Lally prevailed in a late-race multi-car scrap in his first race in the No. 12 StarCom Racing Hyundai that he co-drove with Nick Tucker. With the penalty to the No. 80, they moved up to second place with the No. 89 HART Honda Civic FK7 TCR with drivers Chad Gilsinger and Steve Eich taking third.
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge resumes May 11 with a two-hour battle at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Kellymoss with Riley enjoyed a victorious debut in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Friday at Daytona International Speedway, and it couldn’t have been more dramatic. Riley Dickinson, who won the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro class …
Kellymoss with Riley enjoyed a victorious debut in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Friday at Daytona International Speedway, and it couldn’t have been more dramatic.
Riley Dickinson, who won the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro class championship in 2023, displayed remarkable fuel-saving skills that made a daring pit strategy orchestrated by legendary engineer Bill Riley work to perfection.
Dickinson started the last lap in second place in the No. 91 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport but swept into the Grand Sport (GS) class and overall lead of the BMW M Endurance Challenge when Kenton Koch pitted the No. 92 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 (G82) for a splash of fuel.
Dickinson, who teamed with Michael McCarthy and Brady Golan, had enough fuel on board to hold off a rapidly closing Daniel Morad in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 and win the season opener. The Kellymoss with Riley Porsche crossed the finish line with a 1.936-second advantage. Matt Plumb and Owen Trinkler finished third in the No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4, 6.554s in arrears.
Riley made the call for Dickinson to pit for fuel near the end of a full-course caution with an hour remaining in the four-hour contest. The No. 91 Porsche was in 10th place entering the final 15 minutes, but one by one competitors were forced to stop for fuel.
Making Dickinson’s last stint even more amazing, he revealed it was the first time that he was ever in a position where he was asked to save fuel – Porsche Carrera Cup consists of 40-minute sprint races where fuel mileage is not a concern.
“Ultimately, we should give Bill Riley a pretty big shoutout for the strategy,” said Dickinson, a 21-year-old Texas native. “He was the mastermind behind the fuel save. That was the first time that I’ve done a live fuel save during a race, so it was definitely a bit of a learn-on-the-fly kind of experience.
“This was a bit of a last-minute program,” Dickinson added. “Not even three weeks ago we decided to green light this thing. To be honest, to have this all happen the way it did is a dream come true. It’s been quite an up-and-down offseason for me, so this definitely feels quite rewarding right now.”
The debut in Michelin Pilot Challenge was an unexpected bonus for the Kellymoss organization, a longtime sports car stalwart now owned by Andy Kilcoyne and Victoria Thomas.
“We were really hoping for a top 10, best-case scenario, so we couldn’t be more excited,” Kellymoss with Riley co-owner Victoria Thomas said. “Riley’s strategy was absolutely spectacular, and the lineup of these three young guys, you can’t beat it. We’re so excited for the season.”
Jake Galstad/Lumen
JDC-Miller Audi makes ‘Hail Mary’ recovery to win TCR class
Mikey Taylor won two races for JDC-Miller MotorSports on Friday. The first was to and from Orlando International Airport in the morning to pick up a critical part to be installed in the team’s No. 17 Unitronic Audi RS3 LMS TCR. Miller and co-driver Chris Taylor then proceeded to charge to the front and capture the four-hour Touring Car (TCR) class season opener.
After turning six laps in opening Michelin Pilot Challenge practice on Wednesday, the team was unable to start the car on Thursday. The No. 17 sat out Thursday’s practice and qualifying while the JDC-Miller crew scrambled to replace multiple parts on the Audi without success to get it restarted. What they didn’t have on hand to swap out was the engine control unit (ECU), but the nearest one they could find was in Mexico.
Arrangements were made for someone to fly with the part to Orlando early Friday morning and Taylor met them and the ECU at the airport and raced back to Daytona.
“We were not doing the speed limit to get back here,” Taylor said, “And we just made it just in time. Miraculously, the car started because we had no idea that the parts we had would actually fix the issue. It was a pure Hail Mary and we were super lucky today.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my career,” he added, “and I don’t want to be part of it again because it’s too stressful.”
Starting at the back of the TCR grid, Miller knew quickly he had a fast car and moved up to fourth in class less than a half-hour into the race. Taylor pushed the No. 17 into the lead for the first time just past the halfway point and wound up leading all but four of the final 53 laps around the 3.56-mile road course.
Not to say it was easy. Taylor fended off challenges from Denis Dupont in the No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR, Tom O’Gorman in the No. 15 Rockwell Autosport Development Audi RS3 LMS SEQ and Mark Wilkins in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai. The margin of victory was 20.408s over Dupont, Preston Brown and Nick Looijmans in the No. 76 Hyundai, but only because Dupont ran out of fuel coming to the finish line.
It was Taylor’s eighth Michelin Pilot Challenge win, the sixth for Miller and their second together at Daytona – the other in 2021.
It was also particularly rewarding for reasons other than the miraculous recovery. It salved the wounds of the way the 2023 season ended, when an early exit from the season finale ended a bid for the TCR championship. Team members also learned Thursday night that Jay Cottrell, a former JDC-Miller crew member, passed away and dedicated the victory to him.
“It was nice to be able to do this and have the whole team rally around trying to win it for him,” Miller said. “It feels extra special because of that.”
The Michelin Pilot Challenge returns to action March 15 with the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway.
Skip Barber Racing is expanding its competition presence into the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series with an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for the 2024 season. Anchoring the team’s driver lineup will be a homegrown talent, veteran Skip Barber Racing …
Skip Barber Racing is expanding its competition presence into the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series with an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for the 2024 season. Anchoring the team’s driver lineup will be a homegrown talent, veteran Skip Barber Racing School instructor and recipient of the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship Ken Fukuda.
“In March of 2023, I applied for IMSA’s Diverse Driver Development Scholarship,” Fukuda said. “After months of review and workshops with IMSA, I was told that I would be the recipient of their 2024-2025 Scholarship.
“At age 10, seeing a diecast IMSA GT1 car at the mall was what started the racing dream for me. Now at age 36, after 26 years of sleepless nights, a myriad of twists and turns, and so many peoples’ help — especially that of Anthony DeMonte, the entire DeMonte Family, and the Skip Barber Racing School — I now get to come full circle and pilot the No. 16 Skip Barber Racing School Aston Martin GT4 in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.”
Joining Fukuda for the opening round of the season will be a pair of drivers with just as strong of ties to the Skip Barber Racing School as himself: Director of Instructors Carter Fartuch and current Skip Barber Racing driver Will Lambros.
“Everyone at the Skip Barber Racing School is beyond excited and ready to take on this season in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series,” Fartuch said. “With the talented and experienced team at Skip Barber Racing, we have high hopes for our inaugural season in IMSA.
“Ken and I have very lofty expectations when it comes to the product we produce for our Racing Schools and we believe carrying those same expectations to the Skip Barber Race Team will bring us success,” Fartuch added.
Completing the lineup for the four-hour endurance race will be Will Lambros who is a graduate of a multitude of Skip Barber Racing School programs.
“I’m thrilled to be racing at the Daytona International Speedway in the new Skip Barber Racing School Aston Martin Vantage GT4, especially with Carter and Ken,” Lambros said. “They have been my biggest mentors throughout my racing career with the Skip Barber Racing School. From when I was 16 in the Skip Barber Race Series, to SRO in the Honda Civic Si FE1, and now into IMSA in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, they’ve been there for me.”
Skip Barber Racing gathered four wins and 19 podiums across a variety of SRO America series last season, including a podium in the opening round of the SRO GT4 America championship.
Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian returns to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition in 2024 with a four-car Hyundai Elantra N TCR effort. That includes 2023 series champions Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens returning as co-drivers to …
Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian returns to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition in 2024 with a four-car Hyundai Elantra N TCR effort. That includes 2023 series champions Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens returning as co-drivers to defend their title in the No. 33.
Gottsacker and Wickens earned seven second-place finishes in 10 races last season, a new series record. Gottsacker enters his sixth season with BHA, with which he has recorded five series victories and holds the series record for pole positions with seven.
Wickens enters his third season racing for Hyundai. The Canadian made his racing debut with hand controls driving a Hyundai in 2021, when he returned to competition after devastating injuries sustained in a 2018 IndyCar accident. It took Wickens just two years to become the first driver in North America to win a professional title driving with hand controls. He’s tallied two victories and eight podiums, although he’s still searching for his first race victory driving with Gottsacker.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1406]
Bryson Morris joins two-time series champion Taylor Hagler in the No. 77 Elantra N TCR. Morris made his debut with the team in 2023 at the season finale at Road Atlanta, where the pair finished eighth.
“I am really excited to be joining BHA for the 2024 season,” said Morris. “I saw immense potential with the one-off race I did last year at Road Atlanta, and I think we can build off that together, and have a great season. I am looking forward to really learning this car, and I am hoping to be on the podium or even get a win this year alongside Taylor.”
Denis Dupont and Preston Brown have joined BHA, and will make their debut at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 driving the No. 76 Elantra N TCR. They welcome a third driver, Nick Looijmans at Daytona for the four-hour season opener.
Returning for their second season as teammates after a successful season in 2023 that included three wins and a total of eight podium finishes, Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi will drive the No. 98 Elantra N TCR. Wilkins is the 2019 IMPC Champion and has 11 TCR victories, having won at least once each season since joining BHA and driving for Hyundai. Filippi has amassed six wins and four pole positions since his debut with the team as a rookie in 2019, and has finished second in the championship twice (2019 and 2023).
The 2024 Michelin Pilot Challenge season begins Jan. 26 with a four-hour race at Daytona International Speedway,
NASCAR Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace and John Hunter Nemechek will make their IMSA debuts later this month in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series at Daytona International Speedway. The Toyota NASCAR representatives will share a Smooge Racing …
NASCAR Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace and John Hunter Nemechek will make their IMSA debuts later this month in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series at Daytona International Speedway.
The Toyota NASCAR representatives will share a Smooge Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO in the four-hour contest set for Friday, January 26, the day prior to IMSA’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. The duo will share the No. 23 Supra with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Corey Heim.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1406]
“We are very excited to run two GR Supra GT4 EVOs at Daytona this year,” said team principal Kevin Conway, who drives the sister No. 68 GR Supra with John Geesbreght and Corey Lewis.
“Having Bubba, John Hunter and Corey in the 23 car is a major honor and testament to Smooge Racing, I’m also looking forward to racing with John Geesbreght and Corey Lewis in the PRAX Leadership GR Supra. John and I have had a lot of success together and we are looking forward to building on that at Daytona.”
IMSA and the WSC (World Sporting Consulting) have agreed to extend the pair’s partnership to allow for the use of WSC’s Touring Car (TCR) rules and regulations, securing the medium-term future of the TCR class in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. …
IMSA and the WSC (World Sporting Consulting) have agreed to extend the pair’s partnership to allow for the use of WSC’s Touring Car (TCR) rules and regulations, securing the medium-term future of the TCR class in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. The agreement, which began in 2018, allows IMSA to utilize the WSC’s ruleset for touring cars as the base for its TCR class in Michelin Pilot Challenge.
“We are proud to continue our relationship with WSC as the exclusive rights holder for TCR in North America,” IMSA President John Doonan said. “TCR has proven to be popular with IMSA fans. They are amazing race cars that offer a platform for marques such as Alfa Romeo, Audi, Honda, and Hyundai to participate in IMSA via the Michelin Pilot Challenge. We’ve seen no shortage of great racing in TCR over the past six seasons and we expect even more excitement from TCR in the future.”
This agreement extends the pair’s partnership through 2026.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1406]
“It’s great to see that our cooperation with IMSA keeps on going in full sail and will continue for at least three more years,” WSC President Marcello Lotti said. “IMSA has done a remarkable effort to promote the TCR concept in North America. The six seasons held so far have produced exciting races, resulting in the title fight going to the wire nearly every year.
“The competition has been, and still is an outstanding showcase of the potential of TCR racing cars. On top of this, in the last three years the series has crowned a woman — Taylor Hagler in 2021 and 2022 — and a paraplegic — Robert Wickens in 2023 — champions, which makes us very proud of how the TCR category has no barriers whatsoever.”
Seven times on the podium. Six times in second place. Never a victory. But still a championship … and perhaps as inspirational a title as has been seen in motorsports. Consistency bringing its own rewards was the story for Harry Gottsacker and …
Seven times on the podium. Six times in second place. Never a victory. But still a championship … and perhaps as inspirational a title as has been seen in motorsports.
Consistency bringing its own rewards was the story for Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens this season in claiming the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR championship for Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai. It’s a strange position to be in for both of them. Last season, paired with different drivers — Canadians Wickens and Mark Wilkins as one pairing, and Gottsacker with Parker Chase — both drivers scored at least one win. Together, victory eluded them. But they’re OK with that.
“It wasn’t how I drew it up between IMS and Road Atlanta, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter,” Wickens said. “It’s been a year building towards this. It’s a little weird that … I don’t know if it’s been done before, but we won the championship without winning a race. It just goes to show how strong we were as a team. We went through a lot of adversity, we didn’t have a perfect season, but we had very good damage limitation when we needed it. And I think that’s really what was the deciding factor.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1406]
The championship was the first in IMPC for both drivers, and the first since Wickens was paralyzed after an accident in an IndyCar Series race, in his second year after returning to racing. It capped off another great year for Bryan Herta Autosport, which has won five straight drivers championships. The manufacturers’ championship is Hyundai’s fourth.
“What a day. We got the manufacturers’ championship and the drivers’ championship,” marveled Gottsacker. “I’ve been running TCR for a while now, was second place a couple years ago in the championship, and to finally break through and be the champion means a lot — and a lot of weight off the shoulders.”
Not only did Gottsacker and Wickens take the title, Wilkins and Mason Filippi finished second in the championship with three victories, including the season-ending Fox Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
“Today was probably our sweetest day since we partnered with Hyundai,” declared BHA principal Herta. “Certainly, the challenge for the championships was harder than it’s ever been, and we couldn’t be prouder of Harry and Robbie and the 33 team, but also of every member of our team who contributed to this success. We know there will be hard work ahead to get ready for next year, but right now we want to savor and celebrate.”
Added team co-owner Sean Jones, “We’ve won a few but this one’s a bit a bit special with Harry and Robert. Everyone knows Robert’s story. And for Bryan and I and the good folks at Hyundai and the team in general, these two guys bringing it home is a little bit different for our organization.”
For Wickens, the short-term frustration of seeing potential wins get away was more than offset by the satisfaction of bringing home the championships for Hyundai. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images
The effect of this championship will likely ripple well beyond the finale at Road Atlanta and the championship celebration that followed. Wickens’ trip from DTM star to IndyCar rookie sensation to the accident at Pocono that left him a paraplegic was a tragic arc. His journey from there to the first test using hand controls with BHA at Mid-Ohio, to a full-time ride where he scored two victories to bookend the birth of Wesley Joseph Wickens was emotional and inspirational. This championship, his first since Formula Renault 3.5 in 2011, will only add to the legend. And the fact that it came without a win? Wickens is OK with that.
“Looking back through the year there were obviously a couple of slips in the closing stages that, when you watch replays, maybe I could have done things differently,” Wickens said. “But I’d much rather have this feeling right now than the short-term ecstasy of winning a race, right? And so it doesn’t bother me at all. Obviously, in the moment, it bothers me when you lose a race late. But to stand here as champions, to me, it doesn’t matter at all.”
What’s to come next year, or how BHA will shuffle the driver pairings for the 2024 season is yet to be revealed. But Wickens, happy to stay at BHA and defend the title, is also looking at what’s next.
“I would be more than happy to return with with Bryan and Hyundai and try to protect our championship,” he said. “But I would love the opportunity to try and get into the WeatherTech [SportsCar Championship] in some way, shape or form.”
In the meantime, there is much to celebrate and relish, even as the work begins immediately for next year.
A late-race shower near the conclusion of the Fox Factory 120 created slippery conditions Friday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta that gave the winning driver a fright and created a full-course caution for the two-hour event’s final minutes that …
A late-race shower near the conclusion of the Fox Factory 120 created slippery conditions Friday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta that gave the winning driver a fright and created a full-course caution for the two-hour event’s final minutes that scrambled championship implications for the Grand Sport (GS) class in the season finale of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
The Motul Pole Award-winning No. 69 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4 led the two-hour contest essentially from start to finish, with Alex Filsinger handing off to Jesse Lazare with 50 minutes remaining. Lazare had to contend with slowly intensifying rain in the contest’s final half-hour, with the slick track no doubt contributing to Denis Dupont’s spin in the No. 15 Rockwell Autosport Development Audi RS3 LMS SEQ with less than eight minutes to go that brought out the critical yellow flag.
At that point, Lazare held a 1.7s lead over Elliott Skeer in the No. 47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport he shared with Adam Adelson, with Stevan McAleer (co-driver Eric Filgueras) running third in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche. The race ended under caution in that order, with Filsinger and Lazare claiming their first Michelin Pilot Challenge win of the year as well as the first in North American competition for the McLaren Artura.
The No. 69 McLaren gained speed and confidence throughout the second half of the season, including another Motul Pole Award at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. But Filsinger and Lazare’s top finish prior to Friday was 10th place at Watkins Glen International.
“Our pace was incredible, but as the rain came at the end, being the first car was kind of like being the guinea pig,” Lazare said. “It was definitely on the sketchy side. But we stayed on track and we finished strong. I’m extremely happy for the team because we worked hard all year and didn’t have the best of luck. We made wrong decisions on our part, so this really means a lot to end on a high note.”
Filsinger was impressive in leading comfortably during his opening stint. “I just put my head down, drove forward and tried to repeat my qualifying lap every lap,” he said. “First win in IMSA is an incredible feeling, and to have it at the last race of the year at Road Atlanta, which is such an iconic venue, is an incredible feeling.”
When the checkered flag flew, it appeared that the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R and drivers Frank DePew and Robin Liddell had earned the GS class championship by finishing sixth over Robby Foley and Vin Barletta in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4. But the late caution that closed the pits prevented two cars that finished between Liddell and Foley in 13th place (the No. 14 and No. 50 Toyota Supra GT4 EVOs that crossed the line in eighth and 10th place, respectively) were penalized a lap for drive-time violations.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1406]
The elevation of the No. 96 BMW to 11th place resulted in a 20-point swing that lifted the Turner BMW duo to the title by 10 markers over the Rebel Rock Chevy. Mercedes-AMG claimed its second GS class manufacturer championship in a row and third since entering Michelin Pilot Challenge competition in 2019.
Foley and Barletta did not learn they were champions until about half an hour after the conclusion of the race as officials verified the penalties. By then, Barletta had departed Michelin Raceway to honor a family commitment.
“It’s certainly not the way you want to win it; it would have been nice for it to be a bit more straightforward,” said Foley. “We have some really smart guys on our team who were crunching numbers and it was super stressful. I told them, ‘When I cross the finish line, just tell me what’s going on.’
“We thought we were in a good position with strategy, but we basically missed the leader pitting by a lap and got trapped a lap down,” he continued. “The BMWs struggled for pace here, but we kind of had a lucky one come to us at the end. Great execution by our team, and it’s a very special feeling to be sitting here as champions.”
“This one was definitely a rollercoaster and it feels a little surreal,” added Turner Motorsport owner Will Turner. “I would rather have won it without the rollercoaster ride, but this whole series is a rollercoaster in a lot of ways. You never know who’s going to win – it’s never cut and dry, and today’s race and the championship was proof of that.”
Michael Levitt/Lumen
BHA doubles its fun: No. 98 Hyundai wins TCR race, No. 33 takes title
First, second and – most importantly – the championship.
From every perspective, Friday’s Touring Car (TCR) race was a triumphant affair for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian.
Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins teamed to win the season finale in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai Elantra N TCR, while Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens clinched the TCR championship by finishing fourth in the No. 33 BHA Hyundai Elantra N TCR.
To add to the celebration, Bryan Ortiz and Tyler Maxson combined to finish second in the No. 91 van der Steur Racing Hyundai Elantra N TCR.
While the No. 98 car led from the first lap of the two-hour race, it wasn’t as simple as that. Rain began to fall during the final minutes, leaving the TCR field to fight to stay on track before finishing under caution.
“I wouldn’t say we had it under control,” Wilkins said. “Tyler is really quick. He’s always really quick. If there’s a guy I don’t want there, it’s probably him. He’s fast, and he’s proven that time and time again.”
Wickens and Gottsacker came into the race with a 20-point lead over Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR, but Miller experienced a mechanical issue on the first lap and didn’t return to the race.
Miller, who won the pole hours before the start, lost power shortly after leading the field to the green flag. That effectively put Wickens and Gottsacker in command for the championship. They held on for fourth in the race and celebrated the championship.
The No. 33 didn’t win a race this season but finished second in six of the 10 Michelin Pilot Challenge races.
“It wasn’t how I drew it up, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter,” Wickens said. “It’s been a year building toward this. It’s a little weird. I don’t know if it’s been done before, winning a championship without winning a race. It just goes to show how strong we were as a team. We went through a lot of adversity. We didn’t have a perfect season, but we had very good damage limitation when we needed it, and I think that really was the deciding factor.”
After Miller encountered the opening-lap issue, Filippi took the lead in the No. 98 Elantra with Gottsacker chasing him in the No. 33. Filippi gave way to Wilkins, who charged to the front and managed the late rainfall.
“This car is so good around here,” Filippi said. “Mark jumped in and had a great stint. It was awesome to watch him battle out there. I wasn’t jealous when it started raining. It looked like a lot of fun, but it also looked a little sketchy.”
Ryan Eversley and Mike LaMarra finished third in the LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic FL5 TCR.
Daniel Morad and Bryce Ward scored an incredible and improbable Grand Sport (GS) class and overall victory Saturday night in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 240, the four-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race on the famous venue’s 2.439-mile road …
Daniel Morad and Bryce Ward scored an incredible and improbable Grand Sport (GS) class and overall victory Saturday night in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 240, the four-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race on the famous venue’s 2.439-mile road course.
Ward qualified the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 seventh in the 27-car GS field, but he was bumped into a spin in the opening laps that dropped the No. 57 to the tail of the field. He methodically worked his way up to 13th place before a rapid driver change and pit stop by the Winward crew elevated Morad up to seventh.
From there, the 33-year-old Canadian stole the show. Morad advanced through the field and first took the lead about a third of the way into the twilight endurance race. He comfortably held the top spot into the final hour, only to see a series of full-course cautions erode his advantage, bringing the No. 47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport shared by Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer into contention.
Skeer led into a restart with 41 minutes remaining, but Morad regained the point at Turn 7 at the end of the IMS road course’s back straight. Skeer fought back, and with half an hour to go, the Porsche and the Mercedes completed nearly two full laps battling side-by-side for the lead. Their scrap allowed Scott Andrews and the No. 27 Lone Star Racing Mercedes he shared with Anton Dias Perera into the frame.
On multiple occasions, Morad attempted to outbrake Skeer into Turn 1, but was forced to take an escape road when Skeer refused to cede the position. Morad finally seized the lead for good with just under four minutes on the clock, and his path to victory was made easier when Skeer had to make a pit stop for a splash of fuel on the next-to-last lap, dropping to 16th place in class.
Morad crossed the famous yard of bricks finish line 0.566s ahead of Andrews, with Paul Sparta and Kenton Koch claiming third place in the No. 92 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4, 7.334s in arrears.
“By far, that was the most intense race of my life,” said Morad, who earned his third victory on the IMS road course dating to 2007 but first at the track in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. “I think I have finished on the podium at Indianapolis every time I’ve raced here. I just can’t thank Winward enough, and Mercedes gave us a great package.”
This victory was certainly a challenge, and not just because of Ward’s early contact with the No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 that dropped the Winward car to the tail of the field.
“Everything was kind of stacked against us, and we just couldn’t catch a break with anything,” Morad related. “The racing was aggressive. (Skeer) was moving in the brake zones every single time and it was making it so difficult. We’d have contact, and I’d have to go through the runoff. There were little things I didn’t appreciate.
“But that gave me more motivation,” he added. “One thing I know is that I drive better when I’m angry, and he gave me motivation.”
Ward, who is the owner of Winward Racing in addition to serving as a co-driver, paid tribute to Morad’s performance.
“This is a team sport, but Daniel just drove it to the front,” Ward said.
Andrews admitted that when he saw Morad and Skeer racing so intensely, he thought the victory may fall into his hands.
“We had a lapped car between ourselves and the two leaders, and that made it difficult,” he said. “I’m normally pretty quiet on the radio, but I was pretty loud then. We just couldn’t quite capitalize, but it’s an absolute testament to the team because we never give up. A one-two for Mercedes-Benz in fantastic.”
In the battle for the GS class championship, incoming points leaders Christian Szymczak and Kenny Murillo had a rough run in the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes, finishing 13th after starting fifth.
That dropped them to third in the standings, 10 points behind the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R with drivers Robin Lidell and Frank DePew, who finished fourth Saturday, and 70 points behind new championship leaders Robby Foley and Vin Barletta in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW (who finished fifth in the race). Mercedes pushed its GS manufacturer lead to 40 points over BMW.
Jake Galstad/Lumen
Late-race pass from Taylor in No. 17 Audi at Indy creates hotly contested championship battle heading to season finale
A wild pass in the dark during the final minutes left one team happy and another angry as the Touring Car (TCR) class championship intensified in Saturday’s penultimate round of the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Mikey Taylor passed Robert Wickens heading into Turn 7 with two minutes left, giving Taylor and polesitter Chris Miller their second consecutive victory, and third of the season, in their No. 17 Unitronic/JDC Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR.
“I knew if I had a big enough run, I’d be at least side-by-side,” Taylor said of his approach on the pass. “But he actually braked earlier than I expected, and I got a nice run around the outside. I don’t think he was necessarily expecting me to go there. It’s not a normal place to pass.”
The contact surrounding the pass didn’t go over well with Wickens, who, with co-driver Harry Gottsacker, managed to help maintain the TCR championship lead for the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR.
“I don’t want to be the poor loser, but I’ve never raced the No. 17 yet this year where there hasn’t been contact,” Wickens said. “I can race everyone else without any contact. It’s just the way he is. If that’s how he wants to play, that’s how we’re going to play.”
Wickens and Gottsacker will unofficially take a 20-point lead over Taylor and Miller into the season-ending race next month at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
“We have to perform, every race, to catch back the deficit we had at the beginning of the season,” Taylor said. “We’re taking it to Atlanta now. I think the ball is in our court. If we win, it doesn’t matter what they do.”
On a restart with 11 minutes left, Taylor passed Wickens, who quickly regained the lead when Taylor tangled with the No. 79 NV Autosport Ford Mustang GT4 driven by Drew Neubauer in Turn 14.
Minutes later, Taylor pulled his Audi alongside Wickens’ Hyundai, and the final tussle for the victory commenced. When asked if there was contact in the dark, Taylor replied, “Oh, for sure.”
“It was just good racing,” he continued. “That’s how we’ve all raced all season. I have a lot of respect for them. … If I finished second at Indianapolis, I wouldn’t be happy either.”
The two shook hands during the post-race celebration, but Wickens expressed his frustration with the late move and the previous pass on the restart.
“He hit me to get by, and then he hit a GS (Neubauer),” Wickens said. “I get back in front of him, and then their car is so fast that they just catch back up. I’m blocking for my life, and eventually all he’s going to do is just hit me out of the way. That’s what he does.”
Taylor’s winning margin at the line was 1.138s. The No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR co-driven by Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi finished third.
The Fox Factory 120, the season finale for the Michelin Pilot Challenge, will be held Oct. 13 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Peacock will provide live streaming coverage in the U.S.
