Michelin Pilot Challenge – Page 3

Pilot Challenge TCR crowns special on many levels for Wickens and Gottsacker

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.”

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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.

McLaren grabs maiden MPC victory at Road Atlanta, BMW champions

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.

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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.”

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.

RESULTS

Winward Mercedes, JDC Miller Audi battle to MPC Indy victories

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 …

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.

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.

RESULTS

Rebel Rock Racing wins VIR Pilot Challenge shootout

The last lap of the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway packed in enough action to fill an entire two-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race. A late full-course caution produced a one-lap shootout that ended …

The last lap of the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway packed in enough action to fill an entire two-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race.

A late full-course caution produced a one-lap shootout that ended in glory for
Robin Liddell and Frank DePew and Rebel Rock Racing in the Grand Sport (GS) class. Liddell emerged first after the three leading GS cars made contact exiting Turn 1 in the dash to the checkered flag to claim the win in the No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R by 0.684s over Robby Foley and Vin Barletta in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4.

Liddell took the final restart in third place behind Jeff Westphal in the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport and Scott Andrews in the No. 27 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. All three were on radically different fuel strategies, with Andrews in the best shape and Westphal running on fumes.

Westphal made a good restart, but struggled on older tires through the long, 180-degree first corner called Horse Shoe. Lidell, attempting a crossover move, appeared to bump Andrews into Westphal, causing the Mercedes to bounce back and forth between the Camaro and the Porsche. After multiple bumps, Westphal edged ahead while Andrews spun into the infield. IMSA officials reviewed the incident but took no action.

Westphal then ran out of fuel a few corners later, leaving Liddell – who was short on fuel and marginal on tires himself – to fend off Foley. Joey Hand and Jenson Altzman finished third, 1.315 seconds in arrears.

“It’s a nice feeling,” Liddell said after his 16th career Michelin Pilot Challenge race win. “It’s not great for a driver when you’re just saving gas and you get a result, but when you actually have to fight for it, it feels awesome.”

Lidell called the last-lap contact with Andrews “unfortunate.”

“I guess he got pinched by the Porsche, so he came back in front of me a little bit,” Liddell said. “He turned sideways. I lifted out of it. I tried to avoid turning him. But in the end, we made contact several times. And in the end, I had a race to run. So unfortunately, I’m afraid it ended badly for him.

“I’m sorry for him because I was quite happy to see him win the race – before it went yellow, on a different strategy,” he added. “But when it comes to a straight fight, I’m not going to take any prisoners.”

Foley and Barletta were delighted to finish second after Barletta spun into fairly substantial contact with a tire wall half an hour into the race. The Turner Motorsport crew taped up the rear end of the BMW, and Foley found it was surprisingly competitive as he moved back through the field.

“He was able to work his way back up and dig us out of that issue,” said Barletta. “We had some luck with the fuel; it took a lot of variables to put us on the podium in second.”

Saturday’s results made an already exciting battle for the GS class points lead even better. Barletta, Foley and the No. 96 BMW are now tied at the top with the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, which finished ninth at VIR with drivers Christian Szymczak and Kenny Murillo.

Liddell, DePew and the No. 71 Chevrolet are third in the standings, 80 points back. Mercedes-AMG leads BMW by just 10 markers in the battle of manufacturers.

“What a race!” Foley exclaimed. “It was obviously very exciting at the end. The yellow at the end changed everything up. A great day for our team, trying to fight for the championship.”

Taylor, Miller drive No. 17 JDC-Miller Audi to victory in TCR

Mikey Taylor and Chris Miller got the victory in the Touring Car (TCR) class Saturday at VIR, but Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker maintained their grip on the championship.

Taylor held on through a one-lap shootout to claim the class victory in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR he co-drives with Miller. Wickens held on to second in the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR he shares with Gottsacker.

While trying to chase down the leader late in the race, Tim Lewis went off course in the esses from second place, telling his crew over the radio that something broke on the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR. That resulted in a full-course caution with eight minutes remaining in the two-hour race, letting the field gather closer to Taylor.

The ensuing restart was a one-lap run to the finish over the 17-turn, 3.27-mile circuit. Taylor brought it home 6.974s ahead of Wilkins, who finished 0.550s ahead of BHA stablemate Mason Filippi in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai he co-drives with Mark Wilkins.

Before the late caution, Taylor was leading comfortably but was razor thin on fuel. When asked if he thought he could win had the yellow not come out, Taylor said he wasn’t quite sure.

“I think it would’ve been fine,” he said. “But at the same time, because of the yellow, these guys were pulled back up to us. It could’ve gone either way, really. We were just trying to maximize the package the car has. We don’t have enough fuel, really, to do a full stint. We kind of got lucky today.”

While Taylor and Miller closed on Wickens and Gottsacker in the championship standings, the No. 33 duo remains 50 points ahead with only two races – at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – remaining on the 2023 schedule. Filippi, Wilkins and the No. 98 BHA Hyundai are 110 points from the leaders.

“We’re going to have to beat them in the next two races to beat them in the championship,” Miller said. “But we have a good car and the best team, so we’re looking forward to the rest of the season.”

The victory for the No. 17 did, however, push Audi into the TCR manufacturer points lead by just 10 over Hyundai, which is seeking its fourth straight crown.

The next Michelin Pilot Challenge race is four hours in length, on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The telecast of Saturday’s VIR race airs at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3 on CNBC.

RESULTS

Rebel Rock awarded Road America MPC win after Winward fuel tank infringement

Robin Liddell’s late charge to second across the finish line wound up netting the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race win Sunday at Road America. Liddell and co-driver Frank DePew pushed the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R from the …

Robin Liddell’s late charge to second across the finish line wound up netting the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race win Sunday at Road America.

Liddell and co-driver Frank DePew pushed the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R from the 17th starting position in the Grand Sport (GS) class to cross the finish line 3.229s behind the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 at the checkered flag of the Road America 120. But following post-race technical inspection, the Mercedes was found to have exceeded its fuel capacity and moved to the rear of the class in the provisional results.

The resulting win is the first of the season for Liddell and DePew and comes on the heels of a second-place finish last month at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The revised results put a pair of Ford Mustang GT4s on the GS podium, with the No. 59 KohR Motorsports Mustang shared by Bob Michaelian and Luca Mars taking second place and the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with AEROSPORT Mustang co-driven by Jenson Altzman and Chad McCumbee placing third.

The race became one of differing fuel strategies and mileage, with a potential BMW podium sweep going awry when the Nos. 95 and 96 Turner Motorsport and No. 92 Random Vandals Racing entries all forced to pit for a splash of fuel with eight minutes to go in the two-hour race.

That promoted Daniel Morad in the No. 57 Winward Mercedes to the front, which he held to the checkered flag – only to have the result negated by the post-race penalty. The win is the 15th of Liddell’s Michelin Pilot Challenge career and the sixth for DePew.

The GS points-leading No. 72 Murillo Mercedes also needed to pit and ended in 11th place.

No. 5 Alfa Romeo triples up at Road America in TCR

The story of the Touring Car (TCR) weekend battle at Road America can be told in two halves. Hyundai dominated qualifying with four of the top five spots. Yet manufacturer parity emerged in the race, with the sole Alfa Romeo and the sole new Audi finishing ahead of the seven-car armada of Hyundai Elantra Ns.

An epic scrap occurred between Tim Lewis Jr. in the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR and Mikey Taylor in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR in the waning stages of the race.

Taylor’s co-driver Chris Miller rocketed to the lead early but fell back to fourth on the pit stop, behind three Hyundais: the No. 91 van der Steur Racing car and the Nos. 98 and 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian cars.

However, with 34 minutes to go, Taylor put together a sequence of moves on par with his charge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – where he and Miller secured their first win of the season. Taylor darted around the outside of Tyler Maxson, in the No. 91 van der Steur Hyundai, for the lead at Turn 1.

But Lewis, who’d taken over for Roy Block, was keen to extend the KMW Alfa Romeo win streak at Road America to three. With a methodical charge and an eventual pass for the win, the No. 5 car was back on top of the box.

Lewis and Taylor praised each other in a clean battle.

“The pass was a few laps in the making, trying to figure out where we were good and where he was good,” Lewis said. “I felt like the fuel number on the dash kept getting closer to zero.”

Taylor added, “It was a super-good battle. They’re good friends and it’s great they’re up there as well. We would have been there, but had to save on fuel. The pace they were running was super good, and hard to maintain.”

Fuel saving became a story in TCR as several cars ran out of fuel. The pole-sitting No. 33 Hyundai of Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens was best of the bunch in third, while their championship-contending teammates Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi in the No. 98 Hyundai were not so lucky with an apparent stop on the backstraight.

The Michelin Pilot Challenge season resumes on Saturday, Aug. 26, with the Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix at VIRginia International Raceway.

RESULTS (pre-inspection)

Megennis, Gottsacker capture record MPC poles at Road America

Robert Megennis fired off quickly in a two-lap sprint of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Motul Pole Award qualifying in Grand Sport (GS), as part of a record-setting day at the freshly repaved 4.048-mile Road America road course. After a brief red …

After a brief red flag for a spin at the Kink, the GS competitors were able to return to the track inside the final four minutes of the 15-minute session. Megennis, in the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 (G82), posted a lap of 2m14.920s that was a full 0.734s clear of second place.

The top five drivers in GS beat the previous GS pole lap record (2m16.096s in 2020), with the No. 95 Turner BMW getting their second pole of the year after Cameron Lawrence scored the pole at the Detroit street circuit.

The manufacturer variety was present with four different brands in the top four positions. BMW was followed by the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS, the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 and the No. 44 Accelerating Performance Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

The GS championship-leading No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 with co-drivers Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak rolls off from seventh place.

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While parity reigned in GS, Hyundai dominated in Touring Car (TCR) qualifying with seven of 14 class entries — the Hyundai Elantra N the most populous chassis. It took until the seventh race at Road America, however, for the car to score its first pole of the season.

Harry Gottsacker, who shares the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai with Robert Wickens, will roll from the top spot with a lap of 2m17.249s — a new TCR pole lap record. The top 10 cars in class all beat the previous TCR pole lap mark (2m19.712s in 2019).

Gottsacker and Wickens enter Sunday’s two-hour Road America 120 race just 10 points behind teammates Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai.

Hyundais locked out four of the top five positions on the grid, with the only interloper Chris Miller in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS in third.

The Road America 120 airs live on Peacock beginning at 3:55 p.m. ET on Sunday.

RESULTS

10-race 2024 slate for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge

The 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge schedule revealed Friday again includes 10 races for the production-based series, including a return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for a four-hour race that will headline a full weekend of IMSA action. The …

The Mid-Ohio event weekend slated for June 7-9 returns the Michelin Pilot Challenge to the Lexington, Ohio venue after a one-year absence. It will be Round 4 of the season and the second of two, four-hour races on the calendar.

The first four-hour enduro will once again open the season at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Jan. 26 as part of the Rolex 24 At Daytona event weekend. From Daytona, the Michelin Pilot Challenge makes its way to Sebring International Raceway on Friday, March 15 for the first of the season’s eight two-hour races for the Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR) classes, which will compete simultaneously in every 2024 race.

The series then makes its annual trek to the west coast to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday, May 11 for a two-hour battle on the picturesque circuit in Monterey, California. From there it’s on to Mid-Ohio and then Watkins Glen International on Saturday, June 29 for a two-hour battle to close out the first half of the season.

Round 6 takes the series north of the border to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Saturday, July 13 ahead of a return to Road America, which hosts the seventh race of the season on the weekend of Aug. 2-4. Virginia International Raceway occupies its traditional place on the calendar with a two-hour battle planned for Saturday, Aug. 24.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts the penultimate round of the Michelin Pilot Challenge season — this time a two-hour race — on Saturday, Sept. 21, with Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta once again hosting the season finale on Friday, Oct. 11 as part of the annual Motul Petit Le Mans festivities.

One week prior to the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, Michelin Pilot Challenge teams again will have the opportunity to test and tune on Daytona’s high banks as part of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 event on Jan. 19-21.

Aside from the Mid-Ohio event, all other Michelin Pilot Challenge races in 2024 will run as companion events to the WeatherTech Championship.

Filippi takes BHA Hyundai to stunning Lime Rock MPC win

Mason Filippi was fastest when it counted, dominating the late stages of the Lime Rock Park 100 at the picturesque Connecticut road course of the same name. Filippi took over the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR …

Mason Filippi was fastest when it counted, dominating the late stages of the Lime Rock Park 100 at the picturesque Connecticut road course of the same name.

Filippi took over the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR from Mark Wilkins exactly halfway through Saturday’s 100-minute race that was a unique standalone event for the Touring Car (TCR) class of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. He exited the pits with an 8.4s deficit to Ryan Eversley, whose teammate Mat Pombo claimed the Motul Pole Award and led the first 45 minutes.

But Pombo pitted the No. 37 Honda Civic FL5 TCR three laps earlier than his LA Honda World Racing team had planned, due to excessive tire wear. Compounding the challenge for finishing driver Eversley, a miscommunication during the pit stop forced him into extreme fuel-saving mode and he ultimately fell to third place behind the No. 33 BHA Hyundai shared by Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker.

Filippi eased past Eversley’s Honda through “Big Bend” Turn 1 with 12 minutes remaining. By the time he took the checkered flag, the No. 98 Hyundai was 20.587s ahead of the No. 33 in one of the most convincing wins in recent Michelin Pilot Challenge memory.

“Mark (Wilkins) was on the radio giving me information about what kind of (lap time) target to hit and I knew the deficit I had to make up,” Filippi said. “I could see (Eversley) at the end of the straightaway, then I was getting closer and closer. It was awesome. With about 15 minutes left, my engineer Chris Finch said it was ‘go time,’ and that’s what we did.

“It felt great – just incredible, and I can’t thank my team enough.”

Wilkins said that he placed great importance on qualifying well at Lime Rock, a short 1.478-mile road course where traffic is often an issue. He started the race from the outside of the front row and actually passed Pombo on the track for the lead prior to the round of pit stops.

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“You really have to lay it on the line to get to the front,” Wilkins said. “I pushed really hard, and we just drove a smart race. We’ve got a really great synergy on the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport team. We’re having fun, and when you’re having fun, these kind of things happen. Second win of the year feels great.”

The latest win for the No. 98 team (the other in 2023 came at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in May) lifted Wilkins and Filippi into the lead of the TCR standings, unofficially 10 points ahead of Wickens and Gottsacker.

Eversley was disappointed to not convert Pombo’s fifth TCR pole position this year for the No. 37 Honda into a win, but he was encouraged by the podium finish.

“We had a very fast car, but after about 40 minutes, the tire fall-off was dramatic. Then, because I was trying to save so much fuel, the last 10 laps of the race, I think I was 5-7s off the pace,” Eversley said. “You’re not even driving at that point.

“I was just trying to get us to the podium, and glad it worked out. We needed this podium pretty bad.”

The next round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is the Road America 120, part of the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 4-6.

RESULTS

Toyota, Hattori Motorsports take first MPC win at CTMP; Audi charges back to win in TCR

The No. 50 Hattori Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4 was awarded the overall and Grand Sport (GS) class win in Saturday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race, the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120, when the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 (G82) was …

The No. 95 BMW was found to have a refueling time less than the minimum permissible and also found to be under the minimum allowed weight. The penalties moved the car to the rear of the 24-car GS finishing order and advanced the No. 50 Hattori Motorsports Toyota co-driven by Parker Thompson and Billy Johnson to the race victory. It marks the first Michelin Pilot Challenge triumph for Toyota and made Hattori Motorsports a winner in its series debut. It’s also the first series victory for Thompson and the 24th for Johnson, making him the winningest driver in Michelin Pilot Challenge history.

During the race, the No. 95 BMW, with drivers Robert Megennis and Cameron Lawrence, executed a one-stop strategy to cross the finish line 27.234s ahead of the No. 50 Toyota that started the two-hour race from the pole position. With the penalties assessed, the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R shared by Frank DePew and Robin Liddell moves to second place in the provisional results, with the No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 and co-drivers Rory van der Steur and Austin McCusker finishing third.

The GS class returns to action Aug. 6 in the Road America 120 at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

No. 17 Audi charges back to win TCR

Down 20s halfway through, Mikey Taylor wasn’t sure he could claw back and win the Touring Car (TCR) portion of Saturday’s race. But cagey strategy coupled with a bump-and-run pass for the lead on the penultimate lap took Taylor and co-driver Chris Miller to victory in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR.

Miller started from pole in the No. 17 and led the bulk of his stint, with Harry Gottsacker in the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR hot on his heels the entire time. Gottsacker pitted from second position with 1h7m minutes to go, turning the No. 33 Hyundai over to Robert Wickens – the latter seeking a second straight win at his home track.

Miller stopped five minutes later but Taylor was staring at a 20s deficit when he returned to the track in the No. 17 Audi. From there, the South African put on a calculated comeback as Wickens tried to conserve fuel in a gambit to make it to the finish.

“The team was just telling me what numbers to hit and what to do, and we were closing down on those guys,” Taylor said. “Save fuel, go fast, it’s a bit of a balance. It was just a management game the whole race.”

The leaders ran nose-to-tail late until Taylor dove inside Wickens into Moss Corner with under two minutes to go. The cars made contact, forcing Wickens wide and allowing Taylor to take the lead. Sensing damage to his Hyundai, Wickens made another pit stop for a splash of fuel and a quick check of the car. He returned nearly a lap down but still came home second, ahead of the sister No. 98 Hyundai shared by Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi.

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“There was a little bit of contact but we were both saving fuel and he was saving a little bit more than me,” Taylor explained. “I went down the inside and he turned in and I was there. That’s racing.”

Wickens said his car was challenging to drive on top of the need to conserve fuel.

“That was the only pace I had and I knew he was catching me,” he said. “My only plan was hopefully to have enough tire left to make a run at the end. Unfortunately, he hit me in (Turn) 5B to take the lead and then we had to pit the next lap. It is what it is.”

The win was the first for Miller and Taylor since Lime Rock Park last season and the first in the updated version of the Audi RS3 LMS.

“We’re learning more about this new Audi every race,” Miller said, “And it’s been a great job by the team to continue to develop it, get better with our pit stops. I think we’re in great shape for the rest of the season now.”

Despite losing out on the victory, Wickens and Gottsacker unofficially took sole possession of the TCR class lead after five races by 20 points over Wilkins and Filippi and 30 up on Miller and Taylor.

“Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out for us today, but it’s coming,” Gottsacker said. “It’s good points for us but we want that win pretty badly.”

The Lime Rock Park 100, a TCR-only race at the Connecticut road course, is next on the schedule on Saturday, July 22.

RESULTS

Turner BMW gets third straight GS win at Watkins Glen, Alfa celebrates birthday in TCR

Robby Foley executed a series of perfect restarts down the stretch at Watkins Glen International to lead a 1-2 result in the Grand Sport (GS) class for BMW and Turner Motorsport in the Sahlen’s 120 at The Glen, the fifth round of the 2023 IMSA …

Foley handled the anchor stint in the No. 96 BMW M4 (G82) that was started by Vin Barletta. He maintained the lead through three full-course cautions in the final 30 minutes of the two-hour event to claim the second win of the season for the duo. It was also the second 1-2 of the year for Turner, repeating the team’s achievement in the Alan Jay 120 at Sebring International Raceway.

Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen was delayed by 48 minutes by severe weather in the Finger Lakes region. That created wet conditions for the start, but the track was completely dry by the time Foley took the checkered flag 0.680s ahead of the No. 95 Turner BMW driven by Robert Megennis and Cameron Lawrence.

“It was a crazy race,” Foley remarked after he and Barletta completed 46 laps of the 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course. “Vin did a great job just to survive when it was very wet and get us to the middle of the race. We made some changes, anticipating this kind of weather with kind of a wet setup, and the car was really good.

“We could be really strong on restarts and we could make some moves,” he added. “That was the key. Once we got in front, it was about not screwing it up — just managing. Great day for the team, awesome to have another 1-2, and we’ll try to keep the momentum going.”

Barletta held his own in the opening stint, handing the car over to Foley without a scratch.

“It was a little difficult, but the track improved right away,” Barletta said. “I tried to find my pace so I wasn’t getting into trouble or losing time. The cautions fell in our direction, which doesn’t always happen. We were able to get that early pit stop in and that set Robby up.”

It was the third consecutive GS victory at Watkins Glen for the Turner team. “We love this place,” Foley said. “The track has always been good to us, in GTD and in GS. You could say ‘horses for courses,’ and the BMWs are really good here.”

Ted Giovanis and Owen Trinkler finished third in the No. 64 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4 after Trinkler passed the pole winning No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 driven by Christian Szymczak and Kenny Murillo in the closing stages. A fifth-place result behind the No. 88 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4 shared by Todd Coleman and Billy Johnson maintained the GS class points lead for Szymczak and Murillo.

Block, Lewis deliver Alfa Romeo birthday present with TCR win

Roy Block and Tim Lewis know how to give the best birthday presents. The co-drivers of the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR outlasted the Touring Car (TCR) class competition in Saturday’s chaotic race to win on the 113th anniversary of when Alfa Romeo was founded in Italy.

Lewis snagged the lead with 27 minutes remaining and held off a gaggle of TCR contenders through a pair of late restarts. He and Block won by 0.576s over Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller Motorsports Audi RS3 LMS TCR.

“Just great teamwork, great strategy,” Lewis said collecting his seventh career Michelin Pilot Challenge win. “Our team always nails the pit stops and puts us in a position to succeed. Roy did a great job keeping the car in one piece during some hectic opening stints and then it was just my job to bring it home and survive all the restarts.”

Block also did a great job keeping the car off the wall when he suffered a flat left-front tire but was able to negotiate back to pit lane for a replacement just as he achieved his minimum drive time and could turn the car over to Lewis.

“It was truly treacherous conditions for me at the start,” Block said. “A lot of people were being aggressive. I just kept the long view always in mind. I started to get my footing as the track dried and then my left front blew up going into the ‘toe’ (Turn 7). Luckily, I saved it, kept it together and then our race engineer called a great strategy and here we are.”

The win was the eighth for Block in the Michelin Pilot Challenge and the second for the No. 5 this season. It also tightened the unofficial TCR standings after four races. The No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR, with drivers Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi, leads with 1,160 points after finishing 10th on Saturday. The No. 33 BHA Hyundai, with drivers Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker, finished fifth and is 10 points out of the lead.

Lewis and Block are tied with Miller and Taylor, 70 points behind the leaders.

As for the special present they delivered for their manufacturer, Lewis said, “Happy birthday, Alfa Romeo!”

Block added, “The racing gods have spoken!”

The next round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120, part of the Chevrolet Grand Prix weekend July 7-9 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park just east of greater Toronto.

RESULTS