The Bryan Herta Autosport IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge team is suing a former client for allegedly failing to honor the terms of its contract, which includes non-payment for a significant sum of money. Under the Bryan Herta Rallysport LLC, banner, …
The Bryan Herta Autosport IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge team is suing a former client for allegedly failing to honor the terms of its contract, which includes non-payment for a significant sum of money.
Under the Bryan Herta Rallysport LLC, banner, the team owned by Herta and Sean Jones filed a lawsuit against Deily Motorsports LLC and its owner Robert Deily as an individual, in Deily’s home state of Oklahoma, seeking remuneration for the terms in the loan of a Hyundai Elantra N TCR fielded by Deily in 2023.
Deily Motorsports purchased one Hyundai and made use of a second lent from BHA for its two-car TCR effort, and according to the filing from September 2024, the BHA and Deily entered into an agreement on Jan. 6, 2023, with a “Vehicle Loan Agreement for lease of a race vehicle,” and in that agreement, Deily was “obligated to return the race vehicle in the same race-ready condition it was received.”
The complaint also describes the agreement as containing terms where Deily was “responsible for all damages incurred during the loan period,” and Deily “was to return the vehicle with all components it received.”
BHA alleges Deily “failed to return the race vehicle in the same race-ready condition it was received, that it was returned damaged, that it was missing components and other ways breached the agreement.”
Having allegedly taken receipt of a crashed and incomplete Hyundai Elantra TCR N, BHA has asked the court to deliver a finding in its favor, stating “as a result of the default of [Deily] under the terms and conditions of the agreement, [BHA] has been damaged and is entitled to judgement in the amount of $110,704.26.”
In the filing, BHA included a copy of the invoice generated on Feb. 23, 2024, sent to Bob Deily and Deily Motorsports at an address in Edmond, Okla., with terms listed as due on receipt, with $102,604.26 listed under Miscellaneous for “Chassis #31 – damaged and mileaged parts to put car back into condition when leased,” and 54 hours of labor at $150 per hour for “labor on repaired parts,” at an additional $8100, to reach the total of $110,704.26.
Separate from the running of its championship-winning Hyundai TCR program, BHA also serves as the primary importer, distributor, parts supplier, and technical support agent for Hyundai’s race cars in North and South America.
The Deily team contested the majority of the Michelin Pilot Challenge series calendar in 2023, which included using the loaned car from BHA. It returned in 2024 to participate in the opening MPC TCR race ahead of the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January with Robert Deily’s son Jacob Deily and Jordan Wisely as the drivers (pictured, top), returned the car to BHA afterwards, which led to the issuing of the six-figure invoice in February, and participated in one final MPC TCR race in June at Mid-Ohio, but in an Audi RS3 LMS TCR with a different driver line-up.
Formed as an LLC in August of 2022, documentation supplied in the filing from BHA says Deily Motorsport is currently listed as an inactive corporation.
Following RACER’s documenting of BHA’s complaint against Deily, Deily sent an email documenting numerous ways in which he believes the contents of the lawsuit are without merit.
Herta, in kind, declined to comment on the matter due to the ongoing litigation, telling RACER its opinion on the matter is fully represented in the lawsuit.
This story has been updated to reflect communications with both parties following its original publication.
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.
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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,
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.
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.
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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.”
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.
