Sunday Group Management

Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version. View full results via Al Kamel Systems at Results.IMSA.com

Honda, Pla Win TOTAL Pole Award For WeatherTech Championship

Season-Ending Petit Le Mans At Road Atlanta

Alon Edges Popow To Capture Fourth PC Pole Of Season

BRASELTON, Ga. (Sept. 30, 2016) – Olivier Pla followed up Michael Shank Racing’s dominance of practice at Road Atlanta, capturing the TOTAL Pole Award for Saturday’s 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-ending Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort at Road Atlanta (FOX Sports GO, FS1, Live, 11 a.m. ET).

Pla ran a lap of 1:13.061 (125.1 mph) on the 2.54-mile circuit in the No. 60 Curb Records/AERO Honda Ligier JS P2 co-driven by Ozz Negri and John Pew. The team had led all four of the weekend’s practice sessions prior to Friday’s 15-minute qualifying session.

“From the beginning, the team has done a great job,” said Pla, who won the pole for the team earlier this season for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. “They gave me a very competitive car and we kept improving each time. I was expecting that more or less. The other things will come tomorrow. It will be a real possibility for the win. We have nothing to lose, we want to put on a good show for the fans, so we will go for it.”

Tristan Nunez will join Pla on the outside of the front row after running a best lap of 1:13.520 (124.3 mph) in the No. 55 Mazda Motorsports Castrol/ModSpace Mazda Prototype co-driven by Jonathan Bomarito and Spencer Pigot.

Dan Cameron qualified third with a lap of 1:13.903 (123.7 mph) in the No. 31 Action Express Racing Whelen Engineering Corvette Daytona Prototype co-driven by Eric Curran and 2016 IndyCar champion Simon Pagenaud. Cameron and Curran enter the finale with a one-point lead over Action Express Racing teammates Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa, 285-284. Fittipaldi qualified fifth.

Alon Wins Fourth PC Pole Of Season For PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports

Robert Alon won his fourth TOTAL Pole Award of the season in the Prototype Challenge (PC) class, running a lap of 1:16.411 (119.6 mph) in the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Prisma/Professional Security Consultants/ Westfield ORECA FLM09 co-driven by Tom Kimber-Smith and Jose Gutierrez.

“Honestly I think we had a really good car,” said Alon, a two-time winner in 2016 PC competition. “All I had to do was put my head down and do what I had to do – and the car did the rest. It definitely started getting greasy out there about halfway through the run. I think the fast lap was somewhere in the middle of my session, so that’s probably why it was so fast.”

Alon survived a late charge by Alex Popow, who ran 1:16.470 (119.5 mph), missing the pole by 0.059 seconds. Popow enters the finale sharing the PC points lead with Renger van der Zande in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport ORECA. David Heinemeier Hansson will co-drive this weekend. They lead Alon and Kimber-Smith by 10 points, 329-319.

“It was great qualifying – it’s a shame,” Popow said. “I’ve never felt so sad for second place. The last lap was going to be our lap, but I made a mistake in turn five. That took us out of contention for pole.”

View full results via Al Kamel Systems at Results.IMSA.com

NOTEBOOK

• The top eight Prototype qualifiers bettered Christian Fittipaldi’s two-year-old track record of 1:14.508 (122.725).

• The top five PC cars were separated by just 0.447 seconds. However, they failed to eclipse Jack Hawksworth’s track record of 1:16.210 (119.984 mph), set in 2014.

• Johnny Mowlem will start in his final race as a full-time professional driver. He timed in third fastest in the No. 20 BAR1 Motorsports Gas Monkey Energy/Southwest Funding/Top 1 Oil ORECA co-driven by Tomy Drissi and Don Yount.

“I should have gotten the pole,” said Mowlem, who won the TOTAL Pole Award in the PC class for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2015 and 2016. “I have no excuses, but my lap time predictor wasn’t working. Sometimes you need that. Congratulations to Robert Alon – he’s a great driver and he deserved it.”

• Sunday’s on-track activities begin with a 20-minute warm-up at 8:40 a.m. ET. Petit Le Mans will be streamed live from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Go with FS1 authentication. Live television coverage begins from 11 a.m.- noon ET on FS1, resuming from 2:30-6 p.m. on FS2. There will be a three-hour highlight program on FS1 on Monday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. ET.

An Interview with JOSEF NEWGARDEN and TIM CINDRIC

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to today’s media teleconference introducing Josef Newgarden as Team Penske’s newest Verizon IndyCar Series driver. Along with Josef, we have Team Penske president Tim Cindric joining us today.
Earlier this morning we announced that Josef Newgarden is joining Team Penske as the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet beginning in 2017. This obviously comes on the heels of one of our most successful seasons ever in IndyCar where we earned 10 wins, 11 poles, our 14th IndyCar championship with Simon Pagenaud and a 1-2-3 sweep in the points standings, something we had not done since 1994.
Josef, you’ve been able to spend some time in the shop this morning. What are impressions of Team Penske so far?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Well, it’s been a whirlwind for me. It’s all happened a bit fast, which is great. It’s just like racing. Everything goes quickly.
So for me, it’s been a pleasure to try and meet a lot of the guys this morning within Team Penske. You know, trying to absorb as much as I can. It’s almost information overload for a guy like me. Really excited to be here and hopefully add some more value to the group, which is going to be hard to do. They have got a lot of amazing people here, whether it’s the manager, the ownership, sponsors, all the crewmen, the drivers. It’s really a lot to get your head around.
So I think for me, I’m just trying to absorb as much as possible and taking in the experience and being prepared for the long off‑season that we’re going to have before we get to St. Pete next year.
THE MODERATOR: Tim, can you tell us why Josef is such a good fit to drive for Team Penske?
TIM CINDRIC: Yeah, I think that from an historical perspective, you look at it, and you know, he’s the first American that we’ve had driving in IndyCar here since Sam Hornish, so it’s been ten years. That’s not the reason we hired him.
Obviously we look for the guys that can drive the car and that’s what we’ve always looked at, but it’s a bonus, for sure. The fact that as we look at it, we wanted somebody that we could build on for the future.
It’s no secret that he’s bringing the average age of our drivers down a little bit, so I think it’s somebody that we can build with and I guess the most important thing is showing that he can be successful at this level. He’s somebody that we met with when he was the Indy Lights champion. I remember meeting with he and Rick and Roger after he won the Lights Championship, and he’s somebody we’ve kept our eye on from that point in time.
No different than when we signed Simon, you have to decide if you’re going to make a place for somebody like that, or if you’re going to race against him for awhile. So we figured he was better off being on our side than on the other side.

Q. You’re coming off an amazing season, given what transpired in June at Texas. How does it feel to be driving for Penske now?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Well, it’s amazing. I think for me, as a still hopefully, relatively young guy in the sport, it’s an amazing opportunity. It’s something that I think you really have to take a hard look at and make a decision on, and for me, it was difficult to look the other way at it.
I think it’s a great place where I can learn new experiences, try and grow as a driver, and kind of open up my whole role within the group and try and just become better within the sport.
So I mean, just to put it simply, it feels amazing. It’s an amazing honor, just for me, I just want to be able to integrate into the team and be a part of the whole system that obviously works really well together already. Had a very successful year in IndyCar and they are very hard to compete against. It’s fun for me to be a part of that now and hopefully add some value to the whole group.

Q. And for you, Tim, with Josef taking over Juan Pablo Montoya’s seat, is it pretty safe to say that JPM is leaving the team after this year?
TIM CINDRIC: Well, it’s something that we’re still working through. You know, when we sat down with Juan around Toronto, and had told him at that point in time that we weren’t prepared to make any decisions on what we were going to do going forward until the end of the season.
And we wanted to understand, really, what our options were, and we were very up front with him about that whole situation. And all along, we said that we’d like him to be part of our team in the future.
That doesn’t necessarily mean driving our No. 2 car full‑time. We’ve talked to him about, you know, we’ve got a seat for him at Indy if he wants one, and if we do the sports car program, we’d like him to be involved in it.
You know, at that point in time, he said, look, I really want to drive at least another season of IndyCar. I don’t want this to be my last season. If it was last year, it would be a little easier to take, but this year, I still feel like I have some unfinished business.
And we agreed to just explore different options at that point, which is really what he’s trying to do right now. Finding out if there’s a full season ride available, and we said that our offer is open to him and we’d love for him to continue with our team.
It’s just something that we needed to decide whether we were going to position ourselves to do that for another year and miss the opportunity to have Josef as part of our team for the future.
So, a really difficult decision for us, because Juan has really been a big part of our success. Despite where he finished this year, he pushed our guys very hard. He’s been a great guy to work with and would continue to love working with him in the future. Really, the ball is in his court. It’s not the first choice for him, but we’d like to continue some association with him if it makes sense for him.

Q. When you were at Ed Carpenter Racing, that was always known as the little team that could. Now you’re at the big super power team that always does. And the resources that you have at Team Penske when you go around their shop and all that, now that that’s going to be at your disposal, what goes through your mind?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Well, I think pressure is always present wherever you’re at. I always put pressure on myself with any situation I was in driving in IndyCar. I think we had high expectations at ECR, and rightfully so.
I thought we had a lot of talented people there. We had a really great process, great ownership and great partners. Really had a lot of tools to be successful. With that, there was a lot of pressure there to do a good job, for everyone involved, our partners, our ownership.
I don’t foresee that shifting too much. I think you’re going to have that sense of responsibility anywhere you race, but it certainly is hard to not be inspired, I guess, or overwhelmed when you walk into the Penske establishment. It’s filled with a lot of great people, as well. A lot of great partners. Tremendous support from the ownership. I think that same type of pressure that I felt at ECR is really going to actually translate pretty well to what I feel here, as well.

Q. Two of your teammates live in the area, live in North Carolina; Helio lives down in Miami. Will you be relocating to North Carolina?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: You know, I would think so. I’d like to be close to the team and to be able to absorb as much as I can over the off‑season. I think that’s really important. You’ve really got to integrate yourself well and give yourself the best shot to help the group, especially for me going into 2017.
So I haven’t really had much time to go over that stuff. This has been a pretty fast process and we’re trying to just hit the ground running real quick now and today, and I’m absorbing everything I can as fast as I can here at the shop. I’ll try and sort out a living situation later on, but I would think at some point, yeah, I’m going to have to locate down here so I can be close to the team 100 percent.

Q. Josef for you, when I look at it from a teammate situation, it’s been a rotating door. You either haven’t had a teammate, you’ve had one‑off teammates, you’ve had sometimes road course, sometimes oval teammates. How nice is it going to be having the consistent, not just one teammate, but three of the best drivers on the grid as your teammates?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I think it will be great. It’s going to be a different challenge for me, I think, from an establishment standpoint. You’ve got more guys to work with. That brings more engineers to talk to. It changes the discussion, the whole dynamic that you go through on a race weekend.
I’m excited for that. It’s going to be a shift for me, something I’ve not been used to. But I don’t want to discount what I’ve been up against in the past. I’ve had a lot of help from my previous owner, Ed Carpenter. He was a great teammate to me, very strong on the ovals, J.R. Hildebrand, Spencer Pigot, Luca Filippi. There’s been a lot of camaraderie in the past for me and I’ve had a lot of great guys to work with and bounce things off of.
What’s really going to change is there’s going to be more of that. There’s going to be more available here at this group, which I think you can see why they operate at such a high level, when you get that many talented people together, it really helps elevate the whole program and you push each other a lot more. It’s going to be different.
I don’t know what that’s going to be like. I’m excited for it. I hope it pushes me to a new level. I’m probably going to figure some things out about myself I didn’t know and hopefully those are good things; the bad things, I’ll try and fix them pretty quick. But I think it’s going to be a great change.

Q. When would you expect to see Josef make his first test in the car?
TIM CINDRIC: Monday morning in Elkhart Lake. We’ll be taking all four guys to Road America on Monday, so he’ll get a chance. It’s really a unique opportunity because a lot of times when we make a change like this, it’s a while before they get in the car. We had scheduled a test independent of whether we made a driver change or not.
So that’s not really the catalyst; the catalyst for us is to get some permanent road course testing in before the winter months, because we feel like it’s something that we need to understand a bit better before we go into the off‑season.
So the timing was good for him and he will also be doing a test at Gateway later that week, as well. He’s going to get some seat time right off the bat and be able to get in the trenches with our guys and get acclimated very quickly so that in the off‑season we can, I guess, speak from experience.

Q. Congratulations. You’re a Detroit guy now.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Absolutely. It’s the Motor City.

Q. Tell me, the makeup of the team, you have an Aussie, you have a Brazilian and a Frenchman. Are you going to be able to merge with these guys? Got a lot of competition up here with Team Penske. How do you think the synergy will be and how tough is it to tell Ed that you were leaving and how did he take it?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Well, I think to take your first question, I don’t know. I mean, I’ve not had this type of dynamic with personalities before like we’re going to have. But I think you can definitely see there’s a strong work ethic and a strong sense of team work here within Team Penske.
So I think the challenge aspect of having three other really talented drivers around me is only going to be a positive thing. There’s guys from all over the world that bring a little something to the table, and I’m going to try and do the same.
I’m going to try and bring a little something extra that these guys haven’t seen before which helps the whole program. And in return, I’m expecting to get a lot of that from those guys. I’m excited for that mix. I don’t know what it looks like. Don’t know what it feels like yet.
Like Tim said, we’re going to have an opportunity to do that really quickly, which is unique. It just kind of worked out, great timing. Excited to see what that brings.
On the inside, you know, it’s very difficult. It was really difficult ‑‑ it was almost easy up until the end of the season, because I didn’t really put much time into it. We really just focused on trying to win the championship, get back in the hunt after the whole Texas deal.
We had a great effort going all year with ECR, and so I didn’t really spend much time thinking about it. I waited to spend a week and take some time after the season finale to really assess everything; and I came to the conclusion of where I wanted to go and where I saw things and where they probably needed to head.
And when I had a conversation and made the decision with Ed, it was difficult. I mean, it was a great partnership. It was a great, great environment for me and to do something different is never easy, but I think at this point, it can be a very positive thing for the growth of my career, and I think ECR is going to come out great from it, as well.

Q. Jokingly, in the spirit of the political season, I wonder if you can offer an endorsement for who might replace you at ECR. You’ve worked with Spencer and J.R. and there’s some interesting candidates out there for sure.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: You know, fortunately I’m not in the position where I have to decide those things. So you know, luckily that’s down to the different people.
Like I said, Ed’s got a great group with the ownership they have over there, so I’m sure they are going to make a great choice. They have got a great team.
So I expect to be chasing hard to beat them. I know what it’s like on that side and they have a really good product. I don’t think it’s going to be easy coming to the other side trying to beat them now. So I have no idea. I hope they make the best choice, and I’m sure they will, and we’ll see where they land.

Q. You mentioned this came together rather quickly. But you also knew that the Penske organization had sort of been watching you for a few years there. What’s that dynamic like, and when did you kind of get the sense that if the numbers and the contract stuff could be worked out, that this was going to be the place that you wanted to be?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Well, you know, I don’t think I did. I think it was ‑‑ fortunately it was a short, but it was a short period of time where I was in limbo. I actually didn’t have a job. So you hope it’s going to work out. But like I said, I didn’t have much time to think about it during the season because we had such a great effort going. We all really wanted to focus on trying to win the championship, which was the most important thing.
And then when I finally did start to think about it after Sonoma, really aggressively ‑‑ I knew there would be other opportunities. I knew there would be other interests and I knew I wanted to try something different. I knew that was something that I was looking at heavily, and I think at that point, you try and go a different direction and hope it all works out and fortunately this time, it did.

Q. Josef seems a bit against the grain for some of your recent hires in that he’s a little younger than Simon and Will and didn’t bring two championships like Sam did. What made him the guy even back when you spoke to him several years ago that you thought he was going to be a guy that you had to have eventually in your lineup?
TIM CINDRIC: Well, he’s shown me he’s a winner. He’s shown me he can handle himself on the racetrack and off the racetrack, and that’s really the core ingredient for us, is somebody that can work in our environment, because our environment is not for everybody.
But at the same time, as Roger has always said, it’s hard to run a driving school with the expectations that are here and we need to also have somebody that we feel like can work within our group, our teammates and that kind of thing.
When you look at who we’ve hired over the years, it’s been an important part of our structure, although it’s not the No. 1 requirement, we want people that can drive race cars and represent our organization and those that we represent in the right way. Felt like he fit that mold.
Obviously he’s got a longer runway in terms of age than maybe some of the hires have or what‑have‑you, but that’s really not the motivator, either. It’s more about how do we build the strongest team we have for the upcoming years. We felt like, as I said, there’s never a good time to make a change, especially when you’ve had success with the guys we’ve had.
You know, replacing Juan Montoya with anybody, that’s a difficult call. I’m sure if he doesn’t end up racing for us in the future, he’ll still be winning races and he’ll still be one of the guys to beat. You know, he’s not done for sure. So it’s just a matter of us trying to understand what’s best for us, and short‑term and long‑term, I guess that will all play out, but this is where we are.

Q. Have you identified a potential long‑term partner or whether we can expect a sponsorship partner or whether we can expect to see the No. 2 in the kind of like variety that we have seen the last year like PPG, Verizon and DeVilbiss?
TIM CINDRIC: Yeah, I would say there would be a few exceptions to that, additions or subtractions possibly. Our 2017, our total lineup for every race isn’t totally defined. We needed to get this piece of the puzzle out there first. But I don’t see it being dramatically different.

Q. Do you think that Joseph’s personality, and obviously now reputation for sheer speed, do you think that that will help attract a more long‑term partner?
TIM CINDRIC: We’ve got a lot of personalities around here, as you know (laughing). I think he’ll bring a different dynamic for sure, and I certainly see it as a positive going forward. I think it helps the potential. I don’t think it hurts the potential in any way.

Q. I wanted to ask whether you feel like, as someone referred to earlier, you’re the only American and you’re suddenly in a prominent position; whether you feel like kind of an almost patriotic sense of pride ‑‑ not just pride, but actual dependency, like the future of IndyCar is depending on you. So many people say that IndyCar will spring to even greater prominence once we have an American champion again.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Well, I think a great championship is going to be built on a lot more than one person. I can’t see that coming to fruition.
There’s definitely a sense of pride in being American, especially joining a team like Penske. I think it’s one of the most successful teams in the world and a team you dream about being a part of. It really is, it’s kind of the American dream, the team itself.
So to be a young, American guy; to get an opportunity to drive with this type of group, it’s everything you could ask for. It’s everything you could dream of. And I’m sure that’s going to resonate well with some people. I don’t know how much that moves the needle or not. I’m not the right guy to ask that.
But I think, yeah, I think for sure, you know, there’s a lot of things that are going to help move the needle in IndyCar Racing, and I think you’ve already seen a lot of them. I think we are on a good trajectory right now and there’s a lot of excitement within the sport and what we are doing with IndyCar Racing. I hope to add to that.
Winning races is all I care about. It’s my focus for the team and trying to help them win championships and the Indy 500 and I think if there’s people that are interested in an American doing that and Team Penske, maybe it will help the cause. But I don’t know if that’s the whole equation.

Q. I know it’s probably premature, but could you give a status update on Helio Castroneves?
TIM CINDRIC: That’s a broad question. He’s down there trying to fight the hurricane today. If you’re asking about our driver lineup for next year, this is the only change.
So yeah, he’s a guy that as I’ve said before, he’s been a big part of our team. When you look at the definition of kind of team work and leading by example on and off the track, he’s certainly done that. He’s a guy that, like anybody else, his career is not forever, either. He’ll be the first one to tell you that. He’s a big part of where we’ve been.
He and I started with this team at the same time, so certainly a lot of loyalty there and on both fronts.

Q. Everybody gets into racing and they know who Roger Penske is and they know that that name is synonymous with success. Did you ever dream of driving for Roger? Did you ever dream about this or envision this? Did that ever enter your mind?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I think for me, I watched everything when I grew up. I saw NASCAR, Formula One, sports car racing, IndyCar racing, numerous Indy 500s on TV. Never really got to the race to see it in person until later on in life.
But you always knew who the Marlboro cars were back in the day and they always had those iconic liveries and they always were well kept and they always were distinct within the field. If I was going to give you the best answer, that’s what stands out to me when I was younger, and I always thought, those are the coolest cars out there and I want to drive one of those.
You know, I got into racing actually relatively late. I didn’t start racing, truly, until I was 13. So you know, it doesn’t date back to me being four or five that I had this dream to drive for this team or that team.
I think the more and more I got immersed into racing and really started trying to learn about it and get my hands around everything and understand where I wanted to be; I think the more respect and history that I learned about Penske Racing and how amazing it would be to be able to drive for an organization like this; it’s a huge honor to get this type of opportunity and to be a small piece of it.
So to answer your question, yes, it’s probably just in a different way for me. I think my career was a little different in the way it progressed up. It’s an honor. I think this place is the American dream, and it’s one of the best teams in the world. So it’s crazy to be a part of it now.

Q. Just a quickie. Roger likes to get on the phone and talk to drivers. Did he actually get on the phone and offer you the job, and what was your quick response?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: You know, I don’t think I’ve talked to Roger on the phone until like 24 hours ago. That was the first time I ever had a phone conversation with Roger, really, which was great.
Really, this team has been so easy to get immersed with, in such a short period of time. I’ve had a lot of help from Tim in a short amount of time and Roger to try and sort through something and see if it would work and it was a very easy decision to make when it came up. It was a quick process but it was very easy to see this was the direction I wanted to go.
So yeah, to answer your question, I think I’ve had help from a lot of people, Tim and Roger have just been great to me. I don’t know much about them to be honest with you. I’m still learning. We talk about just being here today trying to take everything in; I’m like trying to tread water right now as a young guy. I don’t know much about it and I’m trying to learn about everyone. But they have been nothing but gold to me so far. I can’t tell you how easy it is to get to know these people and how well they take care of you.

Q. Will Brian and Myron and the rest of the crew pretty much stay the same on the No. 2?
TIM CINDRIC: I don’t think our off‑season will be any different than in the past. We’ll sit down and consider all that stuff in the off‑season. We’ll have plenty of time after this testing. So you know, certainly a believer in continuity to whatever extent makes sense. But we’ll evaluate things in the off‑season like we always do.
So I guess nothing is etched in stone. But there haven’t been any decisions made to make any changes, so I don’t know if that really answers your question. But first thing we need to get in place was who is going to drive the car, and then we’ll go these next couple tests, and really after next week, we don’t run for, really, probably until next year.
So we’ve got a lot of time to think about it and try and understand what’s the best way forward.

Q. I know loyalty is a big part of who you are and you’ve been with Ed and Sarah and that group for a long time. Was there anybody, drivers, anybody else within the sport, that you sought for counsel to help you make this decision?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Well, I think you’re always assessing things. You’re always talking to people that you’re close to. And for me, it wasn’t a matter of, you know, this team, that team.
I think for me it came down to: Do you ever want to do something different than what you’re doing currently, and if you do, is that the right or wrong decision.
I think it would have been very easy for me to continue with ECR and have a lot of success and be very comfortable, and just have a great team behind me.
But for me, it came down to trying to make a decision if I wanted to try something different, and specifically, doing that while I was young still in my career. If you’re given that opportunity, do you want to take it? That for me was the hardest part.
And there’s a couple people that were close to me that I tried to bounce things off of and figure out if that was the right thing to do. I don’t want to get into who they were, but yeah, you always have people that are close to you that try and help you try to sort things mentally.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, everybody, for calling in.

******************** ******************** This message may contain confidential information intended only for the named addressee(s). If that is not you, please notify the sender, delete it and do not read, print, disclose, copy, forward or otherwise act upon it. The company is not responsible for any loss/damage arising from any virus/error associated with this transmission. This exchange does not constitute a contract, even if the name and title of the sender is included in a signature block. ******************** ********************

IMSA Honors Competitors At WeatherTech Night Of Champions

2016 Season Wrapped In Spectacular Fashion

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 4, 2016) – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) recognized its 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship post-season award winners and champions at Monday’s WeatherTech Night of Champions, held before a capacity audience in Chateau Elan’s new Paris Ballroom.

“Tonight we honored the drivers, teams and manufacturers who have all earned the right to call themselves champions, through their extraordinary on-track performances throughout the 2016 season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton. “Congratulations to everyone for their hard work and sacrifice in making this the most competitive, and we believe the most prestigious form of sports car racing in North America. The competition throughout all four classes was nothing short of outstanding.”

Eric Curran and Dane Cameron were crowned as Prototype champions, while Action Express Racing was awarded the team title for the third consecutive year. Sonny Whelen accepted the award on behalf of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette Daytona Prototype team.

“It’s a tremendous honor to win the final championship of the Daytona Prototype era,” Cameron said. “I would like to thank Sonny Whelen and Action Express for the opportunity. It’s been a dream come true to join a top-ranked Prototype team and have a shot every weekend, knowing you can win a race and win a championship. It’s hard enough to win one – to win three in a row is pretty amazing.”

Other series champions crowned at the event were Corvette Racing’s Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin in GT Le Mans (GTLM), Starworks Motorsport drivers Alex Popow and Renger van der Zande in Prototype Challenge (PC) and Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan in GT Daytona (GTD), giving Scuderia Corsa its second consecutive team title in the class. Nielsen made motorsports history by becoming the first female driver to win a major full-season professional sports car racing championship in North America.

Each champion received the Bishop-France Award, replicas of the series’ perpetual trophy, as well as a TUDOR Heritage Chrono timepiece from TUDOR Watch USA.

The championship-winning Action Express Racing (P), Starworks Motorsport (PC) and Scuderia Corsa (GTD) teams also received paintings by motorsport artist Bill Patterson of their race cars commissioned by Continental Tire.

Chevrolet was recognized as winner of the manufacturers’ championship in both the Prototype and GTLM classes, while Audi won the GTD manufacturer title. Michelin was the winning GTLM tire manufacturer.

Also recognized were the winners of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, comprising the four iconic endurance races on the schedule. Honda was the Prototype manufacturer winner, while Action Express Racing’s No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP with co-driven by Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi won the team and driver honors for the third consecutive year.

Chevrolet won the GTLM Patrón Endurance Cup, with Corvette Racing taking the award for the second straight year with drivers Milner and Gavin. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports repeated in PC with drivers Tom Kimber-Smith, Robert Alon and Jose Gutierrez. In GTD, Audi was the Patrón Endurance Cup manufacturer champion, with Magnus Racing capturing team honors and Scuderia Corsa’s Nielsen and Balzan the driver champions.

Atherton gave special recognition to John Pew, who won in his 119th – and final – Prototype race for Michael Shank Racing in Saturday’s Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. He was presented with a lifetime IMSA hard card credential and a special painting by Patterson featuring his career highlights.

“Saturday, we all witnessed a storybook ending for John’s career,” Atherton said in making the presentation. “John, Ozz [Negri) and Olivier Pla delivered a dominant performance in their No. 60 Honda Ligier to close out the season atop the victory podium. Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it.”

Among the other awards:

• TOTAL Pole Awards went to Fittipaldi (P), Alon (PC) and Riberas (GTD).
• Continental Tire presented its new Extreme Spirit Award. Car owner Mike Shank won in the Prototype class, with Performance Tech Motorsports team principal Brent O’Neill winning in PC and Paul Miller Racing Audi driver Bryan Sellers was recognized in GTD.
• The VP Fuels Front Runner Award, presented to the team leading the most laps during the second half of the season, went to the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport ORECA FLM09 team in PC/GTD and Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 67 Ford GT in P/GTLM.
• The DEKRA Green Award went to the Risi Competizione Ferrari team for having the cleanest, fastest and most efficient car. The Green Racing Award for GTLM manufacturers and supported by the Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Society of Engineers, went to Ford Performance.

The next scheduled activity in preparation for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be a two-day test at Daytona International Speedway on Nov. 15-16. The 2017 WeatherTech Championship season begins with the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29.

For

Immediate Release:

Askew, Kirkwood Named as Newest Team USA Scholarship Winners

BRASELTON, Ga. (September 30. 2016) – Oliver Askew (left), 19, and Kyle Kirkwood (right), 17, who, coincidentally, both hail from Jupiter, Fla., were confirmed today as the most recent winners of prestigious Team USA Scholarships. The long-time friends and karting rivals will travel to England next month to contest both the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.

The Team USA program was inaugurated in 1990 as a means of assisting talented young American drivers at an early stage in their careers. A young Jimmy Vasser was the first scholarship winner, followed by Bryan Herta in 1991. Subsequent winners include 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice, current Verizon IndyCar Series drivers Charlie Kimball, Josef Newgarden, Conor Daly and Spencer Pigot, and accomplished sports car stars Andy Lally, Joey Hand, Bryan Sellers, Dane Cameron, Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez, all of whom will be competing in this weekend’s 19th annual Petit Le Mans IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race.

This year’s selection process began with a group of 11 candidates being interviewed by an illustrious panel of auto racing professionals, including Mike Hull, managing director of Chip Ganassi Racing, factory Porsche driver Patrick Long and former scholarship winners Kimball, Miller, Newgarden and Pigot, during the Verizon IndyCar Series weekend at Mid-Ohio. Six finalists progressed to a one-day shootout last week at an oppressively hot Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida hosted by Cooper Tire and the Lucas Oil School of Racing. Askew and Kirkwood ultimately were chosen as the winners by a committee which included 2003 Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran, four-time Pirelli World Challenge champion Lawson Aschenbach, factory Mazda driver Nunez, Starworks Motorsport team principal Peter Baron and multi-time junior formula championship winning team co-owner Nicholas Cape.

“The standard was extremely high and we were faced with some difficult decisions,” said Team USA Scholarship founder and auto racing writer/broadcaster Jeremy Shaw. “After much deliberation we chose Oliver and Kyle, but all of the youngsters performed well and would have been worthy recipients.”

Askew and Kirkwood will drive a pair of identical Ray GR15 Formula Ford 1600 cars in the UK prepared by Cliff Dempsey Racing, which previously has guided Newgarden to victory in the 2008 Formula Ford Festival (the first American winner of an event which dates back to 1972) and earned top Walter Hayes Trophy spoils for Team USA with Daly (2008), Connor De Phillippi (2009), who currently leads the ADAC Masters GT series in Europe, and Nunez (2012).

“I am ecstatic and greatly honored,” said Kirkwood, a front-runner in the inaugural F4 U.S. Championship powered by Honda with Primus Racing. “To be able to represent the USA is a feeling no words can describe. I will work vigorously to prove that Jeremy and the Team USA Scholarship judges have chosen the right person for the job. I am extremely excited for this opportunity and for the memories to come!”

“I cannot express how excited I am to represent the prestigious Team USA Scholarship,” added karting star Askew, who has shone in Formula Masters China and Skip Barber events. “Kyle and I have been very close friends for over 10 years. We have been teammates in the karting ranks for many of those years, so we will keep working together to bring home great results. I’d like to send out a special thanks to those who support the Team USA Scholarship, especially Jeremy Shaw for putting in countless hours to help young talent fight for their dreams.”

About Team USA Scholarship:
The program has been providing opportunities for talented American race car drivers at an early stage in their careers since 1990. Supporters include Doug Mockett & Company, the Road Racing Drivers Club and SAFEisFAST.com, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Team Penske, Blackdog Speed Shop, Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda Performance Development, Robertson Racing, CXC Simulations, Lucas Oil School of Racing, PitFit Training, RaceCraft1, Sparco USA, RACER Magazine, Speedstar Management, Styled Aesthetic and Manifest Group. For more information, please visit www.TeamUSAScholarship.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Individual photos courtesy of Juha Leivonen.

Dear Journalist:
Early each week, Porsche Cars North America will provide a weekend summary or pre-race event notes package, covering the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Pirelli World Challenge (PWC), the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) or other areas of interest from the world of Porsche Motorsport. Please utilize this resource as needed, and do not hesitate to contact us for additional information.
– Porsche Cars North America Motorsports Public Relations Team

Porsche Motorsports Weekly Event Notes: Thursday, September 29, 2016

Next Porsche Motorsport Event:

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

Porsche Profile
Event Story Lines.New Edition Of The World’s Best-Selling Racing Car. New 911 GT3 Cup With Ultra-Modern Drive

Boasting a completely redeveloped powertrain, the next Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will take to the starting line on race tracks worldwide beginning in 2017. The rear of the world’s most-produced GT racing car now houses a 4.0-liter, six-cylinder flat engine for increased power and performance. Thanks to thoroughbred motorsport technology, the compact engine with direct fuel injection delivers 485 hp (357 kW) of peak power.

A range of innovative details improves efficiency in addition to engine performance, ensuring even greater durability of the naturally aspirated engine in racing mode while reducing maintenance costs. A valve drivetrain with rigidly mounted rocker arms and a central oil feed is utilized for the first time. What’s more, an integrated oil centrifuge is used to optimize oil de-foaming in the engine. A crankshaft with significantly increased rigidity has also been installed.

A new front apron and rear end bodywork improve downforce of the 2017 911 GT3 Cup and therefore enhance traction and performance. The prominent 72.44-inch (184-centimeter) wide rear wing has been retained from the previous model. The wheel dimensions are also unchanged: One-piece 18-inch racing rims with a central locking mechanism are used – with 10.63-inch (270-millimeter) racing slicks on the front axle, and a massive 12.2-inch (310-millimeter) tread on the rear axle. The intelligent aluminum-steel composite construction ensures maximum rigidity and a lightweight body. The new 911 GT3 Cup is ready to race weighing in at just 2,645.5 pounds (1200 kilograms).

The engineers have also once again focused specifically on driver safety during development. The driver is protected by a solid safety cage and an innovative, bucket-style racing seat that is molded particularly heavily around the head and shoulder area. The enlarged rescue hatch in the roof, in line with the latest FIA standard, makes it easier to provide initial treatment and recovery following an accident.

Porsche manufactures the 911 GT3 Cup on the same production line as the 911 road car in its main plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany. The basic race tune is performed at the Weissach motorsport center, also in Germany, where vehicles are thoroughly tested by a professional race driver prior to delivery to the customer. Some 3031 units of the 911 GT3 Cup were built in the type 996, 997 and 991 model lines since 1998. This makes the one-brand cup racing car from Stuttgart the most-produced and most-sold GT racing car in the world.

The new 911 GT3 Cup will be used in the 2017 race season, initially exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which is held alongside the Formula 1 races, and in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland.

North America will be the only other market worldwide to receive the newest Cup car for its customer base in the new season. The continent’s two IMSA-sanctioned series are the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama. As of 2018, the car will also be available for the other brand cups including the Pirelli World Challenge GT Cup class. In total, Porsche is organizing 20 of these one-make race series for customer teams around the world, with the 911 GT3 Cup being used exclusively.

Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) is currently taking orders for the 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car with first deliveries to customer teams expected in December of this year. North American testing will begin in February at Sebring International Raceway during the official IMSA test for GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.

PMNA, sole importer of Porsche racecars to North America, has already begun receiving orders for the new car. The 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racecar has a MSRP of $220,000.00 USD.

Enduring to the End. Porsche Aims for IMSA Endurance Cup Title.

The 19th running of the Petit Le Mans race on the storied Road Atlanta track not only signifies the end of an exciting racing season but also the end of an era. The finale of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship marks the final race of the Porsche 911 RSR in its current configuration. The 10-hour race in Braselton, Georgia will be the last for the Porsche North America factory run cars Nos. 911 and 912. Its successor is expected to make its race debut in January 2017 at the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona. With its historic overall victory on this circuit in 2015 against the more powerful sports prototypes, the most successful GT racer of recent years also secured all three GTLM-class titles for Porsche last season.

At its farewell performance, the 470 hp 911 RSR, which was developed based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car is in contention to add one final title to its resume. The pair of rear-engine machines are in a dogged fight in the prestigious Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, which encompasses the long distance classics of Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and here at Petit Le Mans. .Porsche is currently tied for the lead with Chevrolet. The Porsche North America program has renewed confidence after a 1-2 finish in the GTLM class in Austin, Texas two weeks ago.

Petit Le Mans was first contested on the 2.54-mile (4.087-kilometer) racetrack in 1998. With 24 victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer at the ten-hour classic. Its twelve corners are regarded as one of the most challenging and fastest in the United States.

The defending IMSA WeatherTech GTLM driver champion Patrick Pilet (France) and Nick Tandy (Great Britain), last year’s sensational overall winners, tackle the GTLM class together with Richard Lietz (Austria) in the number 911 Porsche 911 RSR. This season the pair notched up a victory at Long Beach. Their teammates in the sister 911 RSR (No. 912) are Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Frédéric Makowiecki (France), who celebrated their first win in Austin. Michael Christensen (Denmark) joins them for the finale as third driver.

American customer teams take on the GTD class with the new Porsche 911 GT3 R. Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) competes in this category in the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche with Patrick Lindsey (Santa Barbara, California) and Matthew McMurry (Phoenix, Arizona). The former Porsche Junior Alex Riberas (Spain) and Mario Farnbacher (Germany), the winners of the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca round, tackle the race for the No. 23 Team Seattle/Alex Job Racing squad joined by Ian James (Great Britain).

The GT3 R was developed based on the seventh-generation 911 in Weissach, Germany. Porsche built the 500 hp Porsche 911 GT3 R for GT3 series worldwide based on the 911 GT3 RS production sports car. The new customer racer scored its first victory in the IMSA SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca.

The race takes the green on October 1 at 11:10 a.m. local time and the checkered flag ten hours later.

Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport.
“Petit Le Mans is a worthy setting for the last race of a season that has treated fans to some enthralling and tough racing. This tradition-steeped and very demanding circuit is always an exciting challenge for teams and drivers. This year we tackle the event feeling somewhat melancholy, because Petit Le Mans marks the last factory-entry of our latest 911 RSR. With 21 victories and eight championship titles won by our factory and customer teams, it’s the most successful GT racer of previous years. At Road Atlanta in 2015 we celebrated an outstanding overall victory under incredibly difficult conditions and in heavy rain. If it meant we would achieve another result like that, we wouldn’t mind if the weather was horrible again this year.”

Patrick Pilet, Driver, No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR.
“It’s a very special feeling to return to this racetrack a year after our amazing overall victory. I can still vividly recall that success. It was one of the most wonderful moments of my career. Petit Le Mans is one of the greatest classics in endurance racing, and to contest a ten-hour event at the end of a tough season is a huge challenge for every race driver. The weather is unpredictable at this time of the year. When it rains, it’s heavy and persistent. All in all I’m looking forward to it. We’ve experienced a difficult season and it would be fantastic if we could end it with a victory.”

Nick Tandy, Driver, No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR.
“Petit Le Mans is the first major race that I won as a Porsche works driver. That was in 2013. So it’s always been a very special race for me, not least because of our sensational victory there last year. We’ve had a tough time this season. Many things didn’t quite work out as we would’ve hoped for. But it has always been our aim to perform strongly again at Road Atlanta. I hope we manage this.”

Richard Lietz, Driver, No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR.
“Road Atlanta will definitely be an exciting race. I’m looking forward to supporting Patrick and Nick as the third driver. In the past they’ve always welcomed me with open arms.”

Earl Bamber, Driver, No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR.
“The last few years have underlined that Road Atlanta is a racetrack that suits the 911 RSR. After all the successes, we now hope of course that we’ll achieve a good result again this time. Our goal is clear: we want to secure the fourth straight win for Porsche and to win the North American Endurance Cup.”

Frédéric Makowiecki, Driver, No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR.
“Petit Le Mans is one of the greatest races in the USA. Porsche’s overall victory last year was a real highlight. We refused to give up this season and we were rewarded with a win in Austin. Now we’re heading to Petit Le Mans more motivated than ever. We want to end this difficult season with a good result – if everything comes together well – with a win.”

Michael Christensen, Driver, No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR.
“I’m looking forward to racing again in America. Petit Le Mans is always spectacular. It’s the last race of the season so everyone is determined to show just how good they are. And then there is the weather, which is always good for a surprise. All in all, it’s a very intense race on a great racetrack.”

Jörg Bergmeister, No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“Petit Le Mans is our last chance of the year to bring home a victory. We’ve done tests there and they were really good. We’ll do our very best to bring the debut season of the 911 GT3 R to a successful close. Road Atlanta is a great track, it’s very challenging and a worthy venue for a season finale.”

Mario Farnbacher, Driver, No. 23 Team Seattle Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“To win this weekend, we will employ our total team approach. Ian is back driving with us and we have a great crew and great overall team. We will work together during the race week to develop a good set-up so we can race hard for 10-hours. We always showed that we are capable to finish on the podium. As drivers we will need to keep our nose clean so we have a good race car for the last hour of the race.”

Ian James, Driver, No. 23 Team Seattle Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“In 2014, we were strong and lost the win on the last lap when Alex got crashed out. In 2015, we had some car issues. We need to have a trouble free run and I am sure we will be near the front come Saturday night. I think the Porsche will be strong at Road Atlanta. The 911 GT3 R likes everything about the track except the long straightaway. Zero mistakes will be the key to the race. There are too many good cars and drivers in GTD so you need a trouble free race.”

Podium Potential. Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport To Close Inaugural Season.

The Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport made its international racing debut during the season-opening Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) race at Daytona International Speedway in January. Porsche’s mid-engine machine impressed the road car-based GS class with a podium-finish by CJ Wilson Racing. Since then, at least one of as many as six cars entered has finished on the podium in every event. On September 30, five cars will challenge to keep that streak alive. Among the tally thus far, Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsports have four wins in nine races. The German automaker’s customer-only mid-engine racer has twice swept the top-three steps.

The No. 33 entry driven by Daniel Burkett (Canada) and Marc Miller (Holland, Michigan) has been the top Porsche five times but waited until the third to final race, held at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), to take race-win honors. The full-season starter for the team owned by the Major League Baseball pitcher currently sits second in the points with a mathematical shot at winning the CTSCC GS class title. The No. 12 Bodymotion Racing car was first to take a win in the second race of the year at Sebring. The New Jersey-based program helped put Cameron Cassels (Canada) and Trent Hindman (Wayside, New Jersey) in victory lane three consecutive times from Sebring through Watkins Glen. TeamTGM with Ted Giovanis (Highland, Maryland) and Guy Cosmo (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) took a podium at Road America.

Porsche is currently second in the GS manufacturer standings, just three markers behind Ford. Six Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsports are entered for Friday’s two-hour, 30-minute Road Atlanta 150, five are expected to start. Included is TeamTGM with two cars entered, the Nos. 46 and 64. The operation is based near the 2.54-mile race track. The CJ Wilson squad returns to a two-entry program with the No. 35 of Tyler McQuarrie (Danville, California) and Till Bechtolsheimer (New York, New York) back on the track for the first time since Road America. The No. 21 also returns with the drivers Peter Ludwig (New Paltz, New York) and Jeroen Bleekemolen (Monaco) sharing the No. 21 Muehlner Motorsports America GT4 Clubsport.

Crown Me. GT3 Cup Champs To Be Crowned in Season Finale at Road Atlanta.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama series is returning to Road Atlanta for the first time since 2014 with a two-round season finale Sept. 28-30 that will decide two 2016 champions.

Competitors in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, one of Porsche’s 20 single-make global Cup Challenge series, have completed 14 of their 16 races for the 2016 championship. Jesse Lazare, from Montreal, claimed the Platinum Cup Championship after sweeping the last two rounds, in mid-September at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

But it will all come down to the final two races on the 12-turn, 2.54-mile circuit at Road Atlanta to crown the remaining champions. The field is set at 28 cars, the largest U.S. standalone grid since the season opener in March at Sebring International Raceway. The series will run alongside the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

Jeff Mosing, from Austin, Texas, has been at the top of the Platinum Masters standings for most of the season in the No. 01 Porsche fielded by TOPP Racing. Mosing, also a standout in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, earned his first overall podium finish this season in GT3 USA after placing third in Round 11 at VIRginia International Raceway.

Mosing is locked in a tight Texas battle for the Platinum Masters title with Fred Poordad, from San Antonio, who drives the No. 20 Wright Motorsports Porsche. Mosing leads Poordad, 255-240.

Michael de Quesada, from Tampa, Florida, has led the Gold Cup class in his first season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama since sweeping the opening weekend at Sebring in the No. 31 Alegra Motorsports Porsche. De Quesada leads Sebastian Landy, from Great Falls, Virginia, by 15 points.

Landy earned two, hard-fought victories at the last event at COTA in the No. 49 TPC Racing Porsche, including a last-lap pass to take Round 14.

Overall podiums are still up for grabs despite Lazare locking up the championship. Lazare has 11 wins this season in the No. 21 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche, a series record.

But the journey to the top step won’t be easy. 2016 Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama Platinum Cup Champion Daniel Morad, from Toronto, will be back to challenge his fellow Canadian in the No. 17 Porsche Centre Oakville/Alegra Motorsports Porsche. The two had fierce battles in both Rounds 13 and 14, with Lazare prevailing in both.

Morad is a leading contender for the inaugural IMSA North American Cup, awarded to the driver who scores the most points overall in competition in the USA and Canada championships.

Delayed television coverage will be provided October 15-16 on major network affiliates in numerous U.S. markets by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and the broadcast will be available on YouTube after it airs on television.

Porsche Entries at Road Atlanta.

Total Car Count. 38Porsche Motorsport-produced cars are competing at Road Atlanta this weekend.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Total Car Count: Four (4) Porsche entries will be competing in the Petit Le Mans IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.
Total Car Count: Six (6) Porsche entries will be competing in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at COTA.

IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.

Where to Watch:

All IMSA Series information is additionally available on the IMSA App

Upcoming Porsche Events:

Pirelli World Challenge

FIA/ World Endurance Championship

Porsche Motorsport Video News Releases

https://vimeo.com/159661478

Photography:

http://press.porsche.com/media/gallery2/v/photos/motorsports/happenings

Porsche Cars North America Media Site:

http://press.porsche.com/

Porsche Cars North America Motorsports Site:

http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport

Porsche North America Race Team Portal:

porscheusa.com/racing

Porsche Motorsports Media Information:

Current news, images and notes relating to Porsche can be found on our press kit. Please contact Dave Engelman or Tom Moore for the latest Porsche Motorsports media kit.

***********************************************************************
This message contains 1 attachment(s).
If the attached file(s) are blocked, please click the download link(s):
37 – 2016 Motorsports Weekly Notes Package No. 37- September 29.pdf
***********************************************************************

You are receiving this transmission from PR Newswire on behalf of the issuer of the information contained in this email. If you would like to stop receiving information of this nature via email for this issuer, click here, for auto-removal.

Nielsen On Verge Of Making History For Ferrari, Aims For GTD Title

In 2016 IMSA Season-Ending Petit Le Mans At Road Atlanta

Corvette’s Gavin, Milner Hold 11-Point Advantage Over Ford Duo In GTLM

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 27, 2016) – Christina Nielsen is on the verge of making history by becoming the first woman to win a major full-season championship in North American professional sports car competition. She’ll join Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Segal in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 for Saturday’s Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort at Road Atlanta (FOX Sports GO, FS1, Live, 11 a.m. ET).

The trio teamed to win earlier this season at Sebring and Watkins Glen, opening a commanding 32-point lead (299-267) over Dodge Viper drivers Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) standings. Nielsen can claim the title by achieving the three-hour minimum driving time.

“We have our heads in the game,” said Nielsen, a 24-year-old native and resident of Denmark. “I have to drive my minimum time; we are leading the championship by quite a big chunk. And honestly, I am just looking forward to Petit. It’s my favorite track. I think it is an even better event when you are in contention for the championship, so that is going to play a role but I love that event and I can’t wait to be back.”

Starting the event will secure the second consecutive GTD team title for Scuderia Corsa, which won the 2015 crown with drivers Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler. The California-based team also won the 2013 Rolex Series GT championship in its first full season, with Balzan and Jeff Westphal.

Corvette’s Gavin, Milner Hold 11-Point Advantage Over Ford Duo In GTLM

Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, four-time winners in the No. 4 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R, enter Petit Le Mans with an 11-point lead atop the GT Le Mans (GTLM) standings, 314-303. They will be reunited with Marcel Fassler, who co-drove in the season-opening victories at Daytona and Sebring. Teammates Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen are third in the standings with 290 points; they will share the No. 3 Corvette with Mike Rockenfeller.

Gavin and Milner also hold a one-point lead in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup for the four longest races on the WeatherTech Championship schedule.

“As a driver, you dream about coming to a race like Petit Le Mans with a lead in the championship,” Gavin said. “Tommy, myself and everyone on the No. 4 team knows what we have to do. If we have a clean race with no mistakes, we will reach our goal in the championship. It’s never easy to do that at Road Atlanta, though. The nature of the racetrack and the size of the field increase that challenge. I feel we are very prepared for the event on the heels of our test there last month. Everyone at Corvette Racing is feeling very positive heading into Petit Le Mans, so now it’s up to us to execute and do our jobs.”

Three-time 2016 winners Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook, second in the standings, will be joined by four-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon in the No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT. Four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais will also compete for the team, joining Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller in the No. 66 Ford GT, reuniting the same driver lineup that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro class in June. Bourdais won in the Prototype class fwith Action Express Racing last year.

Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy and Richard Lietz return as defending GTLM winners of Petit Le Mans in the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR. Earl Bamber and Frederic Makowiecki will be joined by Michael Christensen in the No. 912.

“It’s a very special feeling to return to this racetrack a year after our amazing overall victory,” Pilet said. “I can still vividly recall that success. It was one of the most wonderful moments of my career. Petit Le Mans is one of the greatest classics in endurance racing, and to contest a 10-hour event at the end of a tough season is a huge challenge for every race driver. All in all, I’m looking forward to it. We’ve experienced a difficult season and it would be fantastic if we could end it with a victory.”

BMW Team RLL finished second overall at Petit Le Mans last year. John Edwards and Lucas Luhr return for the team, and will be joined by Kuno Wittmer in the No. 100 IHG Rewards Club BMW M6 GTLM. Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner and Augusto Farfus – fourth in GTLM in 2015 – will co-drive the No. 25 BMW M6.

Two Ferrari teams will be in action in GTLM. Giancarlo Fisichella, Toni Vilander and James Calado will co-drive the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE, while Scuderia Corsa returns to the class with the No. 68 Ferrari 488 GTE for Daniel Serra, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Andrea Bertolini.

Six Manufacturers Battle For Bragging Rights In GT Daytona

With Scuderia Corsa on the verge of capturing the championship with Nielsen, Balzan and Segal in the No. 63 Ferrari 488 GT3, Ferrari is among six manufacturers looking to close the season with a victory to end the season on a high note.

Mathematically eligible for the title, Keating and Bleekemolen join Marc Miller in the final GTD appearance for the No. 33 ViperExchange.com/Cruising with the Monkey Dodge Viper GT3-R.

Park Place Motorsports is defending its 2015 GTD victory at Petit Le Mans, with Patrick Lindsey joined by Joerg Bergmeister and Matt McMurry in the No. 73 Park Place Porsche/Justice Brothers Porsche 911 GT3 R. Mario Farnbacher, Alex Riberas and Ian James share the No. 23 Alex Job Racing/Team Seattle Porsche 911 GT3 R, which holds a one-point lead over Magnus Racing, 23-22, in the Patrón Endurance Cup.

“Our main focus is winning the Patrón Endurance Cup, but more importantly, winning the final race of the season,” said Magnus Racing’s Andy Lally, an Atlanta resident who joins John Potter and Marco Seefried in the No. 44 Audi Tire Center/Auric Solar Audi R8 LMS GT3. “We want to take that checkered flag and end the series on a positive note. We’re going to go for the win, that’s what’s most important.”

Also racing for Audi is Stevenson Motorsports, with Robin Liddell and Mike Skeen joining Andrew Davis of Athens, Georgia in the No. 6 Audi R8 LMS GT3, while Lawson Aschenbach, Matt Bell and Dion von Moltke share the No. 9 entry.

Atlanta resident Spencer Pumpelly and Madison Snow – who both co-drove the winning Porsche in 2015 – will be driving different Lamborghinis in the Italian manufacturer’s Petit Le Mans debut. Corey Lewis joins Pumpelly in the No. 16 Change Racing Pertamina/Monster Energy Lamborghini Huracán GT3, while Snow co-drives the No. 48 Castrol Edge/Universal Industrial Sales entry for Paul Miller Racing with Bryan Sellers of Auburn, Georgia and Bryce Miller. Completing the Lamborghini assault of the No. 27 Dream Racing entry of Lawrence DeGeorge, Paolo Ruberti and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli.

Turner Motorsport is looking to score its second consecutive victory and third of the season for BMW. Circuit of The America class winners Bret Curtis and Jens Klingmann join Ashley Freiberg in the No. 96 BMW M6 GT3. Michael Marsal, Markus Palttala and Cameron Lawrence drive the team’s No. 97 entry.

Petit Le Mans will be streamed live from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports GO with FS1 authentication. Live television coverage begins from 11 a.m.- noon ET on FS1, resuming from 2:30-6 p.m. on FS2. There will be a three-hour highlight program on FS1 on Monday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. ET.

Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.

Curtain Call For Daytona Prototypes Sees Tight Battle For Title

In WeatherTech Championship Season-Ending Petit Le Mans

Top Three Corvette DPs Separated By Just Seven Points;

Starworks’ Popow, Van Der Zande Hold 10-Point Lead In PC Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 26, 2016) – The 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale will see the final appearance of the current-generation Daytona Prototype sports car, with a trio of Corvette Daytona Prototypes battling for the Prototype class title in Saturday’s 10-hour Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort at Road Atlanta (FOX Sports GO, FS1, Live, 11 a.m. ET).

Action Express Racing has a pair of Corvette DPs separated by only one point, 285-284, entering Round 11 of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with Wayne Taylor Racing seven points behind the leader with 278 points.

Dane Cameron and Eric Curran took over the championship lead with a second-place finish at the most recent race at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas in Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette DP. They lead teammates and defending two-time Prototype champions Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi, drivers of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP. Recently crowned IndyCar champion Simon Pagenaud will co-drive the No. 31 Corvette DP at the finale, while Filipe Albuquerque will join the No. 5 team.

“I have no words to describe it, because it’s one thing to win three championships – or even four – but it’s something different when you manage to win three in a row,” Fittipaldi said. “We want to win it badly, and we’re going to do our very best. It’s very close, only one-point difference – it’s wide open. We’re racing our teammates, but at the end of the year, they’re our competitors also. I want to win it, but if the No. 5 is not on the top step, for sure I want the No. 31 to win.”

Brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor won the most recent race at Circuit of The Americas in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP. They will be joined at the finale by Max Angelelli. A fourth Corvette DP is the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing entry, with Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel and past IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay.

With new Prototype race cars set to debut with the 2017 season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, Petit Le Mans also marks the final race for the Panoz DeltaWing Racing Coupe and the current Mazda Prototype cars. The 2017 Prototype class will include new Daytona Prototype international (DPi) race cars powered by a variety of different engine manufacturers, as well as new global LM P2 race cars powered by spec Gibson V8 engines.

Fittipaldi competed in the first DP race – the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona – and won that event overall in both 2004 and 2014.

“We’re moving on to different technology and a different type of car,” Fittipaldi said. “We’re grateful for the DPs’ longevity in the sport. I first ran a DP in 2003, and fundamentally, it’s still the same car, the same chassis. It definitely did a lot of work out there and it generated great racing for the drivers and fans. But it’s time for a change, and I think the new cars are going to be awesome for the sport.”

Racing the No. 0 Panoz DeltaWing Racing Coupe for the final time will be Katherine Legge, Sean Rayhall and Andy Meyrick. Mazda Motorsports, meanwhile, has shown considerable speed throughout the 2016 season and gets one more chance at a victory with its current-generation Prototype from either the No. 55 Castrol/ModSpace entry for Jonathan Bomarito and Tristan Nunez, or the No. 70 of Tom Long and Joel Miller. Spencer Pigot is entered to drive in both Mazdas.

Tequila Patrón ESM, which opened the season with victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, returns with Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Pipo Derani in the No. 2 Tequila Patrón Honda Ligier JS P2. The team enters the event trailing Fittipaldi and Barbosa by two points in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, 35-33, a competition encompassing the four longest races on the WeatherTech Championship schedule.

A similar entry to the No. 2 machine is the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Curb Records/AERO Honda Ligier JS P2 of Ozz Negri, John Pew and Olivier Pla. Both the No. 2 and No. 60 prototypes are eligible to compete next season at 2016 performance levels, but both teams already have announced other plans for 2017. Tequila Patrón ESM announced last week it will field a pair of Nissan-powered Ligier DPi cars for the full WeatherTech Championship season, while Michael Shank Racing will field a pair of brand-new Acura NSX GT3 race cars in the GT Daytona class.

Starworks’ Popow, Van Der Zande Take 10-Point Lead To Finale

Feeling pressure following a season-worst sixth-place finish at Road America, Alex Popow and Renger van der Zande won the most recent race at Circuit of The Americas in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport ORECA FLM09 to take a 10-point lead in the Prototype Challenge (PC) standings into the season-ending Petit Le Mans.

It was the fourth triumph of the season for the duo, which has finished second three times. David Heinemeier Hansson, who finished third with the team in the 12 Hours of Sebring, will return for the event. Starworks also fields the No. 7 for Quinlan Lall, James Dayson and Stefano Coletti, and the No. 88 Popcorn Sutton entry of Mark Kvamme, Richard Bradley and Maxwell Hanratty.

Road America winners Robert Alon and Tom Kimber-Smith finished second at COTA in the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Professional Security Consultants/Westfield ORECA FLM09, and now trail in the championship, 329-319. They will be joined by Jose Gutierrez in the finale, returning after co-driving with the team to runner-up finishes at Daytona and Sebring and fifth in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.

Rolex 24 and Long Beach winners Misha Goikhberg, Stephen Simpson and Chris Miller return in the No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports LaModerna/Hi-Tide Boat Lifts/Red Line Oil ORECA. Performance Tech Motorsports, which placed a solid third in Texas, has James French and Kyle Marcelli, who will be joined again by Kenton Koch in the No. 38 Ric-Man Construction/Children’s Miracle Network/NeuroSpine Institute ORECA. Rounding out the PC entry is the No. 20 BAR1 Motorsports Gas Monkey Energy/Southwest Funding/Top1 Oil ORECA of Don Yount, Tomy Drissi and Johnny Mowlem.

Petit Le Mans will be streamed live from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports GO with FS1 authentication. Live television coverage begins from 11 a.m.- noon ET on FS1, resuming from 2:30-6 p.m. on FS2. There will be a three-hour highlight program on FS1 on Monday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. ET.

Entire GT Le Mans Field Still Eligible To Hoist The Tequila

Patrón North American Endurance Cup At Petit Le Mans

Tight Battles Also Featured In Prototype, Prototype Challenge & GT Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 23, 2016) – Numbers don’t lie, and what they tell us as we prepare to enter the final round of both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup is that the entire GT Le Mans (GTLM) field is capable of exiting Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort as Patrón Endurance Cup champions.

The Patrón Endurance Cup rewards competitors in the four classic endurance races on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule. Petit Le Mans will award points at the four-hour mark, eight-hour mark and the finish, with five points for first; four points for second; three points for third; and two points for all remaining competitors following each of the three segments.

Corvette Racing won both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida with Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, but the team has only a one-point lead (27-26) in the GTLM class over four sets of drivers: Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet, Earl Bamber and Frederic Makowiecki of the No. 911 and 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSRs, Watkins Glen winners Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe in the No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT and Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M6 GTLM.

“It’s all about winning the Tequila Patrón Endurance Cup,” Auberlen said. “I think you’ll see us take opportunities with our pitting in order to be leading at certain times, in order to win the Patrón Cup. It will definitely be a consideration; we would love to come home with that championship. We haven’t had a ton of luck with the BMW M6 this year, even though it’s shown to be a great car. To win that championship would be the icing on the cake.”

Also close behind are Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen of Corvette Racing with 23 points, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller as well as Scuderia Corsa’s Alessandro Pier Guidi and Daniel Serra with 21 points, Lucas Luhr and John Edwards of BMW Team RLL with 20 points and the Risi Competizione pairing of Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander with 18 points.

In the Prototype class, Action Express Racing’s Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa hold a slim two-point lead over Tequila Patrón ESM drivers Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Pipo Derani in a bid for a third consecutive Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. Driving the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette Daytona Prototype, Barbosa and Fittipaldi won the most recent round, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.

“Winning the Patrón Endurance Cup is definitely on our minds,” said Barbosa. “We want to win that competition again – we’d love to do a sweep of both that and the Prototype championship like we did the past two years.

“We’re going to do everything we can to win both of them again. We’re going to have to be very smart, to be in the best position at the four- and eight-hour marks, and obviously at the end of the race. But it’s not going to be easy. The competitors are very strong, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Barbosa and Fittipaldi have 35 points, followed by Sharp, van Overbeek and Derani with 33, who were joined by Patrón Spirits President and CEO Ed Brown with victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida in the No. 2 Honda Ligier JS P2. Prototype championship leaders Dane Cameron and Eric Curran, drivers of Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP, are third with 29 points.

“We’ve been very happy with how the car has been performing and how the team has been glued together,” said Derani. “I think if we keep this spirit, we should be very competitive at Road Atlanta. I haven’t been to that track before – like the other three races I’ve done this year – but I’ve heard only good things about it and I can’t wait to hit the track. Obviously, it’s amazing, being in a Patrón car and having the chance to fight for the championship, but we don’t think about it too much. Like a normal race, we want to go there to win and do our best, and see how it ends up.”

In GTD, Alex Job Racing’s No. 23 Team Seattle/Heart of Racing Porsche GT3 R of Mario Farnbacher and Alex Riberas holds a one-point lead Rolex 24 class-winning drivers John Potter and Andy Lally in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3, 28-27.

“We’ve been working on this since Daytona; our goal has been collecting points any time we could,” Farnbacher said. “We will have Ian James back in the car for Petit Le Mans. We’re pretty confident that we can do it – it’s our target, for sure.”

Scuderia Corsa’s WeatherTech Championship GTD leaders Christina Nielsen and co-drivers Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Segal are third with 26 points in the No. 63 Ferrari 488 GT3, one point better than the Stevenson Motorsports No. 9 Audi R8 LMS GT3 with drivers Matt Bell and Lawson Aschenbach.

PC features a unique situation, where Kenton Koch leads the driver standings with 34 points, while PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports and drivers Tom Kimber-Smith and Jose Gutierrez lead the team competition with 32 points, followed by JDC-Miller Motorsports’ drivers Misha Goikhberg, Stephen Simpson and Chris Miller with 29 points. After winning at Daytona and finishing fourth at Sebring with JDC-Miller Motorsports, Koch placed second at Watkins Glen with Performance Tech Motorsports, and will drive for that team in the finale.

“Winning the Patrón Cup—and the PC season championship – would be huge,” said Alon, a three-time TOTAL Pole Award winner and two-time race winner in 2016 in PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports’ No. 52 ORECA FLM09. “A lot of teams go out and say they just want to win races, they don’t worry about championships, but this is a big focus in our team. We’re all confident in that we want to win both championships – that would be huge for us, for sure.”

Coverage for the Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort at Road Atlanta begins on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 11 a.m. ET on FOX Sports GO, and will run for the entire race. The race can also be viewed on FS1 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET and again on FS2 from 2:30 – 6 p.m. ET. IMSA.com will carry live in-car cameras, timing & scoring and IMSA Radio coverage for the entire race.

IMSA News Roundup: September 22, 2016

Notebook Items Include Koch Rejoins Performance Tech In Bid For Patrón Endurance Cup;

Mowlem Set For Final Race With BAR1; Strelzoff/Bloum Take Podium For RS1 At COTA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2016) – Kenton Koch, the 2015 IMSA Mazda Prototype Lites presented by Cooper Tires champion, has found a ride for Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort at Road Atlanta, returning with Performance Tech Motorsports in a bid to capture the Prototype Challenge (PC) title for the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

After winning the class in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and placing fourth in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida for JDC/Miller Motorsports, Koch finished second with Performance Tech in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen to build a two-point lead in the Patrón Endurance Cup, a competition encompassing the four endurance races on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule.

Koch was without a ride heading into the finale – but not for long – with Performance Tech owner Brent O’Neil stepping up to help out the competitor. Koch will rejoin James French and Kyle Marcelli in the No. 38 Ric-Man Construction / Children’s Miracle Network / NeuroSpine Institute ORECA for the 10-hour race.

“It takes funding to find a ride – and PC is made up of Pro-Am teams that don’t have self-funding,” said Koch, a Junior business major at Cal State Fullerton. “Brent, being the good person that he is, was able to find the majority of the funding to do it, and I was able to raise the rest of the funding through sponsors Justice Brothers and Winding Road Racing that want to see me progress.”

Koch is looking to take another step up the racing ladder by winning a fifth consecutive title, proving the effectiveness of Mazda’s Road To the Rolex 24, earning nearly a half-million dollars in combined scholarship money from Mazda and the Skip Barber Racing School. Moving up from karting, Koch won the 2012 Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Challenge, the 2013 Skip Barber Pro Challenge and the 2014 Mazda MX-5 Cup. The next rung was the 2015 IMSA Mazda Prototype Lites presented by Cooper Tires, with Koch winning 11 of 14 races to capture the $100,000 scholarship which he used to race at Daytona and Sebring.

“It was huge to win the Rolex 24 – that’s the race we all want to win,” Koch said. “I’m extremely thankful to have that opportunity, to win Daytona on my first try. There’s a lot of racers who have been trying to do that for many years and have yet to win. Now, winning the Patrón Endurance Cup would keep my championship streak alive. It would be pretty cool to make it five in a row, and it’s a testimony to Mazda and IMSA’s ladder system. I’ve come all the way from go-karts to where I’m at now, all on scholarship money with the exception of the last couple of races. Hopefully, winning the championship will put an exclamation point on it and lead to other opportunities.”

Mowlem Looking Forward To Final Race

Johnny Mowlem has mixed emotions heading to next weekend’s Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort at Road America. It will be the final race for the London resident, who will concentrate on a new business venture.

Mowlem will co-drive the No. 20 BAR1 Motorsports Gas Monkey Energy/Southwest Funding/Top1 Oil ORECA FLM09 with Don Yount and Tomy Drissi.

“I’m a little bit sad – I’d be lying if I didn’t say that – but I’m looking forward to a great race,” Mowlem said. “I know that BAR1 and Brian Alder made a big commitment to try to make my last race, my sign-off, a good one. I’ll be around friends within the team, and look forward to driving with Don and Tomy. It’s my 16th Petit Le Mans, and win or lose, I know I’m going to make sure I absolutely enjoy it.”

Mowlem lists three career highlights racing in the United States: finishing second overall and winning his class to earn a Rolex watch in the 2004 Rolex 24 At Daytona; winning the GT2 class at Sebring in 2007, sharing a Ferrari F430 GT with Mika Salo and Jaime Melo in what has been considered one of the most exciting last laps in ALMS history; and winning back-to-back PC TOTAL Pole Awards for BAR1 at the Rolex 24 in 2015-16.

Mowlem will now concentrate on Red River Sports, a managing and mentoring sports agency that aims to help businessmen pursue their aspirations of racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other events.

“I might do some driving next year on occasion, but the whole point of me retiring is to build up this company so in the future I don’t have to rely on driving as a source of income,” he said. “I’ll be bringing in other professional drivers to work in the mentoring and driving process.”

Strelzoff, Bloum Salvage Texas Weekend For RS1 With Podium Finish

The recent Circuit of The Americas 150 started out on a heartbreaking note for RS1, with the team taking its championship-leading No. 17 Porsche Cayman of Nick Galante to the paddock after breaking a shift cable on the opening lap.

“Now, it’s going to take a miracle to win the championship,” co-driver Spencer Pumpelly admitted, watching the No. 25 Freedom Autosport ModSpace Mazda MX-5 of Chad McCumbee and Stevan McAleer leading the race, which could have led to a 25-point swing in the Street Tuner (ST) standings.

Fortunately for RS1, the team’s No. 19 Porsche took up the charge. Running 16th on the opening lap, Strelzoff took 13th on a Lap 3 restart and worked up to third before his green-flag stop at the one-hour, 10-minute mark. Bloum rejoined the race in eighth, and passed McAleer for third with 23 minutes remaining.

“I didn’t have the start that I wanted but I had a great restart,” Strelzoff said. “I settled into a rhythm and kept picking cars one after the other, just moving forward. I handed off to Connor in a good spot, and he brought it home to P-3. It was an unbelievable battle. given how hot it was. Our team did a great job with setup, having a car that was consistent all the way to the end.”

It was the best finish of the season for Bloum and Strelzoff, who are sixth in the standings. Meanwhile, McCumbee and McAleer wound up finishing seventh, while Pumpelly rejoined the race 18 laps down and placed 21st. Now, the RS1 Porsche trails the Mazda duo by eighth points entering the finale – a daunting task, but less than a miracle.

End Quote:

Dane Cameron, Prototype class points leader in the No. 31 Action Express Racing Whelen Engineering Corvette Daytona Prototype: “It’s something the whole Action Express Racing organization is proud of. To finish 1-2 in the championship is our goal. It’s definitely a big coup for the whole team. Everyone is really proud of the effort that goes in to having two cars that are fighting for wins and the championships. More than anything, it makes everyone proud to be part of the organization. It’s good motivation.”