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Red Bull GRC Media Alert // Race Recaps: MCAS New River (Saturday)

Red Bull GRC Race Recap: MCAS New River (Saturday)

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IN BRIEF: Brian Deegan nearly ended a five-year Supercar main event victory drought, only to be passed on the final lap by defending Supercar champion Scott Speed during Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross action at Marine Corps Air Station New River. The victory was Speed’s first of the season for Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross. Sunday’s Round 7 was suspended due to severe weather for the safety of drivers and fans.

HEAT RECAPS: Tanner Foust continued his perfect streak of heats and semifinals, winning all three to tie the single-season record with 16 victories in preliminary rounds. In the opposite sessions, Patrik Sandell won in the first round before a major incident in round two; Sebastian Eriksson delivered Honda its first Red Bull GRC heat win in that round, before Steve Arpin took a victory in the semifinal.

MAIN EVENT RECAP: Heavy rain and lightning forced drivers onto their rain compound BFGoodrich Tires before the Supercar final. Foust and Speed set out into the first two spots on lap one, but Brian Deegan began carving his way through the field by heading to the outside of the sloppy and slippery dirt section. He worked his way into second place, inheriting the lead about halfway through the final when Foust pulled off with a mechanical failure.

As other drivers struggled to find traction and visibility on the course, Deegan pressed forward without his turbocharger, limiting his horsepower. Behind him, Speed clawed back to second, having already taken the longer Joker Lap in the race. Deegan finally took the Joker on the last lap, enabling Speed to squeeze by and take the victory.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: The results from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross MCAS New River, the sixth round of the 2016 Red Bull GRC season:

1. Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle

2. Brian Deegan, #38 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST

3. Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST

4. Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST

5. Austin Dyne, #14 AD Racing Ford Fiesta ST

6. Sebastian Eriksson, #93 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe

7. Joni Wiman, #31 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe

8. Tanner Foust, #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle

9. Jeff Ward, #07 SH Rallycross/DRR Ford Fiesta ST

10. Bucky Lasek, #81 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI

11. Sverre Isachsen, #11 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI

QUOTES: A selection of quotes from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross MCAS New River, the sixth round of the 2016 Red Bull GRC season:

Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle: “This is the beautiful thing about rallycross. This is why the sport is so popular and we all believe in this and so far this weekend it worked out for us. At the start I was so surprised to come out of the first corner in second. I went around the track and then saw Deegan come flying around the outside of me—I’m like, what in the world is this? He figured it out before everybody that the grip was out there, and then we had a heck of a race to the finish. I used my Joker and closed the gap and capitalized on the last lap. It was a great race, and I’m so happy that the fans stayed after the thunderstorm. I really appreciate that win because it was one heck of a show.”

Brian Deegan, #38 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST: “First of all, thanks to all of the military that supports us. It gives us the freedom to go race these cars—much respect for that. That’s racing and that’s the way it goes. On the first turn, the Hondas hit the brakes, I ran into the back of them, that tore my boot off and I had no turbo the entire race. It’s kind of like racing with a Fiesta that’s stock! I don’t know how I even stayed where I did. In the end, that’s racing. Congrats to Speed for taking the win, and thanks to Chip Ganassi Racing, all my crew, my spotter, and everyone who supports me. This is by far the biggest, baddest race of the whole year, around the coolest tanks and aircraft. Much respect and thank you!”

Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST: “On behalf of myself and all the drivers, this is by far the best race for all of us. To be able to be here and race with you guys, and just to give a tiny bit back for everything you do for us, it’s humbling to say the least. So thank you. All these guys at Chip Ganassi Racing worked their butts off until 2:00 in the morning because I blew up the motor. It’s so amazing what goes on behind the scenes and having these guys do what they do. So thank you to all of you guys, all of our sponsors, and Deegan. I thought he was going to have it—I had the best seat in the house at the Joker, but it was close at the end.”

FAST FACTS: A collection of facts from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross MCAS New River, the sixth round of the 2016 Red Bull GRC season:

· Scott Speed earned the eighth victory of his Red Bull GRC career on Saturday at MCAS New River. It was Speed’s first victory of the season, and came at a course where he failed to make the final last year. He also became the first driver in 2016 to win a race in which he also had to advance through the last chance qualifier.

· Brian Deegan earned his second podium of the 2016 season, and the 13th of his Red Bull GRC career, with his second place finish on Saturday. Deegan and Tanner Foust are the only drivers to earn podium finishes in every Red Bull GRC season.

· Steve Arpin’s third place finish represented his third podium of the 2016 season and the fifth of his Supercar career.

· Austin Dyne earned his best finish of the 2016 season so far by placing fifth.

· Sebastian Eriksson gave Honda its first-ever Red Bull GRC heat victory by winning Heat 2A on Saturday. It was the fifth heat win of Eriksson’s Supercar career.

UNOFFICIAL DRIVER POINTS: Points accurate to completion of Saturday’s Round 6.

1. Tanner Foust, 295

2. Steve Arpin, 286

3. Scott Speed, 279

4. Brian Deegan, 248

5. Patrik Sandell, 243

6. Sebastian Eriksson, 214

7. Joni Wiman, 193

8. Jeff Ward, 134

9. Austin Dyne, 123

10. Rhys Millen, 96

11. Bucky Lasek, 11

12. Sverre Isachsen, 4

13. Sebastian Saavedra, 3

UNOFFICIAL MANUFACTURER POINTS: Points accurate to completion of Saturday’s Round 6.

1. Volkswagen, 27

2. Ford, 24

3. Honda, 21

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GRC Lites Race Recap: MCAS New River (Saturday)

IN BRIEF: Miki Weckstrom reclaimed the top spot on the GRC Lites podium during Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross action at Marine Corps Air Station New River, posting his second victory of the season for Olsbergs MSE X Forces. Sunday’s Round 7 was suspended due to severe weather for the safety of drivers and fans.

HEAT RECAPS: While DirtFish Motorsports’ Conner Martell earned the Lites pole on Friday, fellow championship front-runners Oliver Eriksson and Cabot Bigham dominated their respective heats on Saturday. Both drivers won each of their two heats to start the main event from the front row. AF Racing Team’s Alejandro Fernandez won the last chance qualifier.

MAIN EVENT RECAP: Eriksson’s bid for his third victory of the season ended before it could truly start on Saturday, as his car was wheeled off the starting grid before the final began with an electrical failure. That opened the door for teammate Weckstrom, who shot to the lead at the start of the main event and began to open a gap on Blake “Bilko” Williams.

After reaching the halfway point of the race, severe weather forced a red flag with Weckstrom, Williams, and Parker Chase in the three podium spots. The race was later declared complete, returning Weckstrom to first place for the first time since Phoenix and giving Williams and Chase their first-ever Lites podiums.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: The results from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross MCAS New River, the sixth round of the 2016 GRC Lites season:

1. Miki Weckstrom, #45 Olsbergs MSE X Forces

2. Blake “Bilko” Williams, #22 Rhys Millen Racing

3. Parker Chase, #19 PMG RallySport

4. Cabot Bigham, #2 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

5. Harry Gottsacker, #69 PMG RallySport

6. Alejandro Fernandez, #126 AF Racing Team

7. Collete Davis, #07 River Racing/Rhys Millen Racing

8. Conner Martell, #21 DirtFish Motorsports

9. Alex Keyes, #24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

10. Oliver Eriksson, #16 Olsbergs MSE X Forces

11. Christian Brooks, #44 AF Racing Team

12. Cole Keatts, #53 Olsbergs MSE X Forces

13. Travis PeCoy, #3 AF Racing Team

QUOTES: A selection of quotes from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross MCAS New River, the sixth round of the 2016 GRC Lites season:

Miki Weckstrom, #45 Olsbergs MSE X Forces: “I am extremely happy to be back up here again. Just to be able to be here and race until the end. I was pretty confused for a while, thinking what is going to happen—was I going to win or what was going on? However, I am very happy that it ended like this.”

Blake “Bilko” Williams, #22 Rhys Millen Racing: “It’s been a long journey. Last year I came out and watched this race and decided I wanted to get into GRC. Here we are a year later on the podium. Starting with that, it’s been a lot of work, but I feel like in the first five races I’ve done I’ve had a lot of bad luck and using a little bit of good luck. Thanks everyone at GRC for putting on a good event, and everyone for coming out, all the fans. Happy 4th of July weekend.”

Parker Chase, #19 PMG RallySport: “We started dead last in the final, but everything just kind of went our way. We worked really hard to get the car fixed after the last chance qualifier—it had a little damage. I think the car looks good right now. I know we don’t have much to do. From here we are going to try to move up a bit and see what we can do.”

FAST FACTS: A collection of facts from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross MCAS New River, the sixth round of the 2016 GRC Lites season:

· Miki Weckstrom earned the second victory and fourth podium finish of his GRC Lites career on Saturday at MCAS New River. Weckstrom now leads all Lites drivers in podium finishes in the 2016 season.

· Blake “Bilko” Williams took the first podium of his Lites career by finishing second. The result came in his sixth career start.

· Parker Chase’s third place finish was also the first podium of his Lites career, and came in his fourth career Lites start.

· Cabot Bigham’s fourth place finish and two heat victories were good enough to return him to the points lead over Oliver Eriksson. The heat wins were the first and second of Bigham’s Lites career.

· Harry Gottsacker equaled a season- and career-best result by placing fifth on Saturday.

· Christian Brooks’ streak of five consecutive Lites main event appearances was snapped with a fifth place finish in the last chance qualifier.

· Only four drivers have made it to all six Lites main events this year: Weckstrom, Bigham, Eriksson, and Conner Martell. In addition, five drivers with limited programs have made the main event in every Lites round that they have started: Tanner Whitten, Alex Keyes, Colin Braun, Trenton Estep, and Preston Murray.

UNOFFICIAL DRIVER POINTS: Points accurate to completion of Saturday’s Round 6.

1. Cabot Bigham, 247

2. Oliver Eriksson, 233

3. Miki Weckstrom, 232

4. Conner Martell, 225

5. Christian Brooks, 167

6. Tanner Whitten, 165

7. Alejandro Fernandez, 110

8. Collete Davis, 94

9. Alex Keyes, 85

10. Parker Chase, 85

11. Harry Gottsacker, 85

12. Travis PeCoy, 83

13. Colin Braun, 59

14. Trenton Estep, 57

15. Blake “Bilko” Williams, 55

16. Preston Murray, 33

17. Jon Bennett, 14

18. Cole Keatts, 12

19. Nur Ali, 3

Ford Looks To Continue GTLM Winning Streak In Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Ford Looks To Continue GTLM Winning Streak

In Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Ferrari’s Nielsen, Balzan Extend GTD Points Lead With Glen Victory

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 5, 2016) – Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will be looking to make it three in a row in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) competition in Sunday’s Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (live, FS1, 11 a.m. ET).

Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe scored the second consecutive GTLM triumph for the No. 67 Ford GT in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. The race produced the first 1-2 finish for Ford’s new supercar, with the No. 66 of Dirk Mueller and Joey Hand – recent GTE Pro class winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans – placing second in the No. 66 Ford GT. Watkins Glen also saw Westbrook capture Ford’s first pole position in the class.

“It’s such a good period for us at the moment,” Westbrook said. “Confidence is so high. It’s just a pleasure going to work every day in this Ford camp. It’s just been an amazing 30 days.”

Nick Tandy and reigning GTLM champion Patrick Pilet are the defending Canadian Tire Motorsport Park GTLM winners and return in the No. 911 Porsche North American Porsche 911 RSR. Earl Bamber and Frederic Makowiecki share the sister No. 912 entry.

“It’s great to come back to CTMP,” Pilet said. “We love the track and we had a great performance last year. It was the beginning of a very successful series of wins for Nick and myself which finally led to the GTLM title. It’s a really quick track, very impressive – I think it’s one of the quickest tracks in the world. When you win there, it’s a big victory because you have to be brave.”

Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner, drivers of the No. 4 Corvette Racing C7.R, lead the GTLM standings over Westbrook and Briscoe by eight points, 159-151. Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, drivers of the No. 3 Corvette C7.R, finished third in last year’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

BMW finished third at Watkins Glen, with Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL IHG Rewards Club BMW M6 GTLM. John Edwards and Lucas Luhr drive the team’s No. 100 entry.

Leading Ferrari is the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE of Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander, second place finishers in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Scuderia Corsa’s Nielsen, Balzan Enjoy 13-Point Lead In GT Daytona

Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan scored their second GT Daytona (GTD) victory of the season in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 to extend their lead in the standings.

Entering the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix, the sixth of 11 races making up the GTD championship, the pair holds a 13-point lead over Mario Farnbacher and Alex Riberas – drivers of the No. 23 Team Seattle/Heart of Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, 162-149.

“We had some issues early in the race at Watkins Glen, but the fact that we were standing on the top of the podium shows that this was a total team effort,” said Nielsen, who also won with Balzan and Jeff Segal in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. “We are very lucky to have very talented engineers who nailed the strategy, and a team that was able to keep us in the race.”

Andy Lally and John Potter finished second at The Glen in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Audi Tire Center/Auric Solar Audi R8 LMS GT3, and are third in the GTD standings with 141 points.

Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen won the most recent GTD class event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, back in 2014. They will drive the No. 33 Riley Motorsports ViperExchange.com/Cruising with the Monkey Dodge Viper GT3-R, and are fourth in the standings with a victory at Detroit.

Practice for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix begins at 10:35 a.m. ET on Friday, with qualifying on Saturday at 3:40 p.m. ET.

Corvette Daytona Prototypes Take Points Lead Into Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Corvette Daytona Prototypes Take Points Lead

Into Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Ontario’s Marcelli, Performance Tech Seek To End Starworks Winning Streak

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 5, 2016) – Brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor, drivers of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette Daytona Prototype, return to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as defending IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship winners in Sunday’s Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix (live, FS1, 11 a.m. ET), with Corvette DPs holding the top four positions in the Prototype standings.

“Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is an awesome place – a very high speed, old-school track that’s really challenging and rewarding for the driver,” Jordan Taylor said. “We didn’t expect to win last year’s race because we didn’t have the fastest car. We ran our own race and we didn’t have any problems. Hopefully, we’ll be a little faster this year. It’s an intense race, and track position is important, so I think qualifying will be one of the keys to winning this race.”

Action Express Racing is coming off a 1-2 finish in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa won their first race of the season in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP, taking over sole possession of the Prototype points lead in the process with 187 points. Eric Curran and Dane Cameron finished second in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP.

After six of 11 Prototype races, Fittipaldi and Barbosa hold a seven-point lead over the Taylor brothers along with Curran and Cameron, tied with 180 points. They are followed in the team standings by the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP with drivers Marc Goossens and Ryan Dalziel, with 168 points.

“I am looking forward to going back to Canada, because historically we have been very strong there,” Fittipaldi said. “Watkins Glen was a very strong win, and our team worked very hard to it. We are looking to carry that momentum from The Glen to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.”

Other challengers include a pair of Mazda Prototypes for Jonathan Bomarito, Tristan Nunez, Tom Long and Joel Miller; the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Honda Ligier JS P2 of Ozz Negri and John Pew; and the No. 0 Panoz DeltaWing Racing Coupe of Katherine Legge and Sean Rayhall.

Performance Tech Motorsports Seeks Hometown Edge In Quest Of First PC Triumph

Kyle Marcelli of Ontario will be looking to lead Performance Tech Motorsports to its first Prototype Challenge (PC) class victory in the WeatherTech Championship when he joins James French in the No. 38 Ric-Man Construction / Children’s Miracle Network / NeuroSpine Institute / Fer-Pal Infrastructure ORECA FLM09. The team is coming off a second place finish in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.

“We needed that strong finish at Watkins Glen, the team worked hard for it,” Marcelli said. “We’re getting the car to where we need to be to fight for the win. They talk about ‘home ice advantage’ in hockey, so who knows if home track advantage will play to our favor this weekend.”

Starworks Motorsport has momentum on its side as Renger van der Zande and Alex Popow are coming off back-to-back victories at Detroit and Watkins Glen in the No. 8 ORECA FLM09, with the team also placing the No. 88 Popcorn Sutton on the Sahlen’s Six Hour podium with a third-place finish. Van der Zande and Popow lead the PC standings with 198 points.

“We think Canadian Tire Motorsport Park owes us one, because we could have won last year,” said Starworks Motorsport owner Peter Baron. “I like that track that for our drivers and how our car works. I’d like to see if we can get a turkey dinner there for three in a row.”

Two-time 2016 winners Misha Goikhberg, from British Columbia, and Stephen Simpson are paired in the No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Hi-Tide Boat Lifts/Red Line Oil entry, coming off a fourth-place finish at Watkins Glen.

Meanwhile, CORE autosport, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports and BAR 1 are looking to bounce back from mechanical issues at Watkins Glen. Jon Bennett and Colin Braun scored their lone 2015 victory in the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix, en route to their second consecutive WeatherTech Championship PC title in the No. 54 CORE autosport Flex Box/Composite Resources ORECA FLM09. Robert Alon and Tom Kimber-Smith are paired in the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports entry, currently holding second place in PC, while Johnny Mowlem and Matt McMurry share the No. 20 BAR 1 Motorsports ORECA.

Practice for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix begins at 10:35 a.m. ET on Friday, with qualifying on Saturday at 3:40 p.m. ET.

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Pro Mazda Race Removed from Iowa Speedway Schedule

Pro Mazda Race Removed from Iowa Speedway Schedule

Fans invited to invited to full-field Indy Lights autograph session

NEWTON, Iowa (June 30, 2016) – A lower than anticipated field has forced Andersen Promotions and Iowa Speedway to cancel the 100-lap race originally scheduled as a prelude to the Verizon IndyCar Series Iowa Corn 300 on July 10.

“We are truly disappointed that the Pro Mazda race had to be canceled,” said Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small. “First and foremost though, we owe it to our fans, partners and industry stakeholders to host world-class racing events. Thankfully, we still have two great races on our Sunday schedule, with the Indy Lights and IndyCar Series Iowa Corn 300 returning to ‘The Fastest Short Track on the Planet!’”

The schedule for next weekend at Iowa Speedway will be adjusted to maximize on-track activity for race-goers. The drivers in the Indy Lights Iowa Challenge presented by Cooper Tires will participate in a full-field autograph session in the INDYCAR Fan Village from 11:30 a.m. to noon CT on Saturday, July 9. In addition to collecting autographs, fans may receive giveaway items from Andersen Promotions.

“I want to thank [Iowa Speedway President] Jimmy Small for giving us the option to move our race off of next weekend’s schedule,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “Iowa Speedway produces some great oval racing and it is unfortunate that we didn’t have what we felt was a viable car count to meet not only the track’s expectations but the fans as well. At this stage we will look forward to what is a pivotal round in the Indy Lights championship on July 10 and a return for Pro Mazda in 2017.”

The autograph session will afford fans an opportunity to meet the open-wheel stars of tomorrow. Indy Lights has produced some of INDYCAR’S biggest names including current stars Marco Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan. Spencer Pigot is the most recent Indy Lights champion to advance to the Verizon IndyCar Series and will compete for Ed Carpenter Racing in the Iowa Corn 300.

The Indy Lights Iowa Challenge presented by Cooper Tires will take place at 2:15 p.m. CT on July 10 leading up to the Verizon IndyCar Series feature race – the Iowa Corn 300 – at 4:35 p.m.

In addition to Sunday’s open wheel races, Iowa Speedway will host the ARCA Racing Series Iowa 150 presented by Casey’s General Stores on Saturday, July 9. Following the ARCA race, country music duo LOCASH will take to the Speedway’s Pork Party Pavilion for the second installment of the NAPA Auto Parts Concert Series. Fans with tickets to the July 9 and / or July 10 race days will be admitted to the concourse for the concert.

About Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway, “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet”, is a state-of-the-art 7/8-mile asphalt paved tri-oval race track and motorsports facility located in Newton, Iowa. Our 2016 schedule includes three exciting race weekends: June 18-19 (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Speediatrics 200 and NASCAR XFINITY Series American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen), July 9-10 (ARCA Racing Series 150 presented by Casey’s General Stores and Verizon IndyCar Series Iowa Corn 300) and July 29-30 (NASCAR K&N Pro Series Casey’s General Stores 150 presented by Vatterott College and NASCAR XFINITY Series U.S. Cellular 250). For tickets, call 1-866-787-8946. To learn more, visit www.IowaSpeedway.com, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @IowaSpeedway.

Ford, Honda Lead Point Races Entering Continental Tire 150 At Watkins Glen International

Ford, Honda Lead Point Races Entering

Continental Tire 150 At Watkins Glen International

Porsche Cayman GT4 Seeks Third Straight Victory In GS For Bodymotion Racing

HART Honda Revises Driver Lineup, Nissan Joins ST Field

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 29, 2016) – Ford and Honda lead the standings in their respective classes as the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge returns to action with Saturday’s Continental Tire 150 at Watkins Glen International.

Scott Maxwell and Billy Johnson lead the Grand Sport (GS) standings by nine points entering the two-hour, 30-minute race on the historic 3.4-mile circuit. The drivers of the No. 15 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Shelby GT350R-C opened the season with a victory at Daytona, and then finished second at Sebring.

“We’re always good at Watkins Glen, and it’s one of my favorite tracks,” Maxwell said. “I like the fast tracks, and the old tracks – like The Glen. Last year we were strong there with the debut of the new Shelby, and we won the pole. I think we should have a strong car when we return there this year.”

Porsche brings a two-race winning streak to The Glen. Cameron Cassels and Trent Hindman won at both Sebring and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the No. 12 Bodymotion Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. CJ Wilson Racing will field two cars, the No. 33 ONE Capital Management/MotorOilMatters.org Clubsport for Marc Miller and Daniel Burkett, and the No. 35 for Tyler McQuarrie and Till Bechtolscheimer. Miller and Burkett are second in the standings, trailing Maxwell and Johnson 95-86.

Ted Giovanis and David Murry return with two cars, the No. 46 and No. 64 JKTG Foundation/Camp Boggy Creek GT4 Clubsport entries.

Compass360 Racing also fields a Ford Shelby, with Paul Holton and Pierre Kleinubing in the No. 76 AERO Advanced Paint Technology/Children’s Tumor Foundation GT350R-C. They finished second at Sebring and are currently third in the standings, just one point behind second place.

Automatic Racing fields a pair of Aston Martins. Rob Ecklin – a native of Corning, N.Y. – and Al Carter share the No. 99 Invisible Glass/Rogue Engineering/Red Glare Records Aston Martin Vantage, while Charles Putman and Charles Espenlaub will co-drive the No. 09 entry for the first time this season.

Honda’s Gilsinger Has New Co-Driver In ST Points-Leading Civic Si

Chad Gilsinger will have a new co-driver for Watkins Glen, with Ryan Eversley co-driving the No. 93 Honda of America Manufacturing Honda Civic Si. Gilsinger finished in the top seven in all three races this season, including a second-place finish at Sebring with Michael Valiante, to open a four-point lead atop the Street Tuner (ST) standings. Mazda and Porsche teams are tied for second in the ST championship, trailing 82-78.

“It’s going to be an interesting race, because last year both the Mazdas and Porsches were pretty good at The Glen, along with us,” Gilsinger said. “I think it’s going to be a pretty good battle for everybody.”

Stevan McAleer and Chad McCumbee won last year’s Continental Tire 150 for CJ Wilson Racing. For 2016, the pair moved to Freedom Autosport, and won the recent race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the No. 25 ModSpace Mazda MX-5 to move into second in the standings. They are joined on the three-car team by Liam Dwyer and Andrew Carbonell in the No. 26 SemperFiFund.org Mazda, and Danny Bender and Britt Casey Jr. in the No. 27 Trumpf/SemperFiFund.org/Bravo Trailers entry.

Nick Galante and Spencer Pumpelly have three top-10 finishes in the No. 17 RS1 Legistics/ RickieFowler.com Porsche Cayman to also share second in ST. RS1’s three-car entry includes the No. 18 SuperSeats/Romero Investment Advisors Cayman for Remo Ruscitti and Aaron Song, and the No. 19 Zero Lag Communications/Intervision Porsche for Greg Strelzoff and Connor Bloum.

The biggest change in the ST entry is the switch to Nissan by the CRG-I Do Borrow team. Sarah Cattaneo and Owen Trinkler – who won at Sebring in a Honda Civic Si – will now drive the No. 44 A&C Properties Nissan Altima Coupe.

After winning the Continental Tire 150 overall the past two years in a Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R, Robin Liddell now drives for Rebel Rock Racing in ST in addition to racing an Audi for Stevenson Motorsports in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Liddell joins Elliott Skeer in the No. 8 Borla/Urban Grid Porsche Cayman.

Other contenders include Daytona winners Eric Foss and Jeff Mosing in Murillo Racing’s No. 56 Mosing Motorcars Porsche Cayman; BimmerWorld Racing’s James Clay and Tyler Cooke, coming off the TOTAL Pole Award and third-place finish at Sebring and fourth at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the No. 84 OPTIMA Batteries BMW 328i; the two-car Compass360 Racing Audi S3 entry with Jim McGuire, Nico Rondet, Roy Block and Kyle Gimple; and the three-car MINI John Cooper Works team with drivers Ethan Low, Ramin Abdolvahabi, James Vance, Derek Jones and brothers Mark and Mat Pombo.

Continental Tire Challenge practice will begin on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, with qualifying Friday at 1:25 p.m. The two-hour, 30-minute Continental Tire 150 will take the green flag on Saturday at 12:25 p.m. ET. The race will be streamed live on the IMSA mobile app and IMSA.tv.

Corvette Daytona Prototype Seeks Third Straight Victory For Visit Florida Racing In Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen

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

Corvette Daytona Prototype Seeks Third Straight Victory

For Visit Florida Racing In Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen

Defending PC Winner Starworks Motorsport Returns With Momentum, Point Lead

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 27, 2016) – Visit Florida Racing is going for a third consecutive victory at Watkins Glen International for the No. 90 Corvette Daytona Prototype in Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (live, FS1, Sunday, July 3 at 10 a.m. ET), Round 6 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the third-round for the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

The team returns to The Glen with a new set of drivers, with Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens piloting the No. 90 Corvette DP.

“It’s time to go back Stateside to be back with Visit Florida Racing and Ryan Dalziel,” said Goossens, who competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France and visited the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England the past two weekends. “This is one of the races in the Patrón Endurance Cup, and Watkins Glen is a fairly demanding track. But I strongly believe that our Visit Florida drivers and team are ready for the challenge.”

Goossens is currently fourth in the Prototype standings, nine points out of the lead, trailing three sets of Corvette DP drivers. Two-time defending WeatherTech Championship Prototype champions Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa, drivers of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling/Cider Tree Corvette DP, are tied for the lead with brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP, with 151 points each. Eric Curran and Dane Cameron, drivers of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP, are third with 147 points.

The four Corvette DPs on the entry list expect strong challenges from Mazda and Honda Prototypes in the six-hour race on the historic 3.4-mile road circuit.

As co-leaders of the Patrón Endurance Cup with the No. 5 Action Express team, the Tequila Patrón ESM team returns to The Glen with the No. 2 Honda Ligier JS P2 that won both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. Pipo Derani will be making his Watkins Glen debut, joined by Watkins Glen veterans Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek.

After finishing a team-best fourth at both Long Beach and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mazda Motorsports placed third and fourth in the most recent race at Detroit. Jonathan Bomarito and Tristan Nunez will be joined by IndyCar driver Spencer Pigot in the No. 55 Castrol/ModSpace Mazda Prototype, while Joel Miller and Poughkeepsie, N.Y. native Tom Long will partner with Ben Devlin in the team’s No. 70 Castrol/ModSpace Mazda Prototype.

Other Prototypes looking to end the Corvette DP streak at The Glen include the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca-winning No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Honda Ligier JS P2 of John Pew, Ozz Negri and Olivier Pla; the No. 0 Panoz DeltaWing Coupe of Katherine Legge, Sean Rayhall and Gabby Chavez; and the No. 50 Highway to Help/Fifty Plus Racing BMW Riley of Jim Pace, Dorsey Schroeder and Byron DeFoor.

Defending Winner Starworks Motorsport Takes Point Lead, Momentum To The Glen

Starworks Motorsport has momentum on its side as Renger van der Zande and Alex Popow defend their Watkins Glen Prototype Challenge (PC) victory in the No. 8 ORECA FLM09. The pair also won the most recent race at Detroit, taking over a three-point lead in the PC standings with 162 points.

“We finally got the monkey off our back at Detroit, because we’ve been fast but having bad luck,” Popow said. “Now we’re going to The Glen looking to win there again, and hoping to extend our lead in the championship. We’re looking to win more races this year, but our big goal is to win the championship.”

Robert Alon, Tom Kimber-Smith and Jose Gutierrez in the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca-winning No. 52 Professional Security Consultants/Westfield ORECA are second in the standings with 159 points, followed by Misha Goikhberg and Stephen Simpson with 153 points. Goikhberg and Simpson won the class in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and at Long Beach in the No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Hi-Tide Boat Lifts/Red Line Oil entry.

Other PC entries include the two-time defending class champions and 2014 Glen winners Colin Braun, Jon Bennett and Mark Wilkins in the No. 54 CORE autosport Flex-Box/Composite ORECA FLM09; the No. 20 BAR1 Motorsports Southwest Funding/Top 1 Oil ORECA of Don Yount, Johnny Mowlem and Matt McMurry; the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports entry of James French, Kyle Marcelli and 2015 Mazda Prototype Lites champion Kenton Koch; and the second Starworks Motorsport car, the No. 88 Popcorn Sutton ORECA of Mark Kvamme, Maro Engel and Sean Johnston.

Practice for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen begins at 11:25 a.m. ET on Friday, with qualifying on Saturday at 3:40 p.m. ET.

Richie Morris Racing Oklahoma Bound

Richie Morris Racing Oklahoma Bound

Live coverage via FansChoice TV as AMA Pro returns to Oklahoma

Oklahoma, Okla. (17 June 2016) – After a two week break in the schedule, Richie Morris Racing (RMR) will be back in AMA Pro Flat Track action this weekend as the series returns to Oklahoma City’s Remington Park. The event marks Round 7 of the 2016 championship, with RMR looking to generate some momentum in Saturday’s Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines race.

RMR rider Shayna Texter will once again look forward to racing on the high-speed one mile oval with the RMR-built chassis. The team has been working to make the most of the break between races to improve the weight distribution and unlock all the speed that the No. 52 McElroy Packaging, Tucker Rocky Distributing, Roland Sands Designs machine is capable of.

“With this time between races, we had a chance to keep working on the bike and we want to be able to show some progress in Oklahoma,” said Morris. “The one-mile tracks are something special, and it is great to have AMA Pro going to this market again so hopefully we can put on a great show for these fans. This will be our first chance to test our changes so we are all really looking forward to getting going and learning as much as we can.”

FansChoice.tv will broadcast the entire Oklahoma City Mile in high definition at www.fanschoice.tv/watch-live/ama/flat-track.

Coverage will begin with practice and qualifying at 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT). The OKC Pre-Race Show will take place at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT), followed by Opening Ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) and Heat Races immediately afterwards at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT).

Fans that aren’t able to make the trek to Oklahoma City this weekend are invited to follow all of the live action at http://www.fanschoice.tv.

Fans who are interested in following RMR/Shayna Texter on social media, please visit https://www.facebook.com/ShaynaTexter52, twitter.com/shaynatexter,instagram.com/shaynatexter, https://www.facebook.com/RichieMorrisRacing,twitter.com/rmorrisracing, instagram.com/richiemorrisracing.

Source: www.sundaymanagement.com

About Richie Morris Racing

Richie Morris Racing is a professional motorcycle race team. Having competed at the highest level in different genres of motorcycle racing, RMR has won four national championships in AMA Pro Road Racing. The team has scored numerous wins and podium finishes with many different professional riders. We believe in building a solid platform to win races and championships. In doing so, our mission being that of delivering value to our riders and partners.

2016 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule

June 18: Oklahoma City Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Okla.

June 25: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio

July 30: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, N.C.

August 9: Sturgis Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, S.D.

August 14: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, Ill.

August 20: TBA, New York State

September 4: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.

September 25: Santa Rosa Mile, California

Shayna Texter Selected for X Games

Shayna Texter Selected for X Games

Live ESPN race coverage on Thursday starts at 8:30 PM ET

Austin, Texas (2 June 2016) – The lights will shine brightly in Austin this weekend as the Circuit of the Americas stages another edition of the fabled X Games by ESPN. Young Richie Morris Racing (RMR) rider Shayna Texter will be among those targeting a treasured X Games medal as she makes an encore appearance in the Harley-Davidson Flat-Track Racing at the huge event.

Texter, who made her X Games debut in 2015, will return to the half-mile dirt oval that will play host for the 25-rider field that was selected from the best and brightest from around the world.

The intense flat track action is part of an X Games Austin line up that will feature everything from the breathtaking aerial maneuvers from the skateboard vert competitors to the technical mastery of the BMX street riders as the event enters its third decade of competition.

The introduction of the fast paced flat track racing was well-received by the X Games audience as the sport continues to find new fans.

“I’m thrilled to be invited back to the X Games and this is another awesome opportunity for us to introduce flat track racing to a new audience, so I’m proud to be a part of this,” said Texter, who scored six wins in AMA Pro Flat Track GNC2 competition before moving to GNC1 in 2015. “It’s a very big event and everyone wants an X Games medal.”

The race follows a string of outings in AMA Pro Flat Track action for RMR, with three one-mile oval races in May. The team has the in-house built chassis back at the base in North Carolina in preparation for the next AMA Pro Flat Track round in Oklahoma City, with Texter set to utilize equipment from her brother Cory for the X Games event.

“A big thank you goes to my brother (Cory) for making this happen with the bike,” said Texter who will wheel the No. 52 McElroy Packaging, Tucker Rocky Distributing and Roland Sands Designs entry. “Hopefully we can bring our sponsors a big run on ESPN and come home with a big result.”

The fast and furious schedule of events recently has seen RMR working to make the most of each outing with the in-house built chassis that debuted earlier this season. With a rapid run of races adding to the team notebook, RMR already has an eye down the road.

“We are finally going to get a chance to get the bike back in the shop where we can properly address the weight distribution problem that plagued us since we went on the road in April,” said team owner Richie Morris. “We’ve got a solution now, and can’t wait to get it dialed in and back on track in Oklahoma City.”

In addition to all the competitive action that the X Games will be staging, this weekend’s event will also feature six themed interactive festival villages: Galleria, Sour Punch Next X Parks, Torchy’s Tacos Playground, Vert Village, Sound Factory and Gaming Shack. Located throughout COTA, the festival villages will also feature live music, athlete autograph signings, giveaways and much more. X Games Music performers include: All Time Low, blink-182, G-Eazy and Logic taking center stage at the Austin360 Amphitheater as part of the fully interactive music festival experience.

Fans who are interested in following RMR/Shayna Texter on social media, please visit https://www.facebook.com/ShaynaTexter52, twitter.com/shaynatexter,instagram.com/shaynatexter, https://www.facebook.com/RichieMorrisRacing,twitter.com/rmorrisracing, instagram.com/richiemorrisracing.

Source: www.sundaymanagement.com

About Richie Morris Racing

Richie Morris Racing is a professional motorcycle race team. Having competed at the highest level in different genres of motorcycle racing, RMR has won four national championships in AMA Pro Road Racing. The team has scored numerous wins and podium finishes with many different professional riders. We believe in building a solid platform to win races and championships. In doing so, our mission being that of delivering value to our riders and partners.

2016 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule

June 18: Oklahoma City Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Okla.

June 25: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio

July 30: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, N.C.

August 9: Sturgis Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, S.D.

August 14: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, Ill.

August 20: TBA, New York State

September 4: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.

September 25: Santa Rosa Mile, California

Image: Shayna Texter’s X-Games Ride

​

Richie Morris Racing Set for Springfield Mile

Richie Morris Racing Set for Springfield Mile

Springfield, Ill. (27 May 2016) – As the nation prepares to honor the legacy and sacrifice made by those who have dedicated themselves to protecting the United States, the Memorial Day weekend will once again include a favorite tradition as the AMA Pro Flat Track returns to the Illinois State Fairgrounds this Sunday.

The Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines marks Round 6 of the 2016 championship, and Richie Morris Racing rider Shayna Texter is hoping to add to her winning record at the track.

Looking to make progress with the custom frame that is the foundation of the No. 52 McElroy Packaging, Tucker Rocky Distributing and Roland Sands Designs Kawasaki, Texter and her RMR team will look to push forward on the development of their in-house built chassis.

The team introduced the chassis in the heat of competition in Arizona, the first of seven one-mile oval races on the 2016 schedule. Following that up with another one-mile track outing in Sacramento, RMR has been flat out through a fast May and is focused on dialing in the in-house chassis for the one-mile format.

For Texter, the Springfield round is one that sees her arrive as a previous winner, having swept both rounds at the Mile in GNC2 competition in 2013.

“We are grateful for the dedication that all our service men and women have shown since the start of this country, and we all recognize that we are lucky to get to celebrate this holiday doing something we love to do. Springfield is a place where all of the AMA Pro Flat Track riders have some great memories, and it’s Shayna’s favorite track so this is a race we’ve had outlined on the calendar for a while,” said Morris. “We’ve made it back from the west coast and now are focusing all our resources on continuing to develop this bike and hopefully having a productive weekend.”

Results will be posted here: http://www.amaproracing.com/flat-track/events/default/view/638/results

Fans can keep up all weekend via http://www.fanschoice.tv/watch-live/ama/flat-track

The Springfield Mile will take place this Sunday, May 29, and every session will be live streamed in high definition and free of charge at FansChoice.tv. Fans that can’t make the trek to the Illinois State Fairgrounds this weekend are invited to tune in at http://www.fanschoice.tv/watch-live/ama/flat-track.

Sunday’s on-track festivities are scheduled to begin with practice and qualifying at 10:15 a.m. CT (11:15 a.m. ET), followed by an Open Paddock and Rider Autograph Session set for 12 p.m. CT (1 p.m. ET), with a special Pre-Race Show also set to air at 12 p.m. CT (1 p.m. ET).

Opening Ceremonies will kick off the afternoon’s racing activities at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET), and the field will qualify through a series of Heat and Semi races, whittling down the field to the best of the best for the afternoon’s GNC2 and Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines Main Events.

Fans who are interested in following RMR/Shayna Texter on social media, please visit https://www.facebook.com/ShaynaTexter52, twitter.com/shaynatexter,instagram.com/shaynatexter, https://www.facebook.com/RichieMorrisRacing,twitter.com/rmorrisracing, instagram.com/richiemorrisracing.

Source: www.sundaymanagement.com

About Richie Morris Racing

Richie Morris Racing is a professional motorcycle race team. Having competed at the highest level in different genres of motorcycle racing, RMR has won four national championships in AMA Pro Road Racing. The team has scored numerous wins and podium finishes with many different professional riders. We believe in building a solid platform to win races and championships. In doing so, our mission being that of delivering value to our riders and partners.

Event Schedule

Sunday, May 28

9:45am Mandatory Riders’ Meeting

10:15am – 12:00pm Timed Practice

12:00pm – 12:45pm Rider Autograph / Open Paddock to Spectators / Pre-Race Show

1:00pm Opening Ceremonies

2:00pm – 2:10pm GNC1 Heat 1 16 Riders 8 Laps (1-4 to Main) (5-16 to Semi)

2:10pm – 2:20pm GNC1 Heat 2 16 Riders 8 Laps (1-4 to Main) (5-16 to Semi)

2:20pm – 2:30pm GNC1 Heat 3 16 Riders 8 Laps (1-4 to Main) (5-16 to Semi)

2:30pm – 2:40pm Intermission

3:00pm – 3:10pm GNC1 Semi 1 18 Riders 8 Laps (1-3 to Main)

3:10pm – 3:20pm GNC1 Semi 2 18 Riders 8 Laps (1-3 to Main)

3:20pm – 3:30pm Intermission

4:00pm – 4:10pm GNC1 Main Intro

4:10pm – 4:40pm GNC1 Main Event 18 Riders 25 Laps

2016 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule

May 29: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.

June 18: Oklahoma City Mile – Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Okla.

June 25: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio

July 30: Charlotte Half-Mile – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, N.C.

August 9: Sturgis Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, S.D.

August 14: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, Ill.

August 20: TBA, New York State

September 4: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.

September 25: Santa Rosa Mile, California

IMSA News Roundup: May 26, 2016

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

IMSA News Roundup: May 26, 2016

Notebook Items Include IMSA’s Strong Presence For 100th Indianapolis 500; Milner Says Le Mans Also Pays Dividends For Home Races; Marcelli Begins Three-Race ‘Home Stretch’

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 26, 2016) – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be well represented when the green flag waves on Sunday for the 100th Indianapolis 500.

Defending GT Daytona (GTD) champion Townsend Bell, who co-drives a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 with Bill Sweedler for Change Racing, will start on the inside of the second row for the open-wheel classic. He’s one of nine of the 33 starters who have also raced in WeatherTech Championship events in 2016.

Ryan Hunter-Reay – who will start on the outside of the front row at Indy – joined Bell in competing in three WeatherTech Championship races this season, placing third at Daytona, fifth at Sebring and sixth at Long Beach in the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP. Reigning IndyCar champion Scott Dixon joined Sebastien Bourdais in racing at both Daytona and Sebring. Mikhail Aleshin – the 2016 TOTAL Pole Award winner at Daytona – Simon Pagenaud, Tony Kanaan, Graham Rahal and Spencer Pigot also competed in the Rolex 24, while Jack Hawksworth participated in the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test.

Team Penske’s Juan Pablo Montoya is a three-time Rolex 24 champion, while Dixon is a two-time winner of the event. Bourdais is a two-time Sebring winner in addition to one Rolex 24 victory, while Kanaan and Bell have won at both Daytona and Sebring. Other Rolex 24 winners in the Indy 500 field include Charlie Kimball and Graham Rahal, while Conor Daly is a former Sebring class winner.

Many of the other Indy 500 starters have experience in America’s premier sports car competition. Indy 500 pole sitter James Hinchcliffe is a four-time Rolex 24 starter for SpeedSource/Mazda Motorsports, running in three different classes coming up through the Mazda Road to Indy. His best finish was sixth, running in the Rolex Series GT class in 2012. Alexander Rossi and Gabby Chavez co-drove for Panoz DeltaWing Racing in the 2014 Rolex 24.

The IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge will also be represented at the Brickyard. LAP Motorsports team owner Luis Perocarpi and lead engineer Rob Ridgely will take time from preparing their three MINI John Cooper Works to take key positions in the pits for Dale Coyne Racing. Perocarpi is crew chief for Brian Clauson, while Ridgely is head engineer for Pippa Mann.

Milner: 24 Hours Of Le Mans Pays Dividends For WeatherTech Championship Season

Looking for his third GTE Pro victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Corvette Racing’s Tommy Milner also feels that the French endurance classic on June 18-19 pays dividends for the remaining races on the WeatherTech Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) schedule.

“We learn quite a bit at Le Mans,” explained Milner, who will return with fellow 2015 GTE Pro winners Oliver Gavin and Jordan Taylor in the No. 64 Corvette C7.R. “Watkins Glen (the Sahlen’s Six Hours on July 3) is an important race. It’s a gauge to see where we stand, if the stuff we learned at Le Mans will help us back in the U.S. With this [GTLM] class being so competitive, small details can make a big difference. But at the end of the day, you still need a bit of luck.”

Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia will be joined at Le Mans by Ricky Taylor in the No. 63 Corvette C7.R to complete Corvette Racing’s two-car lineup.

Detroit Begins Three-Race ‘Home Stretch’ For Canadian Kyle Marcelli

The next three WeatherTech Championship rounds are like home races for Kyle Marcelli. The Ontario, Canada resident plans to drive to all three events, competing at Detroit, Mich.; Watkins Glen, N.Y.; and then his true home event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Next week, he’ll be making the five-hour drive to compete in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers. He enjoys the challenges of street racing, finishing on the Prototype Challenge podium for the BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach in April, the only other street race on the WeatherTech Championship schedule.

“Street racing presents extra challenges, and you need to really stay focused,” said Marcelli, who co-drives the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports ORECA FLM09 with James French. “Instead of racing between two white lines you’re driving between two concrete walls. I really enjoy racing in Detroit. It’s the home of GM and the other American manufacturers, and we race with a Chevrolet V-8 engine. Also, my wife is from Michigan, so I’ve spent a lot of time there, and I’m looking forward to going back.”

End Quote:

Katherine Legge, a regular in the No. 0 Panoz DeltaWing Racing Coupe, will co-drive the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Honda Ligier JS P2 at Belle Isle Park: “This is not only my first time in an LM P2 but my first time racing at Detroit and I am really looking forward to it. I am extremely grateful to Mike Shank and Honda for offering me this chance to drive and really appreciate that Dr. Panoz (Panoz DeltaWing Racing team owner) agrees that this is too good of an opportunity to miss as the DeltaWing is not racing. Ozz (Negri) has already started sending me in-car footage and notes for me to study, and I hope to be as ready as possible from the start of the weekend. This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend on making as much of it as I possibly can.”

Contact:
Nate Siebens
Senior Manager, IMSA Communications

(386) 310-6568

nsiebens