Local Favorites Ready To Take On Regulars In Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge At Road America
August 6, 2015 Leave a comment
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Shifts To Combined Event At Lime Rock
July 15, 2015 Leave a comment
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Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Shifts To Combined Event At Lime Rock
Combined Grand Sport, Street Tuner Race Improves At-Track, Television Audience Experience
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 14, 2015) – The Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge event at Lime Rock Park on Saturday, July 25 – which was originally scheduled to include separate, two-hour races for the Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) classes – now has been combined into one two-hour event in which both classes will race simultaneously.
The Continental Tire Challenge race at the Northeast Grand Prix will start at 10 a.m. and now will offer at-track fans an expanded hour-long prerace Fan Walk on the grid. The combined race will be streamed live on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile app, and will be televised on FOX Sports 1 from 12-2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 2. Previously announced television windows were from 9-11 a.m. ET for the ST race and 1-3 p.m. for the GS race on Aug. 2.
“The FOX Sports 1 television window is more attractive for a combined event,” said David Pettit, IMSA vice president, marketing. “The combined event also allows us to start later in the morning, which should be popular with the fans, and an expanded Fan Walk will make the at-track experience even better.”
The Continental Tire Challenge race will follow a morning warm-up session for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Prototype Challenge (PC) and GT Daytona (GTD) machines, which will compete in a two-hour and 40-minute race beginning at 3:15 p.m. ET.
The TUDOR Championship will feature an all-driver autograph session at the team transporters in the newly renovated paddock, which is open to all Lime Rock Park ticketholders, and also will have a prerace Fan Walk on pit lane. The TUDOR Championship Northeast Grand Prix will be streamed live on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile app, and will be televised on FOX Sports 1 at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 26.
Tickets for the Northeast Grand Prix are available now at www.limerock.com.
IMSA, ACO, FIA Select Four Constructors For Next Generation Prototype Chassis
July 9, 2015 Leave a comment
Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.
IMSA, ACO, FIA Select Four Constructors For Next Generation Prototype Chassis
New Chassis Regulations To Be Used Worldwide Beginning In 2017
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 9, 2015) – After eight months’ work and a two-month selection process, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), have chosen the four constructors who will supply chassis for the cars that will compete in the Le Mans Prototypes 2 category in ACO- and FIA-governed series and the Prototype class of the IMSA-sanctioned TUDOR United SportsCar Championship beginning in 2017, when the category’s new regulations come into force.
The four constructors are: Dallara (Italy-United States), Onroak Automotive (France), Oreca (France-United States) and the joint-venture Riley Tech/Multimatic (USA, Canada and the United Kingdom), subject to validation of the regulations by the World Motor Sport Council on July 10.
On June 11, 2015 the main guidelines of the 2017 LM P2 regulations were unveiled during the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s press conference. The aim of these regulations is to ensure long-term success for this category thanks to a reduction in costs, the guarantee of stability in the regulations and the intention to bring the performance of the cars in the category closer to those of the current LM P1s. They will be applicable in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Asian Le Mans Series (Asian LMS), the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
In ACO- and FIA-governed series, LM P2 cars will be powered by a single engine manufacturer to be selected this September.
In the TUDOR Championship, Prototypes will be powered by engines from a variety of manufacturers and the chassis will include manufacturer-specific styling elements. Announcements on participating manufacturers will be made as programs are confirmed.
The target horsepower for cars in all series is approximately 600bhp, and an Adjustment of Performance process will be used to ensure competitive balance. The ACO, FIA and IMSA also will select a single electronics supplier for all cars this September.
TUDOR Championship Prototype teams will be eligible to use the same engines and chassis they race with in the United States at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in ELMS events, providing they utilize the constructor-specific bodywork as used in all championships outside North America. Likewise, all LM P2 teams will be eligible to race in all TUDOR Championship events using the same chassis and engine configuration they use in their home championship.
The first provision to achieve the stated objectives and make these LM P2 regulations viable and workable was to select four chassis constructors including at least one from North America.
The tender was launched on May 13, 2015 and closed on June 10. The selection committee, which included three representatives from the ACO, IMSA and the FIA, has drawn up the list of the four constructors selected.They were selected according to the following criteria:
- Experience and reputation;
- Industrial and engineering capacity, management of the supply chain;
- Financial situation;
- Investment devoted to the program;
- Quality of the service to clientele;
- Constructors based in Europe and the United States with an undertaking to provide quality backup in Asia and throughout the world;
- Quality of the project and the car;
- Provisions of the project aimed at reducing running costs and the annual budget of the entrants.
The Dallara, Onroak Automotive, Oreca and Riley Tech/Multimatic teams now will join the technical working group jointly managed by the ACO, the FIA and IMSA to define the final details of the regulations. One of the main objectives of this working group is to optimize all of the parameters to ensure the most economically viable set of rules for the teams.
The final set of provisions of the LM P2 regulations will be adopted by the World Motor Sport Council in December of this year, and the timetable will respect the following five stages:
- January 1, 2016: validation of the safety structures/monocoque;
- April 1, 2016: validation of the bodywork and the mechanical components;
- June 1, 2016: validation of the crash test;
- September 1, 2016: presentation of the draft homologation sheet;
- From December 1-15, 2016: inspection and final validation of the car;
The cars must be homologated by, and available for use in January 2017 for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the first race at which the new TUDOR Championship Prototype / LM P2 category regulations will be applied.
Quotes:
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “The Automobile Club de l’Ouest is proud of the work that’s been done on the future LM P2 category regulations, which has resulted in the selection of four prestigious chassis constructors: Dallara, Onroak Automotive, Oreca and Riley Tech/Multimatic.
“Our priority is to supply the teams and drivers entered in this category with the best options and solutions to race in endurance on a long-term basis. Thanks to the decisions taken jointly by the ACO, IMSA and the FIA we have managed to bring together a high-quality pool of constructors which reinforces the interest in the series and its glowing future prospects.
“These new regulations and the provisions that result from them, the first of which is the selection of the four chassis constructors, will lead to more competitive cars, an efficient, cost-capped, viable economic model, a global market for cars that can race in North America, in Asia and in Europe allied to an excellent level of service for the entrants.
“The philosophy of the category has been respected and we have made sure that it has kept the variety of cars so dear to our fans. In the wake of the major manufacturers in LM P1 the new LM P2 regulations, which have attracted these prestigious constructors, is now more than ever the benchmark international competition devoted to private teams, up-and-coming drivers and, depending on the series, top-class gentlemen drivers.”
Scott Atherton, President of the International Motor Sports Association: “The process we followed with our partners at the ACO and the FIA to select these four chassis constructors was unprecedented in its level of professionalism and collaboration among three major governing bodies in international motorsport. It was the most thorough and detailed selection process we’ve ever seen in the sport.
“Arriving at this decision was not easy, as there were many qualified candidates, but it represents a key landmark as we chart the future of the sport in the United States and abroad. However, this is only the beginning. There are many other important stops along the way before we have the honor of debuting the new Prototype at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2017, but this process confirmed a good result and is a major step forward.”
Jean Todt, FIA President: “The FIA is very happy to see such a significant achievement of this new era for LM P2 and sports cars. The FIA, ACO and IMSA have agreed to the unification of sports cars so that the same cars and same teams can race on both sides of the Atlantic. This is further evidence of the FIA’s continuing efforts to pave the way for more sustainable sport and keep costs under control – in this instance working with strong partners during the process.
“Safety has also been at the core of these new LM P2 regulations; they will integrate all of the knowledge that we have developed through current LM P1 regulations, with new requirements such as utilising a closed cockpit, rear crash test and wheel tethers.”
Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, FIA Endurance Commission President: “This is a realistic approach to creating economies of scale and should make endurance racing even more dynamic and attractive. It is also, perhaps, the first time that the global economy of the racing car market has been integrated into the regulations; this 2017 concept for LM P2 and the limitation to four chassis manufacturers will help establish greater return on investment by presenting more opportunities to race the same type of cars, and by avoiding excessive fragmentation of the market.”
Contact:
Nate SiebensSenior Manager, IMSA Communications
(386) 310-6568
nsiebens
Canadians Competing In Continental Tire Challenge Enjoy Spotlight At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
July 8, 2015 Leave a comment
Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.
Canadians Competing In Continental Tire Challenge
Enjoy Spotlight At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
- Stevenson Camaro Has Three-Race Winning Streak
- Mazda’s Dwyer, Carbonell Take Lead In ST Standings
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 8, 2015) – Canadian teams and drivers will enjoy the spotlight when the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge visits Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for Saturday’s Round 5 of the 2015 season.
Multimatic Motorsport – led by Canadian veteran Scott Maxwell – and Mantella Autosport with an all-Canadian lineup give the Grand Sport (GS) class a solid Toronto-based presence. Compass360 Racing – also headquartered in Toronto – brings a two-car attack to the Street Tuner (ST) division.
Multimatic debuted Ford’s Shelby GT350R-C in the most recent race in Watkins Glen, New York two weeks ago. Maxwell won the TOTAL Pole Award and joined co-driver Billy Johnson in leading the race in the No. 15 Ford, while teammates Jade Buford and Austin Cindric finished fourth in the No. 158 entry.
“We’ve proved the car is fast and we’re going to some tracks we like and I think we’ll be a threat for the rest of the year, especially at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, my home track,” said Maxwell, a Toronto resident who also is helping the team develop the new Ford GT for 2016 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship competition. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Mantella Autosport’s two Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.Rs finished in the top 10 at Watkins Glen. Anthony Mantella and Mark Wilkins – both of Toronto – drive the No. 8 Gulf/Spyder/MBRP entry, the only Camaro carrying the iconic Gulf livery. Kyle Marcelli of Barrie and Martin Barkey of Huntsville co-drive the No. 80 MRBP/Praxair/The Sport Lab Camaro.
“It will be great to spend time at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in a racing environment with the people who are as passionate as we are about racing success,” Mantella said. “Obviously, having our biggest sponsor, Gulf Oil, at our home track is very exciting. Cars with the Gulf Oil colors have set records in the infancy of auto racing and have been driven by men whose names reside in the halls of fame. I’m proud to represent them in our series.”
The target for the GS teams is on the back of the No. 6 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R, with co-drivers Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis riding a three-race winning streak. The team is the defending GS winner at the circuit, with Matt Bell – a two-time TOTAL Pole Award winner in 2015 – winning last year’s race co-driving with Andy Lally. Bell returns this year in the No. 9 Camaro with co-driver Lawson Aschenbach.
BMW is coming off its best finish of the season, with Trent Hindman and Ashley Freiberg taking second at Watkins Glen in the No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports IHG Rewards Club/Trim-Tex BMW M3. Doran Racing has scored back-to-back third-place finishes for Brad Jaeger and BJ Zacharias in the No. 14 Nismo GT Academy Nissan 370Z.
Racers Edge Motorsports will have a pair of Canadians in its two-car lineup. Louis-Philippe Montour of Blainville, Quebec joins Nick Galante in the No. 57 Legistics Ford Mustang Boss 302R, while James Vance of Stouffville, Ontario co-drives the No. 78 xBorder Foods & Wine/Bill Houston Ford/The FBI Group Ford Mustang Boss 302R with Chris Beaufait.
Davis and Liddell currently enjoy a 19-point lead atop the GS standings over Rum Bum Racing’s Daytona-winning No. 13 Porsche 911 of brothers Matt and Hugh Plumb, 137-119.
Compass360 Racing Audi Is The Car To Watch In ST
While a late electrical problem resulted in a 16th-place finish for Paul Holton and Kyle Gimple at Watkins Glen, both drivers charged through the pack to the front of the field in the No. 75 Compass360 Racing AERO Advanced Paint Technology/Children’s Tumor Foundation Audi S3.
Holton brought the car up to fifth after starting 22nd for the Canadian team. Gimple took over and worked his way to second before encountering issues following a red flag delay for rain that led to an added pit stop.
“The guys did an amazing job at Watkins Glen,” team owner Karl Thomson said. “That is one of the most electrically complicated cars in the paddock. We’ve made really good strides, but the rain at Watkins Glen threw a curve at us and the car wouldn’t shift. We made some changes on a pit stop, recycled the electronics, and we were all good.”
Compass360 racing also will field the No. 74 Compass360 Racing AERO Advanced Paint Technology/ Children’s Tumor Foundation Audi S3 for Jim McGuire and Nico Rondet.
Liam Dwyer and Andrew Carbonell finished fourth at Watkins Glen to take over the lead in the ST standings. Chad McCumbee and Stevan McAleer scored their first victory of the season at Watkins Glen in CJ Wilson Racing’s No. 5 ModSpace Mazda MX-5, and are tied for second in the standings with Justin Piscitell, two points behind the leaders, 106-104.
Piscitell won the TOTAL Pole Award as a substitute driver for all four ST races this year, driving with Mosing Motorcars/Murillo Racing and Alara Racing. He is still seeking a ride for this weekend.
Sebring winners Greg Liefooghe and Eric Zimmermann are fourth in the points, losing a share of the lead after finishing 18th at Watkins Glen in the No. 83 Next Level European Porsche Cayman. Jason Rabe and Ethan Low, drivers of the No. 31 Visit St. Pete-Clearwater/Delaware Investments Porsche Cayman, are fifth.
Vancouver’s Adam Isman and Remo Ruscitti won last year’s race for Autometrics Motorsports. Isman currently drives the No. 18 RS1 Porsche Cayman, while Ruscitti competes for LAP’s MINI John Cooper Works team. The biggest change in the ST paddock is the addition of Ryan Eversley to the HART lineup. He will co-drive the team’s No. 93 Honda Civic Si with Chad Gilsinger.
Opening practice at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will be on Friday at 10:15 a.m. ET, with qualifying at 5:20 p.m. The two-hour, 30-minute race takes the green flag on Saturday at 1:25 p.m., and will be streamed live on IMSA.com and on the IMSA mobile app.
Contact:
Nate Siebens
Senior Manager, IMSA Communications
(386) 310-6568
nsiebens
Corvette Racing Returns As Defending GTLM Winners At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
July 7, 2015 Leave a comment
Please see attached press release; below is a text-only version.
Corvette Racing Returns As Defending GTLM Winners
At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Corvette, BMW Drivers Share Lead in Standings
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 7, 2015) – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park may be just what the doctor ordered for Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen, defending winners of Sunday’s Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance.
After opening the current TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season with back-to-back victories in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class, the co-drivers of the Corvette Racing No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R have now gone two consecutive events without finishing on the podium. As a result, their once-healthy points lead has evaporated into a tie with BMW drivers Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner, with 157 points each.
“Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is one of the best tracks we go to,” said Garcia, who joined Magnussen in winning both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. “It provides a big challenge with the high speeds and fast corners – definitely a classic track in every sense. It’s unfortunate that Jan and I are going through a stretch of bad luck lately. The good news is that we still lead in GTLM points and we are going back to a place where won last year.”
The race takes the green flag on Sunday at 12:05 a.m. ET, and will be televised live in the U.S. on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 12 p.m. ET. Live television coverage in Canada is available on FOX Sports Racing, with live worldwide coverage available through streaming on the IMSA mobile app and IMSA.com.
Auberlen and Werner have clawed their way into a share of the lead by scoring three consecutive podium finishes in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL IHG Rewards Club BMW Z4 GTLM – including a victory in Long Beach, California.
“What amazes me is we have been on the podium in four out of five races and we are only tied for first,” Auberlen said. “That gives you an idea of how unbelievably competitive the GTLM class is. It’s the best of the best competing at the highest levels of sports car racing. I think at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Dirk and I should just keep doing what we’ve been doing and hope the competition buckles first. We have all the tools to win it this year.”
Tied for third in the GTLM standings with 145 points are John Edwards and Lucas Luhr, drivers of the No. 24 IHG Rewards Club BMW Z4 GTLM, and Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer, drivers of the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 Italia. Edwards and Luhr have three podium finishes this season – including a victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – while Fisichella and Kaffer have a pair of runner-up finishes.
Three other teams will be coming to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with an extra bounce in their step:
- Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers are coming off a GTLM class victory at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International in the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR.
- Porsche North America drivers Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber scored the overall victory in last month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, but will be in separate cars this weekend. Tandy co-drives the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR with Patrick Pilet, while Bamber is with Joerg Bergmeister in the No. 912.
- Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner will co-drive the No. 4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, the same car they drove to victory with Jordan Taylor in the lead GTE-Pro class at Le Mans.
Practice for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance begins at 11:20 a.m. ET on Friday. Qualifying begins on Saturday at 4:40 p.m. ET, and will be streamed live on IMSA.com.
Contact:
Nate SiebensSenior Manager, IMSA Communications
(386) 310-6568
nsiebens
WILSON RETURNS WITH ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT
July 7, 2015 Leave a comment
To view an online version of this email, click here.
WILSON RETURNS WITH ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT Justin Wilson to Pilot No. 25 Honda for Remainder of Verizon IndyCar Series Season
INDIANAPOLIS (July 7, 2015) – Racing veteran Justin Wilson will return to the Verizon IndyCar Series with Andretti Autosport beginning with this weekend’s Milwaukee IndyFest, and will continue to pilot the No. 25 Honda for the remainder of the 2015 season. With 170 Verizon IndyCar Series starts over 13 seasons, the 36-year-old has totaled seven wins, 26-podium finishes, 93 top 10s and over 700 laps led.
“It’s obviously great to be back with Andretti Autosport for the remainder of the season,” said Wilson. “I’m really looking forward to making the most of these five races, and just trying to help the team and Honda as much as I can and try and be successful. It’s not going to be easy jumping in toward the end of the year – everyone’s worked out what they’re looking for from the car and the aero kits, but I think it puts us in good shape for learning things and trying to progress… and hopefully set something up towards next year. We’ll have to take it one step at a time, but the great thing with IndyCar racing is any weekend anyone can win; you just have to make sure you do a good job and do everything as perfect as you can, and that will lead to good results.”
Hailing from Sheffield, England, Wilson began karting at the age of nine, and just a year later began to receive international recognition after becoming a finalist in the McLaren Autosport Bristish Racing Drivers’ Club Young Driver of the Year, providing the beginning stages of his campaign to Formula One racing.
After winning the FIA Formula 3000 championship title in 2001, the Englishman graduated to Formula One in 2003 and earned his first championship points in the United States Grand Prix. After moving his focus to the United States in 2004, Wilson transitioned into IndyCar competition taking his first victory in 2005. The Colorado resident has also stayed active in IMSA competition winning the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
“We are really happy to bring Justin back for the rest of the season,” said team owner Michael Andretti. “He did a really great job for us at the Indianapolis races and is a great addition to the team. The only downside of getting him back in the car is that we weren’t able to do it sooner.”
Wilson most recently joined the four-time IndyCar Championship team for two Verizon IndyCar series events (2015 Grand Prix of Indianapolis and Indy 500), as well as a round of competition in the FIA Formula E Championship. The Indianapolis-based team heads north this weekend for the ABC Supply Company Wisconsin 250 presented by the Metro Milwaukee Honda Dealers, which will air live on NBC Sports Network Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
Corvette DP Drivers Valiante, Westbrook Take Momentum, Points Lead To Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
July 6, 2015 Leave a comment
Please see attached press release; below is a text-only version.
Corvette DP Drivers Valiante, Westbrook Take Momentum,
Points Lead To Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Starworks Motorsport Seeks Third Straight Victory In Prototype Challenge
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 6, 2015) – Canadian racer Michael Valiante picked an opportune time to take over the points lead in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Prototype class.
Valiante, from Burnaby, British Columbia, and his British co-driver, Richard Westbrook, are carrying the momentum of their second victory of the season in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen last month with them and the No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Racing Corvette DP team across the border for the TUDOR Championship’s only visit to Canada in 2015.
They lead defending TUDOR Championship Prototype class champions Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa, who co-drive the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP for Action Express Racing, by five points, 192-187, going into Sunday’s two-hour and 40-minute race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
“This is my home track and we will be doing everything we can to get the win,” said Valiante, who also won earlier this year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Winning would mean a lot for me … it would be very special. Fans should expect an exciting and fast race, and hopefully we will be celebrating a second-consecutive victory on Sunday.”
The race takes the green flag on Sunday at 12:05 a.m. ET, and will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 from noon to 3 p.m. ET.
Also within striking distance of the leaders are Dane Cameron and Eric Curran in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP; Scott Pruett and Joey Hand in the No. 01 Ford EcoBoost/Riley; and brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP.
Other Prototypes include the No. 60 AERO Ligier JS P2 of Ozz Negri and John Pew; the Claro Video/TracFone DeltaWing DWC13 of Katherine Legge and Memo Rojas; and a pair of Mazda Motorsports Prototypes, the No. 70 for Tristan Nunez and Jonathan Bomarito and the No. 07 Castrol/ModSpace entry for Tom Long and Joel Miller.
Starworks Motorsport Seeks Third Straight Win In Prototype Challenge
Renger van der Zande will be reunited with regular co-driver Mirco Schultis in the No. 8 Martini ORECA FLM09, looking for a third-consecutive Prototype Challenge (PC) triumph this weekend for Starworks Motorsport.
Van der Zande and Schultis teamed to give Starworks its first victory of the season at Detroit, with Alex Popow and Mike Hedlund sharing the class victory in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
The points battle is heating up in PC. Tom Kimber-Smith and Mike Guasch finished second at Watkins Glen in the No. 62 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Cuttwood entry to close to within one point of defending class champions Jon Bennett and Colin Braun, 157-156, after the No. 54 CORE autosport Flex-Box/Composite Resources drivers finished fourth.
The PC class features a pair of Canadians. Chris Cumming of Vancouver won earlier this year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with RSR Racing’s Bruno Junqueira, and the duo will again drive the No. 11 AutoMaxUSA ORECA this Sunday.
Mikhail Goikhberg of Vancouver will co-drive with rising star Matt McMurry this weekend for JDC/Miller Motorsports in the No. 85 UndergroundCellar.comentry. Goikhberg is classified third in the PC standings behind the pairings of Bennett/Braun and Guasch/Kimber-Smith and well within striking distance with 149 points, just eight behind the leaders.
Another car to watch is the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports Ric-Man Construction/GO-PUCK/Braille Batteries ORECA FLM09 of Conor Daly and James French. Daly, a two-time Indianapolis 500 competitor in the Verizon IndyCar Series, led the opening 17 laps in the Sahlen’s Six Hours.
This weekend’s race marks the return of the PC class to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park after a year’s absence. The class last raced at the facility as part of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.
Practice for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by the Hawk begins at 11:20 a.m. ET on Friday, with qualifying set for Saturday at 4:40 p.m. ET.
Contact:
Nate SiebensSenior Manager, IMSA Communications
(386) 310-6568
nsiebens
Rainy Conditions Work For Scots Liddell, McAleer In Continental Tire 150 At Watkins Glen International
July 1, 2015 Leave a comment
Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.
Rainy Conditions Work For Scots Liddell, McAleer
In Continental Tire 150 At Watkins Glen International
· Liddell, Davis Score Third Straight In Stevenson Camaro, Pad GS Lead
· McAleer, McCumbee Win ST Class For CJ Wilson Racing In Mazda
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 27, 2015) – After winning Saturday’s Continental Tire 150 at Watkins Glen International for the second consecutive year in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class, Scotland’s Robin Liddell characterized the conditions as, “Typical Scottish weather.”
His countryman, Stevan McAleer, who took the victory in the Street Tuner (ST) class, agreed, as the two-hour and 30-minute race was held in steady rain on Saturday at Watkins Glen International.
It was the third consecutive GS victory for Liddell and co-driver Andrew Davis in the No. 6 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R. Liddell took the lead with one hour remaining, moments before a caution waved for a spin.
From that point, only one lap was run under the green flag, while deteriorating conditions resulted in a 17-minute red-flag stoppage. The field ran three laps under the yellow flag over the final 13 minutes, but conditions did not allow for a final restart.
“I’m not happy to have it finish under the yellow, but of course I’m happy with the result,” said Liddell, who joined Davis in scoring their sixth career Continental Tire Challenge victory – all over the past two seasons. “From my perspective, I really had to think carefully during the red. It’s easy to switch off, but I felt it was dangerous for myself mentally, so I kept thinking this is going to go green, we’re going to get running. I kept thinking this is going to be a 2-3 lap battle to keep focused.”
“Even though our Camaro ran well in the rain, the track was treacherous,” Davis said. “It was really some great racing out there today under these conditions.”
Brothers Hugh and Matt Plumb led three times for 26 of the opening 33 laps in the No. 13 Billfish Foundation/Rum Bum Studios Porsche 911. Matt Plumb bobbled exiting the chicane on the 41st circuit, giving Liddell the opportunity to make a run that allowed him to take the lead exiting Turn 7 of the 3.34-mile circuit.
Moments later, David Russell went off course in the No. 99 Invisible Glass Aston Martin Vantage, bringing out the caution. There was a final restart with 37 minutes remaining, but Corey Lewis went off on the next lap in Turn 1 in the No. 36 Strategic Wealth Designers Porsche Cayman for another caution.
Trent Hindman and Ashley Freiberg finished second in the No. 46 IHG Rewards Club/Trim-Tex BMW M3 – a reversal of fortunes from 2014, when Hindman scored his worst finish of the season en route to winning the Grand Sport (GS) championship.
BJ Zacharias and Brad Jaeger scored their second-consecutive third-place finish in the No. 14 Nismo GT Academy Nissan 370 ZXT, followed by Austin Cindric and Jade Buford in the debut of the No. 158 Ford Racing/Multimatic Ford Shelby GT350R-C.
Scott Maxwell started on the pole and led six laps in the No. 15 Ford Racing/Multimatic Ford Shelby GT350R-C, but was penalized for jumping a restart and finished seventh with co-driver Billy Johnson.
The victory extended the lead of Davis and Liddell in the GS standings to 19 points over the sixth-place finishing Plumb brothers, 137-118.McCumbee Wins First, McAleer Returns CJ Wilson Racing Mazda To Victory Lane
Chad McCumbee passed TOTAL Pole Award winner Justin Piscitell for the lead on the sixth circuit and joined McAleer in dominating the remainder of the event in taking Street Tuner (ST) class honors in the No. 5 CJ Wilson Racing ModSpace Mazda MX-5.
It was the first career victory for McCumbee and third for McAleer, who gave the team owned by Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson its first victory since winning at Watkins Glen in 2013.
“There’s a lot of background of wet-weather driving in Scotland,” McAleer said. “My dad taught me how to find the racing line and understand how the tires work under these conditions. It’s funny to see Robin up here – double winners [from Scotland]. I’m sure the weather helped. Today Chad made the pass for the lead, and I basically paced myself after I took over. We had a little bit left in the bag today.”
“I was content to just ride there in second, but to be honest, it’s a lot easier to see when you’re out in front,” McCumbee said. “When the opportunity came to take the lead, I took it. That’s a big confidence booster for me, to take the lead and then give it to Stevan. I knew he was going to keep it out front.”
Piscitell and Christian Szymczak finished second in the No. 34 Alara Racing Mazda MX-5, followed by Chad Gilsinger and Keven Boehm in the No. 93 HART Honda Civic Si.
USMC Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer and Andrew Carbonell unofficially took over the lead in the ST championship with a fourth-place finish. Seeking the team’s second-consecutive victory in the No. 26 SemperFiFund.org Mazda MX-5, the team was assessed a drive-through penalty for having too many crewmen over the wall on a pit stop. That put Carbonell near the back of the 30-car ST field, but the Miami driver worked his way back to finish fourth.
It was a tough day for the championship leaders who entered the race tied for the ST lead. Eric Zimmermann – who co-drove the No. 83 Next Level European/Red Line Oil Porsche Cayman with Greg Liefooghe – spun in Turn 1 on the second lap to bring out the first caution. The Sebring-winning team lost a lap and finished 18th.
Moments after Carbonell served his penalty, co-leader David Murry was hit from behind shortly after relieving Ted Giovanis in the No. 64 Team TGM BMW 328i and tagged the tire barrier in Turn 6 – forcing the team to take the car behind the wall for repairs.
Carbonell and Dwyer hold an unofficial two-point lead over Piscitell, McCumbee and McAleer, 106-104.
Next up for the Continental Tire Challenge will be at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Saturday, July 11.
Contact:
Nate Siebens
Senior Manager, IMSA Communications
(386) 310-6568
nsiebens
No. 5 Corvette DP Leads Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen At Halfway
July 1, 2015 Leave a comment
No. 5 Corvette DP Leads Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen At Halfway
· Fittipaldi, Barbosa Extend Action Express Patrón Endurance Cup Lead After First Segment
· Le Mans Overall Winner Tandy Leads GTLM Class In Porsche 911 RSR
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 28, 2015) – Taking the lead one lap before the halfway mark of the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP of Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa extended its points lead in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup by scoring the maximum five points in the race’s opening segment.
Barbosa took the lead from Jordan Taylor in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP to open up a seven-point lead (32-25) over Jordan Taylor, and his older brother, Ricky, in No. 10 entry.
Points in the Patrón Endurance Cup are awarded at specific intervals throughout each race – at the three-hour mark and finish at Watkins Glen International – with the leader at the end of each segment scoring five points, four points for second, three points for third, and fourth place on back receiving two points.
The No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR driven by overall 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Nick Tandy and co-driver Patrick Pilet scored the maximum five points by leading at the three-hour mark in GTLM. Tommy Milner was second in the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R, closing the Patrón Endurance Cup gap to four points (31-27) behind the No. 3 Corvette Racing entry of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen, who scored the minimum two points at halfway by running fifth.
In Prototype Challenge (PC), the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport ORECA FLM09 of Alex Popow, Mike Hedlund and Renger van der Zande led, but the season-long Patrón Endurance Cup battle continues between the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports and No. 54 CORE autosport teams. Both teams fell outside of the top three and scored the minimum two points, leaving PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports ahead of CORE autosport by one point (32-31). The No. 85 JDC/Miller Motorsports team is third with 21 points.
The No. 93 Riley Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R team has decided to focus its efforts on the four Patrón Endurance Cup races and drivers Al Carter, Cameron Lawrence and Marc Goossens promptly led the opening segment to extend its lead to four points (32-28) over the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 and drivers Bill Sweedler and Jeff Segal. Sweedler and Segal finished the opening segment in second.
The four-race competition concludes with the 10-hour Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta Saturday, Oct. 3.
FOX Sports 1 is airing the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen until 2 p.m. ET, with FOX Sports 2 assuming coverage through the checkered flag. IMSA.comalso has continued coverage throughout the event with race-day live streaming, in-car cameras, timing and scoring and a live IMSA Radio feed.
NEWS AND NOTES
· The No. 5 Mustang Sampling/Cider Tree Corvette DP from Action Express Racing entered the event with a six-point lead in the Patrón Endurance Cup. After scoring the minimum two points in the opening two segments of the Rolex 24, the team has finished first or second in the six segments since. Drivers Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa have completed every mile of TUDOR Championship competition dating back to the 2014 Rolex 24, the first TUDOR Championship event.
· Seven of the eight competitors in the GTLM class remain on the lead lap. The No. 24 IHG Rewards Club BMW Z4 GTLM of John Edwards and Lucas Luhr was eighth after Edwards made contact with the tire barrier in Turn 8 at the two hour, 40-minute mark.
· After running up front earlier in the race, the No. 007 Royal Purple/Orion Energy/LaSalle Solutions/PassTime USA Aston Martin Vantage of Christina Nielsen and Kuno Wittmer reported to the pits shortly before the halfway mark with an engine miss.
· A pair of early incidents took out two of the top contenders in the PC class. The first full-course caution of the day was issued following an incident involving the No. 11 RSR Racing ORECA FLM09 of Bruno Junqueira after contact with Ozz Negri in the No. 60 Ligier JS P2/Honda from Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian. The No. 38 Performance Tech entry of Conor Daly, James French and Jerome Mee was involved in an incident shortly thereafter, following contact with the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette DP.
· Running on the lead lap for much of the first half of the race, the No. 0 Claro/TracFone DeltaWing Racing DWC13 suffered an issue with the gearbox compressor on a pit stop shortly before the race’s halfway mark. A separate issue with the driveshaft boot has relegated the team to seventh in Prototype.
QUOTEBOARD
Gary Nelson, Team Manager – No. 5 Mustang Sampling/Cider Tree Corvette DP
“We came here with the goal of leading at the halfway point, and we accomplished that. It came right down to the wire, but we’re happy that it happened. Now staying in front at the end is another one of our goals.”
Al Carter, Driver – No. 93 ViperExchange.com Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R
“The way the Patrón Endurance Cup is set up is such a cool thing. It’s like halftime matters in a basketball game. We were jumping around because we had that caution just before [halfway]. It forced us to have a short fuel stop to try to take the lead, and the Scuderia Ferrari did the same thing. We have two races today. We accomplished what we needed to do in race one, now we’ve got to do it again in race two.”
Kevin Buckler, CEO – No. 007 Royal Purple/Orion Energy/LaSalle Solutions Aston Martin Vantage
“Everyone on the team was doing a fantastic job. All of a sudden it went down on power. We’re not sure why, but it looks like something electrical. Christina [Nielsen] is three seconds off the pace – that’s a chunk of power. We’re weighing the value of trying to fix it and go down another lap, vs. going for championship points. We’ll probably keep on going and try to do the best we can.”
Conor Daly, Driver – No. 38 Ric-Man Construction / GO-PUCK / Braille Batteries ORECA FLM09
“There’s a lot of crazy stuff and sadly we were a victim of it. I love these conditions, with the track just between wet and dry. Sadly we’re in the position we are right now, but hopefully we can fix it.”
Ozz Negri, Driver – No. 60 Michel Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian Ligier JS P2/Honda
“I don’t think [Junqueira] saw us rolling on the inside. I went very hard on the brakes to avoid it, but I stuck him in the back. I’m pretty sure he didn’t see me.”
Contact:
Nate Siebens
Senior Manager, IMSA Communications
(386) 310-6568
nsiebens
No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP Wins Sahlen’s Six Hours, First Prototype Team To Win Tw o Races In 2015
July 1, 2015 Leave a comment
Please see attached press release; below is a text-only version.
No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP Wins Sahlen’s Six Hours,
First Prototype Team To Win Two Races In 2015
- Valiante, Westbrook Capture Prototype Points Lead
- Starworks Motorsport Claims Second-Consecutive PC Victory
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 28, 2015) – The final hour of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International saw its fair share of action and excitement, not least of which was the first repeat Prototype (P) class winner of the 2015 season by the No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Racing Corvette DP driven by Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante.
The team’s first victory of the year came at the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix Powered by Mazda at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May.
After a 14-minute stoppage for rain with less than two hours remaining, then-race leader Ricky Taylor in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP made contact with the tire barrier at the exit of Turn 10. Needing fuel to make it to the finish, Christian Fittipaldi pitted the No. 5 Mustang Sampling/Cedar Tree Corvette DP under green anticipating a caution due to the large debris left on the track from No. 10. The caution did not come until later, and the No. 5 team also was penalized issued for speeding through pit lane.
The No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Ford EcoBoost/Riley DP of Joey Hand inherited the lead. He led under a lengthy full-course caution in wet conditions and took the the green flag on a restart with 16 minutes left, running low on fuel.
Hand lost the lead to Westbrook when he pitted for fuel. Shortly thereafter, the race’s final full-course caution came out for an incident involving the No. 007 Aston Martin Vantage GT Daytona car of Kuno Wittmer. Westbrook took the checkered flag under caution.
Hand and co-driver Scott Pruett finished second, followed by Fittipaldi and co-driver Joao Barbosa in the No. 5 entry. The result enabled the No. 5 team to continue to lead the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup Prototype standings after three of four races.
Van der Zande, Hedlund, Popow Give Starworks Motorsport Second Straight In PCThere’s something about wet weather that seems to agree with Starworks Motorsport and Renger van der Zande, as the team picked up their second consecutive Prototype Challenge race victory in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. The team also won in the wet last month at the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers.
This weekend, van der Zande joined forces with Alex Popow and Mike Hedlund for the victory, as regular co-driver Mirco Schultis was unavailable. It was van der Zande’s fifth career TUDOR Championship victory and Popow’s ninth victory across TUDOR Championship, American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series competition. It was the first win for Hedlund.
Mike Guasch, Tom Kimber-Smith and Andrew Palmer finished second in the No. 52 Cuttwood/Spyder ORECA FLM09 for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports; followed by Martin Plowman, Daniel Burkett and Matt McMurry in the No. 16 BAR1 Motorsports ORECA FLM09. The PR1/Mathiasen team continues to lead the Patrón Endurance Cup standings heading to the season-ending Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda in October.
NEWS AND NOTES· The No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports Ric Man Construction/GO-PUCK/Braille Batteries ORECA FLM09 driven by Conor Daly pulled out to a solid early lead, but fell back due to an ill-timed pit stop and a pair of on-track incidents.
· The next event for the TUDOR Championship will be the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix Presented by Hawk Performance on Sunday, July 12.
QUOTEBOARD
Richard Westbrook, Driver – No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Racing Corvette DP
“We had plenty in the tank actually. When Michael pitted the last time when he came in under his own, I knew we’d be in good shape and that was it until the end. It was super fun out there, especially when it was raining out there and we were on slicks. I think the officials did a great job today, with the red flagging and the standing water. They made some great tough calls today. But without the wiper at the end, it was tough to even see the safety car at the end. Then when it came out with the caution at the end, it was all about keeping if off the paint and just bringing it to the end.”
Michael Valiante, Driver – No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Racing Corvette DP
“I wasn’t feeling great over the last three days, but Richard and I were talking before the race just to stay safe during these conditions. We didn’t have the pace, but we tried to keep our head down and keep out of trouble. At one point we lost a windshield wiper and it made it hard to see. Then we had some electrical issues, but we kept trying, and took advantage of the (No.) 01 car there at the end. It’s great to be leading the championship now, but I’ve learned from past years of racing that you can’t focus on that.”
Joey Hand, Driver – No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Ford EcoBoost/Riley DP
“We ran dry; we couldn’t have done our last lap. We did as much as we could leading up to the yellow. So at that situation we decided to try and build a gap and they told me to build one as big as possible. But it was so bad with the water on the mirrors, you couldn’t see out the back. It was so weird in the wet, I really like the rain, when they said go for it, I could just go for it. When I woke up this morning, I thought, today’s the day. It was crazy and it was hectic, but that’s what I live for, that’s why I like to race.”
Renger van der Zande, Driver – No. 8 Starworks Motorsport ORECA FLM09
“I knew we were strong in the wet, you could see that in the race. We had a 30-second gap, up until the pit stop. We replaced a rear wing, because we had confidence we could get it back. (Team owner) Peter Baron is a master at tactics for the race. For the next race we are really sorted with the car. The speed is in there, we are on a roll and if nothing happens we can fight here for the championship.”
Alex Popow, Driver – No. 8 Starworks Motorsport ORECA FLM09
“I’m finally happy to win the Sahlen’s Six Hours. I’ve been here with Starworks team for the last five or six years, every time something happens. We have been one of the fastest cars out there, but it was always something. This car, the team did a great job, it was a fast car right off the truck. We kept the car running right. Renger did an awesome job in the rain, keeping the car straight. Just a great job. We did some changes on the car during the race, but every single call the team made was perfect. It was great.”
Contact:
Nate Siebens
Senior Manager, IMSA Communications
(386) 310-6568
nsiebens
Sunday Group Management 