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Barbosa Going for Two in a Row at Mid-Ohio, Five Years Apart

For Immediate Release Barbosa Going for Two in a Row at Mid-Ohio, Five Years Apart May 1, 2018 Staff Report IMSA Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R driver Joao Barbosa will be looking to continue two different winning streaks when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returns to action this Sunday in the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio. The two-hour, 40-minute race marks the return of IMSA competition to the historic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio for the first time since a GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race in 2013. Sunday’s race will be televised live on FS2 beginning at 1 p.m. ET, with live IMSA Radio coverage also available on IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and SiriusXM Radio. When the green flag drops, Barbosa will not only be looking for his second consecutive WeatherTech Championship victory and third in four races this season alongside co-driver Filipe Albuquerque. He also will be looking for his second straight Mid-Ohio win, after taking the GRAND-AM win in 2013 alongside Christian Fittipaldi, his and Albuquerque’s Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup teammate and current Action Express Racing sporting director. “I’m really looking forward to going to Mid-Ohio,” Barbosa said. “It’s a great racetrack. Obviously, it was a shame when the track got out of the schedule. I think a lot of drivers really like to go there. It’s a place with a lot of history. It’s very technical. “It’s really, really good to go there, especially with these new cars. It should be really fast there. I’m excited to go back to Mid-Ohio this year.” As will be the case at a majority of events this season, Albuquerque’s first as a full-time driver in the WeatherTech Championship, this weekend will mark the Portuguese driver’s first visit to Mid-Ohio. That seemed to work out okay for him in the most recent WeatherTech Championship race, the BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach on April 14, which he and Barbosa won. His approach heading into this weekend’s race will be similar. “Joao and Christian and the team tell me all about it, that it’s a great track,” said Albuquerque, who also opened the year with a victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona alongside his No. 5 teammates. “Doing IMSA, I know there are many nice tracks around and I’m super happy to be doing this championship to know these tracks. “I’m going to do some laps on a simulator. Obviously, it helps like it did to come [to Long Beach]. I have a great team to support me and to tell me what I should do and to be aware of critical points on the track.” Barbosa is expecting close racing and tough competition on the 2.238-mile, 13-turn road course. “It’s going to be very challenging, especially with all the different classes and a lot of cars on a pretty narrow track,” Barbosa said. “There’s not a lot of room to overtake, so the GT traffic is going to play a key role in how we’re going to manage traffic and how the race is going to go. “It’s going to be very challenging because of that. I think it might decide the race, the way different cars manage the traffic. Historically, the GT guys don’t give you a lot of room. At Mid-Ohio, it’s very easy to block, so it’s going to make for an interesting race, for sure.” Along with working on extending their winning streak, Barbosa and Albuquerque also will be looking to extend their lead in the WeatherTech Championship point standings. With three races in the books and seven more to go, they lead their AXR teammates, Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr, by five points, 91-86. “It’s important to be consistent and to get as many points as possible,” Barbosa said. “We know it’s not going to be easy for the rest of the year. Competition is very strong in every race. It’s not because we’ve won two races that we think we’re going to win the rest. “We’re still working as hard as we did before winning the races. The plan is to win more races, but we have to keep working as hard and harder to keep up with the competition and to make sure we can win more races in the future.” The future starts Sunday. Tickets are available now at MidOhio.com. ‌ ‌ ‌

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IMSA Wire: Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio – Entry List Notebook

For Immediate Release Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio – Entry List Notebook April 25, 2018 Staff Report IMSA Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will make its first visit to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, marking IMSA’s first appearance at the circuit since a GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series event in 2013, for the two-hour and 40-minute Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, May 6. The race features a 35-car entry list across three WeatherTech Championship classes, Prototype (P) with 14 entries, GT Le Mans (GTLM) with eight, and GT Daytona (GTD) – which returns to action after sitting out last month’s BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach – with 13 entries. FS2 will have live television coverage of the race beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Live IMSA Radio coverage is available on IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and via SiriusXM Radio. Tickets are available now at MidOhio.com. The provisional WeatherTech Championship entry list can be viewed here. *Notes: – Of the 70 drivers on the entry list, 16 of them have won at least one IMSA race at Mid-Ohio, despite a five-year gap since the last IMSA race at the venue. Each of the three class-leading cars in the WeatherTech Championship point standings has one driver in the lineup with a previous Mid-Ohio win. – The Prototype class-leading No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R lineup includes Joao Barbosa, who won the last IMSA (GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series) race at Mid-Ohio in 2013 in an Action Express Racing Corvette DP. Barbosa and his current No. 5 co-driver, Filipe Albuquerque, have won two of this season’s first three races, the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in January and at Long Beach earlier this month. – In the GTLM class, the points-leading No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT includes driver Richard Westbrook, who won in the GRAND-AM DP class and overall at Mid-Ohio in 2012 in a Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette DP. Westbrook and his No. 67 co-driver Ryan Briscoe won in GTLM at Daytona this year and earned their second podium result of the season with a second-place result in Long Beach. – The GTD points-leading No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 includes driver Bryan Sellers, who took an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT class win in 2011. So far in 2018, Sellers and co-driver Madison Snow finished third at Daytona and won the GTD class in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts last month. And while he hasn’t won at Mid-Ohio yet, Snow’s mother and father, Melanie and Martin Snow, won the ALMS Challenge class at the track in 2009. – No. 4 Corvette Racing driver Oliver Gavin and No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 driver Bill Auberlen are the winningest active IMSA drivers at Mid-Ohio with four wins each. – Gavin is looking for his second consecutive WeatherTech Championship victory after winning at Long Beach alongside No. 4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R driver Tommy Milner earlier this month. Milner also owns one previous Mid-Ohio victory, which came with Gavin in the ALMS GT class in 2012. – After racing in the GTLM class the past several years with BMW Team RLL, Auberlen is returning to a team with which he’s had considerable success, Turner Motorsport, which fields the No. 96 BMW in the GTD class. Auberlen – who will co-drive at Mid-Ohio with 2017 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Grand Sport (GS) champion Dillon Machavern – has earned three of his four Mid-Ohio wins with the Turner team, taking GRAND-AM GT class wins in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Machavern is another driver with an IMSA race-winning parent at Mid-Ohio. His father, Dave Machavern, won in the GRAND-AM GTS class in 2003. – Among drivers in the Prototype class, Johannes van Overbeek has the most previous wins at Mid-Ohio with three, the most recent coming in the ALMS GT2 class in 2007. Van Overbeek and his No. 22 Tequila Patrón ESM co-driver, Pipo Derani, are looking for their second victory of the 2018 season after winning the Prototype class and overall at Sebring last month. The Sebring win was the second for both drivers. – Another driver with three previous IMSA wins at Mid-Ohio is Wolf Henzler. The German driver will make his first WeatherTech Championship start since the 2017 event at Circuit of The Americas, sharing the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R with Michael Schein in the GTD class. Henzler’s most recent Mid-Ohio win came alongside Sellers in a Team Falken Tire Porsche in the ALMS GT class in 2011. – Corvette Racing is the winningest active IMSA team at Mid-Ohio with a total of eight victories. Three of the four drivers in the team’s current lineup, Gavin, Milner and No. 3 Corvette driver Jan Magnussen, have previous Mid-Ohio wins. Magnussen will be looking for his third Mid-Ohio victory alongside co-driver Antonio Garcia, who has yet to win at the venue. – Four of the eight cars in the GTLM class have drivers with previous Mid-Ohio victories, including the aforementioned No. 67 Ford GT and the Nos. 3 and 4 Corvette. Both of the No. 66 Ford GT co-drivers also have won previously at the venue. Dirk Mueller won the ALMS GT2 class in 2008, while Joey Hand won the GRAND-AM GT class in 2010 alongside Auberlen. Hand also managed to avoid injury in a spectacular, end-over-end crash in the 2006 GRAND-AM race at Mid-Ohio. – Porsche is the winningest manufacturer at Mid-Ohio with 22 victories since 2000, leading its next-closest competitor, Chevrolet, by eight victories. Ten of the 13 participating manufacturers in this year’s race have won previously at Mid-Ohio. Previous Mid-Ohio Race-Winning Drivers in 2018 Field (16) Oliver Gavin – (4) GRAND-AM SRP/Overall – 2001 ALMS GT1 – 2006, 2007, ALMS GT – 2012 Bill Auberlen – (4) GRAND-AM GT – 2004, 2010, 2012, 2013 Johannes van Overbeek (3) ALMS GT – 2004, ALMS GT2 – 2006, 2007 Wolf Henzler – (3) ALMS GT2 – 2006, GRAND-AM GT – 2006, ALMS GT – 2011 Jan Magnussen – (2) ALMS LMP900/Overall – 2001, ALMS GT1 – 2008 Andy Lally – (2) GRAND-AM SRPII – 2001, GRAND-AM GT – 2007 Jeroen Bleekemolen – (2) ALMS GTC – 2010, 2012 Justin Marks – (1) GRAND-AM GT – 2004 Dirk Mueller – (1) ALMS GT2 – 2008 Patrick Long – (1) ALMS GT2 – 2009 Joey Hand – (1) GRAND-AM GT – 2010 Ryan Dalziel – (1) GRAND-AM DP/Overall – 2011 Bryan Sellers – (1) ALMS GT – 2011 Tommy Milner – (1) ALMS GT – 2012 Richard Westbrook – (1) GRAND-AM DP/Overall – 2012 Joao Barbosa (1) GRAND-AM DP/Overall – 2013 Previous Mid-Ohio Pole Winners in 2018 Field (10) Oliver Gavin – (3) ALMS GTS – 2004, ALMS GT1 – 2005, 2007 Patrick Long – (2) GRAND-AM DP/Overall – 2006, ALMS GT2 – 2006 Jordan Taylor – (2) GRAND-AM GT – 2010, GRAND-AM DP/Overall – 2013 John Edwards – (2) GRAND-AM GT – 2012, 2013 Andy Lally – (1) GRAND-AM SRPII – 2001 Bill Auberlen – (1) GRAND-AM GT – 2004 Justin Marks – (1) GRAND-AM GT – 2005 Lawson Aschenbach – (1) GRAND-AM GT – 2008 Jeroen Bleekemolen – (1) ALMS GTC – 2010 Joey Hand – (1) ALMS GT – 2011 Previous Mid-Ohio Race-Winning Teams in 2018 Field (7) Corvette Racing – (8) ALMS GTS – 2001, 2002, 2004; ALMS GT1 – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; ALMS GT – 2012 Acura Team Penske – (3) ALMS LMP2/Overall – 2006, 2007; ALMS LMP2 – 2008 Chip Ganassi Racing – (3) GRAND-AM DP/Overall – 2004, 2009, 2010 Turner Motorsport – (3) GRAND-AM GT – 2010, 2012, 2013 AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports – (1) ALMS PC – 2012 Action Express Racing – (1) GRAND-AM DP/Overall – 2013 Spirit of Daytona Racing – (2) GRAND-AM AGT – 2000, GRAND-AM DP/Overall – 2012 Previous Mid-Ohio Race-Winning Manufacturers in 2018 Field (Since 2000) Porsche – 22 Chevrolet – 14 BMW – 8 Audi – 5 Lexus – 3 Mazda – 3 Acura – 2 Ferrari – 2 Ford – 2 Nissan – 2 *All statistics are taken from GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series ‌ ‌ ‌

IMSA Wire: Estep Leads Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Back to Barber

For Immediate Release Estep Leads Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Back to Barber April 18, 2018 Staff Report IMSA Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After a victory and a runner-up result in last month’s season-opening doubleheader at Sebring International Raceway, 18-year-old driver Trenton Estep leads a 24-car Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama field to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend for Rounds 3 and 4 of the 16-race 2018 season. Estep won the season-opening race on Thursday, March 15 in the No. 3 JDX Racing Porsche 911, taking the lead from Roman De Angelis nine laps into what would be a 20-lap race before the 45-minute time limit ran out. In the second race the following morning, Estep took the lead again from De Angelis with three to go, but he and the Canadian tangled in the 17th and final turn on the 3.74-mile circuit on the race’s last lap, forcing both cars to spin and giving Will Hardeman his first series victory. Nevertheless, the youngster from San Antonio, Texas recovered to finish second and leave Sebring with the points lead in the Platinum Cup point standings for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars built in the last two years. Estep is four points ahead of Hardeman, 67-63, heading into this weekend’s pair of races on the 2.38-mile, 15-turn circuit in Birmingham, Alabama as part of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama race weekend. “This year has brought some new guys in,” said Estep of his 2018 competition. “For example, Roman De Angelis, he’s also a really good friend of mine and an unbelievable competitor. Last year, it was the most competitive year to date for GT3 Cup and I think this year has topped it. There’s definitely a long season ahead of us and we’ll just have to see how it goes.” This year is Estep’s second in the GT3 Cup Challenge USA. Originally, he was on a path that may have seen him competing in one of the other events on the Grand Prix of Alabama weekend, but he made a big decision heading into 2017. That decision ultimately placed him with JDX Racing and team founder and co-owner Jeremy Dale. “It’s kind of a funny story how we got in touch with Jeremy,” Estep said. “He was actually asking me to do his (SCCA) Formula 4 program. I managed to win a championship and we were looking for teams and Jeremy contacted us to run the F4 program, but I was in the middle of the Mazda Road to Indy stuff. “I had to foresee my future and didn’t have enough funds to continue up the ladder. It takes a lot of financial backing to do so. Through my research and just being at races, sports cars offered more opportunity, so that was my response to Jeremy. I said, ‘Thank you but no thank you. We’re going to look to go the sports car route.’ He said, ‘Well that’s perfect. I have a Porsche GT3 Cup team that I’d like you to look at.’” With that, Estep’s GT3 Cup Challenge USA and sports car career were both underway. He joined JDX for the 2017 season and finished third in the final Platinum Cup season standings, scoring victories at Circuit of The Americas and Road Atlanta. He also finished on the podium in both races at Barber last year with a third-place result in Race 1 and a second place in Race 2. He’s looking forward to applying what he learned last year, and in a preseason test earlier this year, when he returns to the track this weekend. “We did some preseason testing up there in Barber beforehand and we found some stuff out that we didn’t find out last year, so I think we have a really strong car this year,” said Estep. “Hopefully, I can just do my job and we can walk out with a win.” It’ll be easier said than done, though, with a strong field of competitors. In addition to Hardeman, who’s looking to build a winning streak in the No. 19 Moorespeed Porsche, he’s likely to have his hands full with De Angelis in the No. 1 Kelly-Moss Road and Race entry with strong local support from the Children’s Hospital of Alabama. De Angelis led the most laps in both races at Sebring and is looking to avenge the fact that he’s still winless on the season. There are others as well. “Anthony Imperato [in the No. 91 Wright Motorsports entry] is always at the top of the time charts as well,” Estep said. “We have a good group of guys. It’ll be a strong season, for sure.” Having made the decision to pursue a career in sports car racing, Estep is hoping to parlay success in the GT3 Cup Challenge USA into even bigger things going forward. “My goal is definitely to stay in sports cars and move up the ranks through there,” he said. “My goal is to be – hopefully one day – a Porsche factory driver or a factory driver for any major car manufacturer.” He won’t have to wait long for his next chance to impress his prospective future employers. After a pair of practice sessions on Friday, Saturday’s schedule opens with a 15-minute qualifying session for GT3 Cup Challenge USA, followed by Race 1 of the doubleheader weekend from 11:50 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. CT. The starting grid for Sunday’s second race will be established by Race 1 fastest lap times. The 45-minute Race 2 starts at 8:45 a.m. CT. Both races will be streamed live on IMSA.com. The weekend entry list includes 17 Platinum Cup entries and seven Gold Cup entries for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars built between 2014 and 2016. Victor Gomez, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, leads the Gold Cup standings through his pair of class victories at Sebring in the No. 25 NGT Motorsport Porsche. ‌ ‌ ‌

IMSA Wire: Team TGM ‘Confronting Adversity’ During Challenging 2017 Season

Team TGM ‘Confronting Adversity’ During Challenging 2017 Season

Aug. 23, 2017

Staff Report

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It’s hard to argue that any other team in the Grand Sport (GS) class of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge has had worse luck this season than Team TGM.

Team TGM, which stands for T. Giovanis Motorsports, entered this season with two full-time drivers in team owner Ted Giovanis and co-driver Guy Cosmo, with the addition of Hugh Plumb to assist with the two four-hour races at Daytona International Speedway and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Giovanis eventually made the decision early in the year to bring Plumb on board full-time, and all three drivers would pilot two cars, the No. 4 and No. 46 Porsche Cayman GT4 MRs.

But a string of unfortunate events has seen that plan turn into only Plumb and Cosmo driving the No. 4, after Giovanis suffered a torn Achilles tendon as a result of a practice incident at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in early July.

Both cars withdrew from that event due to incidents, did not compete at the following race at Lime Rock Park, and the one car brought to Road America earlier this month was also forced to withdraw due to a practice incident.

“When I fell by the wayside, a lot of people basically said ‘Well, we’re probably not going to do anything from now on,’” said Giovanis, who underwent surgery five weeks ago. “Well, all I did was plug Hugh into the car with Cosmo and this is where we are.

“The testament of a team is not necessarily how well they do but how well they confront adversity. That’s sort of what you’re seeing. We’re confronting adversity. We look for reasons, we look for answers and fix them and go on. There’s a vision followed by plans and the plans didn’t work out, but the vision never changed.”

Giovanis’ recovery is going well, but as he pointed out, full recovery can’t come soon enough for a racecar driver.

“I have two jobs,” Giovanis said. “My jobs are running the (JKTG) Foundation [a primary sponsor of the car that focuses on health policy and cancer research] and being a racecar driver. So, I look at my rehab as doing my job and I think the guys, Hugh and Cosmo, they understand that I’m trying to get back.

“(The doctors) all say I’m doing really well, ahead of other patients they’ve had who have had similar surgeries, but yet it’s not fast enough for me. I’m ready to get on the gas and I can’t do it yet. What do I have to do to get back to walking again? What do I have to do to get in a car again? And what do I have to do to get in a racecar again? Those are sort of my milestones.”

Giovanis is also making sure his injury doesn’t limit the support he is able to give his team. He made the trip to Road America and plans to travel to each of the remaining three races this year, with the next stop being VIRginia International Raceway for the Biscuitville Grand Prix this weekend.

And if there’s one track that could turn the team’s luck around, it’s VIR. Cosmo won there in the Street Tuner (ST) class in 2003 and Plumb has three wins of his own at the circuit (ST in 2006, and GS in 2008 and 2015).

“Some tracks you just seem to have good showings at,” said Plumb. “I like the racetrack a lot and I think it’s got a lot of different things to offer. The word luck or whatever it is outside of hard work, talent, it’s just one of those things that that’s where the stars have aligned.

“When you have lots of bad luck, you start to wonder what is going on? I think it would be easier to rationalize if somebody made a mistake. I’m hoping going into VIR that we’ve had all of our bad luck because we just need to let the talent of the team, the hard work, commitment, all of the above, of Ted and the team really shine.”

And there’s one competitor in particular that Plumb especially has his eye on – younger brother, Matt Plumb, who co-drives the No. 76 C360R McLaren GT4.

“The funny thing is (my three wins) all have been with my brother, Matt, so that’s been great. This weekend, I hope to do the same thing, but beat my brother. He can be second this time.”

BimmerWorld Hoping Home Track Brings Good Luck

As the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge heads into its eighth of ten races on the 2017 schedule, there’s one team in the Street Tuner (ST) paddock hoping that VIRginia International Raceway grants a little magic to one of its own.

With its team shop located in Dublin, Virginia, BimmerWorld Racing, comprised of the Nos. 81 and 84 BMW 328i racecars, is more than familiar with the 3.27-mile circuit located less than three hours away.

“I think we’re looking good for the weekend,” said BimmerWorld President and No. 84 co-driver James Clay. “VIR is our home track and certainly the one we test at the most, so I think we come there knowing certainly the track, but all the nuances of the track, the pavement as it currently exists and how to optimize our cars on the track.”

In what the team hopes to be another good luck charm, this upcoming weekend marks a celebration of sorts for Clay and his co-driver Tyler Cooke, who both celebrated birthdays within the last week. Putting the car on the podium for the second time this year would be the best present.

Clay, who has played a large part in the development and success of the BMW 328i, is just one piece of the puzzle that makes up BimmerWorld’s unique driver lineup. He pilots the No. 84 with Cooke, the youngest of the bunch at 23 years old. In the No. 81 are Ari Balogh, who brings an extensive business and technical background to the team, with Greg Liefooghe, who has the most Continental Tire Challenge starts of the group at 76.

“I like our team and I’m sure as most teams would say, I feel like we’re a tight-knit family,” said Clay. “When running the team, I like a little bit of diversity and I think we’ve certainly got that. I think we all learn certain things from each other and I think the spread of drivers that we have under our awning is really a benefit to us as a team and as a racing team business in creating a well-rounded package.”

While the 2017 season has dealt a wave of challenges to the four drivers throughout the year, including a withdrawal at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park by the No. 81 after an incident in practice, the No. 84 sits sixth in the point standings after recording six top-ten finishes in the seven races this year.

Regardless of the outcome of the last three races of the season, though, the offseason won’t be one of rest and relaxation for the BimmerWorld camp. The team’s 2018 plans include a move up to the Grand Sport class in the Continental Tire Challenge, which is set to feature only those racecars with global GT4 technical specifications and which a wealth of manufacturers have already committed to for the upcoming year.

“As a GT4 car, it’s not a car that we spend time developing,” Clay said, which allows the team’s focus to remain on the final three races of the current season. “That’s really on the factory to deliver the car. At some point in the near future, we’ll have two cars on our doorstep and we’ll start testing and wrapping our heads around the cars. But really there’s not a lot of pregaming and planning for us to do, other than putting the team together and making sure we have the driver lineup set, which is what I’m currently working on.”

The Biscuitville Grand Prix at VIRginia International Raceway is set for Saturday, August 26 at 2:10 p.m. ET and can be watched live on IMSA.com.

IMSA Wire: VISIT FLORIDA Racing Eager for Ligier Debut at Road America

VISIT FLORIDA Racing Eager for Ligier Debut at Road America

July 31, 2017

Staff Report

IMSA Wire Service

For several teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Prototype class, this weekend’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America starts a championship push with just three races remaining on the schedule. But for others, the final three races are more about looking ahead and gathering information for the 2018 WeatherTech Championship season.

One of those teams is VISIT FLORIDA Racing, which recently took delivery of the Ligier LM P2 race car that will make its maiden race appearance this weekend at Road America.

It’s been an up-and-down season for VISIT FLORIDA Racing and drivers Renger van der Zande and Marc Goossens. The Daytona Beach-based team opened the season with a podium finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but in the five races since has seen a best finish of fifth, which came in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International.

“We have seen what the Ligier JS P217 is capable of, not only here in IMSA, but also in Europe as well, so we are eager to get to the track and learn about the JS P217 at Road America,” said team owner Troy Flis. “I’m impressed with the customer support that Onroak Automotive has in place, and I have known Max Crawford for a long time so that relationship is another key element for us and VISIT FLORIDA to make this commitment.”

While debuting a new car this late in the season is a unique challenge, Road America is a track that both the team and drivers are comfortable with. Van der Zande and Goossens have each won at the four-mile track in IMSA competition, and VISIT FLORIDA Racing has competed at the track in both GRAND-AM and WeatherTech Championship competition, finishing fourth in 2014.

“For me it is going to be an exciting weekend, because we made the jump to the Ligier for the final three races,” said van der Zande, who won at Road America in the Prototype Challenge (PC) class in 2014. “We struggled to get the pace so far in our car this year, and it shows the will of VISIT FLORIDA Racing to make so much effort with a new car for us for the end of the season. A big thanks to the team for doing that. We’ve already had some good support from Ligier, so it will be a big help going into the weekend as far as setup. Hopefully we can be fast and competitive and fight for a podium.”

“Of course, we are looking forward to the weekend as it is some sort of a new start for us because of the different package we will run there at Road America,” added Goossens, who won the American Le Mans Series GT race in 2013, the first victory for the SRT Viper program. “We will see how the shake-down test goes this week and then look to build on that by the time we get to the race weekend.”

As for those teams racing for the championship with just three Prototype races remaining, Wayne Taylor Racing and drivers Ricky and Jordan Taylor carry a 19-point lead into Road America in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R.

After winning the first five races of the season, the Konica Minolta team has failed to finish on the podium the last two events, potentially opening the door for second-place Action Express Racing and drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R.

Misha Goikhberg and Stephen Simpson enter Road America third in points, 26 points back, in the No. 85 ORECA for JDC/Miller Motorsports after back-to-back podiums, while Action Express Racing’s No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R of Dane Cameron and Eric Curran won the most recent race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and sits fourth in the Prototype standings, 27 points back.

The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase can be seen live on FS1 on Sunday, Aug. 6, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Continental Tire Road Race Showcase At Road America Set For 35 WeatherTech Championship Race Cars Among Four Classes

Continental Tire Road Race Showcase At Road America Set For

35 WeatherTech Championship Race Cars Among Four Classes

Aug. 6 Race At Popular Wisconsin Circuit Expected To Play Pivotal Role In Championship

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 26, 2017) – After nearly a one-month break, the Prototype class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returns to headline a four-class race at the four-mile Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Sunday, Aug. 6. The two-hour, 40-minute Continental Tire Road Race Showcase will be televised live on FS1 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET, with live IMSA Radio commentary also available on IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and SiriusXM Radio.

The Prototypes last raced on July 9 in the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in a race won by No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R co-drivers Eric Curran and Dane Cameron. It was the second consecutive CTMP victory for Curran and Cameron, who also won the 2016 WeatherTech Championship Prototype championship.

The No. 31 duo will be going for their third consecutive Road America victory, winning overall in both 2015 and last year. Cameron is riding a three-race Road America win streak, as he also won the GT Daytona (GTD) class at the venue in 2014. Therefore, the No. 31rates among the one of the favorites in the eight-car Prototype field.

The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase kicks off the final third of the WeatherTech Championship season and will go a long way toward identifying potential championship contenders in all four classes.

By virtue of their five victories to open the season, No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R co-drivers Jordan and Ricky Taylor hold a comfortable, 19-point lead in the Prototype driver standings over No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac co-drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi – who won at Road America in 2014. However, the Taylor brothers will be looking to rebound after back-to-back difficult races at Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

The GT Le Mans (GTLM) class championship battle is considerably closer, with seven points separating co-leaders and teammates Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R from second-place Alexander Sims and Bill Auberlen in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M6 GTLM, with third-place teammates Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller 15 points back in the No. 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT.

Last year’s epic GTLM battle at Road America had huge implications on the final championship standings. Tommy Milner went from fifth place – and what would be a deficit in the championship standings – on a restart with five minutes remaining to Victory Lane in the No. 4 Corvette alongside co-driver Oliver Gavin. The win gave them a points lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the season. GTLM also features eight entries for Road America.

The GTD class brings a wide-open battle and a 16-car field to Road America. Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen won last year in a Dodge Viper and return this year sharing the No. 33 Riley Motorsports-Team AMG Mercedes-AMG GT3 looking to add a third victory to their 2017 win total. They won earlier this year in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida and the Advance Auto Parts Sportscar Showdown at Circuit of The Americas.

Leading the GTD standings are defending series champions Alessandro Balzan and Christina Nielsen in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3. The No. 63 teammates are 17 points ahead of Keating and Bleekemolen.

Local race fans will have one of their own to root for in the Prototype Challenge (PC) class, as Sheboygan, Wisconsin – resident James French will team with Pato O’Ward in the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports ORECA FLM09. French and O’Ward have won every race the PC class thus far in 2017.

Practice for the WeatherTech Championship Continental Tire Road Race Showcase gets under way Friday, Aug. 4, with the first of two, hour-long practice sessions starting at 12:20 p.m. ET (11:20 a.m. local time). Friday’s second session starts at 5:10 p.m. ET.

Saturday, Aug. 5 opens with another WeatherTech Championship practice from 9:55 to 10:55 a.m. ET, followed by qualifying from 1:35 to 3:05 p.m. ET. Saturday’s schedule also includes the two-hour Road America 120 for the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase takes the green flag at 2:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 6. The weekend schedule also includes a tripleheader of races for the IMSA-sanctioned Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, one of which being the postponed event from Watkins Glen International back in July, as well as a doubleheader for Lamborghini Super Trofeo.

WeatherTech Championship qualifying and all of the weekend’s races will be streamed live on IMSA.com with IMSA Radio commentary. Tickets for the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase are available now at RoadAmerica.com.

Contact:

Nate Siebens

Senior Manager, IMSA Communications

(386) 310-6568

nsiebens

imsa-road-am-entrylist-rls.pdf

Road America IWSC Pre-Event Entry List.pdf

IMSA Wire: Camaro GT4.R Gets First Continental Tire Challenge Win at CTMP

Camaro GT4.R Gets First Continental Tire Challenge Win at CTMP

July 8, 2017
Staff Report
IMSA Wire Service

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada – Well, that didn’t take very long.

In just its third IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race, the brand-new No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R found its way to Victory Lane in an exciting two-hour battle at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Saturday afternoon.

Robin Liddell and Matt Bell – two drivers who won Continental Tire Challenge races in the previous generation Camaro – did the honors for the No. 57 team. Liddell took over for Bell – who ran inside the top five throughout his opening stint behind the wheel – during the race’s only full-course caution, for a heavy crash involving Jared Salinsky in the No. 52 MINI just before 50 minutes had elapsed. Salinsky was not injured.

On the ensuing restart just past the halfway point, Liddell got a good run on race leader Jesse Lazare in the No. 69 Motorsports In Action McLaren GT4 going into Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s famed Moss Corner and claimed the lead. Adding insult to injury for Lazare was a drive-through penalty he received for failing to slow to safety car speed as directed by race control when the full-course caution came out.

While Liddell wasn’t challenged from that point on in the race, Lazare did manage to battle his way all the way back to second over the last hour of the race and got to within four seconds of the Camaro in the final few minutes of the race before fading toward the finish. Liddell went on to win by 6.462 seconds over Dillon Machavern in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche Cayman GT4 MR.

“I’m delighted to get the win, but we weren’t really expecting it to be honest,” Liddell said. “We’re still in the early stages of development with the car and that’s not to say there’s a lot more potential pace in the car, but certainly there are little teething issues we are having with it that we’re working through.

“To get the first win globally in this new GT4 platform is great. It’s another generation of Camaro that we as a team with Stevenson have won in, with the GT car, the Z/28, and now in this car. It’s great to be a part of that. It’s really a building of modern history for Camaro fans.”

It was Liddell’s eighth Continental Tire Challenge win and first since the penultimate round of 2015 at Circuit of The Americas, a season that saw Liddell and then-co-driver Andrew Davis win the Grand Sport (GS) championship. It was Bell’s ninth career victory in the series and first since the 2014 race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

For Machavern and co-driver Dylan Murcott, the runner-up result was a career-best in Continental Tire Challenge competition. Their previous best run was fourth in May’s race at Circuit of The America.

Lazare and Green – a pair of Montreal residents – slowed on the final lap to finish third, but later failed post-race technical inspection and was moved to the back of the class. That penalty moved the No. 76 C360R McLaren GT4 of Paul Holton and Matt Plumb to third.

Foss, Mosing Win Street Tuner Class Thriller
Over the past several years, the Street Tuner (ST) class has seen some epic battles on the 2.459-mile Canadian Tire Motorsport Park circuit, and Saturday’s race did not disappoint.

Over much of the final 30 minutes of the race, you could throw a blanket over the top-three cars in the class. Leading the way was Toronto’s James Vance aboard the No. 37 MINI, who was looking to give the manufacturer its second ST victory in as many weeks after teammates Mat Pombo and Derek Jones won last Saturday at Watkins Glen.

Right on Vance’s tail was Eric Foss in the No. 56 Murillo Racing Porsche Cayman, with Owen Trinkler just behind Foss in the No. 44 CRG-I-Do-Borrow Nissan Altima. The freight train ran that way for several laps, the Canadian racing at his home track, the former ST champion and the defending ST race winner at CTMP.

As the laps wound down, both Foss and Trinkler would jump out of line periodically to take a peek but never could get enough of a run to complete a pass. Then, with five minutes remaining, Foss pounced on his opportunity going into Moss Corner (Turn 5).

Vance’s car bobbled ever so slightly entering the turn and Foss took to the curb on the inside of the turn. He made it stick and Trinkler followed him through as Vance fought to regain control of the No. 37.

“When it got down to a few minutes to go in (Turn) 5 it was the biggest door I’d seen,” Foss said. “When he shut the door, I really tried to avoid any contact. You’ve got to take the wins when you can get them.”

Trinkler took another look coming down the Andretti Straightaway but didn’t have quite enough. Foss went on to take the victory by 1.441 seconds over Trinkler and just over three seconds ahead of Vance.

The victory was the sixth in Continental Tire Challenge competition for Foss and his co-driver, Jeff Mosing, and came just over one week after Mosing was involved in a huge crash in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge race at Watkins Glen last Friday. It also enabled them to extend their lead in the ST championship standings.

“Everybody knows that I’m struggling a little with my back but I’m not going to play that card,” Mosing said. “Just the start got me a little frazzled and I had to try to make up positions. I just put my head down, did laps and I came in and I asked the question to (team owner) Kenny Murillo, I said “Where did we come out of the pits?’ He said, ‘We’re in fourth’ and I said ‘Oh okay that’s good.’ I knew Eric could work from there.”

Trinkler and co-driver Sarah Cattaneo matched their best result of the season with the runner-up result. They also finished second at Sebring. Vance and his co-driver, Mike LaMarra, rounded out the ST podium for their best run of the season.

The Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 will be televised on FS1 at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 15. The next round of the 2017 Continental Tire Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, July 22 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.

IMSA Wire: WeatherTech Championship GTLM Champions Gavin, Milner Credit IMSA Experience with Le Mans Preparation

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin know what it takes to win. They’ve certainly done a reasonable amount of it over the past couple of years.

Two years ago, they won the GTE Pro class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, sharing the No. 64 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R with another WeatherTech Championship regular, Jordan Taylor.

Last year, they won the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. They also won at Lime Rock Park – which was the historic 100th victory for the Corvette Racing program – and at Road America. All that winning, along with some other solid results throughout the season, made them champions of the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class in the 2016 WeatherTech Championship.

Already this year, they’ve got another win, the BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach in April, but they’re hungry for more. They want to win Le Mans again this weekend, which would be the ninth at the Circuit de la Sarthe for Corvette Racing, and they’ll go for it with co-driver Marcel Fassler in the familiar, Velocity Yellow No. 64 C7.R.

They think they’ve got a good shot, too, by virtue of the preparation they get on a regular basis by competing in the WeatherTech Championship.

“The IMSA championship is so competitive,” says Milner, a two-time winner at Le Mans. “It’s a really good place for us to hone our skills and make sure that we’re all on top of our game, because we need every bit of it here at Le Mans. Certainly, the success we had last year with the car in IMSA, that rolls a little bit into the momentum coming into Le Mans.”

Of course, Milner and Gavin aren’t alone in representing IMSA at Le Mans. They’ve got their own teammates in the No. 63 Corvette, Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen – who currently lead the WeatherTech Championship GTLM standings with a pair of victories this season – along with Jordan Taylor, who joins the No. 63 team this weekend after dominating the WeatherTech Championship Prototype class throughout the first half of the season alongside brother Ricky Taylor in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R.

They’ve also got competition in the pair of full-time WeatherTech Championship Ford GTs and the Risi Competizione Ferrari that they race all year, as well as several familiar faces in the cockpit of the Porsche 911s in the GTE Pro class.

“It’s kind of nice to see so many IMSA faces here, because you race them in the U.S., so you get to know how they drive,” says Gavin, who owns five victories at the Circuit de la Sarthe. “You learn certain styles and how aggressive some guys are. You get to know the guys who will give you respect. Someone like Patrick Pilet (the 2015 GTLM champion Porsche racer), you know will give you respect, while some other guys you have to be more careful with.”

Milner added a few more familiar names that he’s looking forward to battling at Le Mans.

“We have a good battle with some of our teammates; with (Ford GT drivers) Richard Westbrook, and for me as well with Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller from our BMW days. There’s a good rivalry there for sure.

“You can’t get away from Chevy versus Ford. That’ll live on as long as there are cars on the street. Last year, Ford had a really fast car and we’re working hard to catch up to them and see if we can give them a race this year.”

In Wednesday night’s first qualifying session, both Corvettes slotted in just behind Pilet’s No. 91 Porsche and ahead of both of the U.S.-based Ford GTs. Final qualifying takes place this evening, so it remains to be seen where they’ll land on the final starting grid. But as Milner points out, reliability is nearly equal in importance to speed at Le Mans, and he’s confident in the team’s preparation.

“As long as I’ve been with Corvette, we haven’t done a specific 24-hour test,” he explains. “We oftentimes will run our stuff a long time over multiple tests. Items are proven over 24 hours. You see the value in doing a single 24-hour test, but over the years, here at Le Mans, our reliability has been really strong.”

The other key, says Gavin, is managing traffic on the nearly eight-and-a-half-mile long circuit. This year, the introduction of new LM P2 race cars brings an added dynamic alongside the LM P1 cars.

“You fall into a routine with the traffic in IMSA, but here, the speed differential between us and the P2 cars is massive,” he says. “It’s almost like having 30 P1 cars on track. You’ve got to be on your game and not take your eye off the radar system.

“Places like the Esses into Tertre Rouge, last year, if a P2 car was behind you, it wouldn’t try to pass you unless it was a really fast guy. Now, any P2 car can pass you there, because they have the power to do it.

“In some ways, it makes it a little easier, because you’re not around one another for too long, but you still have to be aware of the closing speeds and know where they’re going to go. You’ve got to be really on your game. There’s no chance for relaxing.”

The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 17. FOX Sports and Radio Le Mans will offer live coverage throughout the race.

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IMSA Wire: Acura Wins First WeatherTech Championship Race with Legge, Lally in Detroit

Subject: IMSA Wire: Acura Wins First WeatherTech Championship R

June 3, 2017

Staff Report

IMSA Wire Service

DETROIT – Masterful pit strategy from the Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian crew and flawless driving by co-drivers Andy Lally and Katherine Legge delivered a history-making first global victory for the new Acura NSX GT3 in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic at Belle Isle Park.

It was the strongest weekend to date for the first-year IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program, as Legge qualified the No. 93 Acura second Friday afternoon and ran comfortably in second place throughout her driving stint before pitting under caution just past the 30-minute mark in the race. With track position at a premium, team owner Mike Shank decided to change only two tires during the pit stop, which vaulted Lally into the lead.

That pit stop made all the difference. Lally managed to keep the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 of Alessandro Balzan in his mirrors for the remainder of the race and went on to win by 2.441 seconds.

“I wanted three tires, because I wanted a right-front hot tire when we came out,” Lally said. “(Shank) made the decision to just put in left sides to save time. I plugged my last belt in and he said, ‘Go.’ We had another second on them. It was perfect tires and a really fast driver change. We knew the right front would be OK by the end, but the right rear was really just skating over by the end of the race.”

In addition to making history for the manufacturer, Legge made personal history, earning her first career WeatherTech Championship race victory.

“It’s a testament to the team,” Legge said. “The team gave us a car that was capable of winning. The team has really been working hard between each race. We’ve been strong at points, but today we put it together. Today was the longest hour of my life watching Andy drive. I was telepathically talking to him. It was harder to watch than actually drive. Thank you to everyone who has given us a chance to put together this car and this ride.”

There were two women on the GTD podium at Detroit. Christina Nielsen partnered with Balzan to take second. Nielsen and Balzan are defending WeatherTech Championship GTD champions.

Finishing third were No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 co-drivers Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers. Snow claimed the final podium spot in the closing minutes of the race, getting around Jeff Segal, who was aiming to give Acura two podium spots in the No. 86 NSX.

GTD pole-winner Lawson Aschenbach led the first 30 minutes of the race in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Audi R8 LMS. Co-driver Andrew Davis was positioned for at least a podium result after taking over in the car, before a driveline issue removed the car from contention.

The next WeatherTech Championship race is the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen from Watkins Glen International on Sunday, July 2. The race – which also represents the third round of the four-race Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup – will feature all four WeatherTech Championship classes.

Results for the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic are available at Results.IMSA.com.

IMSA Wire: Detroit Belle Isle Post-Race Notebook

Detroit Belle Isle Post-Race Notebook

Notebook items include:

• Pair Of Historic Firsts For Acura, Legge In Detroit
• Scuderia Corsa Ferrari Edges Closer
• Mazda Continues Street Streak
• Corvette Racing Leads At Le Mans Test Day

June 6, 2017

Staff Report

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Veteran sports car driver Andy Lally has won just about everything there is to win in North American endurance sports car racing with a résumé that includes 33 total victories, five Rolex 24 At Daytona class wins and a trio of championships. But Saturday, when Lally crossed the stripe to win the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan, he helped co-driver Katherine Legge and Acura score a pair of historic firsts.

Competing in just the fifth race of its debut season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Acura recorded its first victory in the GT Daytona (GTD) class and the first win in international sports car competition for the Acura NSX GT3.

It also marked the first career sports car win for Legge in her 39th career start.

“They always say the first win is the hardest, and this one was no exception,” said Honda Performance Development President, Art St. Cyr. “Thinking back to all the hard work of Honda Performance Development, Honda R&D Japan, Honda R&D in Ohio and the Performance Manufacturing Center [where the NSX is built], this is truly a group win.”

Starting second after a season-best qualifying performance, Legge had a strong opening stint before giving way to Lally during the race’s lone caution. The Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian team elected to change only two tires on the pitstop, enabling Lally’s No. 93 Acura NSX GT3 to resume in the lead, a lead he never gave up for the remainder of the race.

“Katherine did an amazing job,” said Lally. “She helped me get faster this weekend. I was junk [at the start of the weekend], but I found some things she was doing and applied it to what I was doing. Our engineers did a great job, we just put our heads down and drove the car. Hats off to Katherine for putting us in the right position to come out in front.”

“Today was the longest hour of my life, watching Andy drive,” added Legge. “I was telepathically talking to him. It was harder to watch than actually drive. ‘Thank you’ to everyone who has given us a chance to put together this car and this ride. In 2013, I drove with HPD in the Indy 500, and it started our relationship. I wanted to be part of their program, so it is really special everything working out.”

SCUDERIA CORSA FERRARI EDGES CLOSER: Don’t look now, but defending GTD class champions Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan have moved within striking distance of the points-leading No. 33 Riley Motorsports-Team AMG team of Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen. A fourth consecutive podium and third runner-up finish in the last four races, coupled with an early exit from the class leaders at Detroit, puts the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 within nine points, 150-141, of the points leaders going into the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, July 2.

“I was so impressed once again today,” said Nielsen, who qualified seventh and started the race while Balzan took on closing duties. “The car was absolutely amazing to drive, I could have driven it lap after lap. It’s not often you hear drivers say they’re comfortable driving around street circuits, but this car made the whole experience so comfortable.”

‘Comfortable’ may be the ideal word to describe Nielsen and Balzan this season. Other than a retirement from the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, a race the team led with just two hours remaining, the duo has seemingly had no issues with the Ferrari 488 GT3 and has been a fixture at the top of the GTD class in each subsequent race since. This one year after the team rode seven podium results in 11 races to win the 2016 title.

“Detroit is always a circuit where things can change dramatically, and everyone performed flawlessly,” said team owner Giacomo Mattioli. “Our pit work really prevailed today and I cannot give these guys enough credit for their efforts. A strong stint by Christina and another solid drive by Alessandro put the final stamp on the race. We are now within striking distance for the championship.”

The No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 of Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow finished third in Detroit to move to third in the class standings, but sits 18 points behind Nielsen and Balzan.

MAZDA CONTINUES STREET STREAK: There’s something about street circuits that seems to suit the Mazda Motorsports Prototype program. Co-drivers Tom Long and Joel Miller earned their first podium of the season Saturday at Belle Isle in the No. 70 Mazda DPi, while Jonathan Bomarito and Tristan Nunez finished fifth in the team’s No. 55 Mazda DPi.

It was the third consecutive podium finish for Mazda on the streets, dating back to the Belle Isle event in 2016. Bomarito and Nunez finished third earlier this season on the streets of Long Beach, as well last year at Belle Isle.

“We’re excited to have our first podium,” said Long. “It feels like it was long overdue, but it feels and tastes good. It was a long-time coming and that’s what Mazda is all about: ‘Never Stop Challenging.’ You never know when one of these races are going to go your way. For today, we’re certainly excited about the podium result.”

Mazda ran as high as second on the day when Miller made a bold move on a restart with a little over an hour remaining in the race, moving up from fourth on an outside pass in Turn 1. One last stop for fuel meant Miller was third, where he remained to the finish.

“I saw a gap and got a good jump and the No. 10 car got held up,” said Miller. “Then the No. 5 defended under braking and I thought ‘OK I’m going to make the outside work.’ We were able to get both of them. Unfortunately, from that point on it became a fuel-mileage race.”

CORVETTE RACING LEADS AT LE MANS TEST DAY: The GT Le Mans (GTLM) class did not compete in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic at Belle Isle, and for good reason: preparations are already underway for a number of IMSA teams for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 17-18.

One of those teams is Corvette Racing, who has a pair of cars entered in the endurance classic later this month. Oliver Gavin led the GTE-Pro class in Sunday’s Le Mans Test Day with a lap of three minutes, 54.701 seconds in the No. 64 Corvette C7.R, continuing a strong start to the season for the team.

Entering the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Corvette Racing’s two entries have won a combined three of four WeatherTech Championship races this season and the No. 3 Corvette C7.R of Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia leads the GTLM standings.

Corvette Racing is looking for its ninth class victory in the endurance classic in its 18th appearance.