BATAVIA, Ohio, (July 1, 2020) – Wright Motorsports is finally back in action this weekend, racing in the Weathertech 240 at Daytona International Speedway, following a five-month pause in the calendar, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar championship rearranged the 2020 schedule, returning to Daytona, the only track the series has raced at so far this season.
“It’s a great feeling to be going back to racing,” said team owner John Wright. “Our guys have been working hard to get our entire operation back up and running, and we’re excited to be able to get back on track with our partners.”
The GTD team will return as a one-car operation in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, running the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R with drivers Ryan Hardwick and Patrick Long.
“This upcoming race back at Daytona means a lot to me for a couple of reasons,” said Hardwick. Obviously it marks the return to racing that our fans and everyone in our industry have been looking forward to, but this race is also a significant milestone for me personally. One year ago, on the 4th of July weekend in 2019, I was involved in a big crash at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park which left me with a severe knee injury that took me out of racing for the remainder of that season.
This upcoming Fourth of July race weekend marks a full year from that incident. Over the past year, I’ve invested a tremendous amount of time putting in the work physically and mentally to get back to where I was a year ago, and to continue to improve as a racing driver. I simply can’t wait to be back in the race car! It’s been a long time coming for me.”
The team enters the second round of the season in fourth in the GTD class championship points, following an impressive top five-run in the season opening round, the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Instead of the normal three to five day event, the WeatherTech 24 at Daytona has been condensed to two days of on track action. The first practice will take place the evening of Friday, July 3, and the remaining practices, qualifying, and race happening on Saturday, July 4.
“It is great to get back to racing,” said Long. “It is ironic that it will be right back to where we ran last. I have a lot of good memories running at Daytona on the Fourth of July back in the GRAND AM days. The limited track time is always interesting. You have to come off the truck and be right there. I like that format for the future.
“I look forward to putting on a good show for the limited fans at the track and the ones watching on TV. I want to maintain the momentum. We started with a good run at the Rolex 24 and I’m keen to get back to working with Ryan. We have been training on the sim but eager to get back out there in the Wright Motorsports Porsche and get a podium on the board for our supporters at 1st Phorm, Mountain Motorsports, and Una Vida Tequila.
The latest supporting sponsor to join Wright Motorsports, Una Vida Tequila has recently joined the team, an additional sponsor hailing from the Midwest. Locally owned, the company was founded by people who want to live their “One Life” to the fullest, creating a positive community and high-quality tequila.
The WeatherTech 240 at Daytona will air live in the United States from 6:00PM to 9:00PM Eastern on NBC Sports Network. Thanks to Michelin’s limited offer, some fans will be able to watch the entire IMSA season for free without a cable subscription by clicking this link, and entering in the code MICHELINIMSA. International audiences can watch live on imsa.tv. For more information, visit imsa.com.
1st Phorm
1st Phorm is a sports nutrition company based in St. Louis, MO. In 2009, CEO Andy Frisella and his business partner Chris Klein started the brand, and since then, it has become the fastest growing supplement company in the world. 1st Phorm has set the standards in the industry for quality and helping people reach their goals. This new racing partnership is not their first time in the exotic car scene either. 1st Phorm has been the title sponsor for the Gold Rush Rally for six years running. With over a million followers across social media, 1st Phorm has amassed a huge cult-like following known as, “The Legion of Boom.” They stand for a movement in the fitness world. To turn it back to what it was meant to be. Helping others improve their lives, to be a good human… and to drop the excuses and do the work. 1st Phorm is a winning brand and they don’t expect anything less when it comes to their race team. For additional info: www.1stphorm.com
Mountain Motorsports
Mountain Motorsports is a group of motorcycle and powersports dealerships with multiple locations in the southeastern United States. The company was founded by lifelong friends Ryan Hardwick and Justin Price when they opened their first location as a single-line Honda dealership in Sevierville, Tennessee in 1999. The company has since grown into one of the largest retailers of motorcycle and powersports vehicles in the nation, spanning eight dealership locations representing eleven of the industry’s most well-known brands. For additional info: www.mtn-motorsports.com
Una Vida Tequila
Una Vida translates to One Life. That is how this brand started. By people who want to live their “One Life” to the absolute fullest and to their highest potential. A group of guys from the Midwest who love great quality tequila, and want their One Life to have meaning and impact others.
One Life, One Tequila is our CORE BELIEF. We’re building the only tequila brand you will ever need to drink. Una Vida is bigger than just tequila we’re also building a culture of people who want to live their life to their utmost potential.
Our story begins and continues to grow bottle by bottle. It’s a life mission for us to create a community of people who all raise a glass knowing they’re living their ONE LIFE! For more information, visit unavidatequila.com
Henry Repeating Arms
Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading rifle and shotgun manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever-action category. The company motto is “Made in America, or not made at all” and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service. The company is also known for its charitable endeavors under its Guns For Great Causes program, which focuses on sick children, both individual cases and children’s hospitals, veteran and wounded veteran organizations, Second Amendment and wildlife conservation organizations. The company currently employs 535 people and has 250,000 square feet of manufacturing space in its Rice Lake, Wisconsin and Bayonne, New Jersey facilities. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry who invented and patented the Henry rifle in 1860 – the first repeating rifle, the lever-action rifle, which is America’s unique contribution to international firearms design and is one of the most legendary, respected and sought after rifles in the history of firearms. Visit Henry Repeating Arms online at www.HenryUSA.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HenryRepeating, and on Instagram @Henry_Rifles.
Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. The 2020 season will see the team return to IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com
