Father-son and father-daughter driver line-ups ready for a full family affair in Daytona
Daytona Beach, Fla. (19 January 2021) – Jr III (“Junior Three”) Racing will head to Daytona International Speedway to open the 2021 IMSA Prototype Challenge (IPC) season with the Scouts of America 145 on Saturday, January 23rd (TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, 12:45PM ET).
Having expanded into two full-time IPC entries in the off-season, the No. 3 Copps Industries Ligier JS P320 of Greg and Eric Palmer will be joined by the No. 33 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 of Ari and Natasha Balogh and will represent the the Mooresville-based team at the iconic road course.
The father-son driver pairing of Greg and Eric Palmer will return to the No. 3 Copps Industries Ligier JS P320 for their sophomore season in IPC competition. The Palmers combined for a strong debut run in 2020 with Jr III Racing by scoring the team’s first top-five finish in full-time IMSA competition at Sebring International Raceway. The duo also combined to collect five consecutive top-ten finishes.
“I am looking forward to getting on track at Daytona for the Roar,” said Greg Palmer. “Coming back to IPC for a second season allows Eric (Palmer) and I to continue growing as drivers and working towards strong results. There is nothing like driving into the track and having the high banks surround you – it feels like a coliseum. It’s absolutely amazing and I feel very lucky to be able to turn a wheel at Daytona. I am ready to go racing!”
Having made the transition into the Prototype ranks in 2020, the Palmers are ready to build on their experience with a good start to the 2021 season.
“After our first year of competition in IMSA Prototype Challenge for not only me, but also Jr III Racing, we will look to continue our constant improvements and success that we had in 2020,” said Eric Palmer. “We are no longer starting from scratch, but rather have a collection of data, knowledge, and experience that we look to implement at every event in 2021. Daytona will be the first opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities and it will be an exciting race. We are hopeful to improve on last year’s top 10 finish.”
Keeping racing in the family, Ari and Natasha Balogh join Jr III Racing in the No. 33 Airbnb Ligier as the second full-season entry for the team.
The elder Balogh brings experience at the 2.5-mile course with five previous starts in the GT category including a fourth-place finish in the 2016 Michelin Pilot Challenge event. Balogh will make the switch to the Ligier Prototype for 2021 and make his IPC debut as he takes the green flag on Saturday.
Following in her father’s footsteps, Natasha Balogh will make her professional racing debut when she climbs into the No. 33 Ligier. The 21-year-old began racing in NASA and SCCA events where she showed her natural talent behind the wheel as she went on to earn a second-place finish in the E1 class at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in 2018.
“Though we haven’t had much time in the car, I’m feeling pretty good,” said Natasha Balogh. “I’ve never driven a car that has as much aero that the Ligier does, so it’s been a challenge getting used to it. We have come so far quick which is exciting as we go into our first race. Daytona is another opportunity to keep learning and moving forward. It’s kind of perfect that I’m making my debut in professional racing with my dad. I don’t know that there are many people who are as competitive as we are about everything. Whether it’s who’s a tenth faster, or who gets to the top of the stairs first, we push each other to be better in all that we do. It’s an odd definition of fun, but it’s ours and that will translate to competing on track.”
Adding a second full-time entry marks another chapter in the progress for the growing Jr III Racing organization, which also fields multiple entries in vintage competition as well as managing high-end restoration programs for clients. The team has a long-term ambition to grow into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which has integrated the LMP3 platform into the championship starting with the 2021 season.
Team Principal Billy Glavin has invested in additional equipment and crew to better service the two Ligiers.
“Having two full-time entries is very beneficial for us on and off the track,” said Glavin. “With double the amount of information and data, we are able to dial in a complete package for the Palmers and Baloghs to utilize on track. We have been able to test a few times and we’ve focused not only on speed and car setups but also pit lane and pit stop operations as well. The team is ready and prepared to make the most out of our time at Daytona.”
Each round of the 2021 IMSA Prototype Challenge season will be broadcast live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. Flag-to-flag coverage of the IMSA Prototype Challenge Scouts of America 145 from Daytona International Speedway begins Saturday, January 23rd at 12:45PM.
Weekend Schedule:
Friday, January 22
Practice 1 – 9:00-9:45AM
Practice 2 – 2:00-2:30PM
Saturday, January 23
Qualifying – 8:45-9:00AM
Race – 12:45PM
*All Times Eastern
