Eversley and Strelzoff, Henderson and Noaker the Driver Pairings at the Four-Hour Race to Begin the 2021 Season
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 27, 2021) – Fresh off a successful test during the Roar Before the 24, the two-car Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR program is ready to get the 2021 season underway with a four-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race on Friday at Daytona International Speedway. Greg Strelzoff and Ryan Eversley will co-drive the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR, with Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker sharing duties in the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR.
Eversley and Strelzoff participated in the series-wide test less than a week ago at Daytona to help the team shake down the car and provide a refresher for Strelzoff, who stepped away from racing for nearly five years after multiple podium finishes in what was then the ST class of this same championship. The test was a success, both in getting Strelzoff up to speed quickly and for the car, which posted the quickest time in the last session. During that session, with veteran championship contender and host of the popular racing podcast and Amazon Prime television show Eversley behind the wheel, the team ran a simulated qualifying session with fresh Michelin Tires and a low fuel load, providing ideal conditions for the lap.
Noaker and Henderson proved they are a formidable pairing at last season’s finale at Sebring International Raceway. Driving together for the first time, the pair started at the rear of the field following an overnight engine swap and drove to as high as third place, before ultimately finishing sixth. Incidentally, their new teammate Eversley finished one spot ahead in that race and finished seventh in the championship point standings.
In addition to the two-car effort at Daytona, Atlanta Speedwerks continues to make plans for a three-car team beginning with the second round at Sebring.
The race event, sharing the race week with the famed Rolex 24 At Daytona, gets underway with a one-hour practice session on Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. ET. Each team gets another one-hour session on Thursday morning at 9:45 a.m. ET, followed by a 15-minute qualifying session at 2:25 p.m. A 30-minute warm-up session on Friday is the last chance to make changes to the car before the four-hour season opener at 1:35 p.m. ET. The race can be seen live on the NBCSN app via TrackPass.
Brian Henderson, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “I’m so excited to head back to Daytona and kick-off the 2021 IMSA season. Our team is stronger than ever and we have a great group of drivers lined up for this year. At the Roar, the No. 94 car showed that we have the speed to compete. I’m ready to hit the track with co-driver Robert Noaker and compete for wins. I’m feeling really good about this season!”
Robert Noaker, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “It’s nice to be racing again, the off season was a little shorter than previous years. It is going to be a neat experience racing at one of the most famous tracks in the world. My goal is to try to keep the car clean and to be in a good position at the end of the race to have a good finish. I have competed in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill twice so I’m use to longer races and have done 3-hour stints before, so this longer race will be fun. I’m Looking for to racing with Brian Henderson, he is a very smooth and clean driver and always thinking about keeping the car clean.”
Greg Strelzoff, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “I’m really happy with the progress that was made. The team has been phenomenal. I’m really surprised personally at how quickly I got up to speed. I need more, but I know where it’s at and I know how to do it. I just need to go execute. The good news is that it’s just a few bites away, it’s not huge quantum leaps. I love this track. There’s so much history here and I’ve had some great races here. This is where I had my first professional race, and I love it.”
Ryan Eversley, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “This is my fourth team racing this Honda Civic since 2018, and every time I get in one it’s like putting on an old pair of shoes. This is one of the best ones I’ve driven in a long time. Last year racing against the Atlanta Speedwerks cars, I knew they were really fast so when I got the call to come be a part of this program I knew we’d have fast race cars.”
About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.
