Ferriol and Legge Joined by Andrew Davis in No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R; Castro and Dickinson Set For Porsche Single-Make Tripleheader
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 10, 2021) – Team Hardpoint’s 2021 calendar reaches its conclusion this week at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, where the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season wraps with the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans, and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship concludes with a tripleheader.
Season regulars Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge are joined Team Hardpoint endurance racing stalwart Andrew Davis for the GT Daytona (GTD) class finale in the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R, while Riley Dickinson returns in the Porsche Carrera Cup Pro Class behind the wheel of the No. 53 Porsche Austin/Team Hardpoint Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Efrin Castro is back in the No. 65 Fine Fare Supermarkets/GoDominicanRepublic.com Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for Pro-Am competition.
The Motul Petit Le Mans begins on Saturday, November 13 at 12:10 p.m. EST, running well into the Georgia darkness and ending at 10:10 p.m. The race can be seen in its entirety on the NBC family of networks, with the opening three hours live on NBC before making the move to NBCSN for cable and satellite subscribers. It can also be seen commercial-free through TrackPass on the NBC Sports app. The 45-minute Porsche Carrera Cup races, which take place at 12:10 p.m. EST and 4:45 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 11 and at 11:15 a.m. EST on Friday, November 12, can be seen live on IMSA.com.
Ferriol and Legge will conclude their first season as co-drivers with Legge’s home race. The UK-native now resides in suburban Atlanta, and has a season-best finish with the team with a fifth-place finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring back in March.
Davis, also a Georgia resident and a University of Georgia graduate, rejoins Team Hardpoint for the final Michelin Endurance Cup race of the IMSA WeatherTech season. Davis drove with the team at the 24 Hours At Daytona and during the six-hour race at Watkins Glen this season, as well as at Petit LeMans and Sebring during the 2020 season.
Ferriol leads the Bob Akin award standings heading into the finale, a season-long award for eligible bronze-rated drivers in the GT Daytona class.
Dickinson enters the Porsche Carrera Cup’s final weekend fourth in points overall and in the Pro Class and coming off his best overall weekend at VIRginia International Raceway. Dickinson earned a third place and runner-up finish at the team’s home race and has three more chances to earn his first win of the season.
Castro sits second in the Pro-Am class points and has won three of the last five races on the schedule. Castro sits solidly in second in the standings and is still alive in the championship hunt with a strong weekend and a stumble by the championship leader.
Petit LeMans’ traditional Saturday race slides the event schedule up by a day. The Porsche Carrera Cup drivers opened the event with a practice session on Wednesday morning, with a second 30-minute practice before qualifying on Wednesday afternoon to set the grid for the first of the three 45-minute races. The WeatherTech Championship gets three practice sessions on Thursday, including the fan-favorite night practice, Friday features qualifying to set the grid for Motul Petit Le Mans.
Katherine Legge, Driver, No. 88 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “I am really looking forward to Petit. It’s one of my favorite races on the schedule, and a great way to round out the season. It is my home race, a fantastic track and I love the format of the endurance races. With it being later in the year, it might add some temperature changes to the mix this weekend. It’s fun to have Andrew back with Rob and I, and the three of us are dedicated to finishing strong in the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R!”
Rob Ferriol, Driver and Team Owner, No. 88 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is such a great venue and event to end the season, much in the way the Rolex 24 is such a great way to start the season. The atmosphere is electric, fan turnout is always amazing, and the track itself is a blast to drive – there’s nothing like coming down the hill into T12 full tilt in a Porsche 911 GT3 R! This year we’ve got two hometown heroes in the car between Katherine and Andrew, so I’m excited to see how we stack up when the fireworks go off Saturday night.
Andrew Davis, Driver, No. 88 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “I’m beyond excited to join Team Hardpoint once again, this time in my own backyard! I really believe in the program that Rob Ferriol has assembled, and it’s truly an honor to be asked to return to the squad once again. Rob and Katherine are both great teammates. They create an open book environment which really helps me step in and perform my role to the best of my abilities. Road Atlanta is a very special place for me, having grown up at the circuit since the age of four. Motul Petit Le Mans has developed into an international event with a great deal of significance. Seeing that growth, along with the increasing crowds makes me very proud of what my home circuit has accomplished over the years.”
Riley Dickinson, Driver, No. 53 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: “This is the championship finale for Porsche Carrera Cup North America, so we’re excited to get this thing kicked off. It’s been a great year with Porsche Austin and Team Hardpoint, and I’m really looking forward to ending this thing on a high note. Road Atlanta is one of my favorites, and I’m really excited to be here and have three races this weekend. We’ll see what we can make happen, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Efrin Castro, Driver, No. 65 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: “I feel very confident coming into Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, it’s one of my favorite tracks. The weather is beautiful, the car is great, and you can’t ask for anything more. We did a great job on test days, and I think we have a solid car to compete. I want to show my talent, and I want to show my hard work and finish the year on a high note. I’m looking forward to it.”
About Team Hardpoint:
Hardpoint Motorsports was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team’s 2021 plans include a full-season effort in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a multi-car effort in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America. More information on Hardpoint Motorsports can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
