Long Beach Street Race is the First Sprint Cup Race on the IMSA WeatherTech Championship Calendar for 2022
LONG BEACH, California (April 7, 2022) – Hardpoint and full-season drivers Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge climb back behind the wheel of the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R this weekend on the streets of Long Beach for the first Sprint Cup race of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship season.
The 100-minute race can be seen live at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) on USA Network or streaming commercial free on Peacock on Saturday, April 9. Ferriol and Legge will be joined by an additional 14 GT Daytona class cars, with six additional cars in both the GTD Pro and Daytona Prototype International classes also competing during the race.
No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R Event Notebook
- Long Beach is the first Sprint race on the 2022 calendar following the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Ferriol and Legge will co-drive the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R all year, joined by Stefan Wilson at the final two endurance races at Watkins Glen and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
- Long Beach is a homecoming of sorts for Legge, who made her American racing debut on the street circuit in 2005 in Formula Atlantic. Driving for the late Kevin Kalkhoven, Legge shocked the field and became the first female driver to win a race under what was then the Champ Car umbrella.
- Hardpoint made its Long Beach debut a season ago with a ninth-place finish in the team’s second-ever street race. That finish didn’t tell the whole story, however. Starting 15th in class, Ferriol made up four positions on the track before handing the car to Legge. Once behind the wheel, she ran the second-fastest lap of the race and made up two more positions against her fellow pros despite a pit stop slowed by a poorly placed tire of the car in front of the Hardpoint Porsche.
- Hardpoint is currently eighth in the IMSA WeatherTech GT Daytona (GTD) team standings, with Ferriol and Legge ninth in the driver points. The Long Beach round will not count toward the full season standings however, as it is solely a part of the IMSA Sprint Cup point battle that begins this weekend.
Hardpoint Quote Board
Rob Ferriol, Owner and Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “Long Beach is going to be an interesting and welcome challenge for us after the two long endurance races to open the season. Last year, we had a quick car and some bad luck. We know we need to be on the gas from the start, but the Hardpoint crew has risen to every challenge we’ve given them this season. The challenge of Long Beach is that it’s a short race and traditionally it’s known as a tough place to pass. But last year both Kat and I were able to make up some positions in our respective stints, so if we can make the most of the condensed schedule we have a lot of confidence in our No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R.”
Katherine Legge, Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “It’s no secret that I love going to Long Beach and have some fond memories racing there. Last year, we had a stint at the end of the race where we were among the quickest cars on track, so there’s some optimism again coming into this weekend. It’s a tough schedule though, and a short race, so we’re going to have to be on it from the start. The team knocked it out of the park last year and have been fantastic through the opening endurance races, so we feel strongly that we can put it all together in this street race.”
About Hardpoint:
Hardpoint 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 captured the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro-Am championship in its inaugural season and competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R with co-drivers Ferriol and Katherine Legge, joined by Stefan Wilson for Michelin Endurance Cup races. More information on Hardpoint can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
