Ferriol and Legge Co-Drive the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R While Galante and McAlister Ready For Home Race in No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche Cayman at Iconic West Coast Venue
MONTEREY, California (April 29, 2022) – Hardpoint returns to action this weekend for a pair of IMSA sprint races in two separate Porsche models at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, April 29 through May 1, highlighted by Sunday’s WeatherTech Championship race live on the NBC network. Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge resume their IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD class of the Championship, with Nick Galante and Sean McAlister co-driving the team’s No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge Championship Grand Sport (GS) class.
Saturday’s two-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge race can be seen live from the 2.238-mile racetrack streaming on Peacock beginning at 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. local PDT). Sunday’s two-hour, 45-minute WeatherTech race is live over the air on NBC at 3 p.m. EDT (Noon local PDT) and streaming commercial free on Peacock.
No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R Pre-Event Notes
- Ferriol and Legge combined for an eighth-place finish last season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
- Ferriol finished fourth in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition in 2019 at the track, the same season he earned a pair of runner-up finishes in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge in Monterey.
- Legge has had success at Laguna Seca as well. She won the GTD class race from pole in 2018 for Meyer Shank Racing, that program’s first GTD-class win.
- Ferriol and Legge enter the race tied for ninth in the GTD Driver’s Championship, with Hardpoint eighth in the Team Championship
No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Pre-Event Notes
- The Laguna Seca race is a hometown race for Nick Galante. Galante moved to the Monterey Peninsula 22 years ago to chase a pair of dreams – golf and motorsports.
- The golf portion came first, as Galante quickly became a caddy at Pebble Beach and then a driving instructor at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca before stepping into professional driving.
- Galante’s foray into professional racing began in earnest when he caddied for racing enthusiast Philip Frengs. Frengs’ company, Legistics, Inc., and eventually his charity Racing to End Alzheimer’s, has been a partner of Galante’s for six seasons.
- Galante was the ST class winner in 2018 driving a BMW.
- As the hometown favorite, Galante has participated in a number of event-related media activities in the lead-up to the race.
- This weekend is the closest thing to a home race on the Pilot Challenge schedule for Sean McAlister.
- McAlister has not raced at Laguna Seca since a fourth and a fifth-place finish in Porsche GT3 Cup in 2019.
- While the 25-year-old McAlister’s father is a fixture at the race track, McAlister’s mother will be attending this weekend’s race for the first time in his career – and just a week before Mother’s Day.
- Racing to End Alzheimer’s allows those who have been touched by the Alzheimer’s disease to add a loved one’s name and hometown to the race car for the season via a $250 donation through the R2EndAlz.org website. Through just two events this season, the No. 22 will carry 85 names on the car – including Galante’s late grandmother and his aunt.
Hardpoint Quote Board
Rob Ferriol, Owner and Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is one of my favorite stops on the IMSA schedule; it has so much character and such a rich history. The anticipation as you climb up the hill out of Turn Six and into the world-famous Corkscrew is unlike anything else on the calendar. Tire management this weekend is going to be huge. We did a really good job last year of producing a fast car late in the stint, but still struggled to get the tires turned on early. It’s going to be an even bigger challenge this year with the new tire pressure mandates, but I’m confident the Hardpoint crew, engineers, and drivers are up to the task!”
Sean McAlister, Driver, No. 22 Porsche Cayman: “It’s been a little while since I’ve been to Laguna Seca, but it’s always great to see it on the schedule. I love the track and it’s always a nice bonus that we can drive up instead of having to get on a flight. One of the reason’s it’s a favorite to go to for me is of course the location, but it’s also always an enjoyable experience. There’s a lot of great fans that come out to the event and the facility provides a great fan viewing experience and then the track is just awesome, high speed and one of the most iconic corners in motorsport with the Corkscrew. I don’t think that this being so close to home puts any added pressure on me, I just enjoy that it isn’t a long trip to the other side of the country. There are some extra guests coming this weekend, my mom will be attending and it’s the first race she’s going to be at ever since I started so that’s exciting and a few people from her town in Leona Valley are tagging along with her to come experience the races as well. If there was any added pressure it would be to perform well for them!”
Nick Galante, Driver, No. 22 Porsche Cayman: “This track has its own special mystique, because of the history here and because it’s where I got my start, and it was the track that drew me to motorsports to begin with. Everything I’ve been through at this place, and the fact that it’s my home track, combines to make it so special to me. I raced the Corkscrew in the video games I played for years, and when I finally drove down it, it didn’t disappoint. The turns preceding the straightaways are so important to get right to get a good lap. I’m really looking forward to being “home” here with Hardpoint and with Sean and think we can make some noise this week.”
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. In 2022, Hardpoint has added the No. 22 Racing To End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport driven by Nick Galante and Sean McAllister in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS). More information on Hardpoint can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
