BATAVIA, Ohio, (May 10, 2022) – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races in Lexington, Ohio this weekend, and that means Porsche customer racing team Wright Motorsports – who leads the GTD class championship – is preparing to race at the organization’s home track. Drivers Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen have celebrated two wins in four races and will look to continue their success in front of the home crowd at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
“Mid-Ohio is a special racetrack for us since it is so close to our main shop in Batavia, Ohio,” said Team Owner John Wright. “Coming into this event as the points leaders brings a healthy kind of pressure for us to continue our drive in this championship effort. We know we have a proven driver lineup, a more than capable race car, and a consistently the fastest team in pit lane. This will be a good event for us.”
The No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R will be the sole Porsche contender in the GTD category, representing the manufacturer in the 13-car class. The event will have a total of 34 entries, with all but the GTD Pro class participating. From the team’s Batavia-Ohio headquarters, the effort will journey 170 miles northeast to Lexington, Ohio to the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course.
The Rolex 24 At Daytona winners are coming off another win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, another sweeping, low-grip circuit. Their home track has been traditionally strong for the team. In 2021, the weekend started with Hardwick claiming his first-ever “points pole” qualifying position in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team started the race in tenth and made it up to fourth place when the 1st Phorm Porsche received contact from another competitor, an incident that sent the team three laps behind the leaders. That same weekend, Hardwick and Heylen earned Wright Motorsports a second-place finish in the team’s GT4 racing effort in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series following another pole-position qualifying effort from Hardwick. In a unique twist for the multi-faceted team, with most race series quiet this weekend, Wright will only have the single Porsche under its awning at Mid-Ohio.
This weekend, the team will look to build on their recent achievements in Sunday’s sprint race, which will have a runtime of two hours and forty minutes. The Lexus Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio will go green on Sunday, May 15 at 2:10 PM Eastern. Television coverage will begin at 2:00 PM on the USA Network. Peacock subscribers can also stream live starting at 2:00 PM.
DRIVER QUOTES
Ryan Hardwick
It’s a home race for our Wright Motorsports team this weekend at Mid-Ohio! We are very proud to be coming into this home race with the GTD championship points lead. I’ve always enjoyed racing at Mid-Ohio, and I’ve had quite a bit of success at this track. I finished on the GTD podium here in 2019 and 2020, and I also took the pole position here last season for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race as well. So it’s safe to say that I like this place! The focus is going to be centered around keeping our positive momentum going and continuing to execute on what we can control. Looking forward to it!
Jan Heylen
This is the home race for Wright Motorsports, and we’re back in the lead of the championship. The goal is to keep It there. Mid-Ohio is another low-grip surface which should suit us well.
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1st Phorm
1st Phorm is a sports nutrition company based in St. Louis, MO. In 2009, CEO Andy Frisella and his business partner Chris Klein started the brand, and since then, it has become the fastest growing supplement company in the world. 1st Phorm has set the standards in the industry for quality and helping people reach their goals. This new racing partnership is not their first time in the exotic car scene either. 1st Phorm has been the title sponsor for the Gold Rush Rally for six years running. With over a million followers across social media, 1st Phorm has amassed a huge cult-like following known as, “The Legion of Boom.” They stand for a movement in the fitness world. To turn it back to what it was meant to be. Helping others improve their lives, to be a good human… and to drop the excuses and do the work. 1st Phorm is a winning brand and they don’t expect anything less when it comes to their race team. For additional info: www.1stphorm.com
Mountain Motorsports
Mountain Motorsports is a group of motorcycle and powersports dealerships with multiple locations in the southeastern United States. The company was founded by lifelong friends Ryan Hardwick and Justin Price when they opened their first location as a single-line Honda dealership in Sevierville, Tennessee in 1999. The company has since grown into one of the largest retailers of motorcycle and powersports vehicles in the nation, spanning nine dealership locations representing eleven of the industry’s most well-known brands. For additional info: www.mountainmotorsports.com
Una Vida Tequila
Una Vida translates to One Life. That is how this brand started. By people who want to live their “One Life” to the absolute fullest and to their highest potential. A group of guys from the Midwest who love great quality tequila, and want their One Life to have meaning and impact others.
One Life, One Tequila is our CORE BELIEF. We’re building the only tequila brand you will ever need to drink. Una Vida is bigger than just tequila we’re also building a culture of people who want to live their life to their utmost potential.
Our story begins and continues to grow bottle by bottle. It’s a life mission for us to create a community of people who all raise a glass knowing they’re living their ONE LIFE! For more information, visit unavidatequila.com
Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.
