Monrovia, California (Thursday, May 12, 2022) – After a strong debut to the 2022 IMSA Prototype Challenge season at the ROAR Before the 24 in Daytona back in January, the No. 77 Thienes Engineering O’Gara Motorsport / Change Racing / USRT Ligier LMP3 will be back in action this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course.
American driver Brian Thienes will be making his fifth IPC start having joined the series mid-season in 2021. Thienes has raced both open-wheel and sportscars with success in both disciplines. With a fifth-place finish in just his second start in the Ligier LMP3 and his second-place finish at the Roar Before the 24, Thienes is confident that the new car is the perfect vehicle for continued racing success.
“I am looking forward to round 2 of the IMSA Prototype Challenge,” Thienes said. “US RaceTronics did a good job with the test at mid-Ohio. Patrick and I are well prepared for this race. We look forward to good results this weekend.”
Patrick Kujala (FIN), who celebrates his 26th birthday on race day, has had major successes throughout his 17-year racing career, winning at every level he’s competed in. His first championship, at the age of 9 in the Andalucian Karting Championship series, was just the start. Kujala won the 2012 Juniors championship in Formula Renault, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World and European Championships in 2015, and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo European Pro-Am Championship in 2016 before moving into GT3 cars where he scored multiple wins including the 24 Hours at SPA in 2018. Kujala made his IMSA Prototype Challenge debut with an impressive second-place finish at the ROAR Before the 24 in Daytona in January and is looking forward to getting back into the car this weekend.
“After a good start at Daytona we want to carry that momentum coming to Mid-Ohio,” Kujala said. “The test wasn’t optimal because of the bad weather but on the positive side as a driver we got to drive in all different conditions which is always good.”
Race engineer Peter Jacobs has worked with Thienes and Kujala for many years in both Lamborghini Super Trofeo and now the IMSA Prototype Challenge Series is also looking forward to this weekend’s event at Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course. Jacobs expects the duo to be competitive after a good performance at a test earlier this month at the iconic track.
“Over the past two years, Brian Thienes has made huge strides in his driving under the guidance of US RaceTronics,” Jacobs said. “The Ligier 320 is an outstanding race car that suits Brian well; it gives him a great deal of confidence. Patrick Kujala, was an excellent choice as our second driver. Patrick is a very articulate, mature driver with an outstanding understanding of what the car is doing, and what it needs. This makes setting up the car much easier. Our Mid-Ohio test was for the most part under wet conditions, so we weren’t able to explore different options with regards to set up. I still believe, Brian and Patrick will be very competitive on race day.”
If you’re in the Mid-Ohio area make sure to come out and catch all the excitement live. The team will qualify on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 2:40 p.m. and race Sunday morning May 15, 2022 at 9:25 a.m. local time.
About US RaceTronics
US RaceTronics (USRT) was founded by Shane Seneviratne in 2005 to compete in the Atlantic Championship, a formula race car series. The team finished 5th in points its first year and continued its success during the succeeding years, ultimately amassing a total of 21 podiums, 7 poles, 5 race wins and finishing 3rd in the 2009 Atlantic Championship. USRT was put on hold after series officials announced the Atlantic Series was put on hiatus.
Seneviratne fully returned to racing in 2015 after receiving an invitation to manage the O’Gara Motorsport entries in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North American (LBSTNA) Series. The team won the Team Championship, Dealership Championship, Pro Championship and Amateur Championship that season.
The success of 2015 reignited Seneviratne’s passion for racing and he relaunched US RaceTronics to compete in the 2016 LBSTNA Series. The team has won multiple North American and World Championships and expects to add to their success as they enter their seventh season in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American Series.
For more information on how to become a driver with US RaceTronics, learn more about the Series, or attend a race, visit www.usracetronics.com.
About O’Gara Motorsport
O’Gara Motorsport was founded in 2014 by owner Tom O’Gara and celebrated winning the 2015 North American Lamborghini Super Trofeo driver and team Championships. The team goal is to achieve victories in the Series as well as showcasing the brands of their sponsors both on and off the track. With a vertically integrated platform that starts at the dealership and accelerates to the top levels of professional sports car racing, everyone at O’Gara is dedicated to providing a comprehensive program for anyone, from the casually curious to the dedicated racer.
About Change Racing
Founded by Lamborghini Charlotte CEO and long time real estate developer, John E. Littlefield, Change Racing is the premier championship winning team. Claiming 18 titles in various classes; Change Racing has competed in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series since its inception in 2013.
Most recently claiming the 2021 Amateur World Championship in Misano, Italy. Change Racing also claimed all SIX 2020 North American Championships, including the Pro, Pro-Am, Am and LB Cup class championships as well as the Team and Owner championships.
