BATAVIA, Ohio. (May 31, 2022) — The Motor City will host the sixth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this weekend on the temporary street circuit of the Raceway on Belle Isle, an island situated on the Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. The conclusion of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented By Lear will mark the halfway point of the 2022 season, which started with Porsche customer racing team Wright Motorsports winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R of drivers Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen will be one of 16 entries competing in the 100-minute sports car racing event on Saturday, June 4.
“Detroit is a special city with such a strong history in the automotive industry,” said Team Owner John Wright. “We’re proud to be racing in the final event at Belle Isle and hope to reach the halfway point in the season by returning to where we started: at the top step of the podium and with the points lead. We kicked the season off strong and are looking strong in the championship hunt.”
With exciting wins at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Wright Motorsports stands second in the GTD class team standings, with Hardwick and Heylen also holding second place in the driver standings.
Saturday’s race will be a 100-minute sprint, the shortest race length on the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech schedule. Qualifying position and flawless pit stop execution will be vital for a desirable finish in the Grand Prix, as the right 2.30 mile, 14-turn track can make passing difficult and the concrete walls on both sides of the circuit unforgiving of errors. The 2022 Detroit Grand Prix will be the final running of the circuit’s two-decade run, for in 2023, the event will return to the streets of downtown Detroit, where it first began in 1982.
With the exclusion of the GTD Pro class in the weekend’s activities, the Wright Motorsports Porsche will again be the sole entry for the German manufacturer, proudly representing the marquee the team has raced for the last two decades.
The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented By Lear begins on Saturday, June 4 at 3:00 PM Eastern, airing live on the USA network, and also streaming live on Peacock. Fans outside the United States can stream live on imsa.tv, or visit the IMSA International Coverage page. Race fans can also watch the race live in its entirety from the Wright Motorsports Porsche via two onboard cameras on www.imsa.com/tvlive.
DRIVER QUOTES
Ryan Hardwick
I’m excited to be racing back in Detroit. I really enjoyed this street circuit back in 2019 when I first competed here. I love the 100-minute format because it puts a lot of emphasis on strategy and the pit lane, which are two areas where our Wright Motorsports team excels. Looking forward to the challenge.
Jan Heylen
It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Detroit. I love the street course, so I’m looking forward to being back to a tight course, which should suit the Porsche well. It’s a race that Ryan is looking forward to since he has prior experience in a GT3 car there. I think we’re setting up for a good weekend and I can’t wait.
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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.
