BRASELTON, Georgia (October 2, 2022) – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams secured the second IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class Manufacturer Championship for Mercedes-AMG in four years this weekend in IMSA’s season-ending event at Michelin Raceway. Four different Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries contributed points for this year’s triumph which anchored a full list of another IMSA championship and season-long and race-weekend top-three showings in a successful season-ending event for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams on the 2.54-mile road course north of Atlanta.
After winning its first manufacturer title in 2019, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams stepped up again this season to deliver a second GS crown in a collectively competitive effort. Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams finished in the top-three in half of the year’s 10 races, including a series-leading three race wins for the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. Eric Foss co-drove the No. 56 with longtime teammate Jeff Mosing and earned the victories with Kenton Koch (Mid-Ohio and Road America) and Marc Miller (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) when Mosing missed the year’s summer races recovering from a rib injury.
The No. 56’s sister No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak earned the manufacturer championship points with a third-place finish at Watkins Glen while Mike Skeen and Trevor Andrusko sealed the title Friday with a second-place finish in the No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosports at Michelin Raceway. The runner-up placing for the FCP Euro team was a career-best result for the second-year team.
Foss and Mosing earned points for Mercedes-AMG in the year’s opening races at Daytona and Sebring and were joined by their No. 72 teammates and FCP Euro in scoring in more than one race. The No. 72 was also the top finisher at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca while FCP Euro earned its first points for Mercedes-AMG in its home race at Lime Rock Park.
Returning to the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer program for the year’s final three races, even the No. 21 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Anton Dias Perera and Scott Andrews stepped up to contribute to the Mercedes-AMG championship at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). The team endured a heartbreaking loss when the No. 21 ran out of fuel while leading on the last lap of the VIR race, but Andrews still managed to get across the finish line for a top-10 finish that was the best for Mercedes-AMG GT4 in one of the craziest races of the year.
The other Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer racing championship was earned in a dominating performance by Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams in the first-year Bronze Cup battle that awarded the top “Am” or sportsman driver pairing in the GS class.
The No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 driver duo of Gary Ferrera and Kris Wilson went into the record books as the inaugural Bronze Cup winners with victories in six of the year’s 10 races. The four other races, including Friday’s finale at Michelin Raceway, were won by Brent Mosing and Tim Probert in the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, giving Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams an undefeated 10-for-10 record in the first Bronze Cup season.
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams also shined in the driver and team championships in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Michelin Pilot Series.
Stevan McAleer and Team Korthoff Motorsports capped a breakout year in their first full season of GT Daytona (GTD) competition with third-place honors in the GTD driver and team championships. Along with McAleer’s co-driver Skeen – who missed the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca due to COVID-19 – the Team Korthoff Motorsports No. 32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 drivers and team battled for the GTD championships all season.
A similar no-quit effort was turned in Foss and the No. 56 team in Pilot Challenge GS. Foss and his co-drivers were a title threat all season and the No. 56 and Foss ultimately finished a solid second in both the GS driver and team championships.
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams also locked out the 2022 Motul Pole Awards in both IMSA series. In addition to two race wins with co-driver Philip Ellis, Russell Ward earned the GTD pole award for the most top qualifying efforts in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Kenny Murillo in turn won the Motul Pole Award in GS for the most pole positions on the season in the No. 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4.
McAleer, Team Korthoff and Ward will be presented with their respective awards at tonight’s WeatherTech Night of Championships at Chateau Elan near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I could say I am disappointed, but I am not even in the slightest. The last four or five races for us have been tough. We slowly lost the points lead, and I even thought going into this weekend we could even end up finishing P5 or P6 overall. It was that close, but I really wanted to be at the banquet tonight in one of those top-three spots. So, I am pretty ecstatic to finish third in GTD in my first ever attempt in top GT3 competition, we were the highest Mercedes-AMG, and I can’t thank the team enough for the opportunity. I think the only thing that is missing is Mike Skeen should be up there with me, so I will certainly celebrate with him and the entire team. We will look into next year, there is definitely some tweaks and improvements we can make to get closer and closer, but there is no question going into next year that there is a new team on the map.”
Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This is a team sport, and you win, and you lose together. We have come a long way as a team in the past couple of years. We are really kind of getting to our stride, and I don’t even really know how to say how proud I am of the team. They are the ones that get us there. We have really what I think are the best guys in the world. Not only are they amazing at their job, but they are also my friends, and we will get through a tough season together and come back strong next year. Now we know all of the tracks better, and Philip and I are going to come back with fire in our veins for sure.”
Jeff Mosing, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Running with this Murillo team as long as we have, it is like family here. They way that they are able to adapt to the new Mercedes-AMG GT4 platform when they first got it five years ago, they have really brought it a long way to make it a possible championship-winning car. I am just really, really proud of how they were able to work through the different things we had to do to learn what was a new car for us and our first effort in GS. It’s super competitive in the series and congratulations to Mercedes-AMG for the Manufacturer’s Championship.”
Eric Foss, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We chose the Mercedes-AMG GT4 back in 2018 because we knew it was going to be a great car to contend for championships. All year the car was flawless, we never had a mechanical issue, and it is always a joy to drive. We came into Road Atlanta realistically knowing it would be very tough to win the driver and team championships, but we had our heads down and sights set on still trying to win the race. Jeff had a great first stint, the team put in a 100 percent effort, and we drove the wheels off the car. Mercedes-AMG being able to win the manufacturer championship again this year just shows how really good the cars are. We are proud to have the most wins in the series with three and it’s a credit to what an easy platform the Mercedes-AMG GT4 is.”
Trevor Andrusko, Driver – No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT4: “FCP Euro and Ricca Autosport have been just fantastic this year. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 was just awesome to drive, and I really enjoyed it. It was an abbreviated season, but this is my first professional podium here at my home track at Road Atlanta, so it is really cool with friends here, family here, it is just really awesome. I think we kind of showed we can contend in the championship if we do a full season. The team has worked hard getting the car to where it is, and we have spent quite a bit of time getting to this point.”
Gary Ferrera, Driver – No. 11 Capstone Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We wanted to win the race in total, we knew we had the championship just crossing the line, but we really wanted at least the Bronze Cup victory. Unfortunately, we had a penalty but Tim and Brent, who we love as competitors, had no hiccups and had a good day. Still very happy, we had a great year, and I am very excited to go to Barcelona for the Mercedes-AMG awards.”
Tim Probert, Driver – No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It’s just terrific. We were very fortunate that both Brent and I drove really, really consistently. We didn’t make any mistakes, the strategy from the pits was flawless, and it all went perfect. We really enjoy the Bronze Cup, and it is all just fantastic.”
