- TPC Racing’s International Competition Debut at the Portimão Circuit sees Wesley Slimp and Tyler Hoffman Secure Third-Place IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo Am-Class Championship Honors in the No. 9 HNTB Companies Lamborghini Huracán
- Billy Johnson Competitive to the Finish in Pro-Class No. 71 DSC Sport/Erin Levitas Foundation Lamborghini Huracán
JESSUP, Maryland (November 8, 2022) – TPC Racing sealed a top-three championship finish, scored a Portugal podium and secured a string of additional strong race finishes in the team’s international competition debut in the Super Trofeo Grand Finals at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, Portugal. A nearly week-long schedule that began last Tuesday, Portimão was a dual event featuring both Friday’s IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America doubleheader finale and the weekend’s global Super Trofeo Grand Finals.
Although TPC has been victorious in internationally-recognized major races in North America – including a GT-class victory in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona – the Super Trofeo extravaganza in Portugal was TPC’s first overseas competition in the team’s 20-year history.
The highlight came in Friday afternoon’s Super Trofeo North America final race of the season with Wesley Slimp and Tyler Hoffman locking down third place in the Am-class championship with a second-place race finish in the No. 109 HNTB Companies Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2. The runner-up result, combined with a solid fourth-place run in Friday’s first 50-minute sprint, was enough for Slimp and Hoffman to jump from fourth to third in the final 2022 Super Trofeo North America Am-class championship standings.
The No. 109 team and drivers also grabbed some of the international spotlight in Sunday’s Grand Finals race. Hoffman, who rolled off from the outside of row two after a strong fourth-place qualifying run, battled in the lead group from the drop of the green flag. As he and the other leaders cycled through pit stops, Hoffman led for a lap with 22 minutes remaining. He pitted from first place and handed the car off to Slimp who, after recovering from a spin on cold tires, crossed the finish line for a top-10 finish.
The best race result in the Grand Finals races for TPC came from Billy Johnson in the Pro-class No. 171 DSC Sport/Erin Levitas Foundation Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2. Johnson shook off a pair of frustrating Super Trofeo North America races Friday to finish sixth in Sunday’s Grand Finals race. The result was even more impressive considering Johnson and TPC battled through some handling and mechanical issues throughout the event, including a complete gearbox change overnight Friday.
With the scheduled racing year complete, TPC Racing now shifts focus to the 2023 season. Plans and programs are being finalized and will be announced in the near future.
Harris Levitas, TPC Racing Director of Race Operations: “The Lamborghini Super Trofeo Grand Finals event was absolutely fantastic to take part in for our TPC Racing team. The entire team worked incredibly hard all week long. It was not an easy feat for the team, but we got the job done. We started the week a bit behind with both cars chasing the setup. We ended up getting the No. 109 car of Wesley and Tyler sorted out pretty well. The guys had great qualifying results, and Wesley and Tyler ended up with a P2 finish in the North American finale, their second best result of the season, and that clinched for them and TPC third in the Am-class championship. They accomplished so much this year and really developed and grew as drivers all season. I am proud of them and it has been just so great to witness. Billy Johnson’s car had a few mechanical issues we chased throughout the week, that was really tough, but the team never gives up. They did an amazing job. Billy was able to come home in P6 on Sunday and was the second fastest American driver in the top 10. We are going to regroup for the winter and have some really great plans in store for the 2023 season. We really can’t wait to get the ball rolling again.”
Tyler Hoffman, Driver – No. 9 HNTB Companies Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2: “We finished P2 and P4 in the final rounds of the official Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season. Hell of a drive by Wesley to lock it in for third in the championship and a huge thank you to the guys at TPC for working nonstop for a great car. Wesley and I worked hard every session, and with TPC Racing and Billy Johnson, our car kept getting better and better. The only thing I knew about Portimão before coming here was how magnificent it was. It lives up to all of the hype. This is my absolute favorite of the European tracks I have been to and – don’t tell Road Atlanta, my home track – but they are very close at the top of my list! Portimão is a phenomenal race track and we really, really love it there.”
Billy Johnson, Driver – No. 71 DSC Sport/Erin Levitas Foundation Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2: “Grand Finals race two was pretty fun. We started P11 and worked our way up to P6 while holding off much faster cars. We threw the kitchen sink at the car and it really didn’t change much, indicating a major underlying issue in the chassis. Our fastest lap was 14th fastest in the field, so the sixth place finish was pretty awesome. I can’t thank TPC Racing and Mike and Harris Levitas enough for the opportunity to drive for them this season. It has been a lot of fun to help the team develop and learn this platform and coach and help setup the other team cars this year. The whole crew has worked with a lot of heart and effort to overcome so many challenges this year out of their control to give me a competitive car.”
About TPC Racing: TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sportscars. TPC Racing specializes in R&D and sales of high-performance modifications for Porsche sports cars and race cars, offering a wide range of vehicle upgrades. Best known for a line of forced induction solutions for the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster, a long-time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled TPC Racing to become experts in Porsche service, tuning, and racing. In 2000, TPC Racing began entering races under its own banner, scoring an SGS-class Championship in 2004 in the Grand-American Rolex Series and was a class winner in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and captured the 2013 and 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Gold Cup Championships. More information can be found at www.TPCRacing.com.
