Castro Won Three Races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for Come From Behind Title; Dickinson Brings Home Podium Finish in Season Finale
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 13, 2021) – Team Hardpoint driver Efrin Castro won three consecutive Porsche Carrera Cup North America races this week at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, making up a 39-point deficit in the final weekend to claim both the inaugural North American championship in the Pro-Am class and the team’s first title.
Castro won six of the final eight races in the season, including all three at the final round this week, to make up a gap that felt insurmountable coming into the weekend. Entering the final race on Friday, Castro needed to win and see the Championship leader finish in sixth-place or lower to claim the title.
As Castro drove his No. 65 Fine Fare Supermarket/GoDominicanRepublic.com Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to the class lead in Turn 10 on the opening lap of the race, that championship leader and race polesitter spun off course and into the gravel.
With his points competitor two laps down, Castro still had to take care of his own business in the 45-minute race. He answered the bell, turning the fastest class lap of the race in 1:22.627 (110.665 mph) and finishing 11th overall in a smart, and still quickly run, race to claim the championship.
“This is unreal,” Castro said. “Coming into this weekend I had just a little bit of hope. I was putting faith in the Man Above and whatever would happen would happen. I just got blessed with this amazing weekend. I love it. It feels unreal. I was crying inside the car non-stop, I am not going to lie. I feel so blessed. I have to give thanks to everyone that made this possible. To everyone who supported me and believed in me.”
On the season, Castro won seven races and finished runner-up six times on his way to the two-point championship victory.
Teammate Riley Dickinson had an outstanding weekend of his own, finishing third overall and in the Pro Class for Saturday’s race and setting a new track record during Friday’s second stanza.
Dickinson was the fourth-quickest qualifier on Wednesday, but his No. 53 Porsche Austin/Team Hardpoint Porsche 911 GT3 was found to be slightly below the minimum ride height in post-qualifying technical inspection. Dickinson started 14th following the penalty and drove through the field to finish fourth in the opening race.
In race two, after starting seventh, Dickinson and the team made the decision to pull into pit lane and put on a fresh set of Michelin Tires at the midway point of the race. Dickinson used the fresh rubber to run a series-best race lap of 1:21.258 (112.530 mph), sacrificing a race two finish to earn the third qualifying position for Friday’s race.
Starting third on Friday, Dickinson held onto the podium spot during the 45-minute race to earn his eighth trophy in the 16-race season. Dickinson finished fourth in a very competitive Pro Class driver’s championship.
“It’s important to keep perspective on the weekend,” Dickinson said. “We want a win, it’s what we’ve been working so hard for this year and I feel we truly deserve. For whatever reason, we weren’t able to achieve it this year. To rebound to where we were today was great. To have the setback in qualifying and move up to P4 in race one, through deciding to go for the fastest lap in race two to set up race three. There was a lot to come back from. I’m proud of my performance, I’m proud of what I did, and I’m even more proud of the Team Hardpoint guys and their entire effort all year. From the top to the bottom, everyone did a fantastic job. I can’t thank them enough, and I can’t thank Porsche Austin enough for their support this year. Without them, this would not have been possible. I’m looking forward to partnering up with them again and getting to next year, because I’m more hungry than ever.”
Dickinson and Castro combined to give Team Hardpoint a third-place finish in the Entrant’s Championship.
“I’m really proud of Efrin, Riley and the entire team for the way they’ve handled all the adversity a race season can throw at them,” Team Owner Rob Ferriol said. “We knew coming into this weekend that all we could really control was our effort and the rest would come. Efrin did a tremendous job to get the three wins he needed and bring home the first of what we hope will become many championships for Team Hardpoint. Riley made a bold move in race two that paid off for him in the form of a podium finish today. I’m just proud of the way both drivers represented themselves and Team Hardpoint this season.”
Team Hardpoint’s No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R will start Saturday’s 10-hour IMSA WeatherTech Championship finale, Motul Petit Le Mans, in 12th position following Friday’s qualifying. Andrew Davis qualified the car and will begin the race before handing off to co-drivers Ferriol and Katherine Legge. Saturday’s race begins at 12:10 p.m. EST, live on NBC for the opening three hours before moving to NBCSN for the remainder. The race can be seen in its entirety, commercial free, via TrackPass on the NBC Sports App.
About Team Hardpoint:
Hardpoint Motorsports was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team’s 2021 plans include a full-season effort in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a multi-car effort in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America. More information on Hardpoint Motorsports can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
