(Torrance, CA, November 18, 2023) Mere hours before his 60th birthday, legendary Bobby Michnowicz driver gave himself an early present by sewing up his historic sixth California Lightning Sprint Car Series championship. The victory, his sixth in the CLS in 2023, came during the running of the 7th Annual Western States Lightning Sprint Car Series championship at the Bakersfield Speedway. It was his fourth win in the first seven years of the event. In addition to capturing the main, and sewing up the CLS title, the longtime racer also clinched the crown in the CLS/POWRi Best of the West Series.

To say Michnowicz, who out-qualified the 16-car field, had an easy time in the 25-lap main event which featured $500.00 to win and at least $100.00 to start courtesy of Channel Islands Floorcoverings, is not an understatement. That is, it was not an understatement for 24 ¼ laps. The last ¾ of a lap was a monster with the wily veteran losing the lead going into turn three to Lakewood’s Aiden Lange, taking it back coming out of turn four, and winning in a dramatic photo finish.

Appropriately, Michnowicz’s lap of 12.580 was the quickest in Iron Alliance Engineering Qualifying on “The West’s Fastest 1/3-Mile High Banked Clay Oval.” Levi Klatt, who drove 1,150 miles from Langley, British Columbia, Canada to compete at the “Okie Bowl,” was second fastest at 12.609. The third-best time in qualifying came from 15-year-old Brodey Graham at 12.812. It was only Graham’s second time in a lightning sprint. His first was on October 28th when he shocked the regulars by taking the win at the Ventura Raceway.

2022 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Brent Sexton of Lakeside bagged the win in the AG Sandcars/Triple X Racing heat #1. The 50-year-old was chased to his third heat win of the season by “Rockstar” Jon Robertson of Torrance and Michnowicz. In the T Shirts By Timeless second heat, 16-year-old Seth Dyer of Yucca Valley was the first driver to starter Jimmy “The Shoe” Irwin’s checkered flag. It was his second heat race triumph of 2023. Lakewood’s Aiden Lange and Dyer’s father, Jeff, finished in the place and show spots.

The last order of business before the main was the six car dash. It would establish the starting positions for the first three rows of the main. Jeff Dyer emerged victorious from that and earned the pole position. Michnowicz placed second and started alongside Dyer. Row two was set with Lange and Graham. BCRA star Greg Dennett of Livermore and Palmdale’s Eric Greco would start in row three.

When the green flag signaled the start of the final CLS points race of the series 29th season, Michnowicz raced into the lead ahead of Jeff Dyer, Lange, and Graham. Unfortunately, just after the first lap was completed, the yellow flew when Greco and 2022 CLS Rookie of the Year Connor Speir of Fillmore stopped in turn four. Greco drove away, but Speir had to be towed off the track with the front end of his pretty #57 severely damaged.

Things stayed status quo once the race restarted, but Michnowicz, in his familiar T Shirts By Timeless/Super Shox/Pflum & Wagner/Outlaw Wings/Fabozi Metal Works/Bondio Fab/Fast Time Studios/TJ Forged/DLX/Kawasaki ZX10 #21K, was pulling away from the field. By the time he had circled the 1/3 mile banked oval five times, he had established a 2.5-second lead over Dyer.

Bakersfield local Graham, who was once again looking like a seasoned veteran in the main event, was running third on lap eight when he suddenly slowed and pulled to the infield. That moved Lange up to third and Klatt to fourth. Moments after he pulled to the infield, heat two winner Seth Dyer did likewise. Unfortunately, Klatt did the same on lap 11 and became the next car out.

Michnowicz reached the lapped traffic on the 12th circuit. By that time he had a massive lead and looked to be headed for a certain win. Lange, who had finished in the top five in his last six starts, chased down Dyer at the halfway point and took him for second coming out of turn four. Dyer tried to come back on the inside, but Lange repelled the challenge. Even though he had moved up to second, he was far behind the streaking Michnowicz and seemingly had no way of catching the race-long leader. But nobody informed the young driver that he did not have a chance.

With 10 laps remaining, Michnowicz still had a 2.4-second lead over Lange. Suddenly, things began to change. Lange, who was seeking his second victory of the season, was inching his way closer to the leader. With five circuits to go, he was closing in dramatically. Michnowicz was hugging the bottom of the track while Lange was on the high side in one and two and would hit the low line in three and four.

As they took the white flag, Lange was about three lengths behind Michnowicz. There was a lapped car directly in front of the race long leader as they sped into turn one. Lange kept the throttle on and surged into the lead going down the back chute. Like he had been doing, he brought it back down to the inside going into three. Michnowicz was right behind him and the lapped car was right in front of both. As the lapped car came off the corner, it drifted up a lane. Lange was right behind him and did the same. Seeing a huge gap open up in front of him, Michnowicz’s eyes must have gotten as big as saucers. He blasted into the gap and pulled alongside Lange. They raced across the line inches apart and it was hard to tell who won. It was another Bakersfield/CLS barn burner finish. Visually, it was too hard to tell who the victor was. Veteran Bakersfield announcer John Candy shouted to the crowd, “It’s a you pick em’ photo finish at the line.” After several seconds and checking with the officials, Candy announced that Michnowicz had won.

How close was it? Winner Michnowicz did not know who won. When he was told to pull over and stop on the infield, he had to gesture to an official to find out if it was him or Lange.

“I don’t know who won, I didn’t know,” Michnowicz told the crowd when he was interviewed by USAC’s Drake York after the race. “I thought I got him, but then I looked at the board and it said #13. I thought I lost (at that point), but I guess I won.”

“I knew I was slow,” the happy winner continued. “I couldn’t even get by the lapped cars. It is tough to go out because you have to guess (while waiting for the USAC B main to conclude). You cannot work on your car as you have to sit there in the hot chute. We just guessed. I left it stuck out on the right rear and everything. I knew I was not good, but we won and I guess that is what counts.”

“It is cool. I never really watch points or count them. I just like to race. We always try to do our best and put ourselves with a chance to be out front and win some races. This is my favorite track. I love coming to Bakersfield. I raced Leland McSpadden here, that is how old I am. It is a great facility and the Schweitzer’s do a phenomenal job. The track is just good. I have been coming here since I was 16 years old in 1980. It has been a long time.”

Behind Michnowicz and Lange, Jeff Dyer, Sexton, and Dennett rounded out the top five. Bakersfield local Leland Day took home $100.00 for being the “PJ Benidetti Hard Charger” by placing sixth after starting 13th.

At the end of Tuesday’s race, which was the 16th of the year, Michnowicz was 143 points clear of second place Greco in the CLS championship standings. Lange placed third with Robertson fourth and Speir fifth.

In addition to winning his sixth CLS title, Michnowicz also sewed up the Best of the West title that matches the CLS/SWLS. The veteran driver had a 98-point cushion between himself and second-place finisher Greco. Jeff Dyer, Sexton, and Robertson placed third through fifth. All told, CLS drivers took eight of the top 10 spots in the first-year mini-series.

The next item on the agenda for the CLS will be the 2023 awards banquet on February 3rd. Details will be available soon on the CLS Facebook page.,

The CLS has already announced that its historic 30th season will kick off during the California Mid-Winter Fair at the Imperial Valley Raceway with races on March 1st and 2nd.

The following companies were marketing partners with the CLS in 2023. Hoosier Tires West, T-Shirts By Timeless, Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com, Advanced Racing Suspension, Channel Islands Floorcoverings, King Racing Products, BR Motorsports, EZ Up, RC Fuel Injection, and Triple X. If you or your company would like to be a marketing partner with the CLS, please contact Jon Robertson using the contact information at the top of this release.

To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ and follow on the club’s Facebook page.

California Lightning Sprint Car Series Bakersfield Speedway November 14th Results

Iron Alliance Engineering Qualifying: 1. Bobby Michnowicz, 12.580; 2. Levi Klatt, 12.609; 3. Brodey Graham, 12.812; 4. Eric Greco, 12.869; 5. Greg Dennett, 12.937; 6. Aiden Lange, 12.946; 7. Connor Speir, 12.969; 8. Jeff Dyer, 13.022; 9. Brent Sexton, 13.206; 10. Seth Dyer, 13.251; 11. Jon Robertson, 13.279, 12. Zate Legend, 13.336, 13. Leland Day, 13.415; 14. Brent Horn, 13,657; 15. Jason Schapansky, 13.729; 16. Pat Kelley, 14.068

AG Sandcars/Triple X Racing Heat #1: 1. Sexton, 2. Robertson, 3. Michnowicz, 4. Dennett, 5. Graham, 6. Day, 7. Speir, 8. Schapansky

T Shirt By Timeless Heat #2: 1. Seth Dyer, 2. Lange, 3. Jeff Dyer, 4. Greco, 5. Horn, 6. Kelley, 7. Legend, 8. Klatt

Dash: 1. Jeff Dyer, 2. Michnowicz, 3. Lange, 4. Graham, 5. Dennett, 6. Greco

7th Annual Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship 25-Lap Main Event With Starting Positions

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA … 2nd
2. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA …. 3rd
3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1st
4. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 7th
5. Greg Dennett, Livermore, CA … 5th
6. Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA … 13th
7. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 6th
8. Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … 10th
9. Brent Horn, El Cajon, CA … 14th
10. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 15th
11. Jason Schapansky, Kamloops, BC, Canada … 16th
12. Levi Klatt, Langley, BC, Canada … 11th
13. Brodey Graham, Bakersfield, CA … 4th
14. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 8th
15. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 9th
16. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 12th

2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Final Point Standings

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA … 2026
2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 1883
3. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 1509
4. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 1434
5. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 1383
6. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1349
7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 1440
8. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 959
9. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 927
10. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA … 817

CLS vs BCRA Civil War Standings

1. Greg Dennett, BCRA … 504
2. Eric Greco, CLS … 485
3. Bobby Michnowicz, CLS … 447
4. Dakota Albright, BCRA … 441
5. Aiden Lange, CLS … 430
6. Chris Crowder, BCRA … 343
7. Connor Speir, CLS … 327
8. Jon Robertson, CLS … 272
9. Leland Day, CLS … 245
10. Seth Dyer, CLS … 243

2023 CLS vs SWLS Best of the West Standings

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA, CLS … 919
2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA, CLS … 821
3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 789
4. Brent Sexton, Lakeside, CA. SWLS … 714
5. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA, CLS … 633
6. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA, CLS … 632
7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, CLS … 617
8. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA, CLS … 577
9. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA, CLS … 490
10. Cody Griggs, Lakeside, CA, SWLS … 299

2023 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule

March 10 Imperial Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #1 AJ Bender

March 11 Imperial Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #2 Braden Chiaramonte

March 18 Bakersfield Speedway CLS With USAC Western Midgets Rained Out

April 1 Mohave Valley Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #3 Brent Sexton

April 8 Bakersfield Speedway CLS AJ Bender

May 13 Ventura Raceway CLS With USAC 360 Sprint Cars Bobby Michnowicz

May 20 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #4 Bobby Michnowicz

June 3 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series Round” #1 Jeff Dyer

June 17 Ventura Raceway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #5 Bobby Michnowicz

July 8 Ventura Raceway CLS Bobby Michnowicz

August 19 Ocean Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series Round” #2 Chris Crowder

September 9 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series” Round #3 Chris Crowder

September 23 Ventura Raceway CLS Aiden Lange

September 30 Merced Speedway CLS/BCRA “Civil War Series” Round #4, Eric Greco

October 14 Mohave Valley Speedway CLS/SWLS “Best of the West” Round #6 Jeff Dyer

October 28 Ventura Raceway CLS Brodey Graham

November 14 Bakersfield Speedway CLS/SWLS Best of The West Round #6 Bobby Michnowicz

PAST CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS

1994 Tony Everhart

1995 Gary Sexton

1996 Rob Sczymczak

1997 Jon Rahe

1998 Chris Rahe

1999 Brent Sexton

2000 Greg Bragg

2001 Greg Bragg

2002 Greg Bragg

2003 David Cardey

2004 Keith Janca

2005 Johnny Bates

2006 Donny Gansen

2007 Shane Rossen

2008 Brent Sexton

2009 Stuart Hielschier Sr.

2010 Jarrett Kramer

2011 Tim Brown

2012 Bobby Michnowicz

2013 Stephen Limon

2014 Bobby Michnowicz

2015 Bobby Michnowicz

2016 Bobby Michnowicz

2017 Bobby Michnowicz

2018 Jarrett Kramer

2019 Jarrett Kramer

2021 David Gasper

2022 David Gasper

2023 Bobby Michnowicz

• Shehan Chandrasoma and Nikko Reger Co-Drive the No. 120 TPC Racing Lamborghini Austin Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 to Pro-Am Victory Friday
• Alan Grossberg Improves Throughout World Finals Week in Italy in the No. 102 TPC Racing/Dream Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 in the LB Cup Class

ROME, Italy (November 19, 2023) – Stepping into the winner’s spotlight on the grandest stage in international Lamborghini Super Trofeo competition, TPC Racing, co-drivers Shehan Chandrasoma and Nikko Reger, and the No. 120 Lamborghini Austin Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 team secured their first Super Trofeo Pro-Am class victory in the season-ending IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America race at the Lamborghini World Finals at Autodromo Vallelunga in Italy on Friday.

The win was the first for TPC Racing in international sports car racing competition and the initial victory for the team with Chandrasoma and Reger after pairing up with the duo at mid-season. The convincing victory followed a similarly competitive second-place Pro-Am finish by the No. 120 team in Thursday’s opening Super Trofeo North America race and completed a season-ending run of four-consecutive podium finishes to close out the year.

Including a pair of third-place showings one race prior to Vallelunga at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), the late-season surge enabled Chandrasoma to secure the final Pro-Am season championship podium spot in third place, just one point behind the second-place competitor.

Chandrasoma started Thursday’s first 50-minute Super Trofeo North America race and immediately stepped up to battle in the Pro-Am top three. He pitted from third just past the 27-minute mark to hand off to Reger as the TPC Racing team performed a well executed and perfectly timed pit stop, as they did throughout the nearly week-long World Finals event.

Reger continued the fight at the front of the field and advanced to second in the closing stages. He masterfully held off Johannes van Overbeek, an overall Rolex 24 and two-time 12 Hours of Sebring race winner, for several laps to skillfully defend the runner-up position to the checkered flag.

The second-place result matched Chandrasoma’s best finish of the year, but those season-high marks would soon be surpassed in the Friday finale. Reger took the start and immediately challenged in the Pro-Am top three. Chandrasoma took over near the race’s halfway point and, after another top pit stop by the TPC Racing crew, returned to the track in fourth.

From there, Chandrasoma went to work as the competition cycled through their pit stops and he passed for two positions. He was in second with less than 20 minutes to go and, after steadily reeling in the leader, pulled off what proved to be race-winning pass with 13 minutes remaining. Chandrasoma took the checkered flag for the convincing win in Pro-Am and a solid top-five overall behind four top-tier Pro-class competitors.

With the Super Trofeo North America season in the books, Chandrasoma and Reger focused on the weekend’s World Finals doubleheader where they and their American competitor peers would race head-to-head with the best Super Trofeo teams and drivers from Europe and Asia.

Chandrasoma started Saturday’s opening race but was caught up at the start in the type of close-quarters contact incident that is not uncommon in the 40-plus car World Finals fields. The No. 120 was soon retired with radiator and minor bodywork damage but the TPC Racing team quickly repaired the Lamborghini for Sunday’s final race.

Chandrasoma and Reger raced in Sunday’s finale with a rebound on their minds and steadily progressed through the field for a strong top-five finish. The fifth-place result was not the end of the story, however, as two Pro-Am competitors that took the checkered flag ahead of the No. 120 were assessed post-race penalties. That moved the No. 120 up to third where TPC Racing and its drivers proudly represented the U.S. behind the class-winning team from Asia and the second-place European series finishers.

The TPC Racing lineup at the World Finals included LB Cup-class solo driver Alan Grossberg who was competing with the team for just the second time after debuting at Indianapolis in the No. 102 TPC Racing/Dream Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2.

Improving from the beginning of a full week of on-track action that began with unofficial testing on Monday, Grossberg hit his stride in the Saturday and Sunday World Finals doubleheader. Starting near the back in both races behind an international field of the best LB Cup and Am-class competitors in the world, Grossberg improved 12 positions in Saturday’s race and nine spots on Sunday. He crossed the finish line 12th in both rounds.

Although the established TPC Racing team has been victorious in internationally-recognized major races in North America – including a GT-class victory in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona – Friday’s victory was the team’s first outside of North America. TPC competed overseas for the first time in the team’s 20-year history in last year’s World Finals in Portugal where they scored an Am-class second place finish in the Super Trofeo North America finale to secure third in the Am season championship.

Harris Levitas, Director of Race Operations: “It was really incredible. The TPC Racing team did an absolutely amazing job preparing the cars and our engineering staff – and everybody on the team in whatever job they had – executed and that’s all we needed to do. The drivers did a fantastic job, and getting our first Super Trofeo Pro-Am race win together was a perfect way to cap off the year. I can’t thank Shehan Chandrasoma, his family, and Nikko Reger enough for trusting us to do this for them. To end the season with our first Pro-Am victory and first international win in our team’s history is just amazing. We are also proud of Alan Grossberg who continued to make incredible progress in just his second race with us in LB Cup. The week-long schedule in Italy was perfect for Alan as he got an incredible amount of track time and it showed. His best came at the very end in the competitive World Finals races where he pulled off several passes and took advantage of attrition to move up. He kept it clean when many others didn’t and it is great to see his ongoing development, particularly against the best Super Trofeo drivers in the world.”

Shehan Chandrasoma, Driver, No. 120 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2: “What an end to the season with a first place finish. It definitely feels good to win fair and square, a clean race, no spins no wrecks with good competition. The TPC Racing team has been fantastic and nailed every single pit stop. Nikko put the car in an amazing position. I got in the car, had a really good stint, made the pass for first and got our first win of the season. We had great pace in both race one and race two in the North American championship finale in Italy and I think I am ready in Super Trofeo to do Pro-Am next year, maybe even Pro, and from then on plan to do GT3.”

Nikko Reger, Driver, No. 120 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2: “You have the best competition in the world, some of the coolest cars in the world, and just overall one of the best racing series. We are having fun driving Lamborghinis, but we get to do it against some of the best and put our talent to the test. That’s a favorite part of driving here in Lamborghini Super Trofeo. So, I am absolutely loving it. I never dreamed of racing Lamborghinis in Italy, but we were here, showed very well, and it is great stuff. We should’ve had more wins this season but this is quite the way to wrap up the year.”

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.

(Brownsburg, Ind.) Nov. 19, 2023 — The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (WTRAndretti) team have officially wrapped on the 2023 Lamborghini Super Trofeo season following the Grand Finals at Vallelunga in Italy. With competitive global competition, the WTRAndretti team depart the Grand Finals highlighted by an LB Cup Class win by rookie Graham Doyle.

With a record-breaking season in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series, PRO Class Champions Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal were ready to contend for the Grand Finals title. Despite a tough and competitive qualifying for the doubleheader, the No. 101 pairing know how to put their heads down and fight forward in the field. After taking over the driver’s seat from co-driver Formal in Race 1, Marcelli was able to charge through the field to earn a sixth-place result overall in Race 1. Sunday’s Race 2 provided a bit of a different result as the No. 101 team encountered damage on the start of the race and the team unfortunately had to retire from the race. Although the Grand Finals may not have been the results hoped for, Marcelli and Formal still walk away from the year as back-to-back champions title holders.

Entering his Grand Finals debut weekend, Ryan Norman was determined to capitalize on the momentum and experience in the North America rounds. Norman was poised for a solid top-10 result in Race 1 on Saturday before the No. 184 suffered a hit by a competitor who had spun on track, damaging the driver’s side door, and ending the day early for the Ohio native. In Sunday’s Race 2, Norman was able to refocus after Saturday and keep his No. 184 out of trouble to finish 16th. In Norman’s first Lamborghini Super Trofeo season highlighted by two wins at Indianapolis, Norman earned Vice Champions honors in the PRO Class for the year.

Nate Stacy and Nick Persing displayed consistent speed and determination across the pairing’s first Grand Finals in the PRO|AM events. After qualifying in the top 10 within the 23-car field, the No. 108 team were able to hold off fellow PRO|AM competitors in Race 1 and finish eighth in class. Starting sixth in class for Race 2, Stacy and Persing were able to battle their way into a podium position, but the pair received a post-race five-second time penalty for incident responsibility and ultimately finished sixth. Despite missing two events in the season as a co-driver pairing, Stacy and Persing finished the LST North America season third in the PRO|AM championship standings.

Graham Doyle continued to showcase his poise and speed as the rookie entered his first Grand Finals weekend. Although Saturday’s Race 1 saw Doyle drive with a tire puncture from contact with a competitor, Sunday’s Race 2 served sweet redemption. Consistently running within the leaders of the LB Cup field and a late caution, Doyle was able to make an impressive pass around the LB Cup leader through lapped traffic to take the victory on the final lap – earning his fourth win of the season. Wrapping up his first motorsports season, Doyle departs Italy as the Vice Champion in the LST North America LB Cup Championship.
The WTRAndretti Lamborghini Super Trofeo stable fared well all season long to earn the most successful season to date for the team. With winning all North America races overall followed up with seven additional class victories and 36 total podium finishes.

Kyle Marcelli, No. 101 WTRAndretti (PRO)
“I don’t have a whole lot to say other than the guys on this WTRAndretti team worked their butts off this week. Every time we were putting the car on track, we were trying something different. It seemed like from Qualifying for Grand Finals, things seemed to go sideways. There was a lot of things that were out of our control that ended up working against us. At the end of the day, we had really high expectations coming into this event, and I think we are deflated because we are leaving the way we are without a result in the PRO Category. Having said that, the team walked away victorious with Graham getting the win in LB Cup.”

Danny Formal, No. 101 WTRAndretti (PRO)
“Well, not the Grand Finals we wanted. Yesterday, was actually a good race. We started 13th and finished sixth. We had pretty good pace. Today, Kyle got hit pretty hard off the start. Damaged the car on the front left. I think with the vibrations and stuff loosened the rear of the car. With the big mechanical issues, we decided to retire the car. Unfortunate end to what was probably the best year of my career in anything – sportscar racing, karting – just a fantastic 2023. 2024 will be the best year of my life, so I am really excited to start the December test with our GTD. Grateful and thank you to every mechanic and team member of WTRAndretti.”

Ryan Norman, No. 184 WTRAndretti (PRO)
“Overall, I am so proud of everyone at WTRAndretti. We finished the season second in the PRO Championship, and it has been such a wonderful experience working with all of my teammates and crew. We have become a big family and have all worked collectively together to get where we are now. Although the Grand Finals races didn’t go as planned, we still have so many positives to take away from this week and I’m very excited to see where the future takes us.”

Nate Stacy, No. 108 WTRAndretti (PRO|AM)
“First off, I have to thank WTRAndretti and Lamborghini Nashville, Hankook and all the guys back in Indianapolis. Team has just been stellar all weekend. Sean, Jim, Jeff Dave, all the guys just killed it all weekend long. The car was a rocket ship from the day we pulled it out of the trailer. Man, we just fought as hard as we could. We were kind of worried there at the end that we would finish fourth, but we ended up taking third. Now we have been hit with a penalty moving us back to sixth. It is brutal – it is news none of the team wanted to hear, but we will rally and try again next year in Spain!”

Nick Persing, No. 108 WTRAndretti (PRO|AM)
“Grand Finals was great. Initially we struggled with the car set up, almost the entire time. But we dialed it in and managed to give ourselves a set up that was fast enough to take home P3 in the final race of the Grand Finals. It is extremely unfortunate that we received this penalty costing us the podium. From my perspective, I had no choice but to follow the car in front of me who was making a pass on the two cars in front. Otherwise, I would have been passed by the car behind me. I feel like I had presented myself in the corner and the car in front should have given way seeing that I was there, but he just turned in on me. The stewards didn’t agree with me. To me, this race was still a third place and I celebrate with the team and my family as such! Big thanks to WTRAndretti for giving us a car that we could take to the front today.”

Graham Doyle, No. 110 DEX Imaging with WTRAndretti (LB Cup)
“The Grand Finals were simply incredible. I started both races in the top six and showed strong pace and ability to keep up with the fastest cars on track. Unfortunately. Race 1 did not go to plan but in Race 2, I was able to regroup and win, finish third in the Worlds. This season has been incredible. Working with WTRAndretti and DEX Imaging, I have been able to progress and succeed in rapid fashion exceeding my own goals. I can’t wait for next season where I hope to continue to grow and develop into a stronger driver.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI’S DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Wayne Taylor Racing, now with Andretti Global (WTRAndretti), is a leader in sportscar racing, recognized worldwide for fielding championship winning racing efforts since 2007. WTRAndretti has run a stable of championship winning cars and drivers in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series for over half a decade, forming the basis of their Driver Development Program. Since its inception in 2015, the team has clinched eight North American PRO Driver, Team and Dealer Championship titles, fielded the first woman World Finals race winner and became the overall 2017 Champions at the World Finals in Imola, Italy. WTRAndretti’s Driver Development program has grown into interim classes and series as it evolves to encompass a greater variety of skill and experience levels. In addition to running a full stable of Lamborghini Super Trofeos, WTRAndretti will be fielding a two-car Acura ARX-06 GTP program as well as a Lamborghini GT3 program in 2024.

No. 99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing look back on a consistent season as they approach the championship decider in Chile. Sitting fourth in the standings with two rounds still to go, the American outfit are in with an outside chance of glory at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix (December 2-3).

The team entered Extreme E Season 3 with a fresh driving pairing, as Amanda Sorensen made her championship debut at the Desert X Prix in March alongside RJ Anderson. The American brought with her heaps of experience having competed in the Formula DRIFT series and seized the Lucas Oil UTV Championship that same year as the youngest competitor across the board.

Competing as Sorensen’s team-mate for the 2023 campaign, Anderson returned to Chip Ganassi Racing having stepped in for the final race of Season 2 at the Energy X Prix in Punta del Este, Uruguay. A confident performance on debut helped the team remain in contention all the way up to the final day of competition.

No. 99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s consistency has put them in the title fight once again this year. Despite being the only team out of the five title contenders not to have taken a victory in 2023, the American outfit has finished in the top-five positions in all but one of the rounds of the 2023 season.

Anderson and Sorensen started Season 3 on a high, heading through to the Grand Final in comfortable fashion having won Qualifying 1 Heat 1 and taking third in Qualifying 2 Heat 1. Unfortunately, a strong start for RJ Anderson was quickly stalled, after technical issues forced Anderson to come to a stop out on course.

The team also hit the ground running in Round 2, claiming two second-place finishes across both Qualifying heats. Anderson and Sorensen could only manage another fifth place, but this marked two Grand Finals out of two for the American outfit.

A third place in Round 4 at Hydro X Prix in Scotland was the first podium of the year for No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing and a maiden podium for Anderson and Sorensen. A strong fourth place in Round 3 meant the team left Scotland with their Grand Final streak intact.

No. 99 GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing maintained their strong form with another podium and another fourth place at the next double-header in Sardinia, Italy.

However, the Island X Prix also represented a missed opportunity for Anderson and Sorensen, as a penalty denied them a first win of the campaign in Round 5, putting them down to third place.

The pair also lost out on back-to-back podiums, having run in third until the very last corner of Round 6 before Sorensen was passed right at the last by Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E’s Catie Munnings.

As the championship returned to Sardinia in September for Rounds 7 and 8, the opening day’s racing saw the team miss out on its first Grand Final of the season, crossing the line third in the Redemption Race to finish eighth overall.

In a bid to turn their Island X Prix fortunes around, Anderson and Sorensen quickly put Round 7 behind them and were flying in Qualifying for Round 8. In Qualifying 2 Heat 2, Sorenson pulled off a risky move on JBXE’s Hedda Hosås to take a dramatic victory in the closing stages. These heroics secured joint second place in the Qualifying standings, ahead by virtue of their speed through the Continental Traction Challenge, and a place in the Grand Final.

After a hard-fought battle with Rosberg X Racing’s Johan Kristoffersson in the Grand Final, the team just missed out on a spot on the podium, finishing in fourth. The 19 points earned across the weekend ensures No. 99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing remain an outside bet for the 2023 championship.

No. 99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing sits 40 points off championship leaders ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team and just 19 points outside of the top three contenders. With plenty of points up for grabs at the season finale in Chile, the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix promises to be an exciting showdown.

The crowning of the 2023 champions will be live across ITV and STV in the UK, while outside of the UK please visit here for broadcaster details.

To learn more about Extreme E, visit – www.Extreme-E.com

About Extreme E:

Now heading into its third season, Extreme E is a radical off-road racing series, founded by the same team behind Formula E, which showcases electric SUVs and futuristic technologies in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments.

This five-event global voyage utilises its sporting platform for the purpose of promoting electrification, environment and equality. The series’ goal is to highlight the impact of climate change in some of the world’s most endangered environments, promote the adoption of electric vehicles to pave the way for a lower carbon future, and provide a world-first gender-equal motorsport platform.

The first sport to ever be built out of a social purpose, Extreme E aims to minimise environmental impact while maximising awareness, racing in places that have already been damaged or affected by climate change or human interference and taking fans deep into the heart of the most pressing issues facing our planet’s future.

Not only that, but Extreme E is also helping the car industry to develop future-facing technology using racing as a platform for road innovation, which accelerates change ten-fold.