Austin, Texas (5 December 2022) – The World Racing League (WRL) powered by Hagerty hosted the National Championship at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) this weekend as the 90 car field battled door-to-door on the F1-grade circuit to close out the season. Round 3 Racing (R3R) emerged from the weekend with two championships and new hardware with four podiums throughout the double-header weekend.

No. 401 TEAM HAGERTY MOTORSPORTS BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)

Wet conditions during Friday’s qualifying session put the No. 401 Hagerty Motorsports BMW fifth on the grid for the first race of the weekend. Cole Loftsgard took the driver’s seat first for the opening segment, battling for fourth position for nearly four hours before passing the controls over to Brad McCall. Maintaining fifth position, McCall handed the wheel to Sarah Montgomery who raced her way to fifth at the finish.

After a mechanical issue forced them to the rear of the field, Montgomery started the final race of the season at the back of the GTO grid. She swiftly made up 24 positions before the mechanical issues returned, forcing her into the pits before her stint was complete. McCall took the wheel right before a full course caution came out, gaining a lap back to run in 15th place. Loftsgard took the penultimate stint, driving the car up to sit 10th. With an hour left, Montgomery closed out the race which saw her fight forward before a pit road penalty saw the BMW slotted 12th at the finish.

The Hagerty Motorsports team finished the season with five podium finishes and six consecutive pole positions. They finished fifth overall in the national points standings for their first full season of competition in the BMW M4 GT4.

“This weekend tested the 401 squad both as drivers and as a team,” said Loftsgard. “But I’m really proud and thankful of the effort that Marc (Gomora), Kevin (Tong), and the rest of the R3R put forth towards the massive setup improvements through the weekend. It’s been a very memorable year with Brad (McCall) and Sarah (Montgomery). I’m so lucky to have been a part of it, and I’m so happy to see the championships that our R3R teammates have earned.”

No. 701 TEAM COOPER TIRES PORSCHE CAYMAN (GP1)

Starting Saturday’s race from third, Sabré Cook took the first stint onboard the Porsche Cayman and moved up to second before passing the car over to Loni Unser. She made her way up to lead the GP1 class. Brian Ghidinelli was the final driver to pilot the Team Cooper Tires Cayman. In the last 30 minutes of the race, the team made the critical call to pit for fuel as Ghidinelli returned to the fray in second. On the final lap, Ghidinelli passed for the lead to give Team Cooper Tires its fourth consecutive win of the season.

Sunday’s race saw Unser start from third as she maintained the podium position before handing the Cayman off to Cook under the first caution of the race. After going back green in fourth, Cook quickly made her way back to third.

Just about halfway through the race, Ghidinelli got in the Cayman in fourth and pushed his way up to second before handing the car back to Cook. With just a little over an hour remaining Cook charged forward, bringing home the second win of the weekend.

The Cooper Tires team took home its first WRL National Championship after earning wins at Barber Motorsports Park, VIRginia International Raceway, Sebring International Raceway, and COTA. The team had earned additional podiums at Barber, Road America, and VIR. The Cayman team also won the Eastern Championship at Sebring in November.

“This weekend we needed great driving, perfect pit stops and a little bit of luck,” said Ghidinelli. “Santa came early delivering two wins and a championship at COTA! The No. 701 ran flawlessly, which made the difference over 16 hours of racing. What a great way to end the season!”

No. 605 TEAM HAGERTY DRIVERS CLUB PORSCHE BOXSTER (GP3)

Dennis Neel was first up in the Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster for Saturday’s race. Neel was able to run consistent laps keeping the car in third before passing the Boxster to Carter Pease. He pushed forward to run second before the end of his stint. Hannah Grisham finished off Saturday’s race crossing the finish line in third.

Starting Sunday’s race Pease took the green flag from the second row. A brief caution brought Pease into pit lane for a driver change as Grisham took her turn in the car. Grisham was able to drive the car up to the race lead which saw her create a significant gap to second before Neel got in the car. Due to penalties being reversed on competitors, the Hagerty Drivers Club team was forced to finish third.

Following up on their 2022 WRL Eastern Championship, the Hagerty Drivers Club team won their second consecutive WRL National Championship. The team finished the season with six wins out of a total of eleven races. In addition to their haul of race wins, they earned a combined total of four more second and third place finishes.

“We were a bit off pace to start off on Friday and ended up qualifying third for Saturday,” said Pease. “On Saturday we finished third, which really helped us with our championship efforts. I started in the car on Sunday and we had really good pace, but some full course cautions and penalties getting over turned it worked out that our competitors had a bit of an advantage. It’s a great feeling to win back-to-back national championships! Dennis (Neel) and I were in the Boxster together last year, and it was great to run with him again this year alongside Hannah (Grisham) and Buz (McCall). I’m really happy to have this opportunity!”

The 2023 World Racing League powered by Hagerty season will begin January 20th at NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, La. Round 3 Racing plans to make announcements about the next season in the upcoming weeks.

About Hagerty

Hagerty solely started as an insurance company for your collector vehicles and boats, it has grown to be much more than that. Along with covering your favorite motorized possessions, Hagerty also offers roadside assistance through the Hagerty Drivers Club (https://www.hagerty.com/drivers-club/). As a Hagerty Drivers Club member you have access to Hagerty Marketplace (https://www.hagerty.com/drivers-club/my-garage/marketplace), the most up to date news in the automotive industry with Hagerty Media (https://www.hagerty.com/media/), Hagerty Drive Share (https://driveshare.com/), Hagerty Garage and Social (https://www.garageandsocial.com/) and more! Check out Hagerty’s entire collection of your automotive needs at https://www.hagerty.com/.

Bow, NEW HAMPSHIRE – December 5, 2022 – One of the most experienced drivers in the TA2 class, New Hampshire driver Tom Sheehan endured a somewhat frustrating season, but he nevertheless succeeded in making the Top 20 out of 76 entrants in the final Championship classification. Understandably, Tom resisted the temptation to travel across the country in 2022 to compete in the double-header out west in California. Something that inevitably prevented him from maximising his points total among the most competitive class in the Trans Am Series.

A regular in the top ten in previous seasons, Tom is acutely aware that professional sport, and motorsports, never stands still. We spoke to Tom about the Damon Racing team and how he sees the TA2 Series moving forward. Noting the ever expanding, and constantly improving nature of the TA2 paddock Tom said, “TA2 each season is an ever-growing field of talent.”

The No. 97 LTK Insulation Technologies Damon Racing Ford Mustang driver went on, “Each development I make as a driver and our team makes with the physical performance of the car is being met or exceeded by the competition. It’s important to have strategic alliances to maximize the efficiency of our team’s efforts.”

Of the developing relationship with Mike Cope and crew he added, “Mike Cope, Trevor and Jason are our partners. We all race for our best results. My team, Damon Racing, is a small team and Mike Cope’s support is on the level. Our team is grateful for the opportunity to work with Mike Cope Racing.”

Tom has also been working with 2022 Trans Am TA2 Champion Thomas Merrill and Tom Sheehan was full of praise, “Merrill is a great driver. The coaching he delivers accelerates my refinement as a driver. Squeezing performance out of a car is the driver’s job. That combination; set up, support and development. That’s the necessary ingredients to stay relevant in TA2.”

“Our team Jamie, Jeff, Matt, and Stephen – I can’t say enough about their dedication to our program. As a team member, it’s easy to dig deep and do the hard work staying in shape, staying sharp. When you are part of a community of racers like I am, you realize, how lucky you are. Most importantly you accept your responsibility in the process, the need to expect more out of yourself. Hard work, smart work, and never settle.” Wise words indeed.

Tom is sponsored by LTK Insulation Technologies, a leading company based in Tom’s home town of Bow, New Hampshire. LTK is an American success story in manufacturing, producing extremely durable and practical pipe and valve covers for both commercial and domestic applications. With winter on the way, be sure to check them out as they are a key supporter of the Trans Am program.

Keep up with Trans Am driver Tom Sheehan on social media – Facebook page is Damon Racing; Instagram is TomSheehanTA97 and follow @TomTA2_97.

For more information on LTK Insulation Technologies please visit the website online at https://ltkinsulationtechnologies.com/

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Brownsburg, Ind. (December 5, 2022) — Official IMSA-sanctioned GTP testing gets underway tomorrow at Daytona International Speedway, with cars running on track through Wednesday. Wayne Taylor Racing’s (WTR) No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 team and partners Acura, Honda Performance Development (HPD), and Oreca are bringing development improvements to the four-day test.

With media in attendance, this test represents the teams’ last chance to learn about their new cars in a live environment before the Roar Before the (Rolex) 24 gets rolling on January 20th. Ricky and Wayne Taylor shared their thoughts on a crucial week of preparation for the WTR team’s run at a record-tying sixth Rolex 24 at DAYTONA victory in their all-new, electrified chassis.
“It’ll be nice to get back in the cockpit after a bit of a break from driving the new GTP car,” said two-time IMSA champion Ricky Taylor. “Heading back to Daytona now that the team has had a lot of time to regroup and make progress on projects that WTR and HPD have been collaborating on with our partners at Oreca, we’re excited to see the strides that have been made. WTR and MSR will hit the ground running at this test and it’s going to finally feel like the 2023 season is getting underway. I can’t wait to get there and keep working towards the Rolex 24.”

“Our plan is to go into this test as fully-homologated as possible,” said team owner Wayne Taylor. “Everybody has done a good job getting us here and IMSA has done their part. We are certain that we will provide a car in a condition that will make everyone happy come qualifying and race day. The biggest objective for us is to continue testing and accumulating milage in this very high-tech car. We’ve got a great partner in HPD and I feel confident that together, we can find more ways to improve this week at Daytona that will help us before we get to the Roar.”

The 2023 Rolex 24 at DAYTONA takes place January 26th-29th at Daytona International Speedway. The qualifying event to set the grid, the Roar Before the 24, runs on January 22nd. Stay tuned to IMSA and Wayne Taylor Racing’s official social channels for updates on start times, TV viewing and streaming details.
ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. The company guides and supports its clients’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), intelligent information management, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for fourteen consecutive years, and received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports and Hammer Nutrition.

Development of Cadillac V-LMDh continues with test days on Daytona course

DETROIT (Dec. 5, 2022) — Cadillac Racing’s development of the all-new Cadillac V-LMDh race car continues at IMSA-sanctioned test days this week.

What: The on-track sessions are mandatory for manufacturers in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s new Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class in 2023.

When: Dec. 6-7

Where: 3.56-mile, 12-turn road Daytona International Speedway course

Two Cadillac V-LMDh race cars will compete in the nine GTP races and one Cadillac V-LMDh will be entered in the seven races on the FIA World Endurance Championship schedule that includes the centenary Le Mans 24 Hours.

All three cars will start the 2023 season in the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29.

All nine drivers will participate in this week’s day/night sessions that lead into the Roar Before the Rolex 24, which includes qualifying for the race, on Jan. 20-22.

Cadillac will aim to win the twice-around-the-clock race for the fifth time since 2017.

The Cadillac V-LMDh roster: Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon in a Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared entry and Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook in the sister CGR-prepared car. Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken will co-drive the Action Express Racing-prepared race car.

Introductions: Aitken “can’t wait to get started“

The Cadillac V-LMDh has logged nearly 19,000 kilometers at U.S. racetracks since its maiden outing in July, with drivers providing valuable input from their seat time.

They said it

About this week’s on-track days: “We’re looking forward to returning to Daytona International Speedway with our team to continue preparing for the competition debut of the Cadillac V-LMDh race car,” GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser said. “The Roar is right around the corner — the start of an exciting era for Cadillac Racing — and test days like these are important to everyone involved in our program.”

About last month’s successful 24-hour test at Sebring International Raceway: “To complete that endurance test was extra motivation for our team and provided a sense of accomplishment,” Klauser said. “We still have a lot to do in a short amount of time, but we are at a point where we can work on fine-tuning some things.”

Impressions about the Cadillac V-LMDh following the endurance session: “It’s a different animal than the DPi. There are more systems on the car – electric motors, electric options to work with, different engine, more power, less downforce — so as a driver with limited time of running you’re trying to find the maximum out of the car as early as possible,” said Renger van der Zande, co-driver with Sebastien Bourdais of the Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared car for GTP competition. “The drivability of the car has been really good from the outset and it’s been developing nicely. We’ll make more gains with the track time at Daytona.”

Impressions after driving the Cadillac V-LMDh for the first time during the endurance session: “Being part of the endurance test with no real issues, it’s hit the ground well,” said four-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Scott Dixon, who will co-drive with Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande. “Good power and the drivability is really nice, which is what you’d expect from what Cadillac has done before with a normally aspirated V8. Honestly, the car seems really reliable and ready to go. There are a lot of new systems to get used to and it’s a big car, but fun to drive.”

About Cadillac

A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com.

• Marco Fumagalli and Toni Seiler Team Up for Repeat HSR Classic 12 Hour Run Group A Victories in Waite-N-See Motorsports 1969 No. 26 Lola T160
• Dominating Run Group B Race Gives Gray Gregory, Ethan Shippert and Randy Buck a Record-Extending Sixth “HSR Classics” Victory in the Phil Reilly and Co. 1974 No. 29 Chevron B26
• Matthew Miller and James French Secure First “HSR Classics” Victory in Run Group C in Ideal Motorsports 2014 No. 41 Oreca FLM09 Le Mans Prototype Challenge “PC” Car
• Brent Asplundh Avenges Narrow 2021 Loss With Convincing Run Group D Victory in the Kelly-Moss Road and Race (KMR) 2015 No. 85 Porsche 991 Cup

SEBRING, Florida (December 4, 2022) – A close and competitive seventh running of the Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Classic Sebring 12 Hour came to a grand conclusion Sunday afternoon at Sebring International Raceway where an even split of two repeat and two first-time race winners reached the top step of the podium after two days of vintage and historic racing competition on the legendary 3.74-mile road course.

Following a symbolic 12 hours of competition from Noon to Midnight EST on Saturday, Sunday featured the fourth and final rounds of competition for all four Run Groups to decide the winners of the 12 Hours of Sebring tribute race.

For the first time in the history of the “HSR Classics” races at Daytona and Sebring, the four Run Group leaders at the halfway point of the Classic 12 Saturday night all held on for their respective race wins. The victories were far from easy, however, as only one competitor swept all four of their Run Group rounds and each had to overcome the myriad of endurance-race issues that only the demanding Sebring International Raceway road course delivers.

Marco Fumagalli went a perfect two-for-two in HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour victories with a strong race from start to finish for the Run Group A victory this weekend in the 1969 No. 26 Lola T160 prepared by Waite-N-See Motorsports (pictured below). The win followed Fumagalli’s 2019 Group A victory in his debut and only previous appearance in the HSR Classic 12 Hour.

This year, Fumagalli brought his friend and 2018 Classic 12 Hour Group A winner Toni Seiler along for the victory. Seiler took the green flag in Saturday afternoon’s opening round but only completed four laps before a terminal mechanical issue put his Waite-N-See 1969 No. 20 Lola T165 on the sidelines. Fumagalli graciously let Seiler share the race-leading No. 26 with him in Sunday’s fourth and final round to allow the friends and teammates to each celebrate repeat HSR Classic 12 Hour victories.

Run Group B saw a record-extending sixth HSR Classics victory by the Phil Reilly and Co. 1974 No. 26 Chevron B26 (pictured at top) piloted by car owner/driver Gray Gregory and his teammates Randy Buck and Ethan Shippert. The always-quick Chevron was driven to the win in three of this weekend’s four Group B rounds to seal the fourth HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour victory in five years for the No. 26 team and drivers. Gregory and his teammates also have two career victories in the HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA, including a win in last month’s Classic 24 to go along with their first victory at Daytona International Speedway in 2020. The two Daytona wins combined with this year’s Sebring victory and three-straight Classic 12 Hour triumphs from 2018 through 2020 make the No. 26 Chevron team the career leader in HSR Classics victories for a single team and driver lineup.

The 2022 Daytona and Sebring sweep also made up for a rare shutout for the Chevron team last year in HSR Classics competition. Another Chevron beat the No. 26 to the line at Daytona and the team suffered a late loss at the Classic 12 when something broke on the Chevron at speed heading into Sebring’s turn seven chicane section. Shippert was uninjured in the incident but the determination to literally rebuild and rebound from 2021’s challenging HSR Classics paid off with this year’s double victory.

A first-time winner was the Ideal Motorsports 2014 No. 41 Oreca FLM09 Le Mans Prototype Challenge “PC” car of owner/driver Matthew Miller and his teammate James French. Miller and French won Friday’s one hour B.R.M. Endurance Challenge race at Sebring and that victory paved the way for the duo’s biggest win yet in historic and vintage competition in Run Group C.

Miller and French battled with the 2018 No. 17 Oreca 07 LMP2 of Stuart Wiltshire and former 24 Hours of Le Mans and HSR Classics race winner Richard Bradley throughout the race. More than once French reeled the newer “P2” car back in as he and Miller won all three Group C rounds on Saturday. Sunday’s fourth and final round went to Wiltshire and Bradley but the No. 41 took the checkered flag 27 seconds ahead of the No. 17 in the cumulative standings to seal the overall Group C victory.

The most dominating victory of the Classic 12 weekend was secured by first-time HSR Classics winner Brent Asplundh who was determined to put a narrow loss in Run Group D in last year’s race behind him. Asplundh finished first in three of four Group D rounds in 2021 but was just edged for the overall victory in the final standings.

This year, Asplundh left no room for error and was the only driver competing in the Classic 12 who swept all four of his Run Group rounds. Asplundh took the checkered flag Sunday in his Kelly-Moss Road and Race (KMR) 2015 No. 85 Porsche 991 Cup car a full lap ahead of the second-place finisher, who just happened to be his son Griffith Asplundh in his KMR 2016 No. 087 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

The top finishing GT competitors in Run Groups A, B and C included Alain Ruede in his 2002/1965 No. 79 Shelby CSX (Group A), Kenneth Greenberg in his 1996 No. 836 Porsche 993 RSR prepared by Air Power Racing (Group B) and Thomas Herb and Ryan Dalziel in Herb’s Fall-Line Motorsports 2017 No. 16 Mercedes-AMG GT3 (Group C). Herb and Dalziel secured top GT honors in Run Group C for the second-straight year in addition to also scoring the overall group victory in 2021.

Each overall Run Group winner was presented with a special-edition B.R.M. Chronographes watch commissioned specifically for the HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour. Other presentations included the now traditional Best-Plane and Best-Car awards that were presented Sunday just before this year’s lineup of amazing vintage and historic aircraft taxied back to Sebring International Raceway for departure after being on display for two days at the HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour, Pistons and Props, presented by the Alan Jay Automotive Network. Attending pilots and their families select the best team or race car of the event while participating HSR competitors and officials vote on their favorite plane.

This year’s Best-Plane Award went to Tony Greene and Amy Greene for their fan-favorite 1973 Bulldog 120, a British-built plane manufactured by Scottish Aviation LTD. The aviation contingent in turn selected the “squadron” of colorful 1980s-era Porsche 944 race cars driven by Ray Shaffer, Ramsey Potts and Colin Dougherty and prepared by DAS Sport. Shaffer and Potts accepted the award on behalf of their teammates.

In addition to Seiler’s original Lola exiting early, other HSR Classic 12 Hour past winners and contenders encountered issues. Last year’s Run Group B winner Jim Farley finished second in his RM Motorsports 1978 No. 98 Lola T298 in two of Saturday’s rounds but an electrical issue in the other race knocked the Lola’s taillights out of commission and Farley out of contention for the repeat.

The Team Mean/KMW Motorsports 1978 No. 94 Chevron B23/36 of Ryan Harrold and Kevin Wheeler won Saturday’s second Run Group B round only to pull off early in the third round and retire to the paddock with an undisclosed issue.

The 2023 HSR racing calendar begins right back at Sebring International Raceway, March 24 – 26, with the annual season-opening HSR Spring Fling. Please visit www.HSRRace.com for more information on the 2023 schedule.

About HSR: Now an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.