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Wright Rebounds from Early Race Challenge for Top-Ten Sebring Finish

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Official Release
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SEBRING, Fla., (March 20, 2022) – The Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday was a character-building race for Wright Motorsports. The Ohio-based team managed to rebound from an early-race setback to earn a top-ten finish in the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R. After twelve punishing hours at the Sebring, Florida raceway, drivers Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen, and Zacharie Robichon brought the car home in tenth-place.

“Today was a hard race for our team, but the attitude of everyone on this organization shows what a quality group we have,” said Team Owner John Wright. “No matter how perfect you prepare or execute, things still happen that are out of your control. Everyone on our team immediately pulled together and got to work, never uttering a complaint. We got to work right away and never gave up on gaining back our lost ground. I’m proud of each and every one of them. The Porsche is a great machine that had the speed, and luck just wasn’t on our side today.”

Wright Motorsports entered the Twelve Hours of Sebring race week with high energy and high hopes, eager to keep the momentum gained from the team’s Rolex 24 At Daytona race win in January. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD points leaders looked strong in each of the four practice sessions, and the consistent performance carried over into the qualifying session. After an impressive qualifying display on Friday morning, Zacharie Robichon and the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche earned a first-place starting position for Saturday’s big race.

Less than 15 minutes after taking the green flag on Saturday morning, Robichon radioed to the team that something was wrong while running in second place. Less than a handful of laps later the issue in the left rear corner of the car revealed itself, and the car temporarily left the competition to undergo repairs in the garage.

After expert services from the crew, the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche returned to the fight about 40 minutes later, running 18 laps down. Robichon stayed behind the wheel to finish his stint, and then Ryan Hardwick took over for the next run, joining the race in 16th position. Echoing his co-driver’s thoughts, Hardwick said the current setup was challenging, using his analysis of the car to provide the engineers in the pit box with insight for the next set of changes in future pit stops. Jan Heylen took command of the Porsche in the fourth hour, taking advantage of the first full-course caution to receive a pass around procedure and regain a lost lap back.

The afternoon hours continued on as temperatures continued to climb, reaching a peak of 92 degrees Fahrenheit. With each stop, the engineers in the pit box used driver feedback to perfect the car’s setup, allowing them to put in consistent lap times and focus forward. As the race progressed, the majority of the field had one issue or another, bringing out a series of full-course cautions and race retirements. After the early race setback, the Wright Motorsports team enjoyed a relatively clean and drama-free run, utilizing each full-course caution to play the strategy and gain back a lost lap to climb back up through the field.

Around the halfway point, the team cracked back into the top ten in the GTD class, gaining back four of the 18 lost laps. In the end, the team’s rebound brought them a tenth-place result, holding third in the GTD championship standings leaving the second round. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next competes at the Long Beach Grand Prix street circuit in California, April 9. The one-hour, forty-minute event will be the first sprint race of the 2022 season and will host only three of the five WeatherTech classes. For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com.

Ryan Hardwick
I’ve often heard that championships are won on your bad days. Well, our team finally had one of those days today at Sebring. The mechanical issue we had at the onset of the race was unfortunate, but our team never lost faith and they never backed down. Thanks to our dedicated team of mechanics we got our car back on track in quick order and clawed our way back into the top 10 by the end of the race. We are leaving Sebring sitting in the top three in overall championship points, and we will take that. I’m looking forward to getting the sprint races started with Jan and the team in a few weeks in Long Beach!

Jan Heylen
It was not the day we were hoping for, but there’s days like this in racing. It doesn’t make it any easier though. It takes so much preparation to come here and so much time and effort from everyone involved in our team. To be out of the race on lap four is tough, but we had a good comeback. The guys did an amazing job replacing a differential in such a short amount of time. To come back in tenth place is still good points for the championship. Races like this win or lose a championship, and it was an amazing team effort to come back from where we were to tenth place. A big thank you to all the team and I’m looking forward to Long Beach for some redemption.

Zacharie Robichon
It was not where we wanted to finish. Considering it was such a tremendous team effort, to still be able to finish in the top ten after missing the entire first hour is such a testament to the team. It was one of those things that is just a freak incident. Who knows what caused it and what we could have done. The team diagnosed it and got the car fixed. We lost some laps, but we never gave up. We had eleven hours to show our grit and determination and that’s what we did. We came back from sixteenth to tenth and it showed our team effort. Winning is easy but losing is much harder. We showed we can make the most of when we’re on our back foot, and ultimately, that’s what can win the team a championship.

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands
The Wright Motorsports Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands effort kicked off the season at Sebring International Raceway this weekend, with Varun Choksey, Hutton McKenna, and John Goetz driving. The trio raced in a pair of 40-minute races in support of the WeatherTech series. Goetz earned Wright Motorsports the first Cup podium of the year, finishing in third-place in race two. Choksey had a positive Wright debut, finishing seventh in his second race. McKenna also put in a strong effort over the weekend, finishing 13th in the competitive Pro class. The next race event for the Porsche Carrera Cup will be the Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 6-9.

1st Phorm
1st Phorm is a sports nutrition company based in St. Louis, MO. In 2009, CEO Andy Frisella and his business partner Chris Klein started the brand, and since then, it has become the fastest growing supplement company in the world. 1st Phorm has set the standards in the industry for quality and helping people reach their goals. This new racing partnership is not their first time in the exotic car scene either. 1st Phorm has been the title sponsor for the Gold Rush Rally for six years running. With over a million followers across social media, 1st Phorm has amassed a huge cult-like following known as, “The Legion of Boom.” They stand for a movement in the fitness world. To turn it back to what it was meant to be. Helping others improve their lives, to be a good human… and to drop the excuses and do the work. 1st Phorm is a winning brand and they don’t expect anything less when it comes to their race team. For additional info: www.1stphorm.com

Mountain Motorsports
Mountain Motorsports is a group of motorcycle and powersports dealerships with multiple locations in the southeastern United States. The company was founded by lifelong friends Ryan Hardwick and Justin Price when they opened their first location as a single-line Honda dealership in Sevierville, Tennessee in 1999. The company has since grown into one of the largest retailers of motorcycle and powersports vehicles in the nation, spanning nine dealership locations representing eleven of the industry’s most well-known brands. For additional info: www.mountainmotorsports.com

Una Vida Tequila
Una Vida translates to One Life. That is how this brand started. By people who want to live their “One Life” to the absolute fullest and to their highest potential. A group of guys from the Midwest who love great quality tequila, and want their One Life to have meaning and impact others.

One Life, One Tequila is our CORE BELIEF. We’re building the only tequila brand you will ever need to drink. Una Vida is bigger than just tequila we’re also building a culture of people who want to live their life to their utmost potential.

Our story begins and continues to grow bottle by bottle. It’s a life mission for us to create a community of people who all raise a glass knowing they’re living their ONE LIFE! For more information, visit unavidatequila.com

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

Victory for Sean Creech Motorsport at Sebring

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Official Release
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Veteran Florida team takes its first victory in the 12-hour endurance classic

SEBRING, Fla. (19 March 2022) – Sean Creech has competed at Sebring for nearly 30 years, and never tasted the fruits of victory – until Saturday, when his Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) team battled hard in tricky conditions to capture its first WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win at the 70th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts.

Drivers Lance Willsey, João Barbosa and Malthe Jakobsen combined to put the No. 33 SCM Exelixis Ligier JS P320 into the lead for 144 of 331 laps, overcoming early issues and an occasionally problematic clutch to earn the victory – the third Sebring 12-hour win for Barbosa but the first for Willsey and Jakobsen (in his first try).

Willsey took the wheel for qualifying, placing the No. 33 in seventh position on the 17-turn, 3.74-mile mixed concrete and asphalt racing surface.

There was action right from the drop of the green as several cars made contact, either with each other or the tire wall. Willsey made an impressive save in the race’s first hour when the back end of the Ligier spun around in the entrance of Turn 17 but avoided the wall and was quickly back underway. Driving a double stint to start the race, Willsey handed the car to Barbosa just after the two-hour mark a lap behind the leaders – and experiencing the first clutch issue that would follow them through the race.

Given the number of relatively minor incidents, it was impressive that the race remained under green, but an incident involving several cars near the three-hour mark packed up the field. Barbosa took advantage of the extended yellow to pit for fuel and tires, heading out on track ahead of the safety car and back on the lead lap.

Despite ambient temperatures hovering in the low 80s, Barbosa completed a double stint, with Jakobsen jumping in for his first race stint at Sebring. The Danish youngster wasted no time gunning for the front, making the pass for second and taking advantage of an off by the leader to take the lead with eight hours remaining and holding that lead throughout his double stint.

Willsey returned to the fray with seven hours remaining and fought through the challenge that the extreme heat presented to keep the car in contention, ducking into pit lane in fourth position.

“I’ve been doing this for 20, 25 years, and that was some of the toughest conditions I’ve been in,” said Willsey. “With the heat and humidity and no ventilation in the car, it was tough. In my first stint, the drink bottle wasn’t working, and with no yellows for over two hours, it was just attack, attack, attack. But this was just the antithesis of Daytona, where 32 degrees actually felt good. This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done!”

With Willsey’s stints complete, the final hours were contested by two drivers who, on paper, could not have been more different – the veteran Barbosa with two Sebring wins and the rookie Jakobsen seeing the legendary track for the first time.

Barbosa jumped in for his single stint, once again quickly putting the car back on the lead lap. Jakobsen jumped back in, heading out in third position – but that was not the plan for the 18-year-old phenom. He quickly reeled in second position, then put an impressive move on the No. 74 LMP3 in Turns One and Two to take over the lead. After two stints for Jakobsen, Barbosa headed back out, only briefly losing the lead as the clock reached the 10-hour mark. He fended off all attacks, coming into pit lane with 55 minutes remaining for the change to Jakobsen. The young Dane did not disappoint, waiting until the No. 30 Ligier made its final pit stop to take back the top spot. Jakobsen continued to build on that lead, taking the checkered flag clear by over 48 seconds.

During that final stint, Jakobsen set the fast LMP3 class time of the race, with a lap at 1:56.878. The team led a total of 144 of 331 laps.

“This is my first time here, so I don’t know why I’m so quick, but it worked out today!” said Jakobsen. “I did a lot of simulator work and Joao was great about telling me all the small tricks. The car was great, and the driver and crew work was outstanding. Lance did a great job to stay out of all the early trouble, and Joao made up so much time, getting us back on the lead lap. When I jumped in the car, I was always in the top five and could work from there. I took it a bit easy early in that last stint, but when they let me push, the car was so good. It was so good to win here, especially on my first try!”

“This is a big deal,” said Willsey. “Quality class and extremely competitive so to win this year means a lot. I’m grateful to have these co-drivers, and a great crew. Fuel and tires for 12 hours and we’re in the winner’s circle!”

“This was such a tremendous effort from the entire team,” said Barbosa. “The car ran so well. We had a slight clutch issue but the team has done such a great job with the car that we were able to deal with that. Everything went according to plan, the team made all the right calls. This is one of the coolest races in the world to win, especially on a tricky day like today. It was flawless work by the crew and the drivers. I can’t say enough about the job that Malthe has done – he’s only 18 years old, but he has a very bright future ahead of him. Lance did a great job in his stints, and we brought the car home without a scratch. We have great partners, with Focal One and Alta Equipment, supporting us and I’m glad they were here to celebrate!”

“It is special to finally win this race,” said Creech. “I’ve been here so many times and haven’t won it! We’ve been second at Daytona two years in a row and we just needed to get that last step. This is a tough place to survive but we did it today. It’s a great start to the season, to come away from the first points race with the lead. We have great drivers and an awesome crew that did a great job with the car. Now, we’ll go back to the shop, go through everything, do some testing, and get ready for Mid-Ohio!”

SCM would like to thank their partners for the continued support, including Exelixis, Alta Equipment and Focal One.

Next up for Sean Creech Motorsport will be the first sprint race of the year, the two hour and 40-minute Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on PeacockTV and USA Network, while international viewers can watch via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com.

DGR ARCA Menards Series East Race Recap: Five Flags Speedway

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Official Release
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Saturday, March 19
Track: Five Flags Speedway, half-mile oval
Race: 2 of 7
Event: Pensacola 200 (200 laps, 100 miles)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion
Start: 2nd
Finish: 3rd

  • Securing the quickest time in the lone practice session, Taylor Gray qualified second for the Pensacola 200, lining up on the front-row for his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series East event this season.
  • Lap 28 saw Gray set up race leader Leland Honeyman for a pass exiting turn four, taking the lead before a wreck on the next lap would bring the field under yellow. On the subsequent restart, the Ford Performance Fusion would get a strong jump, and hold on to the lead for the next 65 laps.
  • Following a small track bar and air pressure adjustment during the scheduled break on lap 75, the Artesia, NM native would develop a loose condition that eventually cost him the lead as the race approached the halfway mark.
  • Despite sliding back to fifth, a restart on lap 127 would see Gray quickly move back up the order, settling into second-place by lap 135.
  • The 16-year-old was steady on the heels of the race leader for the ensuing long green-flag run. However, a flurry of cautions with less than 30 laps remaining culminated in a restart violation on lap 188. The penalty ultimately dropped the No. 17 to fourth, and with only 10 laps remaining, Gray was forced to settle for a third-place finish at 5 Flags Speedway.

Next event: Dover 125 at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware on April 29th at 5:30 p.m. ET with the ARCA Menards Series East.

Herbst Rebounds to Score Fourth-Place Finish at Atlanta

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Official Release
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Monster Energy Driver Erases Two-Lap Deficit to Earn Second Top-Five of 2022

Date: Saturday, March 19
Event: Nalley Cars 250 (Round 5 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 163 laps, broken into three stages (40 laps/40 laps/83 laps)
Start/Finish: 24th / 4th (Running, completed 172 of 172 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (128 points, 95 out of first)
Note: Race extended nine laps past its scheduled 163-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Josh Berry of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)

Overview:

Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team showed their speed and strength after going from two laps down to finish fourth in the Nalley Cars 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Tire pressure issues forced the team to pit before the green flag. Despite being forced to start at the rear, Herbst worked his way up 13th by the conclusion of first stage and into the top-10 just a few laps into the second stage. Rising water temperatures in the second stage forced the team to give up their top-10 spot to pit under green and check the engine. Herbst returned to the field two laps down in 38th. Crew chief Richard Boswell’s strategy was key in getting Herbst back on the lead lap with less than 50 laps to go. After successfully avoiding a wreck with 10 laps to go, Herbst was running sixth. As the race went into double overtime, Herbst earned his second top-five of the 2022 season.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“It’s more disgust to be honest with you. I mean, this is a top-five race team week in and week out. We got lucky and got another top-five finish, which we needed. We didn’t get any stage points, so that hurt us, but we worked hard so we’re proud of that, but we’ve got to clean some things up if we want to go win races.”

Notes:

● Ty Gibbs won the Nalley Cars 250 to score his sixth career Xfinity Series victory, his first at Atlanta and his second of the season. His margin over second-place Austin Hill was .178 of a second.

● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 56 laps.

● Twenty-nine of the 38 drivers in the Nalley Cars 250 finished on the lead lap.

● Noah Gragson remains the championship leader after Atlanta with a 19-point advantage over second-place Ty Gibbs.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Pit Boss 250 on Saturday, March 26 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The race starts at 4:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Cadillac sweeps DPi podium in Twelve Hours of Sebring

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Official Release
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No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R races to victory in 70th annual event

SEBRING, Fla. (March 19, 2022) – The No. 01 V-Performance Cadillac DPi-V.R was quick as lightning in qualifications for the in the 70th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V stole the thunder in the endurance race.
Led by the winning Cadillac Racing entry fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing, Cadillac swept the podium for the second time and won for the fourth time in the six 12-hour races on the 3.741-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway in the DPi era.

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R – the 2021 race winner – co-driven by Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook and Loic Duval, finished second. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez and Mike Conway, placed third.

“We have tremendous teams that work with us and today was an awesome performance by Cadillac,” said Rory Harvey, Vice President (Global) Cadillac. “It is exciting times for us overall, and to be able to get a clean sweep is awesome. We went into today with strong ambitions and the teams delivered.”

Alex Lynn, Earl Bamber and Neel Jani overcame drive-thru penalties, contact and the draining Central Florida humidity to earn the victory after starting fourth. Bamber overtook Westbrook in the No. 5 Cadillac with 45 minutes left, and after the top three Cadillacs pitted for the final time, Bamber held off the challenges on the 3.741-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway course to win by 6.471 seconds.

“It comes down to the drivers. Those guys have to push the buttons and make it happen. They’re the ultimate quarterbacks for the team and we try to give them the tools they need to win races and today they did that,” said team principal Chip Ganassi of the first-year IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entry.

The JDC-Miller MotorSports No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R earned its second podium finish in as many races this season. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R was also in contention throughout the race that covered 351 laps. Mike Conway, whose father passed away early Friday, laid down the quickest race lap at 1 minute, 47.018 seconds on Lap 126.

“It would have been nice to win this one,” Conway said. “It was hard. the first few stints, thinking of him out there. I was just trying to do him proud.”

The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, which started from the pole after Sebastien Bourdais recorded a qualifying lap-record time of 1 minute, 45.116 seconds, experienced a gearbox issue early on and finished several laps down.

“We took the No. 01 to the garage and changed the gearbox after having downshifting problems. We tried a number of counter measures in the pits to correct, but later realized we needed to change the whole gearbox to eliminate the issue,” Chip Ganassi Racing team manager Steve Eriksen said.

The No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R, which pitted from the lead on Lap 253, developed a left-front brake rotor issue and had to pit early on Lap 280 (2 hours, 9 minutes left in the race) and fell out of contention.

Next up for Cadillac Racing teams is the IMSA Sportscar Grand Prix of Long Beach on the 1.968-mile street course. Practice and qualifying are on April 8, with the 100-minute race April 9. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R was the 2021 race winner.

Cadillac Racing results:

No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)
Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Neel Jani
Finish: First. Start: Fourth
Earl Bamber: “Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac was amazing this weekend. We had such a good lead and I managed to throw it away twice. I’m just exhausted. To everyone from the team and Cadillac, thank you. I’m just so happy to get the first win for the 02. Thank you to Alex and Neel, who came in and did a great job.”

Alex Lynn: “It was a great race to be honest. First, thanks to everyone on the 02 team. The car was flying all week and yeah, we got the strategy right there at the end. It was a fantastic result to win and thank you to the whole team. We were driving an amazing car today. It made our job behind the wheel that much easier, if it could ever be called easy. It’s a big result for us in the championship and it’s an iconic race, the 12 Hours. With Ganassi winning it once before, it’s a huge result for us as a team.”

Neel Jani: “I had 30 laps before the race, but it couldn’t have been better. Two weeks ago I didn’t know I would be here. I’m hugely thankful to Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing to call me up and ask me to drive. We made it happen. We had a fantastic car and that made it easier for me. To drive that car is fantastic. My teammates did a fantastic job and the whole team welcomed me. That’s why it works. I know now why I miss prototypes. It’s where I belong and what I like. I loved every minute this weekend.”

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)
Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval
Finish: Second. Start: 10th overall, seventh in class

Tristan Vautier: “We gave it a good go. Man, I drove my heart out in the last stint. I thought I had him (Bamber) for a while, but a couple of bad breaks catching GT cars in Turns 3, 4 and 5. We had the pace. I think we can be proud of what we achieved. We’re the smallest team here. Two amazing solid races at Daytona and Sebring. The team did an amazing job again, and just thankful to Cadillac and JDC-Miller MotorSports. I feels good to know I left it all on the racetrack.”

Loic Duval: “It’s always difficult when you’re leading like an hour before the end and all the traffic. I think we drove the best we could and Ganassi deserved the win. I think we can be proud when you know the budget of our operation compared to the big boys and fight against them. Two podiums. We can be proud of that.”

Richard Westbrook: “All you can ask is for us to be in the hunt. We were in the hunt for the whole 12 hours. We had some issues with the cooling in the car, so we could only single stint at the end. I found myself in the lead with an hour to go and I got (held up) by a GTD car in Turn 16. Do I try to overtake him on the outside in Turn 16? Second is really a good result. We’ve won a podium in both races. Everyone should be proud. Great day for Cadillac and a great day for JDC.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)
Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez, Mike Conway
Finish: Third. Start: Second

Pipo Derani: “It was a tough day at the office, but it was a good points day. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win. We didn’t get a yellow at the end so we could try to catch the front runners. It was a Cadillac 1-2-3 (finish). We’ll take the points. It’s a long championship. I wanted my fourth (Sebring 12-Hour) win, but I will have to wait a little longer.”

Tristan Nunez: “It was a long, hot day. It was a tough one from start to finish. The heat did not help with that. We had a great car all race. We just had a couple of bad luck moments throughout the race that affected us from taking the win. But no doubt, a podium is good. It was a Cadillac sweep. So, it’s good for the brand. Now we move onto Long Beach.”

Mike Conway: “We were up there all day. We were going for the win, but we came up short at the end. It was a great job by the whole team. The car was really solid all day long. I think we had the car to win. But it just didn’t quite work out.”

No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)
Mike Rockenfeller, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez
Finish: Sixth. Start: Fifth

Mike Rockenfeller: “We knew we had an issue earlier in the day because we could see a lot of smoke coming out of our brakes. When I was in the car, I was thinking about it. I hit the brakes in Turn 7 and the front left rotor completely exploded. I was happy not to lose the car even though I went off. The race was over. It’s a shame because I think we had a chance, with a clean race, to fight for a podium or a victory.”

Kamui Kobayashi: “We had a competitive Ally Cadillac throughout the race and then Mike had the brake issue. It put us down a few laps, but the team performed well, and we were competitive. It was tough to just jump in the car this morning and then run the race. But we showed good pace and teamwork, but it just wasn’t our day. Congratulations to the 31 guys on their podium.”

Jose Maria Lopez: “It was very hot today. Every time I was in the car, I was able to find speed, be quick in the car and have that feeling that we had the pace to fight at the end. Unfortunately, we had a brake failure. That’s endurance racing. It can be tough sometimes”

No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)
Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Hunter-Reay
Finish: 35th overall, seventh in class Start: First

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. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: What a Win!

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Official Release
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Garcia, Taylor, Catsburg, No. 3 Corvette C8.R take 12th victory in 12 Hours

SEBRING, Fla. (March 19, 2022) – Corvette Racing made it a dozen victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, the first victory in America’s oldest sports car race for the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.

Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg teamed for the landmark win with the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette in the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The trio combined to led 247 laps or 913.9 miles for Corvette Racing’s first Sebring 12 Hours win since 2017 and 12th since 2002.

It also marks the first win for the GTD PRO-spec Corvette C8.R in its second race as part of the new class. The result goes along with a runner-up GTE Pro finish for Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy in Friday’s 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the FIA World Endurance Championship.

“Congratulations to Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor, Nicky Catsburg and everyone on the No. 3 Corvette C8.R team,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president, Performance and Motorsports. “Winning in class for the 12th time at the 12 Hours of Sebring is the result of great driving, race strategy and execution of pit stops. The Corvette C8.R’s 5.5-liter, flat-plane V-8 engine delivered the right combination of performance, reliability and efficiency throughout the race.

“This win is even more special thanks to the support of so many Corvette owners and fans at the track and around the world,” Campbell added. “This has been a great weekend with a runner-up class finish in the World Endurance Championship on Friday and now this win in IMSA. I’m proud of everyone at Corvette Racing and our technical partners at Mobil 1 and Michelin.”

The No. 3 Corvette also won the Sebring round of the Michelin Endurance Cup – a championship consisting of Sebring, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Petit Le Mans. Points were awarded at the four-, eight- and 12-hour marks.

Corvette Racing wasted little time going to the front in the race. Garcia set the table from the beginning as he advanced from his third-place starting position to the head of GTD PRO. He passed six cars in his opening two hours before handing off to Taylor for an impressive three-hour run.

Catsburg drove an equally stirring three hours, 18 minutes in the middle of the race. He soldiered through four full-course caution periods and enjoyed a highlight-reel battle with Pfaff Motorsports’ Matt Campbell for the GTD PRO lead at the seven-and-a-half-hour mark. The two raced side-by-side for three corners before Catsburg pulled ahead.

That left Taylor to drive one stint before Garcia closed with a triple-stint to score the victory.

Corvette Racing engineers dedicated significant time at a February test to gain a better understanding of the performance and degradation levels of the GTD Michelin tires, which are different than what the team has used in past seasons. That combined with more than 51,000 racing miles across the familiar bumps around the 3.7-mile, 17-turn Sebring circuit was the right combination.

Corvette Racing’s next event in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is April 8-9 at the Long Beach (Calif.) street circuit.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTD PRO WINNER: “We had to carry on after Daytona and do all we can. There we didn’t have the pace and little issues we had put us back and out of contention. The main thing here was to stay up front, don’t make any mistakes and have no failures that would set us back. That was the first goal. I was the first guy surprised about our pace. We started seventh and slowly started to make our way through. I wasn’t expecting to be leading after the first stop. I thought our car was the best during the day and when it was as warm as possible. I was a little bit afraid of the rest of the field at night. It seemed like everything was switching on for them, the track would go toward them and maybe all the advantage we had went away a little bit. It was up to us to control the pace and keep the gap. If we had been in a situation to catch another car, it would have been difficult. It was perfectly executed by everyone at Corvette Racing, good strategy and amazing drives by Jordan and Nicky.”

ON 12TH WIN FOR CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: “It’s amazing. I said before the race that whenever you come to Sebring in a Corvette, it is always a good feeling. You know something good is going to happen. In the end and having the pace or not having pace, there is still a Corvette factor. It’s the best team to be on when you race here. I’m very happy with that.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTD PRO WINNER: “Daytona was frustrating for us. We lacked pace there and had a mechanical issue in the middle of the night. We learned a lot after that and used it as a test session. That really helped us here. Zero issues around here is a big feat in itself. Twelve hours at Sebring is tougher than 24 at Daytona or Le Mans. It’s a big accomplishment for the team. We won Daytona and the championship last year, so it’s nice to get another major endurance race for the C8.R and start our championship fight again.”

HOLDING THE LEAD THROUGHOUT: “I was surprised how quick we were. I think we were quick in clean air. If we had been stuck behind guys, it would have been difficult for us to get ahead. Once we got to the front, the name of the game was to maintain our track position whether it be saving fuel and extending windows or saving tires. The guys nailed the strategy and kept us out front all day. That’s what really won us the race.”

IMPORTANCE OF FEBRUARY TIRE TEST: “That was big for us. If we showed up here with no test time or setup and development for this track, we would have been out to lunch. Two days here of testing with the guys doing the development and going back and doing their homework really made our weekend.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTD PRO WINNER: “Daytona is a lot about going in a straight line on the banking. This was difficult for us. Sebring was always going to be a bit easier. At the start of the weekend, we really struggled. We got a little break which definitely helped us and brought us back into contention, but it wasn’t easy. Not at all… definitely not. I was struggling on the tires in the middle of the race. It was tough. You never know where you really are until the race. In practice, you don’t know what people are doing in terms of fuel loads, qualifying runs or race runs. It’s difficult to say how much we picked up.”

GETTING THE CORVETTE BACK UP FRONT MID-RACE: “We stuck to our initial plan. We didn’t try anything too crazy. The Lexus and Porsche were going out of sequence but we always stuck to our original plan. It worked out well.”

IMPORTANCE OF FEBRUARY TIRE TEST: “That was huge. It was a huge role. We are still quite new to this tire and to this class. The team had two really good days here. They learned a lot and turned the car around. If we hadn’t done that, we would have had to do it here this week and we probably wouldn’t have won the race. It made a lot of sense.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 80 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Makes Significant Comeback to Finish Fourth at Sebring

By
Official Release
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Sebring, Fla. (March 19, 2022) — The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 finished fourth in the 70th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts tonight. After dedicated, complimentary drives by teammates Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Will Stevens, the No. 10 Konica Minolta squad remains second in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi standings with 665 points, having reduced the gap to the leaders down to 11 points.

Ricky Taylor started the race cleanly, avoiding drama and maintaining third position. He executed a triple stint and took second place before handing the car to teammate Will Stevens. The heat was a continued challenge as the race progressed into the afternoon hours where the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 fell to sixth position. At the fifth hour, Filipe Albuquerque made an exciting move on the sister No. 60 Acura car and proceeded to chase down the Cadillacs ahead.

It was déjà vu at the halfway point, with Ricky Taylor at the wheel running in third position, mirroring the start of the race. With a pair of long cautions to start the second half of the race, Ricky Taylor took the No. 10 Acura to the front for the remainder of his stint. Will Stevens took another turn behind the wheel and maintained the lead into the seventh hour, but a pit lane violation after a later pit stop resulted in a drive through penalty, relegating him to the back of the field.

After another stint from Filipe Albuquerque, who handled the crucial day-to-night transition, Ricky Taylor climbed aboard for the sprint to the finish. Making qualifying lap after qualifying lap look effortless, Ricky did what he does best, clawing his way back to fourth position with 20 minutes remaining. He set his sights on the podium with the bit between his teeth. Despite a valiant effort, the team ultimately finished fourth.

“I’ve competed in the Twelve Hours of Sebring eight times,” said Ricky Taylor. “I’ve only been on the podium once. You either win, or you have a messy day. It’s so difficult, this race. You have to do every little thing right. I’m really proud of all the Konica Minolta guys and they gave us an amazing Acura all day. All the pit strategy was perfect. I can’t believe we got set back two-thirds of the way through and then, with 53 cars on track, we didn’t get a single yellow to bunch us back up. I feel like, if we could have bunched back up and had a shot to fight, we would have given it our all and perhaps put ourselves on the podium. Hats off to Ganassi. They were the class of the field today. I don’t know if we had enough for them, but we were fighting for really good points today and the car was really strong at the end when we wanted it to be. We’ve got little things to improve, but overall it’s a big positive.”

“Today we had ups and downs,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “We managed to, at one point, lead the race, but a penalty threw us a bit off. But then again, we were relaxed because there is always a yellow towards the end of the race. Yet, today was the record for the least amount of yellows at Sebring, and it was insane to go five hours without a yellow. That killed our chance to get back in the game, but the team did a great job. In the end, Ricky did an amazing job at that final push to get that position from the other Acura. That was amazing. It is what it is, but we’ll keep fighting for the rest of the championship.

“Obviously, the result, coming from where we were, seems good,” said Will Stevens. “Filipe and Ricky did a really good job at the end to bring the gap back down, but we came here to get a win and it’s disappointing to not do that. It’s a damage limitation race, for sure. We were in a good position. Some mistakes out there that cost us a lot of time, but we keep focused, we keep pushing and we’ll move on to the next one.”

“First off, thank you to Konica Minolta, HPD, Acura, Harrison Contracting and CIT for their continued support,” said Team Owner Wayne Taylor. “I’m extremely disappointed that we finished fourth because we should have won this race. There was a mistake made that was impossible to believe, but it was done. We were down a minute and thirty seconds, and Ricky ended the race 23 seconds behind. Congratulations to Cadillac 1-2-3, we knew that they had a good car. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team did an outstanding job, the drivers, engineers and crew. Everything is good, but fourth is not good enough.”

Friday, April 8th will mark the start of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend with Practice 1 at 12:15 a.m. ET. Green flag for the 2-hour sprint waves at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 9th. Full coverage can be streamed on Peacock with network coverage on USA.

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, Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

Hardpoint Rebuilds For Eighth Place Finish At 12 Hours of Sebring in No. 99 GridRival/GNARLY Jerky Porsche 911 GT3 R

By
Official Release
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Rob Ferriol, Stefan Wilson and Katherine Legge Brought the Porsche Home After the Hardpoint Crew Rebuilt The Car On Friday

SEBRING, Florida (March 19, 2022) – After the Hardpoint crew rebuilt the No. 99 GridRival/GNARLY Jerky Porsche 911 GT3 R on Friday, drivers Rob Ferriol, Katherine Legge and Stefan Wilson co-drove to an eighth-place finish in a challenging Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, Round Two of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship GTD class.

An incident in Thursday’s night practice caused damage to the frame of the Porsche GT3 R and forced the crew to pull out a spare chassis. Under championship rules, the team had to essentially strip everything from the damaged car and place it on the backup chassis. Conceding Friday morning’s practice and qualifying, the crew stripped the damaged car by working until midnight on Thursday night and returned to the track early on Friday morning. A full day of rebuilding the car ended at 11:30 on Friday night, where the team pushed the No. 99 Hardpoint Porsche to the front of technical inspection at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning to make the 20-minute morning warm-up and the 10:10 a.m. green flag.

Starting from the back of the 17-car GT Daytona (GTD) class grid, the team persevered to an eighth-place finish in class and 32nd overall in the field of 53.

The finish is the second-consecutive top-10 to open the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and the Michelin Endurance Cup season for Hardpoint following a 10th-place finish at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Hardpoint was the top-finishing Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD class, and third overall in the race.

Hardpoint Quote Board

Rob Ferriol, Team Owner and Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: Just 48 hours ago, we didn’t have a race car. We had a pile of parts and two bare chassis. The Hardpoint crew put in a Herculean effort to effectively build a new race car. We had time for one warm-up session to shake the car down and make sure it worked this morning, but no setup time. We went into this race blind. While it’s not our best finish here at Sebring, it’s a testament to the team, crew and drivers to be able to go out with an unproven race car that, frankly, turned out to be a bit of a handful on track, start last, and pick up nine spots to finish inside the top 10. We’ll take that.”

Katherine Legge, Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “It’s a testament to how hard the guys worked to give us a car that would last the full 12 hours. It was less than ideal, but that’s probably because we didn’t have a chance to do setup on the car. We struggled a lot, but I think everybody at Hardpoint did a great job to bring it to the finish with no damage. It was disappointing from a speed perspective because it was a long, hard race when it was so difficult but the positive is the team and their heart and how much they put into it.”

Stefan Wilson, Driver, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “We battled through adversity this weekend, that’s for sure. The car was so difficult to drive. It really is just a testimony to the whole crew and how hard they worked yesterday. As drivers, we worked really hard today but nowhere near as hard as they worked yesterday. I can’t thank the crew enough for getting the car back together, getting us out there, and having a car that ran for 12 hours. That’s what’s impressive here. We’d have liked to have been a lot more competitive, but when things changed we had to reset our expectations and I’m really proud of what Hardpoint did.”

Noteworthy

  • Hardpoint made their 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge debut on Thursday with the No. 22 Racing For Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport with drivers Nick Galante and Sean McAllister. An electrical gremlin arose in the brand-new race car, limiting the team to a 20th-place finish in the GS class.
  • The Racing To End Alzheimer’s Porsche Cayman carried the names of 65 loved ones who have or are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s on the purple livery. More names will be added throughout the year, and those wishing to contribute to the cause can do so via donation at R2EndAlz.org.
  • Hardpoint returns to action with the No. 99 GridRival/GNARLY Jerky Porsche 911 GT3 R on the street course during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 8 – 10. The next appearance for the No. 22 Racing To End Alzheimer’s Porsche Cayman is during the Monterey Sports Car Championship, April 29 to May 1.
    About Hardpoint:
    Hardpoint 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 captured the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro-Am championship in its inaugural season and competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R with co-drivers Ferriol and Katherine Legge, joined by Stefan Wilson for Michelin Endurance Cup races. More information on Hardpoint can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

RCR NXS Post Race Report: Atlanta Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Sheldon Creed Battles Back for Ninth-Place Finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Finish: 9th
Start: 13th
Points: 12th

“We had a fast No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro today. During practice this morning, we spent a lot of time just trying to figure out the track and how to run in the pack. We were really confident heading into the race and then it just felt like we were playing catch-up. We had a really good stop after Stage 2, the pit crew was on it. My teammate, Austin Hill, had a great stop too, so we were able to start up front together. After that restart and running up front for a little while, all the cautions came out. We had that incident that forced us to come down pit road for some repairs to the right rear quarter panel and we had to restart pretty far back. This team really rallied back and to get a ninth-place finish is huge after a very up and down day. Proud of this team and everyone at RCR and ECR. We’ll learn from this and get ready for road course racing at COTA in a week.” -Sheldon Creed

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Chevrolet Fight Hard in Final Laps for Second-Place Finish at Atlanta

Finish: 2nd
Start: 14th
Points: 8th

“We can’t hang our heads. We brought a really fast Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro today. Everyone at RCR put a very fast car under me and gave me everything we needed to win the race. The biggest difference was when we had the restart where the 39 [Ryan Sieg] edged me out and then the caution came out. If we had been able to have kept the lead there and controlled the restart, I think we had a fast enough car to get the job done. On that last restart coming off Turn 4, I was sloshing it back and forth seeing if I had fuel in the pickup and it started cutting in and out. I immediately came over the radio and said I was out, and I almost came down pit road, but I decided to go for it. We knew we were really close on fuel, but were fortunate to finish the race. Finishing second stings a little more since Atlanta is my home track, but again, we can’t hang our heads.” -Austin Hill

Lawrence Grinds Out Top Ten Finish at TA2 Charlotte SpeedTour

By
Official Release
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Charlotte, NORTH CAROLINA – March 19, 2022 – Driving the No. 6 Franklin Road Apparel Showtime Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, former TA2 Champion Cameron Lawrence toughed out a challenging and mixed weather weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Lawrence delivered a positive result in a race that put strength and endurance at a premium for the Franklin Road Tennessee team.

After starting on the grid in P16, and in a surprisingly almost contact free event until the later part of the race, Lawrence climbed an impressive seven places to finish the TA2 race in P9 of 30 entrants. Lawrence posted up a best lap of 1:24:565.

Cameron is still getting to know both the team and the car and the weekend could certainly be regarded as a successful building block towards success, “This started off as a character building weekend. We came off a pretty strong finish at Sebring but out of the gate we weren’t so sure and we didn’t have a lot of track time here. Little nagging issues kept us back from really getting a lot faster and making some big changes but the guys worked really hard. We kind of missed it in qualifying but saved the car and the tires for the race and I think that paid off.”

Unusual for a big field TA2 event, the yellow flag was hardly seen, “I don’t think anyone expected a long green flag run in the race but it was green almost all the way to the end. I think everyone’s happy. The car is in one piece and there was no contact in the race.”

The guys did a great job giving me a car that I could drive from start to finish and I’m happy with that. We got some useful points. We’re going to put our heads down now and focus on Atlanta.”

The races at Charlotte and Atlanta form a unique spring double header with the teams moving straight across to Georgia this coming weekend. The TA2 race at Atlanta is on Saturday March 26 at 1pm and fans can buy tickets through this link: http://speedtour.net/events/

If you were unable to attend the Racing in person or watch the race live, you can catch up with all the action on YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/c/TheTransAmSeries

Fans can find the Franklin Road Apparel Trans Am clothing here: https://www.franklinroad.com/search/trans+am/

Visit the team’s website for Showtime Motorsports showtimemotorsports.net. Learn more about the Showtime Motorsports team partner, Road Apparel, at franklinroad.com and keep up to date with the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at gotransam.com. #GoTransAm

Check out the Showtime Motorsports Facebook page: facebook.com/showtimemotorsp/ and @ShowtimeMotorsp on Instagram.

About Showtime Motorsports:

The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwaits’ racing team and racecars, and an outstanding classic Camaro collection. Showtime Motorsports brings together a dynamic staff who employ diverse talents and share a passion for cars, racing and caring for clients like they are our own family members.

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