SONOMA, Calif., (November 8, 2021) – This weekend, Flying Lizard will return to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with Chris Bellomo for the season finale of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands. After making his debut in the series earlier this season at Road America, where he showed good potential with great pace, Bellomo and his No. 68 Porsche 991 Cup car will close out the year with a triple-header during the Motul Petit Le Mans weekend.

“It’s always exciting to be back at Road Atlanta and we’re looking forward to finishing the season on a high note with Chris,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “He performed well at his Road America debut but we had other commitments this year that prevented us from racing in more of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America events. Now he’s coming fresh off winning the championship in the Yokohama Drivers Cup, so we’ll bring that momentum to Road Atlanta and finish the year strong.”

Racing in support of Petit Le Mans, an event where Flying Lizard has celebrated much success over the years, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will have a total of 32 entries competing in the final event of the season. Bellomo and the No. 68 Porsche will compete in the Pro-Am 991 class which uses the 991.2 model cars, running in three 45-minute races.

On-track sessions begin on the morning of Wednesday, November 10, giving competitors two practice sessions before qualifying that afternoon. All three races will air live on www.imsa.com/tv, and live scoring available on imsa.com/scoring.

Event Schedule | All Times U.S. Eastern

Wednesday, November 10
8:45 am – 9:15 am Practice 1
12:45 pm – 1:15 pm Practice 2
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Qualifying

Thursday, November 11
12:10 pm – 12:55 pm Race 1
4:45 pm – 5:30 pm Race 2

Friday, November 12
11:15 am – 12:00 pm Race 3

About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Based out of Sonoma, California, Flying Lizard Motorsports is one of the most iconic sports car teams in motorsports, having celebrated ten driver and team championships, as well as competed internationally at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times.

The Lizards burst on the American Le Mans Series scene in 2004, competing in the GT class until 2012. In 2013, the team moved to the GTC class, still competing in legendary events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2014, the team expanded its program to include running two Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR Championship, and in 2015, again expanded the program to include two Porsches in Porsche Club racing. Flying Lizard closed out the season with a dominating win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with Toyo Tires, a win they repeated in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2020 season proved the team’s most successful to date, earning four titles in the GT4 America championship. Flying Lizard Motorsports has proven to be a championship contender no matter the race series or race car. For more information, visit lizardms.com.

Natalie Decker claims first National SGT win; Joiner, Lux and Young finish top in their respective classes

AUSTIN (7 November 2021) – Matt Brabham made his Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli debut a race to remember, passing Ernie Francis Jr. in the final 50 feet on the last lap to win by 0.393 seconds on Sunday at Circuit of the Americas during the Heacock Classic season finale.

A late caution set up a two-lap fender-rubbing dash to the checkered flag. Francis Jr., who had led every lap from the pole in the No. 98 Future Star Racing Ford Mustang despite constant pressure by Brabham, had to settle for second. Brabham was filling in for Chris Dyson in the No. 20 ATWELL CBD Ford Mustang, who sat out the finale due to family matters. (Race Results)

“I was surprised, I just got a run on Ernie (Francis Jr.) on the last lap,” Brabham said. “It was the last lap, and I thought he had it because I wasn’t close enough. I had made some in-car adjustments and I managed to be fastest in the Esses at the end, and I got a run down the back straight. I was surprised he gave me a car length, so I stuck it down in the inside and we ran side by side. The track limits for both of us went out the window, and I got a little tap in the last corner as he was trying to get me a little loose coming to the checkered flag.

“That was so much fun, racing like that, door to door, leaning on each other and coming to the checkered,” added Brabham, who won the SVRA Formula B group earlier in the day driving a 1971 Brabham BT35. “That was awesome, and I can’t thank Chris Dyson and CD Racing enough for the opportunity.”

Francis Jr. got off to a great start and pulled out a two-second lead after four laps. Brabham then came on strong. The third-generation racer needed only three laps to get within one second of Francis Jr., and he was able to stay within several-tenths of a second for the lead, lap after lap.

Caution waved for the second time on lap 26, setting up the two-lap shootout. Francis Jr. started to slow, losing oil pressure on the final lap. The pair raced side-by-side before Brabham made a move to the outside to make his one and only pass just feet from the finish line.

“It wouldn’t have been our 2021 season if something didn’t happen; I lost oil pressure on the final lap,” Francis Jr. said. “I am glad to finish this race in the car, the last few races have been tough for us and we’ve struggled a lot this season. I am proud of the team for creating a car that finished the race, and was super-fast all weekend.

“In the race, I was feeling super good and Matt (Brabham) was just staying with us the whole time,” Francis Jr. continued “It was a great race out there with him though. Matt and I had a great battle those last few laps, we were side-by-side about half way through the last lap. That’s one of my best battles I’ve had in Trans Am. I am looking forward to what’s next.”

The late sprint also helped Tomy Drissi gain the podium. The driver of the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro lost third midway through the race to 2021 ProAm Challenge champion Oscar Teran, driving the No. 3 Oscar Teran Racing Ford Mustang. Drissi regained third with a pass on the final lap.

“I just didn’t have it today, and Oscar (Teran) ran a good race,” Drissi said. “The car didn’t turn very well. The late yellow came out, which was lucky for us. Then we went side by side in a couple of areas where you aren’t supposed to be, and it worked out. Thank you Lucas Slick Mist, and thank you to the guys at Burtin Racing for working so hard.”

The late restart impacted the three other classes as well.

Erich Joiner won in XGT, passing Jason Hart with two laps remaining. Joiner remained undefeated in seven races driving the No. 10 Good Boy Bob Coffee Porsche 991 GT3 R, and led the opening 11 laps. Hart – a veteran racer/coach – took over the lead on lap 12, and held it until Joiner regained the point after the final restart.

“We had a really great race today at Austin – a world-class track – especially with our GT cars,” Joiner said. “Jason and I had a really good battle. I started out in the lead; he got around me, and I let my tires cool and regroup a little to make a run at him for the end of the race. Fortunately, it worked out. He’s a heck of a driver and he has a beautiful car, but boy, the Porsche handled beautifully and the braking is phenomenal.”

Hart was a late replacement for fellow Texan Mike Weathers in the No. 48 GSpeed Corvette. It was his fourth Trans Am race and his first podium finish of the season. Hart’s most recent result was a fourth-place finish from the pole in TA2® at Watkins Glen in 2017.

Justin Oakes started on the SGT pole and seemed headed to his seventh victory in eight races, driving the No. 11 Droneworks Corvette.

But he brought out a final caution when he encountered a problem just seven laps from the finish. That gave the lead in SGT to Cindi Lux, driving the No. 45 Lux Performance/Black Rock Coffee Dodge Viper. The Oregon driver scored her her fourth-consecutive, and seventh career, SGT West Coast victory after coming home ninth overall.

“It was a good day for Lux Performance, both of our Vipers were represented on the podium today,” said Lux. “I just kept my head down and worked my way around the action. This is the first time that a West Coast car has finished in front of the National Series group, so today was a big deal for the whole team.”

Natalie Decker finished 10th overall in the No. 29 NI29 Technologies Audi R8, taking SGT National honors while coming from behind to take the SGT ProAm Challenge title.

“Wow, my first win in the National Series, and we got the ProAm SGT title!” said Decker. “The Ave Motorsports team is just amazing, I love working with all of them. I wouldn’t be here without the support of my sponsors, who joined me at the track today.”

Carey Grant matched his career-best finish by taking second in the No. 6 Grant Racing 2 Porsche 991 GT3 Cup. His father Milton Grant completed the podium, also winning SGT Masters honors in the No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Fairfield Inn Porsche 991.1.

Mirroring the overall result, Austin driver Sean Young took GT honors in his Trans Am debut. The driver of the No. 74 Corsair Racing Ginetta GT 55 GT4 passed Paul Costas in the No. 13 GSpeed Corvette on the final lap to win in his first Trans Am start.

“The car was absolutely beautiful out there today,” said Young. “It was a tough race with a lot of action. It’s an honor to win at Circuit of The Americas.”

Following the winter break, Trans Am opens its 55th season on February 24 at Sebring International Raceway.

Matos leads every lap of huge 51-car field, Sutherland finishes first in West Coast

AUSTIN (7 Nov. 2021) – Rafa Matos had everything his way at Circuit of The Americas, wrapping up his TA2® championship season by capturing the pole on Saturday and then leading every lap on Sunday en route to his sixth victory of the 2021 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli competition season.

Driving the No 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang in the season-ending Heacock Classic, Matos beat Connor Mosack to the checkered flag by 9.426 seconds to score his 16th Trans Am career victory, turning the fastest race lap in the process. Misha Goikberg finished third to complete the National Series podium. (Provisional standings)

It was not the Sunday drive it appeared, however, as Matos battled a vibration in the final laps, but picked up the pace in the closing laps to manage a formidable gap.

“This result definitely represents all the hard work that the 3-Dimensional Service Group team has done all year,” said Matos. “The group of guys are amazing, giving me the tools to finish the race with a dominant victory. It is special to us, we wanted to finish the season with a win. I couldn’t be more proud of my team.”

Mosack started third in the No. 28 Nic Tailor/IFS/SLR Chevrolet Camaro, but needed 21 laps to get around Misha Goikhberg for second. At that point, he was eight seconds behind Matos, but trimmed two seconds from that advantage on the following lap. He closed slightly on the leader, but Matos picked up speed a few laps later in the 29-lap event that used up the full 75-minute time limit.

“We didn’t have the car to keep up with Rafa (Matos) today, but we fought hard for second,” Mosack said. “It’s been a great first year in Trans Am, TeamSLR really helped my development.”

Canadian Goikhberg rounded out the podium in the No. 20 BC Race Cars Camaro, marking his first podium of the season following a strong weekend for the experienced racer.

“We really had the car to finish P2 today, so it is a little bittersweet to finish one position less than we qualified,” said Goikhberg. “The team gave me a great car, and I could have done a better job adapting to the conditions. Congratulations to all the competitors on a good race, and to my team, you did great.”

Rounding out the top five were Thomas Merrill – driving Tom Sheehan’s backup car to fourth – and 2013-14 champion Cameron Lawrence in fifth, driving a Camaro fielded by Ken Thwaits’ Showtime Motorsports in his first appearance of 2021.

Matos’ protégé, 23-year-old Baylor Griffin of Tampa, finished 13th in a Stevens-Miller Camaro in his Trans Am debut. He earned ChillOut Moment of the Race honors for his drive. Griffin, whose background is in karting, has been mentored by Matos for the past three years.

Gar Robinson was the biggest mover of the race. Starting 47th in the No. 74 Liqui-Moly/Turn 14 Distribution Camaro, the two-time Trans Am champion passed 37 cars to finish 10th in his first appearance since 2018. The 2020 TA2 champion Mike Skeen, who landed a start on race day when John Cloud offered his No. 41 Ultimate Headers Camaro, went from 51st all the way to 12th after 21 laps. He began slowing two laps later, and dropped out with five laps remaining after a mechanical issue.

Also dropping out from mechanical issues from incidental contact with five laps remaining was Adam Andretti in the No. 86 3-Dimensional Services Mustang. He ran as high as fifth, in a tight battle among contenders throughout his stint.

Carl Rydquist ran as high as eighth overall in the No. 47 Racecars4rent /Group Wholesale Ford Mustang in leading the Trans Am West Coast competitors for the opening 15 laps. Ken Sutherland took the lead on lap 16 in the No. 68 Cascade Sothbey’s Camaro, and went on to score his first victory of the season.

“We were a little disappointed in our qualifying spot, but the car was darn good in the race,” said Sutherland. “We were just hoping that we could stay close to Carl (Rydquist), Carl is so fast and a great racer. To beat him today was super humbling.”

Rydquist – the 2021 West Coast TA2 champion – closed the gap to within one second at the white flag, but lost two places on the final lap.

“This was the best race that I ever had,” said Rydquist, seeking his fifth West Coast triumph of the season. “We had some minor issues but overall it was an amazing race and it’s so great to be part of this historic event for Trans Am.”

Darrell Anderson (No. 45 Park Place Constructors Chevrolet Camaro) completed the West Coast TA2 podium in third.

Veteran Bruce Nesbitt celebrated his 100th Trans Am start with a 34th-place finish in the No. 50 BrakeOMeter Ford Mustang.

The race was slowed by two cautions for nine laps early in the race. The first was extended by a fire which badly damaged the No. 98 D&M Electrical Contracting Inc Chevrolet Camaro of Doug Winston. The driver jumped out unscathed but it took several minutes to extinguish the flames that engulfed the rear of the car.

Matos will continue his post-race celebration with the Trans Am Honors Gala on Sunday evening. After a record-breaking 2021 season, Trans Am will open the next chapter in its 55 year history with the 2022 season-opener at Sebring International Raceway on February 27 for the Sebring SpeedTour.

Evolved into a Crossover MPV with Enhanced SUV Styling and Eco-Friendliness –

TOKYO, Nov 8, 2021 – (JCN Newswire) – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) today revealed the new Xpander crossover MPV, featuring a refreshed design and an enhanced eco-friendliness. The renewed model will be exhibited at the 28th GAIKINDO Indonesia International Auto Show to be held from November 11. The new Xpander will be produced at Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Indonesia (Bekasi, West Java)1 and will be rolled out in Indonesia and sequentially to other markets centering on the ASEAN region.

Since its launch as a next generation crossover MPV in Indonesia in 2017, the Xpander has continued to expand its presence in the ASEAN region, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia and Africa. In 2019, the Xpander Cross was added to the lineup as the top variant of the series, and the cumulative sales volume of the Xpander series has reached a total of approximately 372,000 units as of October 2021. The new Xpander boasts an upgraded design inside and out to emphasize the SUV styling, while a new high-efficiency continuously variable transmission (CVT) is adopted to reduce fuel consumption.

“Developed in pursuit of customer needs, the Xpander series has gained popularity in the ASEAN and other regions around the globe, and has grown to become one of the most important models for Mitsubishi Motors,” said Takao Kato, president and chief executive officer, MMC. “When designing the new Xpander, we reviewed even the smallest details and evolved it into an even more active and tough model, so we hope that the new Xpander will help expand and enrich the driving experience of many customers. Through this model, we will also further grow our presence in Indonesia and strengthen local production, thereby contributing to the growth of Indonesian economy.”

Product overview 2

• Interior and exterior design with strengthened SUV styling and quality-feel
• Improved road performance while increasing eco-friendliness
• Enhanced convenience for use with smartphones and various storage spaces

Interior and exterior design with strengthened SUV styling and quality-feel

On the front side, the Dynamic Shield front face that expresses power and reassurance has been evolved, while a horizontal bumper which gives an impression of a low center of gravity and a three-dimensional skid plate are newly adopted. T-shaped headlights are incorporated as a new generation headlight unit shape, and for the higher trim levels, LED type is used to secure good forward visibility.

The rear design produces a wide and stable appearance with a new generation light shape and a horizontally styled rear bumper. For the rear combination lights, T-shaped tail lights with homogeneous lighting is newly adopted, while LED stop lights are added to the LED tail lights and back lights to improve visibility at night.

For the high-end trim level, 17-inch wheels and tires are newly equipped, with the round-rim type alloy wheels featuring a robust and progressive machine-finished two tone design. The front overhang is extended by 75 mm and the rear overhang by 45 mm to create proportions with a high-class feel. Additionally, by raising the vehicle height by 15 to 20 millimeters compared to the current model, high ground clearance of 220 to 225 millimeters3 is secured – a top-level in its class – while also improving off-road performance.

As a new body color, Blade Silver Metallic which creates a powerful impression with a realistic metallic feel is added to the lineup. Other available colors include Quartz White Pearl, Graphite Gray Metallic, Jet Black Mica, Red Metallic and Deep Bronze Metallic.

For the higher trim levels, the interior features a horizontally sculpted instrument panel that provides a feeling of spaciousness. The redesigned steering wheel is given a sporty and powerful look, while the grip size and shape are restyled to secure easy and confident grip for the driver. Moreover, the quality of the interior space is upgraded by using soft pads with synthetic leather and real stitching for the armrest and door trim. Other new features include an air conditioning panel with a liquid crystal display that make it easy to check the fan level and temperature settings at a glance, and a high contrast meter display with new graphic design.

Improved road performance while increasing eco-friendliness

A high-efficiency CVT is newly adopted for the transmission. When the accelerator is deeply depressed, a powerful and sharp acceleration is delivered, with a gear shifting feel added to allow the driver to feel the acceleration. When the accelerator is lightly depressed, smooth shifting unique to CVT maximizes engine performance while realizing high fuel efficiency and quietness. An external EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system is newly adopted for the engine to achieve low fuel consumption without compromising on the engine output performance.

An electric parking brake4 is newly added, enabling a reliable stopping simply by operating a switch. In addition, the new brake auto hold function allows the vehicle to continue the stopped state even when the driver takes their foot off the brake pedal when waiting for a traffic light or stopping in traffic jams, thereby reducing the burden on the driver and enhancing comfort.

For the suspension, the rigidity of the front strut mounting part is improved, and the cylinder size of the rear shock absorber is expanded, while high-performance valves are newly adopted at both the front and rear to provide a smooth and comfortable ride.

Enhanced convenience for use with smartphones and various storage spaces

For an even more comfortable interior, the convenient storage space is further enhanced for greater ease-of-use. The center console is redesigned with a large-capacity open tray to easily hold a smartphone, and an armrest4 that can store four 600 milliliter plastic bottles is newly added for convenience.

To enhance comfort in the rear seats, Type-A and Type-C USB charging outlets are installed on the back of the center console for models equipped with armrests, and cup holders are newly added to the armrest of the second row seats.

1. Shareholders: MMC 51.0%, Mitsubishi Corporation 40.0%, Krama Yudha 9.0%
2. Indonesia specifications. Vehicle specifications may vary depending on model and/or market.
3. Minimum ground clearance of 220 mm for CVT models and 225 mm for MT models, except for certain trim level.
4. Equipped on certain trim levels.

About Mitsubishi Motors

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (TSE:7211), MMC–a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan–, is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has more than 30,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, mainland China, the Philippines, Viet Nam and Russia. MMC has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, MMC has been a leader in electrification–launched the i-MiEV – the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV – the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013. MMC announced a three-year business plan in July 2020 to introduce more competitive and cutting-edge models, including the Eclipse Cross PHEV (PHEV model), the all-new Outlander and the all-new Triton/L200.

For more information on MMC, please visit the company’s website at
https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/