2020 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge | VP Racing Stay Frosty 240 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta | September 4-6, 2020

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

Round: 5 of 10 in the 2020 Michelin Pilot Challenge
Racetrack: Michelin Raceway, Road #atlanta, Braselton, GA
2.54-mile road course, featuring 12 turns 
Race: Sunday, September 6, 2020 at 12:10 pm ET (9:10 am PST) (4 Hours)
TV: LIVE on NBC Gold Track Pass
Live timing and scoring from each session available at www.IMSA.com
Live radio commentary for every session at www.IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com

BHA FAST FACTS:

2020 By the Numbers: The Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Veloster N TCR cars have led 153 of the 243 (62%) laps raced in the #imsamichelinpilotchallenge (IMPC) this season.  Three of the four cars have won a race, including the last three races, and every BHA car has finished on the podium at least once. The BHA Hyundais are currently ranked first (#21), second (#98), third (#33) and 11^th (#29) in the championship.  Hyundai leads the manufacturers championship by 10 points over Audi and has a 19-point lead over Honda and Alfa Romeo.

Double Time:  For the second time this season and the first time since the season opener at Daytona, IMPC teams will be challenged with a four-hour race.  Should the race run without caution, the TCR class will complete 411 miles, the equivalent of driving across Georgia twice in four hours!  Each driver must complete a minimum of forty minutes during the race to receive championship points. Engineers will be focusing on the tire strategy. Each team will receive six sets of Michelin tires to use throughout the weekend, at least four sets are expected to be used during the race.

Pole Position: Episode 4 of the Motor Trend series, Pole Position: Quest for the Championship was released this week.  The series, in its third season takes viewers behind the scenes of BHA and their four-car Hyundai effort as they returned to #racing after 174 days away from the track due to the COVID pandemic.  A favorite among sports car fans, the series averages more than 700,000 viewers per episode.  Click here to see the latest episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ncWYePePj4&t=96s

Hyundai Hope On Wheels: September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month.  Launched in 1998, Hyundai Hope On Wheels (HHOW) provides grants to eligible institutions nationwide that are pursuing life-saving research and innovative treatments for pediatric cancer. HHOW is one of the largest non-profit funders of pediatric cancer research in the country, and primary funding for Hyundai Hope On Wheels comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 820 U.S. dealers. Since its inception, Hyundai Hope On Wheels has awarded more than $172 million towards childhood cancer research in pursuit of a cure.

Bryan’s View: “We look forward to seeing our fans this weekend at Road #atlanta.  Double the race time, double the pressure and the challenges, but it’s also twice as satisfying to succeed in the endurance races. We know our Hyundai Veloster N TCR cars are up to the challenge and so are our drivers and team.” 

#21 Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins

Best Start: 2nd  Best Finish: 1st Championship: 1st (122 points)

• Current championship points leaders, three consecutive podium finishes (1st at  Sebring, 3rd at Road America and second at VIR.)
• Mark Wilkins secured the 2019 IMPC Championship co-driving with Michael Lewis at Road #atlanta.

Harry Gottsacker: “Mark and I have proudly represented Hyundai on the podium at every race since our season re-started.  These results have put us at the top of the championship heading into #atlanta this week.  It is a bit of a weird feeling because normally #atlanta is the last race of the season, and we are just halfway!  2020 has been a strange year, but I’ve found success in #imsa and SRO this season and I am looking to build on that and finish strong.”

Mark Wilkins: “We’re at the midway point of the 2020 season now, and as a team, we have a ton of momentum behind us and our Veloster N TCR cars have been absolutely incredible! This track is a favorite of mine and it really suits our car. Michael and I won the 2019 championship there and that success is still fresh in my mind. Harry and I will be looking to pad our championship lead, with our second win of the season this weekend!  As we head into September and Childhood Cancer Awareness month, we are been proud to race in support of this great cause through Hyundai Hope on Wheels, as we have over the past three seasons. I look forward to making a contribution this September and invite you to visit HyundaiHopeonWheels.org to learn more.”

#29 Vertical Bridge/Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Parker Chase and Spencer Brockman

Best Start: 4th  Best Finish: 2nd  Championship: 11th (82 points)

Parker Chase: "Coming off another great finish two weeks ago at VIR, Spencer and I are looking to continue this strong momentum we have.  Despite our joining the team at the second race of the season, we are already up to 11th place, and if we can continue this trend of good results, we have a shot at the top-three in the championship. That is my goal, for sure.”

Spencer Brockman's impressions after his first two IMPC races: "Road #atlanta is one of the tracks I’ve anticipated the most, because the Veloster N TCR is going to handle so well through the ‘esses’ and on those downhill, diving turns.   It’s one of my favorite tracks, I’ve already won twice from pole there earlier this year competing in Formula Atlantic, so I am prepped and ready for my first #imsa endurance race. Double the stops, double the action!”

#33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman

Best Start: 1st  Best Finish: 1st  Championship: 3rd (111 points)

• The #33 car has led every race this season, 107 total laps led, more than any other car.
• Gabby is a previous winner at Road #atlanta, from pole in 2012 competing in Pro Mazda.

Gabby Chaves: “Heading into the halfway point of the championship, we are finding our groove and have shown great pace.  If we can keep the pace and do a better job of finding consistency in the last half of the race, we will put the #33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR car in championship contention.”

Ryan Norman: “This will be my first time back at Road #atlanta in four or five years, but I have fond memories since it was the first track, I ever drove on. I took the Skip Barber #racing School at Road #atlanta and that was the start of it all for me.  I’ve also scored a few victories at Road #atlanta in my early #racing days.  Gabby and I will be ready for redemption and going for the win.”

#98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Mason Filippi and Michael Lewis

Best Start: 3rd Best Finish: 1st  Championship: 2nd (115 pts)

• Mason Filippi and Michael Lewis scored their first victory of the season two weeks ago at VIR.
• Michael won the 2019 IMPC championship co-driving with Mark Wilkins at Road #atlanta.

Mason Filippi on the "Esses": "Michael Lewis and I are ready to take the fight to the competition. We had a tough race at Road America and the competition is so tight. We must rebound strong. The “Esses” in the Veloster N TCR are one of my favorite sections during the entire season and I am looking forward to #racing through them. I have never won at VIR, but came close last year finishing second. I am hoping Michael and I can get that extra step on the podium!"

Michael Lewis's approach to VIR: "Road #atlanta is every driver’s dream track.  I can’t wait to attack the circuit with our Hyundai Veloster N TCR race car.  The team has been running on all cylinders and Hyundai gives us the tools we need to run up front.  I’m thrilled Mason and I get to duel it out for four hours instead of two this weekend!”

Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian:
Founded in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single car Indy-Lights team into a championship winning auto #racing franchise. Led by IndyCar and Sports Car star Bryan Herta, Bryan Herta Autosport has won races in every discipline they have entered, including Indy Lights, Indy Car, Global Rally Cross, and championship titles in Pirelli World Challenge and #imsa. BHA rose to prominence after winning the 2011 Indianapolis 500 in what was the final race of the Centennial Era, a celebration of 100 years of #racing at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with driver Dan Wheldon. Five years later, BHA partnered with Andretti Autosport, and defied the odds again, winning their second Indianapolis 500 with rookie driver Alexander Rossi. In 2018, BHA entered the Pirelli World Challenge in partnership with Hyundai and dominated the TCR class, winning seven races with drivers #98 Michael Lewis and #99 Mark Wilkins in the Hyundai i30N TCR, securing the team and manufacturers championships in the process. In 2019, BHA and Hyundai moved to the #imsa Michelin Sports Car Challenge, and the transition was flawless. BHA swept the series driver and team championships with driver Mark Wilkins and Michael Lewis finishing first in the #98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR and young guns Harry Gottsacker and Mason Filippi finishing second in the #21 Hyundai Veloster N TCR. For 2020, BHA continues its successful partnership with Andretti Autosport fielding the #98 U.S. Concrete Honda w/ Curb Agajanian in the IndyCar series for driver Marco Andretti and a four-car Hyundai Veloster N TCR campaign in the #imsamichelinpilotchallenge with Michael Lewis and Mason Fillipi (#98), Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker (#21), Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman (#33) and Parker Chase and Spencer Brockman (#29). Bryan Herta Autosport is the U.S. sales agent and parts support representative of Hyundai TCR race cars for customer teams. For more information, visit www.BryanHertaAutosport.com.