IndyCars - The off-season: Series news and comment until the March 2014 kick-off

[MarkyS]

+++

.
First glimpse of the Nashville circuit from the driver’s point of view…

.
IndyCar has released this virtual simulation of the new Nashville street course track, with IndyCar rookie Romain Grosjean for Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing acting as your host.

.
Take a look:

.

Music City Grand Prix Full-Lap Virtual Breakdown with Romain Grosjean

.
.
In the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix this coming weekend, drivers will run 80 laps on the 2.17-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit, which winds through downtown and will carry drivers around the parking lot of Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, and across the Korean Veterans War Memorial Bridge, spanning the Cumberland River.

Use this track map to follow Romain:

.

.
.
Turn 1 is at the bottom left, a left-hander around the Exxon station. Pit-in is between Turn 2 and Turn 3 and pit-out is at Turn 5. The Start line will be coming off the bridge heading South while the Finish line will be in front of the stadium. There is expected to be passing at Turn 7 at the North end of the bridge and at Turn 1, after the long run down to it. There are a lot of elevation changes, too, over the bridge and up between Turns 2 and 3.

.
.
.
The race will be this weekend, with a lot of great support from Trans Am, SRO GT America and Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
BOOM!!!..Juncos Racing returns to IndyCar full time in 2022…

.
…as newly-named Juncos Hollinger Racing. Ricardo Juncos and his new partner Brad Hollinger, the CEO of Vibra Healthcare, made the announcement today. We knew there was something in the works, because Ricardo has been crowing about his splendid facility in Speedway, Indiana a lot, lately, as if to remind us all that he has the goods, there. The goods will finally get their full workout for a full season of IndyCar in 2022.

.

.
The team has tried to join the fray in the big cars since 2017, when they entered two cars in the Indy 500. In 2018 they came closest to a full season, with 12 of 17 series races, fielding 3 different drivers. In 2019 they were able to do only two races, including the Indy 500, again.

But now, they have the backing of Brad Hollinger, who was a shareholder in Williams F1 until 2020, and was one of the backers of James Davison’s 2019 bid in the Indy 500 for Coyne, Hollinger, Byrd, Belardi.

.
Brad Hollinger

.
.
Says Hollinger, "I am very excited to join Ricardo and the Juncos Racing team. Since we first met, Ricardo’s relentless drive for success, knowledge of open-wheel racing, and engineering expertise were quite apparent. His winning spirit along with our shared vision and commitment to be a front running team made my decision to join Juncos Racing a simple one.

“With an infusion of funds to obtain the best equipment and IndyCar talent, Juncos is a team poised to be fiercely competitive in the series. Further, the IndyCar Series is an American-born motorsport with a significant spectator platform that has major growth potential. The racing is very competitive and exciting, creating a viewer experience that is attractive to businesses focused on national and international branding.”

.
.
While their big car efforts have been lackluster, due to being under-budget operations, to this point, Hollinger is buying into one of the best Road to Indy teams ever. In Indy Pro 2000 Juncos made Conor Daly the champ in 2010, Spencer Pigot the champ in 2014, Victor Franzoni the champ in 2017, Rinus VeeKay the champ in 2018 and Sting Ray Robb the champ in 2019, while Peter Dempsey, Diego Ferreira and Rasmus Lindh all enjoyed Vice-Championships with the team.

In Indy Lights Juncos took Spencer Pigot to the title in 2015 and Kyle Kaiser to it in 2017, while getting the Vice-Championship for Rinus VeeKay in 2019. These guys know how to run a WINNING operation.

.
Juncos Champions in the Road to Indy, left to right, Conor Daly, Spencer Pigot, Victor Franzoni…

.
…Rinus VeeKay, Sting Ray Robb and Kyle Kaiser

.
.
.
The BIG question, of course, is who will be the driver for Juncos Hollinger in 2022? Well, the team is going to start to weed out potential pilots in 2021, by racing at Portland, Laguna Seca and Long Beach with one or maybe three different drivers. NO ONE has even been named yet for those rides, but we LOVE the idea that another talented driver will get the chance to have an IndyCar career, thanks to Juncos and Hollinger.

.
.
.
Juncos acknowledged he and Hollinger have drivers from IndyCar, Formula One, and IMSA on their call list. We’ve always believed that Victor Franzoni is a lost talent who deserves at least a shot. The very talented Brazilian still works for Juncos as their driver coach and helped Sting Ray Robb get his title. There’s also English driver Toby Sowery who drives for the Juncos Hollinger Indy Lights team, right now. But frankly, anyone they test are lucky people and we can’t wait to see them on the grid.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
It’s time for IMSA’s SportsCar Weekend at Road America…

.
“The SportsCar Weekend” is the actual name of the event and indeed it will be crammed with sportscars, as IMSA brings the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, the Michelin Pilot Challenge series, Porsche Carrera Cup North America and Lamborghini Super Trofeo to America’s national park of speed and IndyCar guys are going to be in all four series.

.

.
.
The IndyCar series is also racing this weekend, with a premiere event at Nashville, Tennesee, and so the current crop of guys will be there and not at Road America, but a great gang of recent and veteran IndyCar drivers and excellent Road to Indy drivers will be here. They include:

.

• The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

.
DPI class - Former Indy Lights Champion and IndyCar Rookie of the Year Tristan Vautier will drive the # 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPI V.R for JDC-Miller Motorsports with co-driver Loic Duval. These guys WON at Sebring this year with the help of IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais.

Tristan Vautier

.
.
Indy Pro 2000 alum Pipo Derani drives the # 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi V.R for Action Express with the help of Felipe Nasr. These guys are coming off their first WIN for 2021 at Watkins Glen in the sprint race replacing the cancelled race at Mosport.

Luis Felipe “Pipo” Derani

.
.
LMP3 class - Road to Indy ace and 2019 Indy Lights champ Oliver Askew will drive the # 36 Ligier JS P320 for Andretti Autosport that he shares with former Indy Lights driver and Pirelli GT4 champion Jarett Andretti.

Oliver Askew (left) and Jarett Andretti

.
.
Road to Indy ace Rasmus Lindh will drive the # 38 Ligier JS P320 for Performance Tech Motorsports with co-driver Dan Goldburg.

Rasmus Lindh

.
.
GTD class - Road to Indy ace and IndyCar driver Zach Veach is one of the pilots in the # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan. Zach shares the car with Frankie Montecalvo. These guys already have two P2s on the season.

Zach Veach

.
.
Former Indy Pro 2000 champ and IndyCar driver Jack Hawksworth drives the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan and shares the car with another former IP2K champ, Aaron Telitz. Both guys were big aces in the full Road to Indy ladder. The duo collected a WIN at the last outing at Watkins Glen.

Jack Hawksworth (left) and Aaron Telitz

.
.
Another Road to Indy ace and former Indy Lights Champion, JR Hildebrand, will pilot the return of the NTE Sport # 42 Audi R8 LMS GT3 to competition, after missing much of the season. He will share the car with Don Yount.

JR Hildebrand

.
.
Former Champ Car driver Katherine Legge will drive the # 88 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Team Hardpoint EBM with team owner and co-driver Rob Ferriol.

Katherine Legge

.
.
.
(continued…)

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
It’s time for IMSA’s SportsCar Weekend at Road America…(part 2)…

.

• The Michelin Pilot Challenge series will have a number of IndyCar guys in both classes:

.
Grand Sport class - former Indy Lights and Indy Pro 2000 champion and IndyCar driver Spencer Pigot drives the # 3 McLaren 570S GT4 for Motorsports in Action with co-driver Sheena Monk.

Spencer Pigot

.
.
Former Champ Car driver Jan Heylen is a driver in the # 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport for Wright Motorsports. He shares the car with Ryan Hardwick. Jan is currently tied for 1st place in points with Dillon Machavern and Bill Auberlen, both for Turner Motorsport. Jan has 4 podiums in 6 races this season.

Jan Heylen

.
.
Former Road to Indy Shootout entrant and Porsche Challenge Cup champ Trenton Estep will drive the # 18 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 for CB Motorsports with co-driver Mark Kvamme. These guys normally drive a Hyundai Veloster for CB Motorsport in the TCR class, but the team is getting into GS class for Road America, and probably beyond.

Trenton Estep

.
.
Touring Car class - Indy Pro 2000 alum and paraplegic Michael Johnson drives the # 54 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Michael Johnson Racing, using hand controls. Michael’s co-driver is Stephen Simpson. The car is prepared by Bryan Herta Autosport.

Michael Johnson

.
.
Indy Lights race WINNER and 2020 TCR class Champion Ryan Norman drives the new # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport. His co-driver in the car is Parker Chase. These guys have already given the new car its first series WIN.

Ryan Norman

.
.
.

• Porsche Carrera Cup North America has only a couple IndyCar guys in it but they’re both excellent veterans of the Road to Indy:

.
Road to Indy ace and Canadian Touring Car champ Parker Thompson drives the # 9 Porsche 992 Cup car for JDX Racing. Parker is currently 3rd in the series points.

Parker Thompson

.
.
Californian Road to Indy alum TJ Fischer drives the # 58 Porsche 992 Cup car for Topp Racing.

TJ Fischer

.
.
.

• Lamborghini Super Trofeo only has 1 IndyCar guy but he’s one to make us proud:

.
Pro class - Jake Eidson is a true Road to Indy ace with multiple RTI WINS who drives the # 6 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo for O’Gara Motorsport / USRT with co-driver Steven Aghakhani. The guys are currently 3rd in the points.

Jake Eidson

.
.
.
We will be covering the IndyCar Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in its own thread, this weekend, but we will also try to keep up with IMSA news from Road America. Bear with us and we will take vitamins.

.
.
.
Thursday will be a day of practice for the Lamborghini gang.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Thursday at Road America - The Lamborghinis come out for first practice…

.
It was the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series that was the first to abuse the storied venue with a practice session for their two races this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, and we have the TOP THREE in practice here:

.
TOP DAWG for the session was Kyle Marcelli in the # 1 Pro class Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO for Wayne Taylor Racing with a time of 2:08.561s for a speed of 113.352mph. Kyle bested Loris Spinelli in the Pro-Am class # 51 Taurino Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo by 0.345 seconds. Third fastest was series points-leader Richard Antinucci in the # 27 Dream Racing Motorsport entry.

Kyle shares the # 1 Lambo with Danny Formal while Loris shares the # 51 with Claude Senhoreti. Richard drives the # 27 by himself.

.
The # 1 Pro class Lamborghini Huracan for Wayne Taylor Racing - TOPS in P-1

Kyle Marcelli

.
.
On friday the track will see practice by all four series we are watching, plus qualifying for the Lambos and the Porsche Carrera Cup guys.

.
.
.
M

.

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Friday at Road America - Porsche Carrera Cup practices and grids Race 1…

.
Lightning and then a thunderstorm rolled through Elkhart Lake this afternoon, making qualifying impossible for Porsche Carrera Cup’s first race of the weekend, to be run on Saturday. PCCNA held two practice sessions over the day and then attempted to qualify late in the afternoon, but will grid the race based on series points, instead. We have the TOPS in practice and the TOP THREE rows, here:

.
After two practice sessions the TOP DAWG was Leh Keen in the # 12 Porsche 992 for 311 RS Motorsport, with a P-2 session time of 2:10.027s for a speed of 112.074mph. Leh bested IndyCar driver Parker Thompson’s own P-2 time in the # 9 Porsche for JDX Racing by a TEENSY 0.004 seconds!

Due to the weather, on the grid the pole will be held by points-leader Kay van Berlo in the # 3 Kelly-Moss Road & Race Porsche Cup car, ahead of teammate Seb Priaulx in P2 in the # 15. Parker Thompson and Leh Keen will make up the second row of the grid, with Riley Dickinson in the # 3 for Team Hardpoint EBM in P5 and IndyCar driver TJ Fisher in the # 58 Porsche for Topp Racing completing the top-six.

.
The # 3 Porsche for Kelly-Moss Road & Race, with Kay van Berlo - on the pole

.
.
.
The race is scheduled for just after Noon on Saturday.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Friday at Road America - Lamborghini Super Trofeo has weather set their grid…

.
Following their Thursday practice, the LSTs ran a second practice session in the dry this morning, but a thunderstorm rolled into the Elkhart Lake area this afternoon that ended all hope of qualifying, so Race 1 of the weekend will grid based on practice times from the P-1 session of Thursday. We have the TOPS in practice and the first three grid rows here:

.
The HOT SHOE in practice today was Road to Indy ace Jake Eidson in the # 6 Pro class Lamborghini Huracan for O’Gara Motorsports / USRT with a time of 2:07.957s for a speed of 113.887mph, besting Kyle Marcelli’s P-1 session time in the # 1 Pro class Lambo for Wayne Taylor Racing by a healthy 0.604 seconds.

But, due to the weather, Marcelli will be on the pole for Race 1, with Loris Spinelli in the # 51 Pro-Am class Lambo for Taurino Racing next to him. P3 on the grid will be Alec Udell in the # 48 car for Kelly-Moss Road & Race, while P4 will be Max Weering in the # 61 Pro class Lambo for MCR Racing. P5 on the grid will be Steven Aghakhani in the # 6 (Jake Eidson’s car) while P6 will be Stevan McAleer in the # 16 Pro class Change Racing Lamborghini.

Kyle Marcelli’s co-driver is Danny Formal while Alec Udell drives the # 48 by himself. Max Weering also drives by himself, while Stevan McAleer shares the # 16 with Jeroen Mul. Richard Antinuicci was supposed to start 3rd on the grid, based on Thursday times, but he destroyed his Dream Racing # 27 Pro class entry in a multi-car accident in Practice 2 and will therefore move over to the team’s sister # 22 entry that he will share with Dario Capitanio. They will start P7.

.
The # 1 Pro class Lamborghini Huracan for Wayne Taylor Racing - on the pole

Kyle Marcelli

.
.
.
The race is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Race 2 will grid based on the finishing order of Saturday’s Race 1.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Friday at Road America - Michelin Pilot Challenge hold practice…

.
The series held two sessions today with the TOP TIME of the day in GS class made in the morning P-1 session while the TOP TIME in TCR class was made later in the day in P-2. We have the TOP THREE for each class, here:

.
Grand Sport class - the HOT SHOE for the day was IndyCar driver Jan Heylen in the # 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport for Wright Motorsports with a time of 2:17.621s for a speed of 105.890mph. Jan bested Robby Foley’s P-1 session time in the # 96 BMW M4 GT4 for Turner Motorsport by 0.171 seconds. Third fastest on the day was Scott Andrews in the # 21 Toyota Supra GT4 for Riley Motorsports.

Jan shares the Porsche with Ryan Hardwick while Robby shares the Bimmer with Vincent Barletta. Scott Andrews’ co-driver in the Toyota is Tennesee’s Anton Dias Perera.

.
The # 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 for Wright Motorsports - TOPS in practice

Jan Heylen

.
.
.
Touring Car class - The LEAD FOOT in the TCR class today was Indy Lights driver Ryan Norman in the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport with a time of 2:20.587s for a speed of 103.656mph. Ryan got on top of Tim Lewis’ P-1 session time in the # 5 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR for KMW Motorsports w/ TMR Engineering by a very healthy 1.012 seconds. Third fastest was Tyler Gonzales in the # 27 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Copeland Motorsports.

Ryan’s co-driver is Parker Chase while Tim’s co-driver is Roy Block. Tyler shares the Veloster with Tyler Maxson.

.
The # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport - TOPS in practice

Ryan Norman

.
.
.
The Michelin Pilot Challenge will qualify first thing in the morning on Saturday and then they will hold the Road America 120 last thing of the day.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Friday at Road America - The WeatherTech gang holds first practice…

.
All five classes of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series held their P-1 practice session this afternoon, following a rainstorm that shortened the time available, and we have the TOP THREE performers in each class:

.
DPI class - the HOT SHOE for the day was Harry Tincknell in the # 55 Mazda RT24-P for Mazda Motorsports with a time of 2:09.769s for a speed of 112.297mph. Harry bested Filipe Albuquerque in the # 10 Acura ARX-05 for Wayne Taylor Racing by 0.399 seconds. Third fastest was Kevin Magnussen in the # 01 Cadillac DPI V.R for Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing.

Harry shares the Mazda with fellow Brit Oliver Jarvis while Filipe shares the Acura with Ricky Taylor. Kevin’s co-driver is Renger van der Zande.

.
The # 55 Mazda RT24-P for Mazda Motorsports - TOPS in practice

Harry Tincknell

.
.
LMP2 class - The LEAD FOOT for the class on the day was Mikkel Jensen in the # 52 ORECA 07 Gibson for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports with a time of 2:14.356s for a speed of 108.463mph. Mikkel was on top of Ryan Dalziel in the # 18 ORECA 07 Gibson for Era Motorsport by a big 2.210 seconds. Third fastest was Gabriel Aubry in the # 8 ORECA 07 Gibson for Tower Motorsport.

Mikkel shares the # 52 with Ben Keating while Ryan shares the # 18 with Dwight Merriman. Gabriel’s co-driver in the # 8 is John Farano.

.
The # 52 ORECA 07 Gibson for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports - TOPS in practice

Mikkel Jensen

.
.
LMP3 class - The RABBIT for the day was IndyCar driver Oliver Askew in the # 36 Ligier JS P320 for Andretti Autosport with a time of 2:20.504s for a speed of 103.717mph. Oliver took it to Dylan Murry in the # 91 Ligier JS P320 for Riley Motorsports by a big 0.849 seconds. Third fastest was Jonathan Bennett in the # 54 CORE Autosport Ligier JS P320.

Oliver’s co-driver is Indy Lights driver Jarett Andretti while Dylan’s co-driver is Jim Cox. Jonathan Bennett shares the # 54 with Colin Braun.

.
The # 36 Ligier JS P320 for Andretti Autosport - TOPS in practice

Oliver Askew

.
.
GTLM class - The SPEED DEMON for the class was Antonio Garcia in the # 3 Corvette C8.R for Corvette Racing with a time of 2:23.760s for a speed of 101.368mph. Antonio got the better of fellow Corvette driver Tommy Milner in the # 4 C8.R by a huge 1.865 seconds. Third fastest was Matt Campbell in the # 79 Porsche 911 RSR-19 for WeatherTech Racing.

Antonio shares the # 3 Corvette with Jordan Taylor while Tommy shares the # 4 Corvette with Nick Tandy. Matt’s co-driver in the Porsche is Cooper MacNeil.

.
The # 3 Corvette C8.R for Corvette Racing - TOPS in practice

Antonio Garcia

.
.
GTD class - The PEDAL MASHER for the class was Laurens Vanthoor in the # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports with a time of 2:22.076s for a speed of 102.570mph, which eclipsed the GTLM class speeds. Laurens beat out Jeff Westphal in the # 39 Audi R8 LMS GT3 for CarBahn with Peregrine Racing by a huge 2.037 seconds. Third fastest was IndyCar driver JR Hildebrand in the # 42 Audi R8 LMS GT3 for NTE Sport.

Laurens shares the Porsche with Zacharie Robichon while Jeff shares the # 39 Audi with Richard Heistand. JR’s co-driver is Don Yount.

.
The # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports - TOP GT in practice

Laurens Vanthoor

.
.
.
The WeatherTech gang will have another practice in the morning on Saturday and then hold qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Saturday morning at Road America - The Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifies…

.
First thing on track this morning, the MPC gang qualified for this afternoon’s Road America 120, and we have the TOP THREE qualifiers for each class here:

.
Grand Sport class - On the pole will be Dillon Machavern in the # 95 BMW M4 GT4 for Turner Motorsport with a time of 2:16.886s for a speed of 106.459mph. Dillon’s 2nd pole in the last three races was gained at the expense of Patrick Gallagher in the # 23 Notlad by RS1 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 by 0.046 seconds. Starting 3rd will be Ryan Hardwick in the # 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

Patrick shares the Notlad Aston Martin with Stevan McAleer. Ryan Hardwick’s co-driver, IndyCar driver Jan Heylen, was tied for first in points with Machavern and co-driver Bill Auberlen. This pole puts the two Turner Motorsport guys slightly ahead.

.
The # 95 BMW M4 GT4 for Turner Motorsport - On the pole

Dillon Machavern

.
.
.
Touring Car class - On the pole will be IndyCar driver Ryan Norman in the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport with a time of 2:20.093s for a speed of 104.022mph. Ryan bested Chris Miller in the # 17 JDC-Miller Motorsports Audi RS 3 LMS TCR by 0.413 seconds.Third on the grid will be the # 84 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic Type R of Bryan Henderson.

Ryan’s co-driver in the Elantra is Parker Chase while Chris shares the Audi with South African Mikey Taylor and Brian shares the Honda with Robert Noaker.

.
The # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport - on the pole

Ryan Norman

.
.
.
The race is scheduled for this afternoon at 5:35 EASTERN time and can be seen on NBC Sports Gold’s Tack Pass.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Saturday at Road America - The Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 1…

.
…was WON from pole today by Nederlander Kay van Berlo in the # 3 Pro class Porsche for Kelly-Moss Road & Race. Coming in P2 was IndyCar driver Parker Thompson in the # 9 pro class 992 for JDX Racing, from a P3 start while P3 went to Riley Dickinson in the # 53 Pro class car for Team hardpoint EBM from his P5 start.

.

.
.
.
Van Berlo led the field away on the first lap with a nice jump that kept him in front but behind him teammate Seb Priaulx lost the P2 spot to Thompson, with Riley Dickinson following through, after dispatching with P4 starter Leh Keen for 311RS Motorsport. By the time the field got to the Carousel Dylan Murry for BGB Motorsports went off and brought out a full-course caution. Van Berlo managed to get another good start on the return to racing.

On the second half of the race Thompson pressured van Berlo but the series points leader managed to keep the Canadian behind him, with Thompson only 1.8 seconds off at the line. This is Kay’s 4th series WIN in a row and 5th for the season and 2nd-place-in-points Priaulx couldn’t afford to lose positions in the race.

.
.
.
PCCNA will hold Race 2 on Sunday morning.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Saturday at Road America - Lamborghini Super Trofeo hold Race 1 of the weekend…

.
…and taking their first WN of the season were starter Danny Formal and closer Kyle Marcelli in the # 1 Lamborghini Huracan for Wayne Taylor Racing, from pole. P2 went to closer Jeroen Mul and starter Stevan McAleer in the # 16 Lambo for Change Racing from a P6 start while P3 went to starter Steven Aghakhani and closer and IndyCar driver Jake Eidson in the # 6 Lambo for O’Gara Motorsports / USRT from their P5 start.

.

.
Danny Formal (left) and Kyle Marcelli - first WIN

.
.
.
From pole, Formal resisted pressure from Loris Spinelli in the # 51 Lambo for Taurino Racing through the opening 20 minutes, before heading in to the pits early in the mid-race pit window to hand the # 1 Lambo over to Marcelli. When Spinelli finally pitted late in the window his co-driver Claude Senhoreti emerged in P3 behind Jeroen Mul who had taken over the # 16 Change Racing Lamborghini from Stevan McAleer, who had a great opening stint, taking the car fron P6 to P3 before Spinelli pitted. Jake Eidson had a great stint, as well, going from P5 to P3 at the end. Spinelli’s driving partner Senhoreti faded to 12th overall, and fourth in Pro class, by the finish.

.
.
.
Lamborghini Super Trofeo will race again on Sunday with a grid based on the finishing order of today’s race.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Saturday at Road America - The WeatherTech gang practice and qualify…

.
All five clases of the WeatherTech SportsCar Chanmpionship held a final practice today before going out later to qualify for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend. The P-2 practice session was in the dry but later in the day only the GT cars qualified on a dry track, as all the prototypes had to run in everything from a light rain for the LMP3s to a heavier rain at the end, for the DPis and the LMP2s. We have the TOPS in practice for each class and the TOP THREE qualifiers for each class here:

.
DPi class - It was Ricky Taylor in the # 10 Acura ARX-05 for Wayne Taylor Racing that TOPPED the P-2 session, but when it came time to qualify it was Felipe Nasr who recovered from a spin in the # 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi V.R for Action Express to take pole with a best time of 2:07.919s for a speed of 113.921mph. Felipe bested Ricky Taylor by 0.758 seconds. Starting third will be Oliver Jarvis in the # 55 Mazda RT24-P for Mazda Motorsports.

Felipe shares the Caddy with IndyCar guy Pipo Derani while Ricky shares the Acura with Filipe Albuquerque. Oliver’s co-driver is fellow Brit Harry Tincknell.

.
The # 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi V.R for Action Express - on the pole

Felipe Nasr

.
.
LMP2 class - The P-2 session was TOPPED by Mikkel Jensen in the # 52 ORECA 07 Gibson for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports and when it came time to qualify, co-driver Ben Keating found the same speed in the car and took pole under the treacherous conditions with a time of 2:18.511s for a speed of 105.210mph. Ben eclipsed the time of Steven Thomas in the # 11 ORECA for WIN Autosport by 1.430 seconds. Third on the grid will be the # 8 ORECA for Tower Motorsports, thanks to Canadian John Farano.

Steven shares the WIN car with Tristan Nunez while John shares the Tower car with Gabriel Aubry.

.
The # 52 ORECA 07 Gibson for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports - on the pole

Ben Keating

.
.
LMP3 class - TOPPING the P-2 session was IndyCar driver Oliver Askew in the # 36 Ligier JS P320 for Andretti Autosport but in the rain in qualifying it was Dan Goldburg in the # 38 Ligier for Performance Tech Motorsports that took pole with a time of 2:19.106s for a speed of 104.760mph. Dan beat out Gar Robinson in the # 74 Ligier for Riley Motorsports by 0.313 seconds, on the final turn of the final lap. Taking the third spot was Jarett Andretti, the co-driver of Oliver Askew’s car.

Dan shares the Perf Tech car with IndyCar driver Rasmus Lindh while Gar shares the Riley car with Felipe Fraga.

.
The # 38 Ligier JS P320 for Performance Tech Motorsports - on the pole

Dan Goldburg

.
.
GTLM class - It was Matt Campbell who TOPPED the P-2 session in the # 79 Porsche 911 RSR-19 for WeatherTech Racing but it will be Jordan Taylor on the pole in the # 3 Corvette C8.R for Corvette Racing, thanks to a time of 2:20.979s for a speed of 102.729mph. Antonio bested his teammate Nick Tandy in the # 4 Corvette by 0.627 seconds. Matt’s co-driver Cooper MacNeil will start third in the Porsche.

Jordan’s co-driver in the # 3 Corvette is Antonio Garcia while Nick’s co-driver in the # 4 Corvette is Tommy Milner.

.
The # 3 Corvette C8.R for Corvette Racing - on the pole

Jordan Taylor

.
.
GTD class, Grid Position - TOPPING the P-2 session for the class was IndyCar driver Aaron Telitz in the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan and Aaron took that speed into qualifying to take pole in the car with a time of 2:07.195s for a speed of 114.570mph. Aaron beat out Trent Hindman in the # 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Wright Motorsports by a healthy 0.667 seconds. Starting third on the grid will be Robby Foley in the # 96 BMW M6 GT3 for Turner Motorsports.

Aaron’s co-driver is fellow IndyCar driver Jack Hawksworth while Trent’s co-driver is Patrick Long. Robby shares the Bimmer with IMSA ace Bill Auberlen.

.
The # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan - on the pole

Aaron Telitz

.
.
GTD class, points - Taking the fastest lap in the points session was Laurens Vanthoor in the # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports with a time of 2:20.979s for a speed of 103.368mph. Laurens bested Bill Auberlen in the # 96 BMW M6 GT3 for Turner Motorsport by a whopping 0.936 seconds. Third in points was Bryan Sellers in the # 1 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 for Paul Miller Racing.

Laurens shares the Porsche with Canadian Zacharie Robichon while Bill shares the BMW with Robby Foley. Bryan’s co-driver in the Lambo is Madison Snow.

.
The # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports - TOPS in points

Laurens Vanthoor.

.
.
.
The IMSA SportsCar Weekend will air LIVE on NBC Sports Gold’s Track Pass on Sunday, starting at 2:40pm EASTERN time.

The race will be shown in its entirety on NBC-SN starting at 8:00pm EASTERN time on Sunday night.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Saturday evening at Road America - the Michelin Pilot Challenge race…

.
…was WON in the wet by the Turner Motorsport pair of starter Dillon Machavern and closer Bill Auberlen in the # 96 BMW M4 GT4, overall and in GS class, from pole. Coming in P2 in class was Winward Racing’s # 57 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 with starter Bryce Ward and closer Alec Udell, while the sister car, the # 4 Mercedes of starter Russell Ward and closer Indy Dontje claimed P3.

.

.
.
.
Machavern started from pole position and held his place through the opening laps despite pressure from Patrick Gallagher in the Notlad Racing by RS1 Aston Martin Vantage GT4. About 20 minutes in, Gallagher grabbed the lead when Machavern went out of shape exiting the Carousel, but after the first pit cycle it was Indy Dontje in the lead. Then, Ryan Hardwick in the # 16 Porsche suffered a mechanical that caused a yellow and Auberlen easily passed Dontje on the restart, as Dontje and Udell were on a fuel-saving strategy. While they hoped that Auberlen would need a splash near the end of the race, that was not to be.

.
.
.
In TCR class the WINNERs were Roy Block and Tim Lewis in the first-ever victory for the # 5 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR for KMW Motorsports w/ TMR Engineering. Denis Dupont and Rory van der Steur had their best result of the season with the # 19 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Van der Steur Racing in P2, while Parker Chase and IndyCar guy Ryan Norman ended up third.

.

.
Roy Block (left) and Tim Lewis - first WIN

.
.
.
Block started from P4 on the grid but dropped a handful of places, only for the Alfa to take the lead by pitting just before the race’s 2nd full-course caution. Lewis led the restart and the Alfa Romeo driver kept ahead of a charging Parker Chase in the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for around half an hour, until Chase caught and passed Lewis coming out of the Carousel. With about 17 minutes left on the clock, Chase slid off track exiting Turn 2 and fell to P4 with Lewis reclaiming the lead and Denis Dupont and Mark Wilkins in the # 33 Elantra for Bryan Herta following through. Chase would later recover to P3 past Wilkins at the end.

.
.
.
Series points have yet to be awarded for this race. The next race for the Michelin Pilot Challenge series will be at the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship, at Laguna Seca, September 10-12.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Sunday at Road America - Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 2…

.
…will be remembered as the race where someone broke the WIN streak of points-leader Kay van Berlo as Road to Indy ace Parker Thompson brought the # 9 JDX Racing Porsche 992 to P1 from his P2 start. Seb Priaulx came home second in his # 15 Kelly-Moss Road & Race entry from P4, with Leh Keen completing the podium in the # 12 311RS Motorsport Porsche from his P6 start.

.

.
.
.
Thompson claimed his 2nd WIN of the season with a masterful move on the opening lap, as he, van Berlo and Riley Dickinson for Team Hardpoint EBM all fought for the same real estate in Turn 1, going three wide. Van Berlo dropped to P3 as Dickenson eventually slotted in behind Parker. Quickly, two full course cautions happened in a row, with Thompson holding onto the lead at each restart. On the second restart, Van Berlo reclaimed the runner-up position from Dickinson, who was forced off-course in Turn 4, dropping the Texan to P9. The contact between the two cars earned van Berlow a post-race penalty. Thompson meanwhile stretched out his lead and cruised to the WIN. With his penalty van Berlow was eventually relegated to P15.

.
.
.
With these results, here are the TOP FIVE in series points, leaving Road America:

1 - Kay van Berlo, 165
2 - Seb Priaulx, 144
3 - Parker Thompson, 104
4 - Riley Dickinson, 98
5 - Leh Keen, 94

.
.
.
The next outing for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America is at VIRginia International Raceway, October 8-10.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Sunday at Road America - Lamborghini Super Trofeo Race 2…

.
…goes down as the 2nd half of a weekend sweep for starter Kyle Marcelli and closer Danny Formal in the Pro class # 1 Lamborghini Huracan for Wayne Taylor Racing, from pole. P2 went to Road to Indy ace and starter Jake Eidson and closer Steve Aghakhani in the # 9 Pro class Lambo for O’Gara Motorsports / USRT, from their P3 start. Completing the podium was the # 16 Change Racing Lamborghini that was started by Jeroen Mul and finished by Stevan McAleer from their P2 start.

.

Kyle Marcelli (left) and Danny Formal - SWEEP!

.
.
.
On the opening lap Jake Eidson was able to pass Jeroen Mul to take P2 away from him, as Marcelli led away. Eidson then hounded Marcelli for most of the stint. Jake was first in for driver exchange, followed by Marcelli. When Formal took over he established a five-second gap back to Steve Aghakhani, who was getting pressure from Mul’s co-driver, Stevan McAleer. 10 minutes from the end LB Cup points-leader Terry Olson crashed exiting the Kink, triggering a Full Course Caution period that would last through to the checkered flag, ending all hope for a mad-dash finish.

.
.
.
With these results, here are the TOP FIVE in series points, leaving Road America:

1 - Richard Antinucci, 81
2 - Stevan McAleer, 74
3 - Jake Eidson, Steve Aghakhani, 66
4 - Alec Udell, 61
5 - Kyle Marcelli, Danny Formal, 52

.
.
.
The next outing for Lamborghini Super Trofeo will be at Laguna Seca, September 10-12, in support of the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship weekend.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Sunday at Road America - The WeatherTech race…

.
Overall and in DPi class, Felipe Nasr and IndyCar driver Pipo Derani take their 2nd WIN in a row and 2nd WIN in their season, driving the # 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi V.R for Action Express, from pole. Coming home in P2 were Harry Tincknell and Oli Jarvis in the # 55 Mazda RT24-P for Mazda Motorsports, from a P3 start, while P3 went to Renger van der Zande and Kevin Magnussen in the # 01 Cadillac for Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing, from their P4 start.

.

.
.
Dane Cameron, who led the second half of the race in the Meyer Shank Racing # 60 Acura after undercutting the DPi field early, was forced to pit with three-and-a-half minutes to go, handing the WIN to Derani. Rain, which might have saved Cameron, came too late, minutes after the checkered flag fell.

.
.
.
In the LMP2 class the WINNERS were starter Dwight Merriman and closer Ryan Dalziel in the # 18 ORECA 07 Gibson for Era Motorsport, starting from P4 in class. P2 went to Gabriel Aubrey and John Farano in the # 8 ORECA for Tower Motorsports, from a P3 start in class, while the last spot on the podium went to starter Ben Keating and closer Mikkel Jensen in the # 52 ORECA for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports, from their P1 start in class.

.

Ryan Dalziel (left) and Dwight Merriman

.
.
Class pole-sitter Ben Keating led early in the #. 52 ORECA and had a fierce battle with the # 11 WIN Autosport Oreca of Steven Thomas for the lead until Dalziel rose to the top in the second hour, once the pro drivers were in the cars. It was ERA Motorsport’s first WIN since the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona

.
.
In LMP3 class the WINNERS were Jon Bennett and closer Colin Braun in the # 54 Ligier JS P320 for CORE Autosport, from their P4-in-class start. P2 went to IndyCar driver Rasmus Lindh and starter Dan Goldburg in the # 38 Ligier for Performance Tech Motorsports, from their P1 start in class, while P3 went to closer Felipe Fraga and starter Gar Robinson in the # 74 Ligier for Riley Motorsports from their P2-in-class start.

.

Jonathan Bennett (left) and Colin Braun

.
.
Jarett Andretti led early in the # 36 Ligier for Andretti Autosport, battling with points-leader Gar Robinson in the Riley car, but the Andretti car faded in the 2nd half of the race, as did the Riley car, leaving an easy WIN for the CORE car, with the Perf Tech car 22 seconds behind.

.
.
In GTLM class the WINNERS were starter Cooper MacNeil and closer Matt Campbell in the # 79 Porsche 911 RSR-19 for WeatherTech Racing, from their P3-in-class start. P2 went to the # 3 Corvette C8.R for Corvette Racing with Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor from class P1, while Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy took P3 for Corvette Racing from their class P2 start.

.

Cooper MacNeil (left) and Matt Campbell

.
.
It was masterful fuel saving combined with occasional sprinting by closer Matt Campbell that gave the Porsche a WIN over the # 3 Corvette, as the Porsche took their first WIN of the season since their victory at Sebring. The # 4 Corvette was knocked out of contention when Tommy Milner took a penalty for spinning his wheels while up on the jacks in the pits.

.
.
In GTD class the WINNERS were starter Zacharie Robichon and closer Laurens Vanthoor in the # 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R for PFAFF Motorsports, from their class P4 start. P2 went to Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley in the # 96 BMW M6 GT3 for Turner Motorsport, from their class P3 start, while P3 went to starter Trent Hindman and closer Patrick Long in the # 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Wright Motorsports, from a class P2 start.

.

Zacharie Robichon (left) and Laurens Vanthoor

.
.
Zacharie took over the lead of the race after the first caution and the PFAFF Porsche fairly dominated the remainder of the race. Auberlen and Foley were contenders throughout and retook the clas points lead with their podium. With their WIN, Porsches took both GT class WINS, with the Wright Porsche adding to the mark’s luster.

.
.
.
With these results, here are the TOP THREE in points for each class, leaving Road America:

.
DPI class -

1 - Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor - 2380
2 - Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani, 2339
3 - Harry Tincknell, Oliver Jarvis, 2337

.
LPM2 class -

1 - Ben Keating, Mikkel Jensen, 1422
2 - Steven Thomas, Tristan Nunez, 1364
3 - Gabriel Aubrey, John Farano, 1314

.
LMP3 class -

1 - Gar Robinson, 1800
2 - Colin Braun, Jonathan Bennett, 1750
3 - Dylan Murry, Jim Cox, 1594

.
GTLM class -

1 - Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor, 2207
2 - Nick Tandy, Tommy Milner, 1993
3 - Cooper MacNeil, 1984

.
GTD class -

1 - Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley, 1930
2 - Roman De Angelis, Ross Gunn, 1912
3 - laurens Vanthoor, Zacharie Robichon, 1830

.
.
.
The next outings for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series will be the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship at Laguna Seca, September 10-12.

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan will run a third car at Indianapolis, this coming weekend…

.
…but it won’t be for Santino Ferrucci, who has been their frequent 3rd driver, this season. Instead, they will be giving Danish F2 driver Christian Lundgaard a shot in the car. As we reported in post # 1396, Christian was given a test at Barber Motorsports Park on July 26th, along with Indy Lights Champ Oliver Askew, who is a known qualtity with a lot less to prove to the team.

.
Christian Lundgaard

.
.
Said Lundgaard, “I’m super excited to try INDYCAR next week. I’ve been very fortunate so far in my career to drive some incredible race cars, and I’m looking forward to officially adding INDYCAR to that list. In preparation for this race, I tested the car, and it felt pretty awesome, and I’m sure it will feel even better at a race weekend in race conditions alongside all the hugely talented drivers in the field. There’s been a lot of work to make this happen and prepare as best as possible, and I’m feeling ready for the challenge. I’ve actually watched all INDYCAR races this year, so to be given the chance to line up on the grid is amazing.

“There will be a lot to learn in a short space of time, but trying something new excites me. I can’t thank enough Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Alpine, my sponsors and investors for supporting me with this opportunity. It’s a unique chance and I can’t wait to give it my all.”

.
.
.
Lundgaard has already been to Indianapolis for his seat fit. He is particularly lucky that the IMS Road Course will be his baptism of fire in IndyCar, as it is the track that IndyCars run on that is most like the majority of Formula One tracks. Indeed, it was originally designed for the Formula One US Grand Prix.

.
This may be one and done or it may be the first of three races for Christian in the RLL # 45 Honda. Time will tell. GOOD LUCK, and welcome to the party!

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
Do you recognize this place?..

.

Antonio Serravalle

.
.
The car is of course the Pserra Racing Dallara IL-15 of Canadian Indy Lights pilot Antonio Serravalle and the place is World Wide Technology Raceway - aka Gateway.

Antonio Serravalle

.
Nearly all the Lights guys were there testing today and will be testing again on Thursday, but as this is a private test there will be little reporting on it. If we’re lucky enough to get some times, we will bring them to you.

In the mean time, enjoy the delicious noise of Antonio’s AER 2.0 liter turbo going down the front straight. We will all get more of that when the IndyCars come to Gateway at the end of August, supported by both Indy Pro 2000 and the Indy Lights.

.
.
.
We can hardly wait!

.
.
.
M

[MarkyS]

+++

.
New team coming to Indy Lights in 2022…

.
TJ Speed Motorsports is the current team leading the Formula Regional Americas series, with a 4-car assault led by Kyffin Simpson, who also races in Indy Pro 2000 for Juncos Hollinger Racing. Kyffin is atop the FR Americas driver’s standings, as well.

In 2022 TJ Speed will make the leap to Indy Lights for the full season. Team principal Tim Neff acquired the chassis, parts and equipment of Belardi Auto Racing in early 2021, with the intention of going racing this year, but once they had the goods they realized that they needed time to prepare, if they were going to be a credible threat on the track - especially while they were also contesting FR Americas.

.
Tim Neff

.
Said Tim, “The Indy Lights program is growing, and it is the strongest it has been in a while. We were committed to running a four-car effort in FR, and we did not have the resources or time to enter the Road to Indy properly. Now, a few months later and with a lot of items checked off the list, we can confirm that TJ Speed will be on the grid in 2022.”

Neff confirmed he has drivers that will test his Indy Lights machines, but no deals are in place as of yet.

“The goal is to test and get up to the speed of the series’ top contenders. This is not a series that you can just enter and expect to win. It will take a big effort and we are up for the task.”

.
.
.
Don’t be surprised if Cayman Islands native Kyffin Simpson is a top candidate for one of what should be two seats. While leading FR Americas, Simpson already has 3 podiums and 8 TOP TENS in Indy Pro 2000 in 2021.

.
Kyffin Simpson

.
.
.
M