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

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Team USA guys do well at the Heat races of the Walter Hayes Trophy …

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…at Silverstone, as Max Easterson takes pole and then WON his heat race, Heat 1, and fellow Team USA Scholarship WINNER Andre Castro initially took a P3 in the Heat 3. Unfortunately, he was given a five second penalty for exceeding track limits, and ended up P7.

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Max Easterson WINS his heat

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This is Max’s 2nd Heat WIN since going to England to represent the United States. He took a heat at the Formula Ford Festival last week, and then he and Andre took P2 and P3 in the Grand Final. (see post # 1513)

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Andre Castro

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The heats helped to whittle down the 100+ field to a more manageable 48, to be whittled down further in Sunday’s Semi-finals, which hopefully will see the two young New Yorkers pass on to the Walter Hayes Trophy on Sunday afternoon.

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Good luck, boys!!

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[MarkyS]

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BOOM!!!..Max Esterson WINS the 2021 Walter Hayes Trophy!!!

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Team USA Scholarship WINNER Max Esterson WON his Semi-Final on Sunday and followed that up with a WIN from pole in the 2021 Walter Hayes Trophy at Siverstone on Sunday afternoon. Max becomes the 4th American to WIN the Walter Hayes Trophy, following Conor Daly in 2008, Connor De Phillippi in 2009 and Tristan Nunez in 2012.

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Max WINS for the USA

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Max also WON a heat race at the Formula Ford Festival last week and followed that up with a P2 in the Grand Final, so Esterson becomes perhaps the most successful Team USA drivers ever, with three WINS and a P2 at the Festival and the Trophy - amazing!

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Max Esterson and his Low Dempsey team

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Max’s Team USA teammate and fellow New Yorker Andre Castro ran not out of talent but out of luck. Andre started his heat race from P13. He gained a few spots from there and on the 2nd lap was then punted from behind, popping him in the air and dropping him to the rear of the field, but Castro fought back impressively to finish seventh in the 20-strong grid and ensure a starting position within the top half of the field for the all-important Grand Final.

Unfortunately, Andre’s race ended two laps into the Grand Final with a mechanical - far from the wonderful weekend he had at Brands Hatch, where he came home P3 at the Formula Ford Festival, on the podium with Max.

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Andre Castro

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Both guys did splendidly over the last few weeks and are even more impressive when one factors in the competition - the best F1600 drivers in the world. Congrats for doing such a historic job and PROUD of YOU BOTH!!

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[MarkyS]

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Matthew Brabham WINS his first-ever Trans Am race at Circuit of the Americas…

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…In a last-lap pass for the lead over Ernie Francis, Jr. On Sunday at COTA, the 27-year-old Australian / American Road to Indy ace filled in for for Chris Dyson in the # 20 ATWELL CBD Ford Mustang, who sat out the finale due to family matters.

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Matty Brabs in P1 with Ernie Francis to his right in P2 and Tomy Drissi on his left in P3:

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Francis, Jr started the race from pole and looked like he was going to get away but after four laps Brabham was on his tail and remained there for the rest of the race. Brabham was resigned to a P2 finish, but within sight of the finish line Ernie developed an oil pressure problem that slowed him just enough for Matty to get inside and past him, fifty feet from the finish line. Also making a last lap pass was Tomy Drissi in the # 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro, to take P3.

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Ernie Francis being stalked by Matthew Brabham - all race long

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Both Brabham and Francis, Jr. were effusive in their praise of each other and for the fun of the contest. Making it even better for Matty was the fact that it was his 2nd WIN of the day, as he also WON the SVRA Formula B group contest earlier in the day driving a 1971 Brabham BT35.
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The fun thing is both Matty and Ernie may end up battling each other again in 2022, as both are angling for Indy Lights rides, and both were at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test, last week - Matt driving for Andretti Autosport and Ernie driving for HMD Motorsports, with an aim for driving for Force Indy in 2022.

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[MarkyS]

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It’s time for the Petit Le Mans!..

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It’s the last and often title-deciding race of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season and also the last of four Michelin Endurance Cup races within the season - perhaps the most popular one. The venue for the ten-hour event is Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the racing jewel of the South.

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One of our favorite tracks, Road Atlanta has big, big elevation changes over its 12 turns, and lots of straight-away connecting them. It’s well-lit in some areas and very dark in others, making it quite a challenge when the sun goes down, as it will do at the end of the race. Making that tougher is the multi-class racing of IMSA’s premiere racing series, with no less than FIVE different classes on the track at the same time, creating moving chicanes that change with every lap.

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The Petit Le Mans weekend will also feature the last race of the season for the Michelin Pilot Challenge series, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America series and the IMSA Prototype Challenge series and the beauty is there will be TONS of IndyCar and Road to Indy drivers in all four series - many former pilots and also a lot of current pilots - free to drive with the IndyCar and Road to Indy seasons already over.

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Let’s see who they are, starting with the DPi class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series:

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DPi class - 6-time IndyCar Champion Scott Dixon is the “add” for the # 01 Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi V.R driven by Kevin Magnussen and Renger van der Zande. Kevin and Renger WON last at Detroit.

Scott Dixon

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4-time IndyCar Champion Sebastien Bourdais is the add for the # 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi V.R for JDC-Miller Motorsports, driven by Loic Duval and former Indy Lights Champion Tristan Vautier. This is the same all-French squad that WON the Sebring 12 Hour, this season.

Sebastien Bourdais (left) and Tristan Vautier

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Indy 500 WINNER Alexander Rossi is the add in the # 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 for Wayne Taylor Racing, co-driven by current points-leaders Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor. This same squad - with the help of IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves - WON the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the start of the season. Felipe and Ricky also WON at Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca.

Alexander Rossi

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English IndyCar race WINNER Mike Conway is the add in the # 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi V.R for Action Express, driven by Felipe Nasr and Indy Pro 2000 alum Pipo Derani. Felipe and Pipo WON at both Road America and Watkins Glen this year and are 2nd in points, only 98 points back - it’s on!

Mike Conway (left) and Pipo Derani

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The trio of Kamui Kobayashi and IndyCar drivers Jimmie Johnson and Simon Pagenaud have competed in all three previous Michelin Endurance Cup races this season in the # 48 Ally Cadillac DPi V.R for Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing and will close out their Endurance Cup challenge with the Petit Le Mans. Thier best finish was their stunning P2 at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Jimmie Johnson (left) and Simon Pagenaud

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Indy 500 WINNERS Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya will replace Olivier Pla in the # 60 Acura ARX-05 for Meyer Shank Racing, driven by Dane Cameron. Helio and Juan Pablo were both Champions in the Acura when they drove for years with Acura Team Penske and will be a huge asset to the team.

Helio Castroneves (left) and Juan Pablo Montoya

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LMP2 class - Indy Lights driver James French is the IndyCar guy in this class and is the add for Gabriel Aubrey and John Farano in the Tower Motorsports # 8 ORECA 07 Gibson. Gabriel and John are 3rd in the points.

James French

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LMP3 class - Indy Lights Champion Spencer Pigot is the add in the # 30 Ligier JS P320 for Jr III Racing, driven by Ari Balogh and Indy Lights driver Garett Grist. Ari and Garett are coming off a P3 gotten in spectacular fashion in the Prototype Challenge race at VIRginia International Raceway.

Spencer Pigot (left) and Garett Grist

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Indy Lights Champion Oliver Askew is a co-driver with Pirelli GT4 Champion Jarett Andretti in the # 36 Ligier JS P320 for Andretti Autosport. Their add for the Petit Le Mans is Australian Josh Burdon.

Oliver Askew

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Road to Indy ace and Indy Lights driver Rasmus Lindh is a co-driver in the # 38 Ligier JS P320 for Performance Tech Motorsports, along with Dan Goldburg. Their add for the Petit Le Mans is 18-year-old Dane Malthe Jakobsen. Rasmus is coming off a spectacular WIN in a Perf Tech LMP3 in the Prototype Challenge race at VIRginia International Raceway.

Rasmus Lindh

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Road to Indy Alum Max Hanratty will pilot the # 40 Duqueine D08 for Fast MD Racing with co-drivers Todd Archer and James Vance. \

Max Hanratty

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GTLM class - The only IndyCar guy in the class is a Road to Indy ace, Connor De Phillippi, who will drive the # 25 BMW M8 GTE for BMW Team RLL. His co-drivers are Bruno Spengler and Pillipp Eng.

Connor De Phillippi

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GTD class - The # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan is driven by IndyCar driver Zach Veach and Frankie Montecalvo. Indy Lights driver Robert Megennis has been their add for the other three Michelin Endurance Cup races, and he returns to the squad for the Petit Le Mans.

Zach Veach (left) and Rob Megennis

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The # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan has a unique squad, with co-drivers Jack Hawksworth and Aaron Telitz both being former Indy Pro 2000 Champions. Their add for the Petit Le Mans is 2021 Indy Lights Champ Kyle Kirkwood - himself another Indy Pro 2000 Champ!

Jack Hawksworth (left), Aaron Telitz and Kyle Kirkwood (right)

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Former Champ Car driver Jan Heylen is the 2021 GT World Challenge America Champion and is angling for the 2021 Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class title, this weekend. For the WeatherTech series Jan is the add for the # 16 Porsche GT3 R for Wright Motorsports, driven by Patrick Long and Trent Hindman. Jan is a busy guy, in demand.

Jan Heylen

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Former Champ Car driver Katherine Legge is a regular in the # 88 Porsche GT3 R for Team hardpoint with co-driver Rob Ferriol. For the Petit they will add Andrew Davis.

Katherine Legge

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(continued)…

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[MarkyS]

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It’s time for the Petit Le Mans!..(part 2)…

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• The Michelin Pilot Challenge series will close their season at Road Atlanta, as well, and a number of IndyCar guys will make a difference. Let’s start with the GS class:

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Grand Sport class - IndyCar driver Spencer Pigot is a regular in the series, driving the # 3 McLaren 570S GT4 for Motorsports in Action, with Sheena Monk sharing the car. Spencer is also driving an LMP3 car this weekend in the WeatherTech series.

Spencer Pigot

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Former Champ Car pilot Jan Heylen drives the # 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport for Wright Motorsports with co-driver Ryan Hardwick. Jan is currently 2nd in the points, with WINS at Laguna Seca and Virginia, and P2s at Sebring, Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen. This weekend will crown the Champion. Jan is also pulling double duty, helping out the Wright Motorsports GTD class guys in the Petit Le Mans.

Jan Heylen

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Road to Indy Shootout finalist Trenton Estep co-drives the # 18 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 with Mark Kvamme for CB Motorsports.

Trenton Estep

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USF2000 driver - and soon-to-be Indy Pro 2000 driver - Nolan Siegel is competing in the # 93 Audi R8 GT4 for CarBahn with Peregrine Racing with Tyler McQuarrie. Nolan was the youngest entrant in the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona last January, at just 16 years old, driving the same Audi.

Nolan Siegel

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Touring Car class - Former Indy Pro 2000 driver and paraplegic Michael Johnson drives a Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Michael Johnson Racing, using hand controls. The car, co-driven by Stephen Simpson, is prepared by Bryan Herta Autosport. Mike and Stephen are coming off a spectacular P2 finish at VIRginia.

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Indy Lights race WINNER and 2020 TCR class Champion Ryan Norman drives the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport with co-driver Parker Chase. These guys WON at Mid-Ohio and Parker is currently 2nd in the points.

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• The IMSA Prototype Challenge series uses the same LMP3 class cars as the WeatherTech series and there is a lot of cross-racing, as a result. Drivers from both series will be pulling double duty this weekend, and that includes a few of the IndyCar guys:

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P3-1 class - Indy Lights driver and Road to Indy ace Rasmus Lindh will drive the # 6 Ligier JS P320 for Performance Tech Motorsports with co-driver Dan Goldburg. These guys are coming off a thrilling WIN at VIRginia and Ras and Dan are 3rd in the tight points race.

Rasmus Lindh

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Jake Eidson is one of the best Road to Indy aces and a Lamborghini Super Trofeo Champion. He will drive the # 17 Ligier for O’Gara Motorsports / US RaceTronics with co-driver Brian Thienes.

Jake Eidson

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Canadian Indy Lights driver Garett Grist put in a great drive all the way from the rear of the field to come home P3 at VIRginia, last month. He and co-driver Ari Balogh will drive the # 33 Ligier for Jr III Racing.

Garett Grist

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Indy Pro 2000 driver and Radical Cup Champion Antoine Comeau will drive the # 34 Duqueine D08 for Conquest Racing / JMF Motorsports with co-driver and Team USA Scholarship WINNER Colin Mullan.

Antoine Comeau

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Road to Indy ace Dakota Dickerson will drive the # 54 Ligier for MLT Motorsports with co-driver Josh Sarchet. Dakota and Josh are leading the points, with 5 podiums in five races, including a WIN at Watkins Glen.

Dakota Dickerson

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Road to Indy Shootout entrant Courtney Crone drives the # 74 Duqueine D08 for Forty 7 Motorsports with co-driver Jason Rabe.

Courtney Crone

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• The Porsche Carrera Cup North America series only has two Road to Indy guys but both are great drivers:

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Road to Indy ace Parker Thompson drives the # 9 Porsche 992 Cup car for JDX Racing. Parker sits 3rd in the points coming to Road Atlanta with WINS at Road America and Indianapolis and is coming off a great P3 at VIRginia.

Parker Thompson

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TJ Fischer is another Road to Indy veteran, driving the # 58 Porsche 992 for Topp Racing. TJ has two podiums on the season and wants more to finish out on.

TJ Fischer

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Wednesday is the first day of practice for the weekend for Porsche Carrera Cup, IMSA Prototype Challenge and Michelin Pilot Challenge. Let’s GO!!!

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[MarkyS]

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Wednesday at Road Atlanta - Porsche Carrera Cup holds practice and qualifying…

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…The Porsche Carrera guys held two practice sessions today, followed by qualifying for their first of three races, this weekend. We have the TOP THREE qualifiers here:

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The TOP DAWG for the day of practice was Pro-class driver and points-leader Seb Priaulx in the # 15 for Kelly-Moss Road & Race and the Englishman translated that speed into a pole for Race 1, with a time of 1:20.678s for a speed of 113.339mph. Seb bested his K-M teammate Kay van Berlo in the # 3 Porsche by 0.162 seconds. Starting third will be IndyCar driver Parker Thompson in the # 9 Porsche for JDX Racing. This is Sebastian’s 10th pole in 14 races.

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Seb Priaulx and the # 15 for Kelly-Moss Road & Race - Pole for Race 1

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Race 1 for Porsche Carrera Cup NA will come off about Noon on Thursday. Next up, IMSA Prototype Challenge gang holds practice…

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[MarkyS]

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Wednesday at Road Atlanta - IMSA Prototype Challenge holds two practices…

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The LMP3s of Prototype Challenge held two practice sessions today but the 1st session was the fastest, and we have the TOP THREE performers here:

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The HOT SHOE in the practice session was IndyCar driver and points-leader Dakota Dickerson in the # 54 Ligier JS P320 for MLT Motorsports with a time of 1:16.140s for a speed of 120.094mph. Dakota bested Indy Lights driver Rasmus Lindh in the # 6 Ligier for Performance Tech Motorsports by a TEENSY 0.018 seconds. Third fastest was young Ugo de Wilde in the Muehlner Motorsports America # 21 Duqueine D08.

Dakota’s co-driver in the MLT car is Josh Sarchet while Rasmus shares the # 6 Ligier with Dan Goldburg. Ugo’s co-driver is Moritz Kranz.

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The # 54 Ligier JS P320 for MLT Motorsports - TOPS in practice

Dakota Dickerson

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The IMSA Prototype Challenge guys will be first on track on Thursday morning to qualify for their Friday morning finale, Season Round 6. Next up, the Michelin Pilot Challenge gang hold their first practice of the weekend…

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[MarkyS]

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Wednesday at Road Atlanta - The Michelin Pilot Challenge holds their P-1 practice…

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Both classes of the MPC series held their first practice session of the weekend and we have the TOP THREE for each class, here:

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GS class - The RABBIT for the class was IndyCar driver Jan Heylen in the # 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport for Wright Motorsports with a time of 1:26.307s for a speed of 105.947mph. Jan beat out Bill Auberlen in the # 95 BMW M4 GT4 for Turner Motorsport by 0.231 seconds. Third fastest was Trent Hindman in the # 7 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for VOLT Racing with Archangel.

Jan’s co-driver in the Porsche is Ryan Hardwick while Bill’s co-driver in the Bimmer is Dillon Machavern. Trent shares the Aston with Alan Brynjolfsson.

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The # 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport for Wright Motorsports - TOPS in the P-1 practice

Jan Heylen

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TCR class - The TOP DAWG in practice today was Mark Wilkins in the # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport with a time of 1:28.201s for a speed of 103.672mph. Mark bested Tyler Gonzalez in the # 27 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Copeland Motorsports by 0.315 seconds. Third fastest was Mikey Taylor in the # 17 Audi RS3 LMS SEQ for Unitronic JDC-Miller MotorSports.

Mark shares the Elantra with Harry Gottsacker while Tyler shares the Veloster with Tyler Maxson. Mikey’s co-driver in the Audi is Chris Miller.

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The # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport - TOPS in the P-1

Mark Wilkins

The Michelin Pilot Challenge gang will hold a second practice in the morning and then qualify for the Fox Factory 120 in the afternoon.

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[MarkyS]

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Kyle Kirkwood finds a season long ride in the IndyCars at AJ Foyt Enterprises…

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…in the Rockit sponsored # 14 Chevrolet that was driven by Sebastien Bourdais in 2021. Kyle becomes the 2nd Indy Lights guy to get a ride in the big cars for 2022, following the announcement of Devlin DeFrancesco earlier in the week, heading to Andretti Autosport.

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2021 Indy Lights Champion Kyle Kirkwood - driving for Foyt in 2022.

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Said the 23-year-old, “Considering I have 19 years of experience driving, and it’s all led to this moment to becoming a full-time IndyCar driver — it’s truly a dream come true. It’s incredible seeing the completely unexpected path I took in previous years blossom into something I’ve always hoped for as a kid in karting.”

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Said Larry Foyt, “We are thrilled to welcome Kyle to the team. Obviously, he has been very successful on his climb through the Road to Indy championships, and his record speaks for itself. This deal came together rather quickly, but I’ve already been impressed with how Kyle thinks about racing and the maturity he seems to have for such a young driver. The NTT IndyCar Series is as competitive as ever, and the challenges are great, but we feel Kyle will be a great asset as we take on those challenges and work to grow as a team.”

Larry Foyt

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We’re thrilled to see that Kirkwood, with only his 1.3 million dollar scholarship in hand for WINNING the Indy Lights title, was able to find a full-time ride for the 2022 season. It will take a very talented driver to make the # 14 a WINNER again and Kirkwood is a very talented driver, but he has a daunting task ahead. His teammate will be Dalton Kellett in a return to the team.

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[MarkyS]

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Thursday at Road Atlanta - IMSA Prototype Challenge qualifies for their race…

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The series finale is Season Round 6, to be run on Friday, when champions will be crowned. Today the series qualified and we have the TOP THREE qualifiers here:

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P3-1 class - On the pole will be Moritz Kranz in the # 21 Duqueine D08 for Muehlner Motorsports America with a time of 1:16.312s for a speed of 119.823mph. Moritz bested points-leader Josh Sarchet in the # 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320 by 0.108 seconds. Starting third will be IndyCar driver Antoine Comeau in the # 34 Duqueine D08 for Conquest Racing / JMF Motorsports. This is Moritz’ 6th pole in 6 races!

Moritz shares the # 21 Duqueine with Ugo de Wilde while Josh shares the # 54 Ligier with IndyCar driver and fellow points-leader Dakota Dickerson. Antoine’s co-driver is Team USA Scholarship WINNER Colin Mullan.

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The # 21 Duqueine D08 for Muehlner Motorsports America - on the pole

Moritz Kranz - 6 for 6 poles

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Third in points Dan Goldburg and IndyCar driver Rasmus Lindh in the # 6 Ligier for Performance Tech had a mechanical that kept them from qualifying and will have to fight from the back of the pack. It should be very interesting to see what they can do.

Rasmus Lindh (left) and Dan Goldburg

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The race will be the first thing on Friday morning.

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[MarkyS]

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Thursday at Road Atlanta - Michelin Pilot Challenge hold practice and qualifying…

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…for the Fox Factory 120, to be held on Friday. We have the TOP THREE qualifiers in each class here:

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Grand Sport class - IndyCar driver Jan Heylen TOPPED the 2nd practice, just as he had done the first, in the # 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, but when it came time to qualify it was Kyle Marcelli in the # 59 Ford Mustang GT4 for KohR Motorsports that took pole with a time of 1:25.922s for a speed of 106.421mph. Kyle bested Kenny Murillo in the # 56 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 for Murillo Racing by 0.234 seconds. Starting third will be 16-year-old USF2000 driver Nolan Siegel in the # 93 Audi R8 GT4 for CarBahn with Peregrine Racing.

Kyle’s co-driver in the Mustang is Dean Martin while Kenny’s co-driver in the Mercedes is Eric Foss. Nolan shares the Audi with Tyler McQuarrie.

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The # 59 Ford Mustang GT4 for KohR Motorsports and Kyle Marcelli - on the pole

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Touring Car Class - Chris Miller TOPPED the P-2 practice session in the # 17 Audi RS3 LMS SEQ for Unitronic JDC Miller Motorsports, but it was IndyCar driver and 2020 TCR class Champ Ryan Norman who took pole in the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport with a time of 1:28.014s for a speed of 103.892mph. Ryan beat out teammate Harry Gottsacker in the # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR by 0.446 seconds. Starting third will be Tyler Gonzales in the # 27 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Copeland Motorsports.

Ryan’s co-driver in the # 98 Elantra is Parker Chase while Harry’s co-driver in the # 33 Elantra is Mark Wilkins. Tyler shares the Veloster with Tyler Maxson.

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The # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport with Parker Chase & Ryan Norman (right) - on the pole

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The Fox Factory 120 is scheduled for a start just after 1:00PM ON Friday.

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Thursday at Road Atlanta - The WeatherTech gang hold practices…

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The five classes of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship held two practice session for the Petit Le Mans in the daylight today and just finished night practice. We have the TOP THREE for each class of the three sessions:

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DPi class - TOPS in class was Harry Tincknell in the # 55 Mazda RT24-P for Mazda Motorsports with a P-2 session time of 1:09.356 seconds for a speed of 131.841mph. Harry bested Felipe Nasr’s P-2 session time in the # 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi V.R for Action Express by 0.044 seconds. Third fastest on the day was IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais in the # 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi V.R for JDC-Miller Motorsports with his P-2 session time.

Harry’s co-drivers in the Mazda are Oliver Jarvis and Jonathan Bomarito while Felipe’s co-drivers are IndyCar drivers Pipo Derani and Mike Conway. Sebatien shares the Mustang Sampling Caddy with Loic Duval and IndyCar driver Tristan Vautier.

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

Harry Tincknell

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LMP2 class - TOPS in class was Mikkel Jensen in the # 52 ORECA 07 Gibson for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports In the nighttime session with a time of 1:11.718s for a speed of 127.728mph. Mikkel bested Gabriel Aubrey’s P-1 session time in the # 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA 07 Gibson by 0.129 seconds. Third fastest was Wayne Boyd in the # 22 United Autosports ORECA 07 Gibson with his P-1 session time.

Mikkel shares the # 52 ORECA with Ben Keating and Scott Huffaker while Gabriel shares his ORECA with John Farano and IndyCar driver James French. Wayne’s co-drivers are James McGuire and Guy Smith.

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

Mikkel Jensen

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LMP3 class - TOPS in practice was Colin Braun in the # 54 Ligier JS P320 for CORE Autosport with his P-1 session time of 1:15.916s for a speed of 120.448mph. Colin beat out IndyCar driver Spencer Pigot in the # 30 Ligier for Jr III Racing by 0.058 seconds. Third fastest was Felipe Fraga in the # 74 Ligier for Riley Motorsports with his own P-1 session time.

Colin shares the # 54 with Jonathan Bennett and George Kurtz while Spencer shares the # 30 with Ari Balogh and Indy Lights driver Garett Grist. Felipe’s co-drivers are Scott Andrews and points-leader Gar Robinson.

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The # 54 Ligier JS P320 for CORE Autosport - TOPS in practice

Colin Braun

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GTLM class - TOPS in practice was Freddie Makowiecki in the # 97 Porsche 911 RSR-19 for WeatherTech Racing with his P-1 session time of 1:16.726s for a speed of 119.177mph. Freddie bested the P-1 session time of teammate Mathieu Jaminet in the # 79 Porsche 911 RSR-19 by 0.158 seconds. Third fastest was Nick Tandy in the # 4 Corvette C8.R for Corvette Racing with his P-2 session time.

Freddie shares the # 97 Porsche with Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen while Mathieu shares the # 79 Porsche with Cooper MacNeil and Matt Campbell. Nick’s co-drivers are Tommy Milner and Alexander Sims.

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The # 97 Porsche 911 RSR-19 for WeatherTech Racing - TOPS in practice

Freddie Makowiecki

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GTD class - TOPS in practice was Bill Auberlen in the # 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 for Turner motorsport with a P-1 session time of 1:19.197s for a speed of 115.458mph. Bill topped Frederik Schandorff’s P-1 session time in the # 70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 by 0.169 seconds. Third fastest was the P-1 session time of IndyCar driver Jack Hawksworth in the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan.

Bill’s co-drivers in the Bimmer are Robby Foley and Aidan Read while Frederik’s co-drivers in the Mac are Brendan Iribe and Ben Barnicoat. Jack shares the Lexus with fellow IndyCar drivers Aaron Telitz and Kyle Kirkwood.

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The # 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 for Turner Motorsport - TOPS in practice

Bill Auberlen

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The WeatherTech gang will qualify for the Petit Le Mans on Friday afternoon.

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Thursday at Road Atlanta - Porsche Carrera Cup NA races…Twice!..

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In the first of three races for Porsche Carrera Cup North America Sebastien Priaulx for Kelly-Moss Road & Race scored his 5th WIN of the season and with it, took the season crown. P2 went to teammate and title rival Kay van Berlo while P3 went to IndyCar driver Parker Thompson for JDX Racing.

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Priaulx led for pole and was never challenged for the lead. On the opening lap Parker Thompson passed Kay van Berlo for P2 but the Nederlander was having none of it in his quest to rob Priaulx of the title, and he managed to retake P2 from the Canadian with ten minutes to go. However, shortly after that the race’s 2nd full course caution occurred with separate incidents on the track at the same time, eating up whatever time van Berlo had to go after the English leader.

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In Race 2 Priaulx again started from pole with van Berlo in P2. At the start Seb and Kay cleared the rest of the pack, led by 3rd place Parker Thompson. By the time the pair hit the middle of the race van Berlo made his move and passed Priaulx on the outside in Turn 1. He then stayed just ahead of his Kelly-Moss teammate for the rest of the race, with Thompson again taking P3.

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2021 Champion Seb Priaulx (left), Kay van Berlo and Parker Thompson (right)

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The final race of the season will happen before Noon on Friday.

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Announced Thursday - Hunter McElrea is heading to Andretti Autosport in 2022…

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The American-born New Zealander has spent his entire Road to Indy career, following his WINNING the last great Road to Indy Shootout, at Pabst Racing - known in the paddock as “the Speed Boys.” And Hunter was one of the speediest of them, with no less than 8 WINS and 25 podiums since 2019. But Pabst doesn’t race in the Indy Lights and Hunter had to find a new team. He and Andretti Autosport came to an understanding after his spectacular showing at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test, last month, and in 2022 McElrea will join Andretti, to drive the # 27 IL-15 Lights car.

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Hunter McElrea

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It is abundantly clear to Hunter that he is now on the same Indy Lights team that gave us Oliver Askew, Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward and Kyle Kirkwood, and he is pinching himself.

Said Hunter, “It is a dream come true for me to join a team like Andretti Autosport. After my first days in an Indy Lights car and working with the team, it’s clear to me why they are one of the world’s most successful race teams. I cannot thank my sponsors, backers, and investors enough for making this possible for me. And of course, everyone at Andretti Autosport for welcoming me. This is the biggest opportunity I have ever gotten in my racing career to date, and I plan on making the most of it!”

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McElrea will team with Sting Ray Robb who was already CONFIRMED for the team, following the CGMT. Others may yet get on board. Stay tuned!

Sting Ray Robb

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Friday at Road Atlanta - IMSA Prototype Challenge closes out their season…

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…and crowns Josh Sarchet and IndyCar driver Dakota Dickerson as their Champions for 2021. The WINNERS of Season Round 6 from pole to finish were starter Moritz Kranz and close Ugo de Wilde in the # 21 Muehlner Motorsports Duqueine D08 Nissan. P2 went to the # 7 Ligier JS P320 for VOLT Racing with Archangel, driven by starter Alan Brynjolfsson and closer Trent Hindman while P3 went to starter Terry Olsen and closer Mike Skeen in the # 3 Ligier for Jr III Racing.

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The Muehlner Motorsports Duqueine D08 - 3rd WIN of the season

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Moritz Kranz (left) and Ugo de Wilde - WINNERS!

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Moritz Kranz led the field away from his 6th pole in 6 starts and controlled the race from the start, building a 22-second cushion until a mid-race caution erased it. At the pit stop, de Wilde took over and led all the way through, WINNING by over 3 seconds. The real drama of the race was to see where Josh Sarchet and Dakota Dickerson finished, as they needed to finish 5th or better to take the title over Kranz.

It looked like an easy task as Sarchet handed the car over to Dickerson in 3rd place but a late-race caution had the field bunched up on the restart and Dakota was tapped from behind by Rasmus Lindh in the # 6 Performance Tech car, spinning him off track to rejoin in P7. From then on he scrambled to get the car to P5. He quickly moved into P6 but then found himself behind Indy Lights driver Garett Grist in the # 30 Ligier for Jr III Racing, and Grist was on fire, posting Fastest Lap of the race. He was not going to be passed easily. But suddenly, with less than three minutes remaining, Grist pulled aside to let Dickerson into P5 and hand the championship to a fellow Ligier team, rather than let the Duqueine boys take the title.

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2021 IMSA Prototype Challenge Champions Josh Sarchet…

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…and Dakota Dickerson

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A big CONGRATS to Josh and Dakota for their brand new title! This is Josh Sarchet’s first major motorsports title, but for IndyCar driver Dakota Dickerson, this is the 24-year-old Japanese American’s 3rd motorsports title, following titles in both F4 and F3 Americas.

Way to go, Dakota. PROUD of YOU!!

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Friday at Road Atlanta - Porsche Carrera Cup NA closes out their season…

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…with their 3rd race of the weekend, and the WINNER, to put a cap on his Championship, was Sebastian Priaulx for Kelly-Moss Road & Race in the # 15 Porsche 992 Cup car… P3 went to teammate Kay van Berlo from his P2 start while P3 went to Riley Dickinson in the # 53 Porsche for Team Hardpoint.

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Seb Priaulx takes his 6th WIN of the year

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Seb Priaulx - The 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Champion

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Seb started Race 3 from pole and controlled the opening half despite Kay keeping within three seconds of the English leader. Twice, the field was bunched up by cautions but twice Priaulx was able to keep van Berlo behind him. Late in the race Riley Dickinson was able to sneak past IndyCar driver Parker Thompson in the JDX Racing Porsche to take the final podium spot. Priaulx crossed the line less than a second ahead of van Berlo.

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Our CONGRATS to the splendid season put in by both van Berlo and Priaulx for K-M R & R and for the inaugural title in Porsche Carrera Cup North America for Sebastian.

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Friday at Road Atlanta - Michelin Pilot Challenge closes out their season…

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…with the Fox Factory 120 and taking the WIN overall and in GS class and the series title with it was IndyCar driver Jan Heylen with co-driver and starter Ryan Hardwick in the # 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport for Wright Motorsports, from their P4 start. P2 went to starter Anton Dias Perera and closer Scott Andrews in the # 21 Toyota Supra GT4 for Riley Motorsports while P3 went to starter Hugh Plumb and closer Matt Plumb in the # 46 Camaro GT4.R for TeamTGM.

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Jan Heylen (left), John Wright and Ryan Hardwick - a WIN and a title for Jan

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The race started with Bill Auberlen and Dillon Machavern leading the points and starting from P7 in the # 95 BMW M4 GT4 for Turner Motorsport with Jan Heylen 2nd in the points and starting P4. Heylen needed to beat the Turner boys to be champion. But by half way, Auberlen was battling for the lead with Murillo Racing’s Eric Foss in the # 56 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4, which had started from P2, thanks to Kenny Murillo.

Foss and Auberlen came together with 27 minutes of the two-hour race remaining, clashing in Turns 10a and 10b, resulting in both cars going into the gravel. Foss pitted and was abole to rejoin but Auberlen was out of the race. That left Heylen, who was in P3 when the leaders took each other out, in the lead and already the Champion. All he had to do was keep a hard-charging Scott Andrews behind him to also WIN the race. Jan crossed the line just 0.162 seconds ahead of Andrews.

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In TCR class the WINNERS were Tim Lewis and starter Roy Block in the # 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR from their P8 start. P2 went to Ryan Eversley and starter Tyler Stone in the # 94 Honda Civic FK7 TCR for Atlanta Speedwerks while P3 went to Tyler Maxson and starter Tyler Gonzales in the # 27 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Copeland Motorsports.

Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis sealed the championship simply by taking the start of the race in the # 77 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport. They came home P5 from their P12 start.

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The # 5 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR for KMW Motorsports w/ TMR Engineering - WINNERS!

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Tim Lewis (left) and Roy Block for the race WIN…

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…and Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis take the Touring Class Title

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A big congrats to Taylor and Michael for their title. Taylor is the first woman to take an MPC title.

And a HUGE congrats to IndyCar driver Jan Heylen for his title. This is the 2nd major motorsports title within the month for Heylen, who was also crowned as the 2021 GT World Challenge America Pro-Am Cup Champion.

PROUD OF YOU!!!

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Friday at Road Atlanta - The WeatherTech gang hold qualifying for the Petit Le Mans…

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All five classes are qualified for Saturday’s 10-hour season finale of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. We have the TOP THREE qualifiers of each class:

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DPi class - Felipe Nasr took pole for the Petit Le Mans in the # 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi V.R for Action express with a time of 1:08.678s for a speed of 133.142mph. He bested Harry Tincknell in the # 55 Mazda RT24-P for Mazda Motorsports by a TEENSY 0.015 seconds. Starting 3rd on the grid will be IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais in the # 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi V.R for JDC-Miller Motorsports.

Felipe’s co-drivers in the Whelen Caddy are IndyCar drivers Pipo Derani and Mike Conway while Harry’s co-drivers in the Mazda are Oliver Jarvis and Jon Bomarito. Sebastien shares the JDC-Miller Caddy with Loic Duval and fellow IndyCar driver Tristan Vautier.

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

Felipe Nasr

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LMP2 class - On the pole will be Ben Keating in the # 52 ORECA 07 Gibson for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports with a time of 1:12.229s for a speed of 126.597mph. Ben took it to Steven Thomas in the # 11 WIN Autosport ORECA 07 Gibson by 0.354 seconds. Starting third will be Dwight Merriman in the # 18 Era Motorsport ORECA 07 Gibson.

Ben’s co-drivers in the PR1 ORECA are Mikkel Jensen and Scott Huffaker while Steven’s co-drivers are Tristan Nunez and Thomas Merrill. Dwight shares the # 18 ORECA with Kyle Tilley and Ryan Dalziel.

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

Ben Keating

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LMP3 class - The pole was taken by Niklas Kruetten in the # 2 Ligier JS P320 for United Autosports USA with a time of 1:15.664s for a speed of 120.849mph. Niklas got the better of Indy Lights driver Rasmus Lindh in the # 38 Ligier for Performance Tech Motorsports by 0.086 seconds. Starting third will be Jarett Andretti in the # 36 Ligier for Andretti Autosport.

Niklas shares the # 2 Ligier with Andrew Meyrick and Tom Gamble while Rasmus shares the # 38 with Dan Goldburg and Malthe Jakobsen. Jarett’s co-drivers are Josh Burdon and IndyCar driver Oliver Askew.

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The # 2 Ligier JS P320 for United Autosports USA - on the pole

Niklas Kruetten

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GTLM class - On the pole for the final GTLM class race ever will be Jesse Krohn in the # 24 BMW M8 GTE for BMW Team RLL with a time of 1:15.226s for a speed of 121.553mph. Jesse bested Matt Campbell in the # 79 Porsche 911 RSR-19 for WeatherTech Racing by 0.512 seconds. Starting third will be Antonio Garcia in the # 3 Corvette C8.R for Corvette Racing.

Jesse’s co-drivers in the Bimmer will be John Edwards and Augusto Farfus while Matt’s co-drivers in the Porsche will be Cooper MacNeil and Mathieu Jaminet. Antonio shares the Corvette with Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg.

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The # 24 BMW M8 GTE for BMW Team RLL - on the pole

Jesse Krohn

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GTD class, position - Taking pole for the race was Madison Snow in the # 1 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 for Paul Miller Racing with a time of 1:19.272s for a speed of 115.349mph. Madison bested Benja Hites in the # 42 Audi R8 LMS GT3 for NTE Sport by an almost unmeasurable 0.001 seconds! Starting third will be Robby Foley in the # 96 BMW M6 GT3 for Turner Motorsport.

Madison shares the Lambo with Corey Lewis and Bryan Sellers while Benja shares the Audi with Jaden Conwright and Don Yount. Robby’s co-drivers are Bill Auberlen and Aidan Read.

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The # 1 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 for Paul Miller Racing - on the pole

Madison Snow

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GTD class, points - Taking the Pro points was IndyCar driver Jack Hawksworth in the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan with a time of 1:18.843s for a speed of 115.977mph. Second in points was Bryan Sellers in the # 1 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 for Paul Miller Racing, 0.089 seconds off Jack’s time. Third in the points was Bill Auberlen in the # 96 BMW M6 GT3 for Turner Motorsports.

Jack’s co-drivers are fellow IndyCar guys Aaron Telitz and Kyle Kirkwood while Bryan’s co-drivers are Madison Snow and Corey Lewis. Bill shares the Bimmer with Robby Foley and Aidan Read.

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There will be a morning warm-up for the race, scheduled for 9:15am.

The race is scheduled for broadcast on Saturday starting at 12:00 Noon on NBC. That will end at 3:00pm. Then, from 3:00pm on, the race will be broadcast on NBC-SN to the end and through the post race show, ending at 10:30pm EASTERN time.

For viewers of NBC Gold’s Track Pass the race starts at 12:10pm EASTERN time and runs through to 10:10pm EASTERN time - commercial free.

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Sunday at Road Atlanta - The Petit Le Mans DOES NOT disappoint!..

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Every year, this great race brings thrills right to the very end and such was the case again, this year. After ten hours of competition, the race once again came down to the final lap, with no less than three cars seconds apart, battling for the WIN and for the season titles.

Taking the WIN in DPi class and overall was the # 55 Mazda RT24-P for Mazda Motorsports in its final appearance, as the mark will retire from WeatherTech competition, going forward. Driving it across the line was Harry Tincknell, with co-drivers Jonathan Bomarito and Oliver Jarvis watching the thrilling finish from the pit lane. Despite at one point being three laps down, due to a broken sparkplug, the Mazda boys came back and Harry took the lead from Felipe Nasr with 22 minutes left to run.

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Jon Bomarito (left), Oliver Jarvis and Harry Tincknell in a storybook ending for the Mazda effort in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. The car is festooned with the signatures of racefans:

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Taking the Championship in the DPi class were Indy Pro 2000 alum Pipo Derani and co-driver Felipe Nasr in the # 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi V.R for Action Express with help from IndyCar driver Mike Conway to get there. A highly emotional Pipo watched from the pits as Felipe battled through the final corners with Ricky Taylor for Wayne Taylor Racing for the P2 spot, beating him by just a few car lengths at the line, and taking the title with it.

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This is Felipe’s (left) 2nd WeatherTech title and Pipo’s first

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Ricky Taylor spent the last 20 minutes of the race erasing a 12-second deficit to Nasr, driving the # 10 Acura ARX-05 to the limit, as his co-drivers Filipe Albuquerque and IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi watched his progress, to see him catch and try to pass Nasr in Turn 10, only to go off track and back on, but without the impetus to keep Nasr behind him. With their P3, the WTR trio WON the Michelin Endurance Cup title for the year.

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Michelin Cup WINNERS Ricky Taylor (left) Filipe Albuquerque and Alexander Rossi (right)

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In another last lap fight, LMP2 class was WON initially by Mikkel Jensen in the # 52 ORECA 07 Gibson for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports but a post-race penalty for a last lap incident in Turn 10 with Gabriel Aubry in the # 8 Tower Motorsports entry had the WIN awarded to Gabriel, John Farano and Indy Lights driver James French. Despite losing out on the class WIN, Jensen and co-driver Ben Keating secured the LMP2 drivers’ championship, while their Petit add Scott Huffaker joined the pair as the Michelin Endurance Cup title WINNERS. Taking 3rd in the race were Tristan Nunez, Steven Thomas and Thomas Merrill in the # 11 WIN Autosport ORECA.

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Gabriel Aubry (left), John Farano and James French (right), for the WIN…

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…and the titles go to Ben Keating (left) Mikkel Jensen and Scott Huffaker (right)

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Continued…

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Sunday at Road Atlanta - The Petit Le Mans DOES NOT disappoint!..(part 2)…

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In the LMP3 class the race WINNER was Felipe Fraga in one of the few run-aways. Driving the # 74 Ligier JS P320 for Riley Motorsports, Felipe crossed the line a full lap ahead of the # 30 Ligier for Jr III Racing, driven by IndyCar driver Garett Grist. Co-drivers with Felipe were Scott Andrews and Gar Robinson. Gar took the series title as a result. Robinson and Andrews also took the Michelin Endurance Cup title. Garett’s co-drivers were IndyCar driver Spencer Pigot and Ari Balogh. P3 in the race went to Jim Cox, Dylan Murry and Jeroen Bleekemolen.

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Felipe Fraga (left), Scott Andrews and Gar Robinson (right) - a WIN and some titles!

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GTLM class was a hard fought battle for the full race - so much so that at the end, neither of the Corvette C8.Rs for Corvette Racing were still in it, with # 3 of Antonio Garcia, Nicky Catsburg and Jordan Taylor going out in the spectacular 7-car shunt at Turn 10, in the 4th hour of the race, with Taylor on board, while Nick Tandy in the # 4 Corvette was taken out in a late race shunt with the race WINNING # 55 Mazda DPi. Tandy’s co-drivers were Tommy Milner and Alexander Sims.

The GTLM class race was WON by the # 79 Porsche 911 RSR-19 for Copper MacNeil, Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell, when the race-leading # 97 Porsche driver, Kevin Estre, was ordered to let Jaminet pass him to give the WIN to the series regular car, the # 79. Estre’s co-drivers were Michael Christensen and Freddie Makowiecki. In 3rd place was the # 24 BMW M8 GTE for BMW Team RLL, driven by John Edwards, Augusto Farfus and Jesse Krohn.

Despite not being in it at the end, the series title went to Garcia and Taylor while the Michelin Endurance Cup title went to Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy.

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WINNERS Matt Campbell (left), Cooper MacNeil and Mathieu Jaminet (right)…

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…and series title WINNERS Antonio Garcia (left) and Jordan Taylor…

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…and MEC champions Tommy Milner (left) and Nick Tandy

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The GTD class was WON in spectacular fashion by Ross Gunn in the Heart of Racing # 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with several late-race passes, but co-drivers Roman De Angelis and Ian James also had their good stints to bring the car to a 7-second advantage at the end over the # 9 PFAFF Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by Laurens Vanthoor and co-driven by Zacharie Robichon and Lars Kern. The P2 gave Robichon and Vanthoor the series title. Coming in P3 was IndyCar driver Zach Veach in the # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan, co-driven by Indy Lights driver Rob Megennis and Frankie Montecalvo. The Michelin Endurance Cup title went to Patrick Long, Trent Hindman and IndyCar driver Jan Heylen - drivers of the # 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Wright Motorsports.

This is the THIRD title that Heylen has WON in the last month!

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Race WINNERS Ross Gunn (left) Roman De Angelis and Ian James (right)…

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…and series Champions Laurens Vanthoor (left) and Zacharie Robichon

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Michelin Endurance Cup Champs Patrick Long (left), Trent Hindman and Jan Heylen (right)

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Finally, here are extended race highlights from NBC - Well worth your time!

IMSA Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta | EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS | 11/13/21 | Motorsports on NBC

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Thanks to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for another splendid Petit Le Mans. This one had the added drama of an extra hour of darkness and the cold temperatures that November brings and it all added up to great multi-class racing. A BIG congrats to IndyCar driver Pipo Derani for his title and IndyCar driver Jan Heylen for his TWO titles, this weekend, and Lights driver James French for his race WIN - Proud of you all!

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