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- Category: Road Racing
July 3, 2023
Daytona Beach, Florida – Even a year later, Robert Wickens shakes his head at the thought of his racing homecoming.
It was at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2022 that Wickens and fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins capped a frenetic, sometimes frightening and most memorable week by winning the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at CTMP in the Touring Car (TCR) class. They’ll return this week to defend that victory but in different Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian cars.
The saga began a week earlier last year at Watkins Glen International, just over the U.S. border in New York State, where Wickens and Wilkins won the TCR race – the first victory for Wickens since he was paralyzed in a 2018 IndyCar crash at Pocono Raceway. Immediately after that historic triumph in the No. 33 BHA Elantra N TCR, the duo drove north for a jam-packed week of sponsor and media commitments in their homeland leading into the CTMP race.
All the while, Wickens’ pregnant wife, Karli, remained back at their Indianapolis home, not due with their first child until after the Canada race weekend. That changed suddenly on Thursday, the day before Michelin Pilot Challenge cars were to begin CTMP practice and two days before the race. A complication was noticed during an ultrasound and an emergency delivery was scheduled for that Friday.
Too late to catch a flight to Indianapolis, the concerned father-to-be was driven partway home and met by his mother and mother-in-law, who drove him the rest of the way. He reached the hospital at 3 a.m., the delivery process started at 6 a.m. and son Wesley was born healthy shortly after 11 a.m.
At that point, team owner Bryan Herta called to see if Wickens still wanted to drive in the race. With wife and son doing well, he said yes. A chartered plane took him back to Canada on race morning and he arrived on the grid 20 minutes before the start of the race, having not turned a lap on track.
“Basically, between interacting with fans on the starting grid, I was asking Mark what gear each corner was because I didn't even do a lap in practice,” Wickens says, shaking his head. “Then we started last because I didn't qualify the car. Thankfully through some good strategy and some quick learning, I was able to hand the car to Mark in third (place), and then we had a great pit stop and great strategy and we got ourselves into the lead. Mark drove his ass off to get us another win!”
As soon as CTMP postrace activities finished, Wickens was on another plane back to Indy and reunited with Karli and Wesley that night. “It was a crazy, crazy like 10 days!” he understated.
Wickens says he plans to take more time to enjoy the race weekend and the mob of family and friends who’ll be with him at CTMP this year. He won’t be driving with Wilkins, however. The pair has been split into different BHA cars and both are in hot pursuit of the TCR championship. Wilkins is driving with Mason Filippi in the No. 98 Hyundai, with Wickens teaming with Harry Gottsacker in the No. 33 Hyundai. The two cars are tied in points atop the TCR standings leading into the race.
The championship battle in the other Michelin Pilot Challenge class is nearly as tight. Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak, co-drivers of the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4, lead the Grand Sport (GS) class by 60 points over Robby Foley and Vin Barletta, co-drivers of the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 who won two weeks ago at Watkins Glen.
Thirty-five cars are on the entry list, 24 in GS and 11 in TCR. Following a pair of practice sessions on Friday, qualifying for the Canadian Tire Motorsport 120 takes place at 10:50 a.m. Saturday. The two-hour race begins at 4 p.m. the same day, streaming live on Peacock in the U.S. and on IMSA.com/TVLive internationally.
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- Category: Road Racing
June 22, 2023
The Sahlen's 120 at The Glen
Round 4 of the 2023 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge
June 21-23, 2023
Racetrack: Watkins Glen International Raceway
3.4-mile road course, features 11 turns
Race: Saturday, March 16, 2023, at 3:45-5:45 pm EST
TV: Live streaming on IMSA.TV In Canada, Live on NBC’s PEACOCK: www.peacock.tv in the USA
Listen: Live radio commentary for every session at www.IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com Live timing and scoring from each session available at www.IMSA.com. Live updates are available throughout the weekend on BHA social media and www.bryanhertaautosport.com
FAST FACTS
1 Win, 2 Podiums = Points Leaders: Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi have proven to be a formidable driver pairing. They currently lead the standings after their victory at Laguna Seca and finishing third at Daytona and Sebring.
The Start of Something Special: It was at Watkins Glen one year ago when Robert Wickens won for the first time driving with hand controls, just five races into his journey as a paralyzed race car driver. Wickens and his 2022 teammate and fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins repeated one week later at their home race at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
International Women in Engineering Day: BHA engineers Megan Ryder and Josefine Eskildsen are excellent examples of the many talented women who are making a difference in the field of engineering. Their contributions to the field of motorsports have helped to inspire and motivate other women to pursue careers in this exciting and challenging field. Our partners at Hyundai encourage women who aspire to have careers in technical fields with their annual Women in STEM Scholarship. Applicants must apply by June 30th at Hyundai Women in STEM Scholarship .
Getting Hectic: The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season is about to heat up with three races in the next five weeks.
Nürburgring Recap: Hyundai's team USA had a grand finale to their Journey to the Ring with their second place finish in one of the world's biggest events. Stay tuned for Hyundai's upcoming episode of Next Level for the exciting recap.
#1 Hyundai Elantra N TCR
2021 and 2022 Drivers/Team CHAMPIONS
2023 Stats: Best Start: 8th Best Finish: 6th Rank: 6th 740 pts
Taylor Hagler: "Watkins Glen International is a special place. This is where the momentum of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season really starts. I've been racing a lot in Europe the last several months, so I've been keeping busy and learning a lot, but I am looking forward to getting back in the No. 1 Hyundai Elantra N TCR and getting a good result for the Bryan Herta Autosport team."
Michael Lewis: "What a track. Watkins Glen is fast, flowing, and provides great racing. It's in such a beautiful area too. It feels great to drive at this facility every single time. I can't wait to get out there."
#33 Elantra N TCR
2023 Stats: Best Start: 3rd Best Finish: 2nd Rank: 2nd 890 pts
Harry Gottsacker IV: "It’s been a while since we’ve been in the #33, but we are looking to keep pushing and capture our first victory of the season. We have had strong runs at the last two events and we just need everything to go our way. The performance is there, we are looking forward to the challenge ahead."
Robert Wickens: "Harry and I are coming off a string of second place finishes and the #33 team is performing well. We had a very strong car at The Glen last year, so I think we've got a good shot at scoring our first win of the season."
#98 Elantra N TCR
2023 Stats: Best Start: 2nd Best Finish: 1st Rank: 1st - 950 pts
Mason Filippi: "Back to the glen! I can’t wait to get racing again after a chaotic and successful streak of racing from Laguna Seca to Germany. It will be fantastic to get back behind the wheel of our #98 Elantra N TCR car. Watkins has been good to us, and I am excited to take the momentum forward through the summer season. Getting through the bus stop and around the carousel as well as the final two corners are some of my favorite sections of track on the schedule."
Mark Wilkins: “The heart of the racing season is upon us! Mason and I have had a dream start to our season with three podiums including a victory at Hyundai’s home race at Laguna Seca, but this is racing and we expect it won’t all be smooth sailing. Watkins Glen and CTMP are two of my personal favourites and both were good to Robert and I last year so I’m feeling confident Mason and I will have a car to compete for the win! Diving into the busy part of the season means we get a chance to get in a groove and I’m just really excited to be in the car so frequently over the next few months! I can’t speak to it yet but I’m absolutely elated to be adding a race to the schedule this summer and I can’t wait to share that news in the coming weeks! As far as Watkins Glen goals go, obviously we would love to keep our podium streak alive to kick off the big summer push on a high. Huge Thanks to our crew working hard at the shop to give Mason and I a fantastic Elantra N TCR! Let’s keep pushing!”
Executives from Hyundai Motor America join second place finishers Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens and race winners Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi on the podium at Hyundai's home race, the Motul Sports Car Championship Powered by Hyundai N at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday, May 13, 2023
Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian
Founded in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single car Indy-Lights team into a multi-championship winning auto racing franchise. Led by IndyCar and Sports Car star Bryan Herta, Bryan Herta Autosport has won races in every discipline they have entered, including Indy Lights, Indy Car, Global Rallycross, and championship titles in Pirelli World Challenge and IMSA. BHA rose to prominence after winning the 2011 Indianapolis 500 in what was the final race of the Centennial Era, a celebration of 100 years of racing at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with driver Dan Wheldon. Five years later, BHA partnered with Andretti Autosport, and defied the odds again, winning their second Indianapolis 500 with rookie driver Alexander Rossi. In 2018, BHA entered the American Sports Car scene beginning its immensely successful partnership with Hyundai. Together, BHA and Hyundai have won five championships in as many seasons, including four consecutive team and driver championships, and three consecutive (2020, 2021, 2022) manufacturer's titles in IMSA's Michelin Pilot Challenge. For more information, visit: www.BryanHertaAutosport.com.
BHA/Hyundai Customer Support: Bryan Herta Autosport is the U.S. sales agent and part support representative of Hyundai TCR and TCA race cars for customer teams. The BHA/Hyundai Customer Support Team offers trackside engineering support, setup and tuning advice, and part and order fulfillments for the Hyundai Veloster N TCR and TCA teams and drivers from the BHA’s headquarters in Speedway, IN. Since its North American debut in 2019, the Hyundai Veloster N TCR has scored 27 race wins, and three TCR championship titles.
Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America focuses on ‘Progress for Humanity’ and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Our 830 dealers sold more than 724,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2022, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.
Canadians In BOLD
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- Category: Road Racing
June 5, 2023
Samantha Tan Racing by Rinaldi Racing moved itself back into championship contention with a convincing run to 2nd in-class at the 1000km Circuit Paul Ricard, round two of this year’s GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.
Following an early end to its GTWC Europe season opener at Monza in April, ST Racing’s second round got off to a promising start when the #38 Ferrari 488 GT3 – driven by team owner Samantha Tan, fellow 2021 24H SERIES Overall GT Drivers’ champion Jon Miller, and Isaac Tutumlu Lopez – qualified 3rd fastest of the Pro-Am runners. The run, good enough for 49th on the overall grid, was banked courtesy of a 1m 55.347s from Jon, the third fastest Pro-Am lap across all three qualifying sessions. Similarly competitive times from Samantha and Isaac hinted towards the Rinaldi-prepared Ferrari’s strong pace around Circuit Paul Ricard.
Carrying his qualifying momentum into the race proper, Jon quickly moved up from 49th to 39th place overall, and 2nd in-class, during the opening laps. A mistimed pass for position by a rival however caused the #38 Ferrari to spin shortly afterwards, dropping ST Racing to the tail of the field and off the Pro-Am podium. Jon though was already back up to 3rd in Pro/Am when he handed the Ferrari over to Samantha shortly before one-third distance.
After a consistent double stint, Samantha, back at Paul Ricard for the first time since 2021, had worked her way up to 38th overall and 2nd in-class before handing the Ferrari over to Isaac for the closing night stage, the 2013 Spanish GT Champion dutifully bringing the car home without incident for the Pro/Am runners-up spot.
With standings leader Barwell Motorsport eliminated on the first lap, the result has catapulted ST Racing with Rinaldi back into Pro/Am Teams’ championship contention in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. 2nd in-class also marks ST Racing’s best result in an endurance event since the Canadian team claimed Silver class honours at last year’s Indianapolis 8 Hours.
Samantha Tan, team co-owner/driver: “P2 at the 1000km of Paul Ricard! After a few months of bad luck, especially after Monza, we kept working hard and were finally rewarded with a podium. Rinaldi gave us a great car and we qualified P3! Jon took the start and unfortunately got hit and spun out 20 minutes in, putting us in last. Thankfully, nothing broke on the car and we had an incredible recovery drive and flawless run to the finish. We gave a proper send off to our lovely 488 GT3, as we will now be running the 296 GT3 for the remainder of the season.”
Kenneth Tan, team principal: “Finally we showed our potential. I’m very relieved, I want to thank the Rinaldi Racing team for preparing a very strong car. Looking forward to Spa in our new Ferrari 296 GT3. Forza Ferrari!”
Jon Miller, driver: “We’re thrilled with the result after a hard-fought race. We missed out on the bulk of the pre-season test here with an odd technical problem, and without any laps at Monza we’re still very much learning the 488 GT3. With not much practice time this weekend, and some of it affected by rain, I went into qualifying having to really think differently about my approach. I’m happy to report that things clicked, and even with some traffic in-front of me, I was able to set a lap that I was relatively pleased with. I found some things in the driving style of the Ferrari that helped to extract more out of the car and this peak of this tire. The Rinaldi guys executed perfect stops all night and we’re looking forward to the Spa 24 hour in the 296 GT3 up next!”
Isaac Tutumlu Lopez, driver: “It was a very good race! We knew we had a car with strong pace, I think we did a great job altogether setting the car up to be easy to drive while also making sure it was competitive over the length of a stint. Jon had a great start and Sam backed it up with a solid drive, so we were in a good position when I hopped in the car for my stint. I pushed hard during my first hour while fighting for P2 until the team told me that P3 had a problem and we had enough of a margin to bring it home safe and sound. Happy to achieve this result with the team heading into the 24 Hours of Spa!”
Samantha Tan Racing with Rinaldi continues its GTWC Europe Endurance Cup campaign on 29 June to 2 July on the North American outfit’s second stab at the legendary Spa 24 Hours. Prior to that, both ST Racing and BMW M Motorsport brand ambassador Samantha Tan will be back in GT World Challenge America action with the #38 BMW M4 GT3 on 16-17-18 June, round four of the season taking competitors to the Virginia International Raceway.
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
June 13, 2023
- TSN’s complete live coverage of the CANADIAN GRAND PRIX includes practice, qualifying, the grid walk, and the race itself, which airs Sunday, June 18 at 12:30 p.m. ET on TSN and CTV, as well as both networks’ official websites and apps
- TSN’s auto racing reporter Tim Hauraney and BarDown’s Daniel Zakrzewski are on-site at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve to deliver driver interviews, news, and analysis
- Comprehensive coverage of the CANADIAN GRAND PRIX features unique content from THE SHIFT WITH KAYLA GREY, TSN’s F1 contributor Deepa Prashad, and MuchMusic, along with special editions of DIGITAL SPORTSCENTRE and ETALK
Toronto, Ontario – From the practice sessions to the champagne showers, TSN has Formula 1® fans covered for the biggest auto racing event in Canada when the CANADIAN GRAND PRIX 2023 returns to the famed Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal from June 16-18. The action begins with practice coverage on Friday, June 16 at 4:30 p.m. ET on TSN, TSN.ca, and the TSN app, with the race itself airing Sunday, June 18 at 12:30 p.m. ET on TSN and CTV, as well as both networks’ official websites and apps. TSN’s complete F1 schedule is available here. Exclusive French-language coverage of the CANADIAN GRAND PRIX 2023 is available on RDS and Noovo.
F1 fans can access exclusive live companion feeds on TSN+, including Pit Lane, Driver Tracker, Timing Feed, Mixed On-Board Cameras, and unique in-car feeds of Canadian driver Lance Stroll, defending F1 champion Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton.
Throughout the week, TSN’s auto racing reporter and former professional racing driver Tim Hauraney and BarDown’s Daniel Zakrzewski deliver updates from the Bell Studio at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, including interviews with F1 drivers, features on the CANADIAN GRAND PRIX, as well as news and analysis for SPORTSCENTRE and TSN.ca as teams prepare for Sunday’s race.
TSN’s THE SHIFT WITH KAYLA GREY is on-site in Montreal for conversations with seven-time World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton, Canadian driver and CASC GT3 champion Demi Chalkias, and Canada’s Olympic champion sprinter Andre de Grasse. The interviews air in weekend editions of SPORTSCENTRE and are available across THE SHIFT platforms.
Also on-site at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve are ETALK hosts Tyrone Edwards and Traci Melchor, who cover the world of entertainment around F1, with news updates, interviews, and a special on-site edition of ETALK from Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Friday. MuchMusic VJs Kwesi Kwarko-Fosu and Sadé Powell are also on-site to cover the pop culture side of the weekend for MuchMusic social platforms.
TSN augments its broadcast coverage with a full slate of digital content covering the week from all angles. Highlights include:
- A series of SPORTSCENTRE features sponsored by Mercedes, including a “Power Performers” driver ranking, and in-depth looks at Lance Stroll, and the Montreal track’s famed hairpin corner
- Up-to-the-minute news, driver interviews, written features, “Race Rewinds” highlight videos, and updates on TSN.ca
- Highlights and must-see clips from the paddock to the finish line, as well as content throughout the weekend across TSN’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube
TSN’s DIGITAL SPORTSCENTRE is on-site at the Bell Studio at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve to deliver “DSC at the Grand Prix presented by Bell,” a series of special editions of the program hosted by Marissa Roberto
TSN’s F1 contributor Deepa Prashad is on location at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve to create content for TSN social media platforms and SPORTSCENTRE
Additionally, the TSN app debuts an all-new, exclusive F1 Augmented Reality Experience powered by the Bell network, allowing F1 fans watching from home to follow Sunday’s CANADIAN GRAND PRIX in Augmented Reality in their own environment. This live A.R. experience enables users to visualize the 3D reproduction of the race on the circuit, and features a live ranking, driver stats, circuit info, video stream, and synchronization with the live broadcast.
Defending CANADIAN GRAND PRIX champion Max Verstappen looks to continue his dominant season with a win in Montreal. Verstappen faces fierce competition from the field of 20 drivers, which includes Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez; seven-time World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell; Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Canadian Lance Stroll; and Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Leading up to race weekend, TSN looks back at several memorable Canadian F1 moments, including:
- 2007 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX (airing Wednesday, June 14 at 7 p.m. ET) – Lewis Hamilton’s first of his record-breaking 103 victories in F1
- 2011 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX (airing Wednesday, June 14 at 9 p.m. ET) – The longest race F1 race ever at four hours, four minutes, and 39 seconds, the 2011 race was voted the best ever CANADIAN GRAND PRIX by F1 fa
Sponsors of F1 coverage on TSN are Expedia and Heineken, with the brands featured prominently across TSN platforms throughout the F1 season. Audi debuts as sponsor of the CANADIAN GRAND PRIX, featuring on-site activations in addition to broadcast and digital assets across CTV, TSN, and RDS.
TSN and RDS have delivered F1 coverage in Canada since 1992 and 1994, respectively.
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
June 1, 2023
Race 2 weekend was another success for our team. We had wins and podiums on all the classes we entered this weekend.
Jeremy Hammond brought home 3 wins in Formula Libre with his #06 Ligier F4; his new personal best of 1:09.325 was set during Qualifying 1.
Jerry Kroll in the #33 Jevitty Life sponsored F4 came home with a 2nd and 3rd place podium positions throughout the weekend. His pace was affected by the supply shortage of Hankook tires this weekend.
Derek Webster in the #819 Van Diemen FC had two 2nd place finishes in Formula Libre; an adventure around T3 on the last race has set him back with a DNF.
Naz Degan continued to improve her pace in the #022 Jevitty sponsored Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo. She finished 3rd in GTO class on Sat's race 1. Unfortunately a mechanical issue had forced her for an early retirement on Sunday. She'll be back stronger for the next one.
Ivan Dianov in the #333 KTM Xbow GT4 had two 2nd place and a 3rd place finish in GTO as well. This is his first full weekend with us and already showing some very promising results.
In the IPE-B class, Clint Logue with his #06 Blackthorn Porsche Cayman won race 1 and 3. A small come together in race 2 has set him back with a 5th place finish. There is an ongoing protest against his new gearbox so the outcome will be announced when its all clarified. We win on the track and not by being sour losers.
Our #023 Jevitty Tesla Model 3 Performance also driven by Jerry Kroll had once again showed strong pace throughout the weekend. He was up there running with the GTO cars all weekend long. We can't wait to have more competitions in the IPE-A class.
Another one of our drivers worth noting is Nobuyoshi Torigoe in his #77 Spec Miata. There were 10 cars in this highly competitive class in which Nobu came out on top in 2 of the occasions. All the training over the winter months have definitely helped him stay competitive at this level.
Mark Clyde in his #170 Spec Miata had shown very good form throughout the weekend. Very close to the leaders all weekend and we are sure to expect more performance from him in the next few races.
Our crew member Gordon Wong has driven the #177 MX5 NC this weekend in IP2 class. He put on some spectacular racing in all 3 races. He finished 2nd in the first 2 races and with fire behind his helmet, he finally scored his first win of the season as well.
We'd also like to congratulate our two novice drivers, Nick Hoffman and Daniel Friedman. Thank you for the 1-2 finish in the NCW race with our #17 and #71 Spec Miatas.
Please stay tuned for more exciting battles to come in Race 3 on Jun 24/25.
Big round of applause to our team of hard working and dedicated crew members.
Special thanks to our sponsors and partners in helping us to success:
Mission Raceway Park
#motul
#hoosiertire
AutoMind Collision
Jevitty Scan by Bodycomp Imaging
#TriCityWarehousing