2020 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge
Alan Jay Automotive Network 120
November 12-13, 2020
Round: 10 of the 10 race 2020 Michelin Pilot Challenge
Racetrack: Sebring International Raceway
3.74-mile road course, features 17 turns
Race: Friday, November 13, 2020 at 12:05 pm ET (2 Hours)
TV: LIVE on NBC Gold Track Pass at www.nbcsports.com/gold
Live timing and scoring from each session available at www.IMSA.com
Live radio commentary for every session at www.IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com
BHA FAST FACTS:
2020 Manufacturers’ Champions: Their sixth victory of the season all but locked up the manufacturers’ championship for Hyundai at the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Challenge two weeks ago. A Hyundai entry must start the race at Sebring for Hyundai to be awarded the 2020 IMPC Manufacturers’ Champions.
Down to The Wire: Just four points separate the Championship points leaders Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman (257 pts) over Michael Lewis and Mason Filippi (253). Chaves and Norman have won three races and led the championship throughout most of the second half of the season. Lewis and Filippi have won twice and have ranked in the top three since Road America. Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker, currently fourth, sit 13 points behind the leaders. Until the last round at Laguna Seca, where they were collected in an incident on the first lap, the #21 car was ranked in the top three all season.
Lap Leaders: Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman have led 44% of the laps raced this year. They’ve led in every race but one (Mid-Ohio round 1) for a total of 240 laps led out of 535 laps raced.
Earlier this Year at Sebring: Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker were the winners at Sebring in July. Michael Lewis and Mason Filippi finished second in the #98 car. Ryan Norman and Gabby Chaves led 31 laps but struggled with their seatbelt during their driver change pitstop and finished seventh. The #29 Vertical Bridge Hyundai Veloster N TCR made its debut at Sebring, Spencer Brockman and Parker Chase ran as high as fourth but finished 11th after contact.
Representing N: The Veloster N Fan club of North Central Florida are avid enthusiasts of the Hyundai N line and the BHA TCR racing program. Thirty members of the club from Daytona, Orlando and Tampa are bringing their Velosters to Sebring Thursday evening to show their cars, meet the BHA drivers and participate in the filming of an episode of Motor Trend’s “Pole Position.”
BHA/Hyundai Customer Support: Three additional Hyundai Veloster N TCR cars will compete in IMPC at Sebring. All part of the BHA/Hyundai Customer Support program, Tyler Maxson and Tyler Gonzalez of Copeland Motorsports return after their phenomenal debut at Road Atlanta where they fought for the win and finished second. van der Steur Racing joins the Hyundai stable with Danny Fromal and Rory van der Steur driving the #91 Hyundai Veloster N TCR.
A Storied Career: Celebrated race engineer John Ward announced his retirement recently. John is the engineer of the #98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR and has celebrated two sports car championships over last two seasons at BHA. His storied career includes race wins and success across all platforms of professional racing, including IndyCar and IMSA. A respected designer, Ward legacy includes facets of Dan Gurney’s All American Racers program.
Bryan’s View: “2020 has been a year like no other, as we approach the final race of the season I am grateful to all our team members, Hyundai, and the dedication and support of everyone at IMSA for helping ensure we had a race season at all. I look ahead to 2021 with new Hyundai teams joining the series with enthusiasm and hope, but right now our focus is 100% on finishing this year as strongly as possible.” – Bryan Herta, team owner
#29 Vertical Bridge Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Parker Chase and Spencer Brockman
Best Start: 4th Best Finish: 2nd
Championship: 6th (222 points)
The #29 car made their series debut at Sebring, one race into the season.
The #29 car has finished on the podium 4 times and led three races for a total of 54 laps.
Parker Chase: “It should be an exciting season finale at Sebring. We’ve all raced there this year, so we have a good baseline to work from. We had a tough IMPC debut there in July after being taken out early in the race, so I am happy to get another shot at a win there…redemption.”
Spencer Brockman: “We are heading back to Sebring for the second time this season and final run of the year! Sebring is one of my favorite tracks on the schedule and always makes for an interesting weekend. Last race here was quite difficult for Parker and I after contact with another car really hurt us in the long run. We have yet to get a win in the #29 Veloster N TCR this year so it would be great to wrap up the season with one!”
Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian:
Founded in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single car Indy-Lights team into a championship winning auto racing franchise. Led by IndyCar and Sports Car star Bryan Herta, Bryan Herta Autosport has won races in every discipline they have entered, including Indy Lights, Indy Car, Global Rally Cross, and championship titles in Pirelli World Challenge and IMSA. BHA rose to prominence after winning the 2011 Indianapolis 500 in what was the final race of the Centennial Era, a celebration of 100 years of racing at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with driver Dan Wheldon. Five years later, BHA partnered with Andretti Autosport, and defied the odds again, winning their second Indianapolis 500 with rookie driver Alexander Rossi. In 2018, BHA entered the Pirelli World Challenge in partnership with Hyundai and dominated the TCR class, winning seven races with drivers #98 Michael Lewis and #99 Mark Wilkins in the Hyundai i30N TCR, securing the team and manufacturers championships in the process. In 2019, BHA and Hyundai moved to the IMSA Michelin Sports Car Challenge, and the transition was flawless. BHA swept the series driver and team championships with driver Mark Wilkins and Michael Lewis finishing first in the #98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR and young guns Harry Gottsacker and Mason Filippi finishing second in the #21 Hyundai Veloster N TCR. For 2020, BHA continues its successful partnership with Andretti Autosport fielding the #98 U.S. Concrete Honda w/ Curb Agajanian in the IndyCar series for driver Marco Andretti and a four-car Hyundai Veloster N TCR campaign in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Michael Lewis and Mason Fillipi (#98), Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker (#21), Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman (#33) and Parker Chase and Spencer Brockman (#29). Bryan Herta Autosport is the U.S. sales agent and parts support representative of Hyundai TCR race cars for customer teams. For more information, visit www.BryanHertaAutosport.com.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
At Hyundai Motor America, we believe everyone deserves better. From the way we design and build our cars to the way we treat the people who drive them, making things better is at the heart of everything we do. Hyundai’s technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to create a better experience for customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and nearly half of those sold in the U.S. are built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.Please visit our media website at www.HyundaiNews.com