Sebring, FL (March 20, 2021) – The new Elantra N TCR cars ran strong all weekend. BHA debuted the brand-new Hyundai racecar at Daytona, where both cars finished inside the top-ten at the four-hour endurance challenge. Another milestone was accomplished this weekend when Ryan Norman qualified the #98 Elantra N TCR inside the top-five. Both the #98 of Norman and Parker Chase and the #33 of Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins showed race winning potential, but fuel mileage proved to be the challenge at Sebring. The #33 Elantra N TCR car finished eighth and the #98 finished tenth.
Bryan Herta Autosport, the 2019 and 2020 IMPC champions are off to a strong start in 2021. Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis left Sebring with a healthy, 20-point championship lead. Michael Johnson and Stephen Simpson are tied for second and the Elantra’s are both ranked inside the top-ten.
It was a busy event off-track at Sebring. BHA filmed an upcoming episode of “Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid.” The episode will air on PBS in the coming months. BHA and Hyundai thank the N Club of Florida for their passionate support of Hyundai and the racing program. Club members from as far as Miami joined the Hyundai drivers Thursday evening for a meet and greet. Avid followers of the racing program, the drivers signed dashboards and engines on more than 30 Hyundai’s, mostly Veloster’s owned by the club members.
The 2021 IMSA schedule features another six week break before returning to competition at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, May 15th for the Mid-Ohio 120.
#98 Elantra N TCR
Started: 5th Finished: 10th Championship Point Standings: 11th
Ryan Norman: “It was a good race, unfortunately we had to make an extra stop for fuel and an extra stop is hard to make up in a race with just one yellow. We ran as high as third, the car feels racy and we’re definitely going to be racing for wins this year in the Elantra.”
Parker Chase: “It wasn’t the result we were racing for, but we learned a lot today and showed the pace the Elantra N TCR has.”
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 three championships in as many seasons, including their dominating performance finishing first, second and third in the 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, where Hyundai won its first manufacturers title. For 2021, BHA will debut the all-new Hyundai ELANTRA N TCR and continue with the proven Veloster N TCR with a three-car assault in the IMSA 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 26 race wins, and three TCR championship titles.
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