Salinas, Calif (September 13, 2021) – Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins of Bryan Herta Autosport scored their first victory of the season in the #33 Elantra N TCR and led Hyundai’s podium sweep at their home race, the Hyundai Monterey Sport Car Championship.
After an epic nose to tail battle in the closing minutes of the two-hour race, Wilkins passed teammate and fellow Elantra N TCR driver Parker Chase for the lead. Chase and teammate Ryan Norman finished second and Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis extended their championship points lead with a third-place finish in the #77 Veloster N TCR.
Michael Johnson gained three positions in his opening stint, and finished sixth alongside teammate Stephen Simpson in the #54 Universal Coating Veloster N TCR. Six of the top seven finishers were Hyundais.
The Elantra N TCR 1-2 finish came of the heels of Hyundai’s exciting North American reveal of the all new 2022 Elantra N TCR, which took place on Friday evening on the pitlane at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The splashy reception included the official Elantra N release presentation, a live art performance and kicked off with more than 60 Hyundai owners showcasing their talents and personal Hyundais on the race track. Mark Wilkins made a grand entrance introducing the Elantra N when he zoomed down the front straight before pulling into the party for all to get a closer look.
Hyundai strengthened their lead in manufacturers’ standings and leads Honda by 70 points with two races remaining. Next up, the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway on Sunday, October 10, 2021. For more information about the race visit bryanhertaautosport.com.
#98 Elantra N TCR
Started: 4th Finished: 2nd Championship Point Standings: 2nd
Ryan Norman: “Congratulations to the team and Hyundai. The Elantra’s were the class of the field and deserved a 1-2 finish today.”
Parker Chase: “We had strong car and it was nice leading again out there today. Ryan did a great job bringing it in up front and I thought we had it, tires got us there at the end. Congrats to Mark and Harry, it was fun racing Mark and I’m happy for Hyundai to give them and Elantra 1-2 finish at their home race.”
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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