DEFENDING RACE WINNERS, BHA RETURN TO ROAD AMERICA
Mario Gear
The Road America 120
July 31- August 2, 2020
Round: 3 of the 10 race in the 2020 Michelin Pilot Challenge Racetrack: Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI4.0-mile road course, features 14 turns Race: Saturday, August 1, 2020, at 4:45 pm ET (1:45 PM PST ) (2 Hours) TV: LIVE on NBC Gold Track Pass Live timing and scoring from each session available at www.IMSA.com Live radio commentary for every session at www.IMSA.com
BHA FAST FACTS:
Defending Race Winners Then and Now: 2019 teammates Harry Gottsacker and Mason Filippi drove the #21 Hyundai Veloster N TCR to victory after a wet and wild race last year at Road America. It was the rookie pairing's first victory in IMSA competition, and they went on to finish second in the championship. Gottsacker and his 2020 teammate, Mark Wilkins, won the last race just over a week ago at Sebring. Mason and his 2020 teammate, Michael Lewis, finished second in the #98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR.
Leading the Way: It's an all BHA tie for the IMPC Championship lead. The #21 of Gottsacker and Wilkins launched from sixth to first with their victory at Sebring, and are currently tied at 60 points with Mason Filippi and Michael Lewis driving the #98 Veloster N TCR. Hyundai is tied with Audi in the manufacturers’ championship.
Bryan's View: "Road America is one of America's very best natural terrain road courses, a real drivers track, and one that I am sure will highlight the handling and power of our Veloster N TCR cars. Coming off a first-ever podium sweep at Sebring, we look forward to getting back on track and continuing to chase our goal of securing the manufacturer's championship for Hyundai." - Bryan Herta
#29 Vertical Bridge/Hyundai Veloster N TCRDrivers: Parker Chase and Spencer BrockmanBest Start: 5th Best Finish: 11th Championship: 19th (20 pts)
The #29 car made its series debut at Sebring and ran inside the top 8 in every session, and as high as fourth in the race.
Parker Chase is a former race winner at Road America. He won in 2018 while driving the Audi R8 LMS GT3 in Pirelli World Challenge.
Parker Chase: “We had a fast car in the last race, and with our pace, I was confident we could be on the podium. Unfortunately, a different class car hit us and broke our wheel which forced an extra stop that we couldn’t recover from. We’ll show our potential at Road America."
Spencer Brockman: "The Hyundai Veloster N TCR showed great pace throughout the weekend at Sebring, and I can't wait to attack the phenomenal road course at Road America. I learned a lot in my first weekend driving the #29 Vertical Bridge Veloster N TCR with the BHA crew, and I know the Veloster has what it takes to get us to the front."
#21 Hyundai Veloster N TCRDrivers: Harry Gottsacker and Mark WilkinsBest Start: 2nd Best Finish: 1st Championship: 1st (tied at 60 pts)
The #21 car started 2nd (Gottsacker qualified) and finished 1st at Sebring.
Gottsacker's family is from Sheboygan and the Elkhart Lake area.
Harry Gottsacker: "Really looking forward to getting back at it at Road America in our Veloster N TCR. We are coming with momentum after the win at Sebring and my win at Road America last year. This is a home race for me, and I’m looking forward to seeing family and friends in Elkhart Lake. It’s my birthday weekend as well, and the best gift will be a spot on the top step of the podium on Saturday!
Mark Wilkins: “Road America was a break out event last season for Harry and Mason! Coming off a victory at Sebring, I’m thrilled to carry that momentum to Road America, and I know Harry is excited to get back there. I expect our Veloster N TCR cars to be quite good. We’ve found a great setup window and are getting the most out of the chassis! We have a long season ahead and we need to keep pushing. Our goal is to capitalize on points and keep scoring near the sharp end of the field. The team is firing on all cylinders, the 1/2/3 finish for Hyundai at Sebring was a fantastic way to get back to racing!”
#33 Hyundai Veloster N TCRDrivers: Gabby Chaves and Ryan NormanBest Start: 1st Best Finish: 5th Championship: 7th (50 pts)
Ryan Norman earned his first IMSA pole at Sebring, in just his second IMSA race.
Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman led every practice, qualifying and set the fastest race lap at Sebring.
The #33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR has led both races in 2020.
Gabby is a former race winner at Road America winning the Formula BMW race in 2009.
Gabby Chaves: "After a fantastic weekend in Sebring for BHA and Hyundai, I’ve got high expectations for the #33 Veloster N TCR. We had a great pace at Sebring, and although Road America is a bit more of an open track, we believe our cars will be very fast and competitive again. Can’t wait to get there."
Ryan Norman: "Two races in a row now, we've shown we're fast right out of the box, but had troubles. I love Road America, and Gabby and I are ready to turn that speed into race wins."
#98 Hyundai Veloster N TCRDrivers: Mason Filippi and Michael LewisBest Start: 3rd Best Finish: 2nd Championship: 1st (tied at 60 pts)
The #98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR earned its first podium of the season at Sebring when it finished second.
Michael Lewis scored two pole positions and won the IMSA GT4 Cup race in 2014 at Road America with Competition Motorsports.
Mason Filippi: "Road America can't come fast enough. Michael and I are in the groove...and our results at Sebring showed that. We were very happy to re-open the season with a second-place finish. We head to Road America, one of my favorite tracks on the schedule, tied for the championship lead. The Veloster is well-suited for the technical portions of this track, especially the "Carousel" and the "Kink." We expect we will be very strong."
Michael Lewis: "Our Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Veloster N TCR Race Cars were solid at the last race, and we will continue to work hard to perform well at Road America. It is so fun to race with Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai, as they are both putting a lot of effort into showcasing that their race cars are the best out there. Each weekend, the team works hard to tune our Veloster N TCR Race Cars the way we need to battle the strong competition in our IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series. Road America can provide some good racing, and we hope to put on a good show and have as many Hyundais at the front to help gain points in the Manufacturer’s Championship!"
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 SportsCar 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 820 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.