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Hyundai Earns Double Podium Finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Points Leaders Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker Earn Second Place Finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Hyundai Hope On Wheels Raised $10,800 for Riley Hospital for Children After Leading 108 Laps
- Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi Round Out Podium with Third Place
- Wickens and Gottsacker Continue to Lead TCR Drivers’ Championship by 20 Points
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 18, 2023 – Hyundai Motor America continued their pursuit of the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Championship (IMPC) titles with the second endurance race of the season. Playing host to the penultimate event on the IMPC calendar, the 2.439-mile road course inside the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway was not short of action across the four hours of racing. Bryan Herta Autosport’s (BHA) and current TCR Drivers’ Championship leaders, Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker, qualified as the highest Hyundai Elantra N TCR to start on the front row, second in class – behind championship rivals in the No. 17 Audi. As the field came to the green flag, it was BHA teammates Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis to the lead on the opening lap of the race after starting third and continued to control the lead through the first half of the race with the No. 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR driven by Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi in second position. During the No. 33’s first pit stop, the pair of Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker, served a drive through penalty due to a fueling issue and were cycled to the back of the field before working their way back to podium contention later in the race.
As the clock continued to wind down, the points leaders in the No. 33 were able to work their way back into podium contention after the pit lane penalty early on. With one hour left on the clock, the battle between championship rivals in the No. 17 Audi and No. 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR intensified as Robert Wickens took the lead following the final pit stop sequence. A late race caution with under 20 minutes to go brought the field back together causing Wickens in the No. 33 and the No. 17 Audi to go side-by-side battling for position before the No. 17 Audi ultimately took the lead position. Wickens crossed the finish line in second and the BHA teammate pairing of Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins finished in third to complete the podium. With seven Hyundai Elantra N TCRs competing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, all entries finished in the top ten of the TCR class for the endurance event.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway 240 marked the celebration of Hyundai’s Hope On Wheels 25th Anniversary which saw the No. 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR dressed in a special livery for the event and for the upcoming season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Children’s handprints, representing the collective fight against pediatric cancer and hope for a cure, were displayed on the No. 33 car’s livery as a tribute to Hyundai Hope On Wheels’ colorful awareness campaign. In honor of the Hyundai Hope On Wheels 25th Anniversary, $100 will be donated to Riley Hospital for Children for every lap led by a Hyundai Elantra N TCR during Saturday’s race and Hyundai raised $10,800 after 108 laps led for the Indianapolis-based children’s hospital.
With only one race remaining for 2023, Hyundai heads to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the Fox Factory 120 on Friday, October 13, 2023, ready to defend their championship titles.
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