| As released today by Hyundai Motor America:
· No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N TCR takes Hyundai’s first checkered flag of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season
· Hyundai firmly in the championship hunt
· Hyundai and Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) raise $4,600 for Hyundai Hope on Wheels after leading 46 laps
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., June 10, 2024 – Hyundai has followed a streak of impressive podium finishes by securing the manufacturer’s first win of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Championship (IMPC) season, with the No. 76 Elantra N TCR taking the checkered flag in Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Four Hours of Mid-Ohio.
After a difficult qualifying session led to starting the four-hour endurance race in ninth position, drivers Preston Brown and Denis Dupont faced a challenging race in their pursuit of the TCR class win. During his first stint, Brown held pace with the pack and was able to progress through the field, handing the car over to Dupont in eighth position. Through decisive strategy calls by the BHA crew and Dupont’s stellar lap times, the No. 76 car took the lead during a round of pit stops on lap 132 of the race. As the race drew to a close, the No. 76 had to pit for a splash-and-go of fuel in order to make it to the end of the race. The team executed a perfect pit stop which allowed the No. 76 car to retain the lead until the finish, securing a dramatic victory for Hyundai and Bryan Herta Autosport.
In the No. 33 car, Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker had a similar race after a penalty from qualifying negated their second-place starting position, forcing the duo to take the green flag from last place on the grid. Wickens was quick to find pace, moving easily into the top ten and handing the car to Gottsacker in fourth position. Gottsacker battled for the podium but was unable to hold onto third after a final pitstop in the closing ten minutes.
The rest of the Hyundai cars showed strong pace throughout the race, with the No. 98 car leading 21 laps, only to encounter an issue that put the car four-laps down prior to the finish. The No. 77, No. 80, No. 98 and No. 99 finished eighth, ninth, twelfth and fourteenth respectively, with the No. 77 and No. 98 running in the podium places before the last hour of the race.
Following the fourth round of IMPC competition, Hyundai closed the gap in the in the 2024 IMPC Manufacturers’ Championship standings as it looks to secure the brand’s fifth-straight Manufacturer’s title in the series. Up next, the Hyundai stable is set to take on The Esses 120 at Watkins Glen on June 22, 2024.
· Top-Finishing Hyundai: First place for the No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR driven by Preston Brown and Denis Dupont
· Top-Qualifying Hyundai: Fourth place for the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR driven by Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi
Hyundai Continues Success in Kumho TCR World Tour at Mid-Ohio
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse tightened its grip on the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour despite a tough first weekend racing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the USA. The Italy-based outfit continues to lead the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships, with defending champion Norbert Michelisz taking a second- and fifth-place finishes in the two races to leave him 22 points ahead of Yann Ehrlacher.
Meanwhile, Mikel Azcona moved up to third in the points to sit just two behind Ehrlacher, as Néstor Girolami delivered solid performances to score in both races. Bryan Herta Autosport bolstered Hyundai’s Kumho FIA TCR World Tour presence in Mid-Ohio, with reigning IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Champions Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins making guest appearances. Wilkins and Gottsacker finished Race 1 in tenth and eleventh position, but they were both forced out of Race 2 mid-way through the finale.
Hyundai Hope On Wheels In 2024, Hyundai Hope On Wheels has pledged to donate $100 for every lap a Hyundai Elantra N TCR is in the lead during every race of the season. At Mid-Ohio, Hyundai cars led 44 laps, resulting in a $4,400 donation by Hyundai to the campaign, bringing the season total to $10,200 in donations for pediatric cancer research.
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