Michelin Pilot Challenge

Defending Race Winners, BHA Return to Road America

Posted on by Katie Brannan
28
Jul
The Road America 120
July 31-August 2, 2020
Round: 3 of the 10 races in the 2020 Michelin Pilot Challenge
Racetrack: Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4.0-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 in 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 TCR
Drivers: Parker Chase and Spencer Brockman
Best 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 TCR
Drivers: Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins
Best 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 TCR
Drivers: Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman
Best 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 the #33 Veloster N TCR. We had 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 in to race wins.”
#98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Mason Filippi and Michael Lewis
Best 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 Manufacturers Championship!”
Katie Brannan

Leave a Reply