Podium Finish for Wickens and Gottsacker at Road America
· Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker Finish in Third Place at Road America 120
· Wickens and Gottsacker Now Lead Drivers’ Championship by 80 Points
· Hyundai Extends TCR Class Manufacturers’ Championship Points Lead
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Aug. 6, 2023 – Hyundai Motor America earned another podium result with Bryan Herta Autosport’s (BHA) Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker finishing in third place at the Road America 120. Gottsacker claimed pole position and led the first laps of the race. The Bryan Herta Autosport pair took third place in a dramatic end to the two-hour race when several teams ran out of fuel in the closing laps.
Mark Wilkins and co-driver Mason Filippi ran third in the No. 98 Elantra N TCR until he came to halt on the penultimate lap, allowing Wickens to move by on the track and takeover the championship lead. With the tight race for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR Drivers’ Championship, Wickens and Gottsacker now lead the point standings by 80 points heading into the VIRginia International Raceway weekend.
Hyundai continued to extend their TCR Manufacturers’ Championship lead with four of the seven Elantra N TCR entries finishing in the top ten positions at Road America. The van der Steur Racing Elantra N TCR shared by Tyler Maxson and Bryan Ortiz finished seventh, one spot ahead of Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis in the third of the Bryan Herta Autosport-run Elantra N TCR.
· Top Finishing Hyundai: Third place for the No. 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR driven by Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker
· Top Qualifying Hyundai: First place for the No. 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR driven by Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker
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#1 Hyundai Elantra N TCR
2021 and 2022 Drivers/Team CHAMPIONS
Started: 2nd Finished: 8th Rank: 8th 1660 pts
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| Taylor Hagler: “We really had a quiet day in our #1 Elantra N TCR at Road America. An early race penalty meant that we were battling back all race and then the race developed into a fuel mileage race. I practically ran out of gas at the finish line, so thanks to our engineers for helping us make it home without any fuel issues!” |
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| Michael Lewis: “It was fun racing out there and qualifying at Road merica. It’s a fun lap for a driver and with new tires and a clear track it was awesome.” |
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#33 Elantra N TCR
Started: 1st Finished: 3rd Rank: 1st – 2090 pts
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| Harry Gottsacker IV: “It was really great to grab another pole and have a strong first stint of the race. We just didn’t have the speed of some of the other brands, but we maximized what we had and came out of the race as the points leaders. I am really looking forward to VIR at the end of the month!” |
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| Robert Wickens: “Road America never disappoints. It was such a challenging race, which made our P3 that much sweeter. We didn’t have the package to compete for the win, so to grab a podium here was a great day for the Hyundai and the 33 car. It was really an amazing team effort.” |
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#98 Elantra N TCR
Started: 4th Finished: 11th Rank: 3rd 2000 pts
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| Mason Filippi: “Overall awesome racing at Road America. The 98 had pace and was close to the end. Excited to regroup for VIR. I appreciate the team and hard work that everyone brings each weekend. “ |
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| Mark Wilkins: “We had a great car and a solid race going. Mason’s opening stint was well executed and put us in a good position to challenge for a podium. We didn’t have the pace of the Audi or Alfa so our goal was to snag the final podium spot and collect as many points as possible. Unfortunately, we came up a bit short on fuel and we leave Road America with some work to do heading into the final three races of the season. I’m proud of our group. We had a great car, a great stop and deserved a better result. Head down and focused forward on VIR in a few weeks.” |
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| Harry Gottsacker leads the field in the Road America 120, round seven of the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge on Sunday, August 6, 2023. |
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| Robert Wickens congratulates co-driver Harry Gottsacker on his seventh TCR pole position, a series record, on Saturday, August 5, 2023. |
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