BHA Doubles Down at Mid Ohio

O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours Of Mid-Ohio

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course June 7 – 9, 2024

Racetrack: Mid Ohio Sports Car Course

2.28-mile road course, features 13 turns

Race: Sunday, June 9, 2024, at 12:0 pm PST (4- Hour Race)

TV: Live on NBC’s PEACOCK: www.peacock.tv

Listen: Live radio commentary for every session at www.IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com Live timing and scoring from each session available at www.IMSA.com. Live updates are available throughout the weekend on BHA social media and www.bryanhertaautosport.com

FAST FACTS:

A Look Back: Bryan Herta Autosport earned their first TCR victory when co-drivers Mark Wilkins and Michael Lewis won in the Hyundai Veloster N TCR at Mid Ohio in 2019. BHA has three victories five years, with additional victories in 2021 and Harry Gottsacker’s victory alongside Parker Chase in 2022.

World TCR/Double Duty: Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins will pull double duty this weekend at Mid Ohio as they make their series debut in the World TCR. Competing in both rounds at Mid Ohio, Gottsacker will drive the #38 Elantra N TCR and Wilkins, the #98 Elantra N TCR.

Nürburgring 24 TCR VICTORY: Less than a week ago BHA drivers Bryson Morris, Harry Gottsacker, Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi won the Nürburgring 24 Hour in the TCR class, racing the Hyundai Team Americas #831 Elantra N TCR on the famed Nordschleife circuit.

BHA Rookie, Bryson Morris won the pole position for the North American squad.

Rob’s Remarkable Return: At Mid Ohio on May 4, 2021, Robert Wickens drove a race car using hand controls for the first time in a private test orchestrated by Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai. Since that test, Wickens has won a series title, and became the first paralyzed racer to win a professional car racing championship in North America using hand controls, and it took him just 20 races. Wickens’ return to racing since his IndyCar accident has been nothing short of stellar. He has a 79% podium rate, with two victories and 11 podiums in 23 races.

HHOW: Hyundai Hope On Wheels has pledged to donate $100 for every lap a Hyundai Elantra N TCR leads during every race of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season. The Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital of Columbus will receive the donation based on laps led this weekend at Laguna Seca. 2024 Season Tally: $5800 (Daytona: $1200, Sebring: $2100, Laguna Seca $2300).

Lightning In the Throttle: Hyundai recently unveiled its IONIQ 5 N TA (Time Attack) Spec variant for the upcoming The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and shared its collaboration plans with Gran Turismo, the popular sim-racing video game franchise made for PlayStation consoles. Hyundai has produced a webisode series chronicling the Pike Peak project. The BHA crew and Pikes Peak drivers recently tested on America’s Mountain for the first time in preparation for the 102nd running of the Hill Climb on June 23rd.

The second episode of Lightning in the Throttle, featuring Hyundai’s quest to conquer Pikes Peak Hill Climb with the Ioniq 5 N was released this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12HdX07aM2c&t=43s&pp=ygUhaHl1bmRhaSBsaWdodG5pbmcgaW4gdGhlIHRocm90dGxl

Photos and Quotes Below

Hyundai Team Americas: Mark Wilkins, Harry Gottsacker IV, Bryson Morris and Mason Filippi celebrate their victory in the TCR category of the Nürburgring 24 on Sunday, June 2, 2024 at the Nordschliefe circuit at Nürburgring.

#33 Elantra N TCR

2023 CHAMPIONS

2024 Best Start:1st 2024 Best Finish: 3rd (Sebring) 2024 Rank: 4th (790pts)

Harry Gottsacker: “We’re coming off a podium at Laguna Seca and really want to keep pushing forward to get at the front of the field and keep building up points. We know the Elantra N TCR shines on the technical layout at Mid Ohio so we are going to be pushing hard all weekend. The length of the race will allow our BHA crew to shine on pit lane and the timing stand. They have had a busy few months between IMSA and Nürburgring the and it would be nice to grab them a win in IMSA.”

Robert Wickens: “Everyone will be riding a high after an amazing Nürburgring 24h class win with Harry, Mark Mason and Bryson! Personally. I’m really looking foward to getting back Mid Ohio. The track is always a blast and the fans bring an exciting atmosphere regardless of the condition outside. They have resurfaced the whole track over the season, so it will bring new challenges for everyone. I have no doubt we can get our Elantra N TCR adapted to the new surface quickly and challenge for our first win of the season!”

#76 Elantra N TCR

2024 Best Start: 13th 2024 Best Finish: 2nd (Daytona) 2024 Rank: 3rd (830pts)

Denis Dupont: “I’m excited to come back at mid Ohio. Preston and I tested last week with our Hyundai Elantra N TCR. We hope that we’ll be able to use what we learnt to fight for a podium this weekend.”

Preston Brown: “I agree with Denis. Mid Ohio is a special track with some very technical sections that make it highly enjoyable to drive. I’m looking forward to this longer race in our Hyundai!”

#77 Elantra N TCR

2024 Best Start: 4th 2024 Best Finish: 8th 2024 Rank: 8th (670pts)

Taylor Hagler: “Mid-Ohio is a special place for me and my career and I am looking forward to racing there again. It’s a classic, old school track that as a driver is exciting to drive. We will have four hours to put together a strong strategy and race in the No. 77 Hyundai Elantra N TCR.”

Bryson Morris: “I can’t wait to get back into the Hyundai Elantra N TCR at Mid Ohio off of our win at the Nürburgring 24 Hour! Hopefully we can carry that momentum into this unusual 4-hour race and bring home a solid result!”

#98 Elantra N TCR

2024 Best Start: 4th 2024 Best Finish: 3rd (Daytona) 2024 Rank: 2nd (870)

Mason Filippi: “Still savoring our Hyundai victory at the Nürburgring 24! I am really happy we have a 4 hour this weekend, looking forward to another endurance race, our Hyundai Elantra N TCR’s do well over the long races. Ready to get our first IMSA win of 2024 to back up our three from last year. It will be cool to see our Hyundai teammates from overseas battle it out in the WTCR race here at Mid Ohio.”

Mark Wilkins: “It has been a few years since we’ve raced at Mid Ohio, but we will more than make up for that this weekend! After a great result at the Nürburgring this past weekend and a strong podium result at Laguna Seca in May I’m feeling confident that we can carry the momentum to Ohio and go for another strong finish. We’re chasing that first win of the season in IMSA competition, and we’ll keep pushing to achieve that goal. First road trip of the season! I’m excited for the drive and can’t wait to get on track Friday morning!”

Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian:

Founded in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single car Indy-Lights team into a multi-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 Rallycross, 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 American Sports Car scene beginning its immensely successful partnership with Hyundai. Together, BHA and Hyundai have won five consecutive team and driver championships, and four consecutive (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) manufacturer’s titles in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge. For more information, visit: www.BryanHertaAutosport.com.

BHA/Hyundai Customer Support: Bryan Herta Autosport is the U.S. sales agent and part support representative of Hyundai TCR race cars for customer teams. The BHA/Hyundai Customer Support Team offers trackside engineering support, setup and tuning advice, and part and order fulfillments for the Hyundai Veloster N TCR and TCA teams and drivers from the BHA’s headquarters in Speedway, IN. in 2024, there are five BHA Customer Support Teams racing Elantra N TCR cars in Canada, The USA and in Mexico.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America focuses on ‘Progress for Humanity’ and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Our 830 dealers sold more than 724,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2022, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.

Images: www.BHAMedia.com – Image copyright @LATUSA

Video: Subscribe to the BHA YouTube channel for video updates, Interviews and features from each race weekend: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdpjGo7dEuzYazs2ioBMVPQ/videos

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Katie Brannan

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