It’s Championship Week in Georgia, BHA in Contention for Fourth IMSA Series Title

Fox Factory 120
Round 10 of 10 in the 2022 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge
September 28-30, 2022
Racetrack: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – Braselton, GA
2.54-mile road course, features 12 turns
Race: Friday, September 30, 2022, at 1:10pm EST
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:
Repeat? 2021 Champs Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis hold a 100- point advantage over the #5 Alfa Romeo. Should they secure the title, Michael Lewis will be the first IMSA’s first 3x TCR Champion. The duo are coming off their first win of the season last month at VIR. Their success this season has been highlighted by consistency, the duo have finished 3rd or better in six races and in the top five in eight of the nine races completed this season.
3-Peat: It’s a three-peat for Hyundai! Hyundai locked up the 2022 Manufacturers’ title with the #1 Elantra N TCR’s victory at VIR.
Fôrpēt: That’s what BHA is racing for this weekend, their fourth straight IMSA Michelin Pilot TCR Team and Drivers Title: 2019 – Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkins, 2020 Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman, 2021 Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis.
BHA Season Highlights:
WINS:
Mid-Ohio: Parker Chase and Harry Gottsacker #98 Elantra N TCR
Watkins Glen: Mark Wilkins and Robert Wickens #33 Elantra N TCR
CTMP: Mark Wilkins and Robert Wickens #33 Elantra N TCR
VIR: Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis #1 Elantra N TCR
Podiums: 16 – Every car has finished on the podium at least once
Poles: 6
Daytona: Tyler Maxson
Sebring: Mason Filippi
Laguna Seca: Harry Gottsacker
Watkins Glen: Mason Filippi
CTMP: Tyler Maxson
Lime Rock Park: Robert Wickens
*Harry Gottsacker broke the series record for pole positions.
Elantra Success: The Elantra N TCR made its racing debut in North America at Daytona in 2021. Since its debut, the Elantra has scored six victories and 22 top-three finishes. Should Hagler and Lewis win the title this weekend, it will be the first TCR title for the Hyundai Elantra in North America. Worldwide, Elantra N TCR drivers won the Drivers title in Italy in 2022 and the European Teams title in 2021. The car also has the back-to-back class wins in the Nürburgring  24 Hours (2021 and 2022).
Next Level: “Back In The Drivers Seat,” the latest edition of Hyundai’s web video series focusing on their North American racing program was recently released. The episode takes a detailed look at Michael Johnson and Robert Wickens’ life-changing racing incidents and the resulting transition to racing with hand controls. Watch here: (464) Back In The Driver’s Seat | Next Level Ep. 7 | Hyundai – YouTube. Previous episodes are available on Hyundai’s YouTube channel.
#1 Hyundai Elantra N TCR
2021 Drivers/Team CHAMPIONS
2022: Best Start: 5th Best Finish: 1st Ranked: 1st 2620 pts.
Taylor Hagler: “Our championship has been a bit up and down this year and we’ve had to fight back hard in the second half of the season. Getting the win at VIR was huge. Fighting for wins is what everyone on this Hyundai program is focused on, and it was obviously a huge step forward for us with the championship. So it is good to have a little bit of a gap, but IMSA is so competitive, and we know we’ll have to deliver another strong result to bring this championship home and that’s exactly what we plan to do!”
Michael Lewis: “The team has worked so hard this season to give us great race cars and great chances to run up front each weekend. A big ‘Thank you’ goes to all of the men and women who make our success possible. We have one more race and it’s exciting to work with everyone once again to go for it. Let’s get another great result for Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai!”
#2 Elantra N TCR
2022: Best Start: 2nd Best Finish: 3rd Ranked: 11th 1980 pts.
Ryan Norman: “It’s been a challenging season, highlighted by just one podium at Watkins Glen. I am looking forward to a big finish this weekend in Road Atlanta.”
AJ Muss: “Our results this season don’t show our pace and the overall experience. I’ve learned so much driving the Elantra N TCR and working with everyone at BHA. We’ve been marred with a lot of incidents that were beyond our control, but, we’ve been consistently very quick and very consistent. I hope the tide turns for the win this weekend in the #2 Elantra N TCR, Ryan and I have done everything in our control to prepare for that. Congrats to Hyundai on their third Manufacturers’ title, that’s been our goal as a team. Also, we’ll be focused on the #1 car this weekend and helping them bring home the title for the team.”
#33 Elantra N TCR
2022: Best Start: 2nd Best Finish: 3rd Ranked: 5th 2320 pts.
*Mark was unable to compete at Mid-Ohio, there for, he is currently ranked 8th with 2120 pts.
Mark Wilkins: “Here we are at the final round of the 2022 season and what a wild one it has been. A season of incredible highs and tough lows has left us focused on pushing hard for a third win to close out the season on the top step of the podium. The highs of the year all took place in one week! The Watkins Glen and CTMP race wins were incredible! That whole week was surreal with Robert and Karli welcoming Wesley between the two races and Robert showing up for the race, starting at the back and driving to the front. Unfortunately, the way the season played out: we lacked the consistency we needed to be in the championship hunt. Road Atlanta is an incredible circuit; I love closing out the season at this track; It has been good to us over the years, and I expect more of the same next week! Most importantly, thanks to the collective efforts of our team cars, we’ve locked in another manufactuers championship for Hyundai! FANTASTIC!
Robert Wickens: “It’s been a lot of highs and a few too many lows for the 33 car this year but we are looking to finish the season off with a strong result. Third is still possible for me in the drivers’ championship so that will be the goal. Like most the tracks, I haven’t been to Road Atlanta since 2005, so I’m really looking forward to driving our Hyundai Elantra N TCR car on such a legendary track.”
#54 Universal Coating Elantra N TCR
2022: Best Start: 3rd Best Finish: 2nd Ranked: 3rd 2330 pts.
Michael Johnson: “I’m very excited for the finale here at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Currently we are tied for 3rd place in points, so hopefully we can lock ourselves in the top three by the end of the race. It’s very exciting! I’ve had decent results in the past here, but this track is challenging with a big brake zone and lots of elevation. I can’t thank the entire Bryan Herta Autosport squad enough for all their hard work and dedication throughout this season. Let’s finish strong and go for that win!”
Stephen Simpson: “It’s great to be fighting for the top three in the season finale. We’ve had a good year racing the Hyundai Elantra N TCR, and a great year for Hyundai overall. I’m proud of the success Michael and I have had over the last half of the season and look forward to more of that at Atlanta.”
#77 Elantra N TCR
2022: Best Start: 1st Best Finish: 3rd Ranked: 9th 2110 pts.
Mason Filippi: “We’re heading into the final race of the season at Road Atlanta! Tyler and I have had speed all year and we are ready to end the year with a bang. The Elantra N TCR car will be epic going up turn 1 and through the esses. I’m proud of this team and Hyundai’s accomplishments this year, time to end it with on amazing track with an amazing machine!”
Tyler Maxson: “We have had some good runs at Road Atlanta in the past and I will personally be looking to finish the 2022 season on the top step of the podium. I came so close in our first Hyundai race ever two years ago and want to close the loop. It is a home race for me so I know I will have support from family, friends, and a lot of local people we know. I am hoping I can make not only them but Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai proud!”
#98 Elantra N TCR
2022: Best Start: 1st Best Finish: 1st Ranked: 3rd 2330 pts. (tied for 3rd with car 54)
Harry Gottsacker IV: “It’s hard to believe that the 2022 season is already coming to a close. We’ve had some great races like Mid-Ohio and it was super neat to personally earn the most pole positions in Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR history. We all know how important it is for Hyundai to win the manufacturer championship and we have that locked up already! The #98 Elantra is going to give it one more good battle at Atlanta and see if we can’t stack another one in the win column. It will help Parker and I to secure a good points finish and end up in the banquet in Friday!”
Parker Chase: “It’s shaping up to be an interesting race with the pending weather. My thoughts are with everyone in the path of this hurricane and their safety. I personally love racing in the rain and look forward to using it to our advantage to secure third in the Championship.”

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