2020 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge
FOX Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
October 15-16, 2020
Round: 8 of 10 in the 2020 Michelin Pilot Challenge
Racetrack: Michelin Raceway, Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
2.54-mile road course, featuring 12 turns
Race: Friday, October 16, 2020 at 3:35 pm ET (12:35 am PT) (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 and RadioLeMans.com
BHA FAST FACTS:
Strength in Numbers: Five Hyundai Veloster N TCR cars are entered in the Fox Factory 120. Hyundai currently leads the manufacturers championship by nine points.
Road Atlanta Rewind: Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman, drivers of the #33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR are the defending race winners at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Harry Gottsacker is the defending pole sitter. Gottsacker earned his first IMSA pole at the Stay Frosty 240 at Road Atlanta just six weeks ago in early September. It was Chaves and Norman’s second race victory, which catapulted them to the top of the standings where they remain with a seven point lead over teammates Michael Lewis and Mason Filippi.
The Tail of the Dragon: Driving a 2020 Hyundai Veloster N paired with Michelin Pilot® Sport All-Season 4 tire, Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi are warming up for the Road Atlanta race weekend driving the famed “Tail of the Dragon,” on Tuesday. Wilkins and Filippi will capture footage for Motor Trend’s “Pole Position: Quest for the Championship” and social media. Known as one of the world’s foremost motorcycling and sports car touring roads, the Tail of the Dragon features 318 curves over 11 miles and begins at Deals Gap on the Tennessee/North Caroline state line. Follow their journey on T: @BHA, @Hyundai or @MichelinRaceUSA. Original content is available for media use.
Record Holder: 2019 co-champion Michael Lewis holds the track record at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Lewis set the record driving the #98 Veloster N TCR in 2019, the same weekend he won the series championship with then co-driver Mark Wilkins. His record setting lap time is 1.28.830 at an average of 102.937 mph.
A New Hyundai and a Pair of Young Guns: Coming off their outstanding seasons in the TCA and TCR categories driving Hyundai Velosters in the SRO Championship, Tyler Gonzalez and newly crowned SRO TCR Champion, Tyler Maxson, will make their IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge debut this weekend in the FOX Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Both Gonzalez and Maxson drove for the BHA/Hyundai Customer Support team Copeland Motorsports this season in SRO and will co-drive the #27 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Copeland, adding pitstops to the mix in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. Bryan Herta Autosport is the U.S. sales agent of Hyundai TCR and TCA race cars for customer teams. The BHA/Hyundai Customer Support Team offers engineering support, setup and tuning advice to customer teams, Tyler Maxson commented, “Having a BHA/Hyundai Customer Support representative at all the events that knows and understands the Hyundai product was beneficial. Using their knowledge and experience, we were able to problem solve quickly and tune the car and my driving for better performance on track. The BHA/Hyundai program is open book, and we are able to bounce ideas, share data and ask questions to any of the BHA staff at any given time.”
#21 Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins
Best Start: 1st Best Finish: 1st Championship: 3rd (191 points)
- Started from pole and finished 9th in the Stay Frosty 240 in September at Road Atlanta.
Harry Gottsacker: “We didn’t have our best event of the season during the 4-hour at Road Atlanta, so it will be great to have a second shot for redemption! It is a track that I have always enjoyed and feel like we have a chance for a great finish. Mark and I are focused on getting our championship aspirations back on track in these last three events. The Hyundai success this season has really been good for the team, and I would like to welcome my friends Tyler Gonzalez and Tyler Maxson to the IMSA paddock in their Hyundai Veloster N TCR.”
Mark Wilkins: “I’m thrilled to be heading back to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta after a tough four-hour for Harry and I there last month. We had a strong car and have some unfinished business to take care of! Last year Michael and I took the win and championship, and those memories are still fresh in my mind! I just love this track! I’m also really excited for the road trip south in the 2020 Veloster N. This has been a season of road trips for me, and I’ve had a blast spending time behind the wheel of some of Hyundai’s finest products. For this trip, I’ll be taking a brand-new Veloster N on a little detour to one of America’s most famous roads, The Tail of the Dragon! This iconic stretch of road features 318 corners in 11 miles; it reminds me of the Nürburgring and is therefore perfectly suited to the Veloster’s fun, corner rascal nature! Our series sponsor, Michelin has outfitted the Veloster N with a newly released tire; the Pilot Sport All Season 4 which offers phenomenal year-round performance and is the perfect pairing for a spirited fall drive through the mountains! Stay tuned as Mason and I document the adventure on our social channels!”
#29 Vertical Bridge/Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Parker Chase and Spencer Brockman
Best Start: 4th Best Finish: 2nd Championship: 7th (167 points)
- Started 6th and finished 2nd in the Stay Frosty 240 in September at Road Atlanta.
Parker Chase: “We had a rough pair of races at Mid-Ohio, so Road Atlanta can’t come soon enough. I’ve been mentally running laps there in my head daily and can’t wait to lay down a few quicks laps. We had our best result of the season when we finished second there last month, I think we can do one better this weekend.”
Spencer Brockman: “I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the #29 Vertical Bridge Hyundai Veloster N TCR. Our results at Road Atlanta were not what we were looking for. We finished second last month at Road Atlanta and I am confident we can make it to the top of the podium this weekend.”
#33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman
Best Start: 1st Best Finish: 1st Championship: 1st (202 points)
- Started 4th and finished 1st in the Stay Frosty 240 in September at Road Atlanta.
Gabby Chaves: “We won our last race at Road Atlanta, this time we arrive with the championship lead and I am determined to extend it. The #33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR was on rails the last time out there and we expect it to be just as good, if not better!”
Ryan Norman: “The #33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR is a proven race winner at Road Atlanta. We’ve given ourselves big shoes to fill, and it would be cool to sweep both races at Road Atlanta. We’re getting down to the wire with the championship and we need to pad our lead. It’s important to win this weekend.”
#98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR
Drivers: Mason Filippi and Michael Lewis
Best Start: 3rd Best Finish: 1st Championship: 2nd (115 pts)
- Started 5th and finished 5th in the Stay Frosty 240 in September at Road Atlanta.
Mason Filippi: “I am looking forward to getting back to Road Atlanta in the Veloster N TCR. It is an amazing track and the Veloster N TCR handles the elevation and high-speed corners so well. Michael and I are ready to fight for the top spot in the manufactures and the drivers championships. After Atlanta we have Laguna which is one of my favorite tracks. I know the Bryan Herta Autosport crew is ready to fight for the win and I cannot wait to battle it out at Atlanta.”
Michael Lewis: “There are three races left in our season, and we will keep doing the hard work we have been doing to earn more points for Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai. Our team has done an excellent job at getting wins and scoring points in the previous seven races. Our Hyundai Veloster N race car is such a pleasure to drive and it will be cool to see another Veloster N TCR with Copeland Motorsports, in addition to our team’s cars, on such an incredible racetrack.”
