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Fast Facts Rd 3: Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N

Posted on by Katie Brannan
09
May

Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N

Round 3 of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge

May 11, 2024

Racetrack: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

2.238-mile road course, features 11 turns

Race: Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 2:00 pm PST (2- 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:

Happy Birthday Mark! Defending race winner Mark Wilkins celebrates his 41st birthday today!

The Ultimate Race Mom: In honor of Mother’s Day, BHA and drivers Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi teamed up with WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to find the Ultimate Race Mom. Children from across the country submitted a short essay as to why their mom is the “Ultimate Race Mom.” Kelly Smith of Connecticut has won the title after her son Wyatt entered her in the contest. Kelly and Wyatt are traveling from Connecticut to experience a VIP race weekend experience with Mark and Mason.

Fastest Qualifier: Harry Gottsacker is 2 for 2 in 2024, having qualified on pole at Daytona and Sebring. He’s extended his own personal series record to 9 career IMPC TCR pole positions. Two of his nine previous pole positions came at Laguna Seca (2020 and 2022).

Previously at Laguna Seca: Bryan Herta Autosport has three victories, five podiums and two pole positions in the last five years at Laguna Seca. Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins are the defending TCR race winners.

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 Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford will receive the donation based on laps led this weekend at Laguna Seca. 2024 Season Tally: $3300 (Daytona: $1200 and Sebring: $2100). HHOW National Ambassador Oliver Foster, 12, of Bloomington, Illinois will join the #33 team this weekend. Foster’s name will ride alongside Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens on the #33 Elantra N TCR and Ollie will present the trophies to the IMPC race winners.

N Club Craze: Hyundai owners are passionate about their cars and that passion will be out in force at this weekends’ Motul Course de Monterey Presented by N. Two hundred Hyundai owners are attending the race representing the NorCal and SoCal N Clubs as well as N Club members from Arizona and Nevada. They will enjoy behind the scenes experiences and presentations from Bryan Herta Autosport’s Technical Director Chris Finch and Team Manager Phil Howard, in addition tothe Hyundai N Product Planning Team and Michelin in addition to the opportunity to drive their own Hyundai N vehicles on WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Pro v Pro: Mason Filippi and Pro Soccer Player Pierce Gallaway from the Monterey Bay Football Club came together to exchange skills and stories against the stunning backdrop of two of Monterey’s incredible and beloved sports venues in the latest episode of See Monterey’s Pro vs Pro. The episode starts out in Cardinale Stadium, home of Monterey Bay Football Club where Union player Pierce Gallaway introduces Mason Filippi to the stadium and challenging soccer drills. Next, the athletes moved to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where Mason show’s Pierce what it’s like to drive at full speed over the 5.5 story drop at turn 8 that race fans call The Corkscrew. View the latest episode of Monterey Pro v Pro in its entirety by visiting https://www.seemonterey.com/events/pro-v-pro/. Tune in and discover why Monterey continues to captivate hearts and inspire fans from around the globe.

Photos and Quotes Below
Mason Filippi and Pro Soccer Player, Pierce Gallaway from the Monterey Futbol Club film Pro V Pro on March 8, 2024.

#33 Elantra N TCR

2023 CHAMPIONS

2024 Best Start:1st 2024 Best Finish: 3rd (Sebring) 2024 Rank: 4th (490pts)

Harry Gottsacker: “We have a lot of good podiums and good memories at Laguna Seca, and we are the product that the event is Powered by Hyundai N! It’s always special to have a Hyundai Hope on Wheels ambassador as a team member on our #33 and we are planning on doing a good job for Ollie. It’s been a busy April with our international efforts, but we are focused on continuing to build a good season in IMSA and notching some wins.”

 
Robert Wickens: It’s the home race for Hyundai Motor America and last year we managed a 1-2 finish, that will be our goal again. Harry and I have been just as strong as 2023, but our results are telling a different story. Hopefully we can get a win on the board and help us get into the championship fight.”

#76 Elantra N TCR

2024 Best Start: 13th 2024 Best Finish: 2nd (Daytona) 2024 Rank: 2nd (600 pts)
Denis Dupont: “I’m very excited for the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N, as we aim to solidify our championship position. Hyundai is the presenting sponsor, making this our home race, holds special significance. Preston and I have worked hard during this break to return stronger. The calendar is more busy going forward and we’ll have to grab points every step of the way.”

 
Preston Brown: “Denis and I have been spending a good deal of time preparing for the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N. It’s always a pleasure to visit Laguna Seca and we hope this third stop in the Michelin Pilot Challenge 2024 schedule continues to show what we can achieve together.”

 

#77 Elantra N TCR

2024 Best Start: 11th 2024 Best Finish: 8th 2024 Rank: 8th (450pts)
Taylor Hagler: “Representing Hyundai during their homecoming race is an honor. The BHA team has had great results at Laguna Seca and we know what it takes to be on the podium here. The No. 77 Hyundai Elantra N TCR is strong and we are all working well together, we saw that at Sebring. Bryson and I will carry that knowledge with us with the goal of putting the No. 77 back on the podium in front of all of the Hyundai guests!”
Bryson Morris: “Super excited to jump back in the #77 Hyundai Elantra N TCR at Laguna Seca this weekend! We showed great performance at the last round in Sebring, and hoping we have more luck on our side to fight for a win!”

#98 Elantra N TCR

2024 Best Start: 9th 2024 Best Finish: 3rd (Daytona) 2024 Rank: 3rd (550)
Mason Filippi: “Really excited for Laguna Seca , Hyundai’s home race. Mark and I are pushing hard to get a back to back wins at one of our favorite tracks. The new pavement is going to add a different challenge, we really like the low grip surface but we are excited to push our Elantra N TCR car to the limit with all of the grip the new track surface has.”
Mark Wilkins: “I’m absolutely pumped to get back out to Laguna and back in the Elantra N TCR next week! This is always a fantastic event for us. Performance-wise, this is a great track for our car. We’ve been very successful here and so I’m very confident going into the event that we will be in a position to continue our streak of podiums and perhaps even capture that elusive first win of the season. It’s Hyundai’s home race and it’s a great opportunity to catch up with our friends from HMA; of course some extra pressure but we’ve been there and delivered some fantastic results. We have a huge group of Hyundai N owners that are coming out, the largest yet! The Hyundai N owners have been huge supporters of ours over the years and we love to see the community continue to grow! It’s a big weekend for us but our goal will be to focus on the big picture. Practice One can’t come soon enough!”
Katie Brannan

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