BMW Endurance 120
Round 1 of 10 of the 2025 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
Pre-Race Notes
Bryson on Pole: Bryson Morris opened the season strong earning his third IMSA pole on Thursday with a time of 1:56.457/110.049 mph.
New to The Team: BHA expands to a four-car team in 2025 with Maddie Aust and Suellio Almeida making their TCR debut in the #9 Hyundai Elantra N TCR. Aust joins BHA from a successful campaign in the SRO series. She is a multi-championship winning cheerleader having won on both the national and world stage. Aust is a sophomore at Texas Christian University where she is studying mechanical engineering. Brazilian Suellio Almeida’s racing resume is untraditional in that he became a SIM Racer at the age of 21 with no previous on track experience. He then became a SIM Racing coach and purchased a Radical Cup car with his coaching funds. He won the North American Radical Cup Championship in his rookie season and has since opened a SIM Racing academy in Dubai where he coaches Radical and GT drivers.
Also New for 2025: Young gun Bryson Morris returns for his second full season with BHA. This year he is paired with the 2019 Champion Mark Wilkins in the #33. 2023 TCR Champion Harry Gottsacker and 10x TCR race winner Mason Filippi will co-drive the #98 Elantra N TCR. The pair were previously paired as co-drivers in their rookie TCR season with BHA in 2019. Denis Dupont and Preston Brown return after their extremely successful debut season with BHA in 2024. They return in the #76 Elantra N TCR.
Last Year at Daytona: Earning the team’s best ever finish at Daytona, Denis Dupont and Preston Brown finished second in their debut with BHA and Hyundai. Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi finished third, matching their 2023 result.
HHOW is Back: Hyundai Hope on Wheels (HHOW) returns with their “Lap Leaders” program in 2025. HHOW donates $100 for every lap led by a Hyundai to a local children’s hospital. Advent Hospital of Central Floris will be the benefactor of tomorrow’s four-hour race. HHOW donated over $30k for laps led in 2024.
Race Car Drivers vs. Pilots: The 2025 Hyundai Drivers Camp kicked off on Tuesday at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University where the Hyundai drivers had the opportunity to test-fly a variety of flight simulators. The test run included aircraft landing, F22 canyon flights, crosswind training and the CRJ 200 commercial jet flight simulator. Mark Wilkins commented: “What an incredible experience. We were curious to see how much cognitive crossover there is between pilots and race car drivers. It turns out there are many similarities, especially with focus and reactive abilities. (BROLL Available)
Photos and Quotes Below
|