First up Is the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix at VIRginia International Raceway
By Tony DiZinno
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The targets are identifiable on the Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai transporter.
The message reads simply: “driver, team and manufacturer champions in 2020, 2021, 2022.” That’s in addition to driver and team championships in 2019.
Heading into the final three races of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Touring Car (TCR) class season, for the first time in several years, the Herta Hyundai championship juggernaut is under threat.
While Herta still has two of its three full-season TCR entries in title contention, single-car programs fielded by rival manufacturers Audi and Alfa Romeo are trying to topple the erstwhile champions.
The No. 33 BHA Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens leads the championship. They’re seeking to become the team’s fourth different driver pairing to win the title in five years, after Mark Wilkins and Michael Lewis in 2019, Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman in 2020, then Lewis and Taylor Hagler in both 2021 and 2022.
Strangely, Gottsacker and Wickens haven’t won a race yet this season, while each of their closest pursuers have.
Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor, co-drivers of the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR, denied Gottsacker and Wickens a win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in July. They’re second in the standings, 80 points behind Gottsacker and Wickens.
The second Herta Hyundai in title contention is the No. 98 car of Wilkins and Mason Filippi, who’ve scored a pair of wins and are 90 points in arrears. Fourth in the standings and still with a shot are Tim Lewis and Roy Block in the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR. That pair has a class-leading three wins this year and sits 170 points from the leaders.
Gottsacker captured Hyundai’s first Motul Pole Award this year at Road America earlier this month, but he and Wickens didn’t have the full race pace to contend for a win. Unlike some rivals, they made it home to third with just enough fuel to secure a crucial podium finish.
“We just didn’t have the speed of some of the other brands, but we maximized what we had and came out of the race as the points leaders,” Gottsacker admitted.
Taylor was unlucky to lose the lead late at Road America but was gratified with second place in the No. 17 Audi. Two races earlier at CTMP, his dogged pass of Wickens late for the win produced a net 60-point swing that has Taylor and Miller the closest pursuers to the leaders.
“It’s so challenging right now in the championship,” Taylor said. “We want to settle for a podium, but at same time, the Hyundai and Herta cars, anytime they’re ahead they’re gaining points. We can’t be complacent. We have to go for the move every single time.”
Running out of fuel late at Road America dropped Wilkins and Filippi from a potential third place to an eventual 11th in the No. 98 Hyundai, costing them 100 valuable points and the championship lead.
“Unfortunately,” Wilkins said, “we came up a bit short on fuel and we leave Road America with some work to do heading into the final three races of the season.”
Block and Tim Lewis have the most flexibility to go for broke on wins, but also have the least wiggle room to atone for any points losses as they try to bring a title to the lone Alfa Romeo in the field.
“We’re not thinking championship right now; we just want to go for wins, to be honest. That’ll help us,” said Tim Lewis.
There’s also the manufacturer championship to sort. Hyundai leads Audi by just 20 points, Alfa Romeo by 70 and Honda by 120. With a 30-point difference between first and second in a race, that can change in an instant.
Grand Sport Battle Tight, Too
The Grand Sport (GS) class has at least four teams remaining in title contention as well. Separation between the top four is 230 points, and with the GS class size nearly double that of TCR (24 to 13 at VIR), wild point swings are always a threat.
Christian Szymczak and Kenny Murillo have led since winning in May at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4. They hold a 100-point lead over the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 (G82) shared by Robby Foley and Vin Barletta, the only GS multi-race winners this season.
Frank DePew and Robin Liddell, drivers of the No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT.4R and GS winners at Road America, are third in the points, 210 out of the lead. Just 20 points behind them are Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, who are still seeking their initial victory of 2023.
How quickly things can change? Two years ago in GS, Jan Heylen and the Wright Motorsports Porsche won the last three races to complete a 450-point turnaround and win the championship by 190 points over Bill Auberlen, Dillon Machavern and a Turner Motorsport BMW.
Two practices and qualifying all take place Friday at VIR. The two-hour race streams live at 5:10 p.m. ET Saturday on Peacock (in the U.S.) and IMSA.com/TVLive (internationally).