Championships to Be Decided in Both Classes at Michelin Pilot Challenge Season Finale
By Mark Robinson
Entry List (Click Here)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season comes to another exciting conclusion this week with Friday’s Fox Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The championships in both racing classes are still to be determined, with two hours of racing lying ahead on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn permanent road course.
Matt Plumb and the No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4 lead the Grand Sport (GS) class by 110 points, meaning a finish of sixth place or better on Friday will sew up the championship no matter what anyone else does. That’s no simple task, however, in a crowded and highly competitive 21-car GS field.
“Our plan is to stay ahead of everybody,” Plumb said after he and co-driver Paul Holton finished fourth last month at Indianapolis to ease the pain of disappointing results in the previous two races. “We had such a rough two-race patch there – unfortunate events, things blowing up in our face, metaphorically that is – that we kind of went back to our old ways. Stayed calm, did what we could do. … We’ve played this whole season the same way, which is take what you can get and don’t get upset, as I tell my kids. We built a little bit more of a points gap going into Atlanta, which is good.”
The path to the Touring Car (TCR) class title seems a little easier for Chris Miller, Mikey Taylor and the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR. Their lead is 150 points, meaning a result of 11th place or better in the 12-car class realizes the championship. It was just a year ago, however, that a mechanical issue on the opening lap of the Fox Factory 120 relegated the pole-sitting No. 17 Audi to a 12th-place finish, dashing the team’s title hopes.
Practice and qualifying sessions take place Wednesday and Thursday at Michelin Raceway, ahead of the race that streams live on Peacock on Friday afternoon. Here’s what else you need to know ahead of the season finale.
Fast Facts
Fox Factory 120
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – Braselton, Georgia
October 9-11, 2024
- Race Day/Time: Friday, Oct. 11, 12:45 p.m. ET
- Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 12:40 p.m. (available outside the U.S. on IMSA.tv and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial)
- IMSA Radio Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 12:40 p.m. on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com
- CNBC Encore Telecast: 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 19
- Circuit Type: 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course
- Classes Competing: Grand Sport (GS), Touring Car (TCR)
- Race Length: Two hours
Michelin Pilot Challenge Track Records
- GS: Akhil Rabindra, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, 1:25.715 / 106.678 mph, October 2019
- TCR: Mat Pombo, Honda Civic FK7 TCR, 1:27.803 / 104.141 mph, September 2022
2023 Fox Factory 120 Winners
- GS: Jesse Lazare/Alex Filsinger, No. 69 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4
- TCR: Mark Wilkins/Mason Filippi, No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR
Storylines
- GS Battle Down to Two Cars: If Plumb and the No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin are on the starting grid Friday, it eliminates all other GS teams from championship contention except the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport shared by Trent Hindman and Stevan McAleer. The No. 28 has risen from a disastrous season start to even put itself in the discussion for the title.
- TCR Chase Down to Two as Well: The same scenario applies for Miller, Taylor and the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller Audi. If they are on the grid to start the race, only the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR driven by Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens has any chance to overtake them. The No. 33 is the reigning class champ.
- One Manufacturer Crown Decided, One to Go: Hyundai has already clinched its fifth consecutive TCR manufacturer championship before Friday’s race. Aston Martin will take home the GS title if one of its cars finishes fifth or better among the seven manufacturers.
Who’s Hot?
- 28 RS1 Porsche: With two wins and a second-place finish in their last four races, Hindman and McAleer have been the hottest in the GS class. They’ll likely need a similar finish on Friday to have any chance of upending the No. 46 Aston Martin for the championship.
Who’s Good Here?
- Hyundai, Herta, Filippi and Wilkins: Bryan Herta Autosport has driven a Hyundai to victory lane at Michelin Raceway in four of the last six TCR races. BHA drivers Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins each have two wins, including when they paired last year for a victory.
- Jesse Lazare: The No. 69 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4 driver is a two-time GS winner at Michelin Raceway, including last year. He’ll aim for back-to-back victories this week with a different co-driver, Michael de Quesada.