Championship Battles Tight in Both GS, TCR Heading to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
By Tony DiZinno
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Respective three-way title tilts in both classes headline what should be another frantic finale to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season, the Fox Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Just 120 points cover the top three contenders in Grand Sport (GS), while only 70 points do so in Touring Car (TCR).
In GS, Jan Heylen and Luca Mars have paced the field most of the season in their No. 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS with a season-high three wins. But three finishes of ninth or worse in the last four races has seen a once unassailable looking lead shrink, rapidly. They’re 100 clear of Jeff Westphal and Sean McAlister in the No. 39 CarBahn by Peregrine racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO, and 120 ahead of Jenson Altzman in the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing by Aerosport Ford Mustang GT4.
A top-five finish would assure Heylen and Mars the title. But if they stumble, the door is wide open. Both Heylen (2021 GS) and Westphal (2019 GS) are past Michelin Pilot Challenge champions and seek their second series championships.
In TCR, the battle is much closer. Karl Wittmer and LP Montour took the points lead for the first time in their No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 TCR, literally doing so on the final lap of the last race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Wittmer made a pass to get onto the podium. They’re 10 points clear of Harry Gottsacker in the lead No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR, a car he shares with Mason Filippi. The second BHA title contender – the No. 76 of Preston Brown and Denis Dupont – sits third, 70 points back.
In nearly any case, whichever of the No. 93 Honda or No. 98 Hyundai finishes ahead on the road will win the title. The No. 76 Hyundai would need to finish multiple spots ahead of both cars to make up the difference.
In the not-unlikely scenario of a tie, the tiebreaker would go to the No. 93 Honda, and even that takes some work to get there.
Entering Michelin Raceway, the No. 93 Honda, No. 98 Hyundai and No. 76 Hyundai all have two wins and one runner-up finish this season. The No. 93 Honda leads with three third-place finishes to the No. 98’s one and No. 76’s zero.
The 43 cars on the entry list are split 27 GS and 16 TCR to tie the season-high entry achieved at the season-opening BMW M Endurance Challenge At Daytona. Of note, the VIRginia International Raceway-winning No. 31 RVA Graphics Motorsports by Speed Syndicate Audi RS3 LMS TCR resumes competition after skipping Indianapolis.
Michelin Pilot Challenge teams practice for one hour on Wednesday, one hour Thursday, qualify late Thursday afternoon before racing on Friday at 12:40 p.m. ET. The race streams on Peacock and live, globally on IMSA YouTube ad-free courtesy of Michelin.
Fast Facts
Fox Factory 120
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – Braselton, Georgia
October 8-10, 2025
Race Day/Time: Friday, Oct. 10, 12:40 p.m. ET
Live Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 12:40 p.m. ET, Peacock in the U.S., globally on IMSA.tv and IMSA YouTube ad-free courtesy of Michelin
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 (Qualifying)
- TCR: Bryson Morris, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 1:26.962 / 105.149 mph, October 2024 (Qualifying)
2024 Fox Factory 120 Winners
- GS: Michael McCarthy/Riley Dickinson, No. 91 KellyMoss with Riley Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS
- TCR: Mark Wilkins/Mason Filippi, No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR
Storylines
- GS With Three Title Contenders: The No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS shared by Jan Heylen and Luca Mars has had a roller coaster run to lead the GS points by 90 leaving Road America, 240 leaving VIR and now just 100 leaving Indianapolis. The No. 39 CarBahn by Peregrine racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Jeff Westphal and Sean McAlister have a shot 100 back, with Jenson Altzman also in with a shot 120 back in third in his No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with AEROSPORT Ford Mustang GT4. A top five for the No. 28 car clinches the GS championship.
- TCR Three-Way Fight, Too: Just 10 points, one position, separates the No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 TCR of Karl Wittmer and LP Montour from the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Harry Gottsacker. A second BHA Hyundai, the No. 76 of Denis Dupont and Preston Brown, sits 70 back of the lead in third and also with a good shot.
- Manufacturer Title Battle: Hyundai has already clinched its sixth consecutive TCR manufacturer championship before Friday’s race. Porsche leads BMW by just 20 and Ford 50 in GS, so one of those three will take home that title.
Who’s Hot?
- No. 27 Auto Technic and 39 CarBahn BMW M4 GT4 EVOs: It may be too little too late for both in the GS title fight, but combined, these two GS entries have both finished in the top eight every race but one starting at Sebring.
- No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 TCR: The TCR title leaders have finished in the top four in six straight races. They’ll need one more strong result to get their title pursuit over the finish line.
Who’s Good Here?
- Filippi and Wilkins: Among the Herta Hyundai success at this track, Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins have had the most driving success with three wins apiece. Filippi’s aim this race is to secure the 2025 TCR title for teammate Harry Gottsacker and the rest of the No. 98 crew.
- Turner Motorsport: One of two other teams in the field with multiple wins here (Motorsports In Action), Turner also claimed its most recent Michelin Pilot Challenge GS title here in 2023 on a day the team didn’t win the race.