IMSA AUTOMOTIVE PARTNER HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
There will be a new manufacturer led by a championship-winning organization in the IMSA paddock when teams descend upon Daytona International Speedway.
Hyundai and Bryan Herta Autosport announced Friday at Sebring International Raceway as part of the Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore its plans to compete fulltime in the IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge in 2019 with the all-new Hyundai Veloster N TCR race car.
The Veloster N TCR was designed by the same Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Team that developed the i30 N TCR. Like its i30 stablemate, the Veloster N TCR will be produced at Hyundai Motorsport Headquarters in Alzenau, Germany. The two cars share around 85 percent of their core components, including the 350-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.
The Veloster N TCR will be fully unveiled closer to the start of the 2019 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge season, which kicks off on Jan. 25 at Daytona International Speedway.
“This multi-faceted program by Hyundai and Bryan Herta Autosport is significant, not just in the addition of another high-profile automotive manufacturer to the IMSA paddock, but also a championship-caliber organization and customer program as well,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton. “I’ve personally known Bryan for many years and have no doubt he and Hyundai will put together a high-level, successful program. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome them to the IMSA family.”
The Veloster N TCR is part of the ongoing rollout of the Hyundai N brand globally and addresses the requests of Hyundai Motorsport customer teams in select national markets where the i30 N TCR race car was in competition, but the i30 N road car was not part of a region’s production-vehicle model range.
The addition of the Veloster N TCR to the customer motorsports lineup gives teams in national markets where the Veloster N road car is available a more relevant platform for their respective audiences.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have Bryan Herta Autosport back with us, racing the new Veloster N TCR at America’s most fabled racing circuits in the IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge,” said Dean Evans, Hyundai Motor America’s Chief Marketing Officer. “After their championship run in 2018, we can’t wait to see the show they put on for our fans and customers in the Veloster N TCR race cars.”
In the United States, Bryan Herta Autosport is the designated sales agent for the Veloster N TCR and i30 N TCR customer cars. Bryan Herta Autosport will also provide technical assistance, spares, and parts support to teams campaigning Hyundai TCR models in the U.S.
“Chapter Two is going to be exciting,” said Bryan Herta, president and CEO of Bryan Herta Autosport. “We learned so much by racing and winning with the i30 N TCR last season. We know just how excellent the platform is in hard competition. The Veloster N TCR retains everything great about the i30 N and gives us a world-class race car with a direct road-car counterpart that our fans can purchase and drive every day.”
As Hyundai Motorsports heads into its second year of North American competition, Hyundai Motor America announces that it will support customer teams in the 2019 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge with optional contingency awards programs in each series. Participating teams will be eligible for contingency payouts for each 2019 race based on IMSA or Blancpain GT World Challenge race results and eligibility requirements.