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Race quotes – Bryan Herta Autosport

2019 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge
Round 1
January 25, 2019
 
CAR #98 Bryan Herta Autosport w/ Curb Agajanian
Started: 8th
Highest Race Position: 2nd
Finished: DNF – Contact, 76 laps p.9
 
Mark Wilkins: “We had a good start. The field was a bit scattered to be honest, no one really bunched up.  We have a lot of new here this weekend and I’m learning the field, trying to figure out which drivers I can work with and which I need to watch out for, there’s a lot of new.  We got up to fourth and the car felt good. The Veloster N is a great racecar. It’s the first race for this car, four hours and it is solid.  I am confident it is going to be another great season with Hyundai and Bryan Herta Autosport.”
 
  
Michael Lewis: “Thank you to Bryan Herta Autosport and the whole team for working really, really hard all week long.  They got the cars on the track in a fast and safe condition.  Mark had a great stint, he was looking racy and brought the car into the pits in fourth. I was pumped!  Once I got in and got my pace, we were catching the leaders and I think we had a good car.  We were a top-five car today and even ran as high as second.  It was all looking pretty good through the first half of the race.  On a re-start with about an hour and a half to go, we were hit hard from behind and that created quite a bit of damage.   We tried to keep going after the contact, but the damage was to sever. That is the way racing goes, but I’m disappointed we were not able to give Hyundai and BHA the result they deserved today with the Veloster N.  I am happy though that we’ve got confidence and we know we have a competitive package going forward. It is going to be a great season.”
 
 CAR #21 Bryan Herta Autosport w/ Curb Agajanian
Started: 13th
Highest Race Position: 4th
Finished: DNF – 96 of 101 laps completed – classified 5th
Harry Gottsacker on the race: “It was frustrating that neither car was able to finish the race, but we are looking forward to Sebring where will be stronger.  It was our first race as a team all together. Mason my teammate did a great job, he was super consistent.  We certainly all learned a lot this weekend.  On the competition: “It was a little bit of a different than what I am used to, especially racing in the TCR category with the front wheel drive.  It’s a completely different ball game really and something I need to get used to.  I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car and continuing our development.”
Mason Filippi on the weekend: “It was my first time here at Daytona and It’s been an incredible experience. To be a racecar driver competing at a place like this, is incredible. It was also our first weekend with the Veloster and my first impressions are very good. It was comfortable to drive right away, and it was fun to race.  My teammate Harry and I have been able to work together well right from the beginning.  I had a great first stint today, I enjoyed it very much.  It was fun passing cars out there, not necessarily where I would have expected to, not knowing my competition and their characteristics.  Ultimately, we were two laps shy of finishing the race with some sort of a problem that forced us to retire the #21, but we still scored points for fifth, which shows some consistency.  We’ve got tools in our box to take to Sebring and I am looking forward to it.”