McMurry ‘Cuts Out the Middleman’ in Acura GTP Development

As Both a Racer and an Engineer, the Two-Time WeatherTech Championship Titlist Has Been a Key Component in the Project

August 19, 2022

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Images of Acura’s entry for the new top-tier IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship class were released earlier this week. The LMDh car’s official public unveil is set for tonight in Monterey, California.

The build-up to this point has featured the tireless efforts of countless people at Honda Performance Development (HPD), not the least of whom is a familiar name in IMSA circles. Matt McMurry is a two-time WeatherTech Championship driver champion. He’s also a vehicle dynamics engineer at HPD. The 24-year-old has combined those talents to play an integral role in development of the Acura ARX-06 that will take on fierce competition from several other manufacturers when one of the most anticipated eras in IMSA history begins in January with the introduction of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

“It really has been a dream come true to be able to help design a pinnacle-level race car like this, let alone drive it, too,” McMurry says. “Working on this project has been awesome, better than I ever imagined.”

McMurry’s background made him the ideal candidate to be in on the ground floor of the Acura/HPD effort to develop the ARX-06. Eight years ago, at age 16, he became the youngest driver to start the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the fabled race’s history – a standard maintained until a slightly younger American, Josh Pierson, eclipsed it this year.

McMurry collected back-to-back WeatherTech Championship titles in 2019 (Le Mans Prototype 2 class) and 2020 (GT Daytona), winning a total of eight races in those seasons. Along the way, he also earned an aerospace engineering degree from the University of California-Irvine and landed an internship at HPD that led to his current vehicle dynamics engineering position.

Currently without a fulltime WeatherTech Championship ride, McMurry has been able to immerse himself in the Acura ARX-06 project. He estimates he’s spent some 125 hours on the Honda racing simulator – “or roughly five Daytona 24s!” he adds – moving the LMDh process along before it hit the track. McMurry was there as well, joining Wayne Taylor Racing driver Ricky Taylor to turn test laps at a pair of French circuits in July.

As both a racer and engineer, McMurry has been able to seamlessly mesh the experience in both worlds – and expedite the LMDh development process along the way.

“I am looking at it through the lens of how typically a driver would provide feedback to the engineer (or team of engineers) in the process, then the engineers would make changes to the car,” McMurry explains. “With you being both driver and engineer, you can sort of cut out the middleman in the process. … Less gets lost in translation from driver to engineer when they're one and the same!”

While undoubtedly itching to get behind the wheel of a race car in competition once more – his last WeatherTech Championship race came at Long Beach in September 2021 – McMurry derived special satisfaction from being selected to turn laps in the GTP Acura last month at the Paul Ricard and Magny Cours circuits.

“It was fantastic and a dream come true to be the first person to take this car on track,” he said. “It's what I've been working towards my whole career. It's an honor, and I’m grateful HPD chose me to shake down our first hybrid race car. What a great car, too; it was a blast to drive!”

How Robert Wickens and Michael Johnson Get Around the Racetrack

The Hand Control System Is Ever Evolving for the Michelin Pilot Challenge Racers

August 18, 2022

By Jeff Olson

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It started as a simple concept, but its implementation wasn’t simple. It was complicated, is constantly evolving, and – credit where it’s due – simply ingenious.

When it became clear that Michael Johnson and Robert Wickens would both be driving a Hyundai Elantra N TCR in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for the 2022 season, engineers at Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian had to devise a hand control system that would fit the car, the drivers and the specifications.

What they developed – and continue to fine-tune – is winning races and turning heads.

“It’s the best system I’ve used to date,” said Johnson, who has been racing with hand controls since 2007.

Johnson and Wickens are paralyzed from the waist down. Their co-drivers, Stephen Simpson and Mark Wilkins, share Elantras equipped with standard brake and throttle foot controls that convert to hand controls on the steering wheel when Johnson and Wickens drive.

“The concept is simple – you’re using your hands instead of your feet – but that’s where the simplicity stops,” said David Brown, BHA’s technical director, who devised the system with BHA development technician Jonathan Gormley. “It still has to be driven by somebody using their feet as well. You have the underlying brake, throttle and clutch systems all on the floor in the car, but then you have a duplicate set of controls for someone who can’t use their feet.”

The solution is a ring on the steering wheel that drivers pull toward themselves to brake, along with paddles to control the throttle. When Simpson and Wilkins are in the car, the brake and throttle hand controls revert back to foot controls.

Wickens explained how the system works in this video:

Wickens, who returned to racing this year after a crash in an IndyCar Series race at Pocono Raceway in 2018, won at Watkins Glen International and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with the system and stands third in driver points in the series’ Touring Car (TCR) class in the No. 33 BHA Elantra he co-drives with Wilkins.

Johnson, who was injured in an accident during a motorcycle race when he was 12 years old, has been using similar systems since he returned to racing in 2007 in a go-kart with hand controls developed by Alex Zanardi, who lost both legs in a 2001 IndyCar crash.

Johnson had been using a similar system in a BHA Hyundai Veloster N TCR he drove in 2021, but the Elantra hand control system is slightly different, mostly by way of throttle paddles and the feel of the brake ring.

The system’s superiority shows in the results. Johnson and Simpson are fifth in TCR driver standings following runner-up finishes at Lime Rock Park and Road America in the No. 54 Michael Johnson Racing with BHA Elantra.

“The way I get feedback from it is a lot better, especially with the improved brake ring and the throttle paddles we have instead of the big ring I had on the front of the steering wheel in previous years,” Johnson said. “I like this system way better. I don’t want to say it’s easier, but it’s a much better user experience.”

As they prepare for the Virginia Is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix on Aug. 27 at VIRginia International Raceway, Johnson and Wickens are working with Brown and Gormley to find the sweet spot on the brakes. 

“At some tracks we don’t need a ton of brake pressure, but other tracks we do,” Johnson said. “That’s something we’re always trying to play around with. There’s so much adjustability that you can sometimes get lost. That comes down to the feedback I get when I’m on track. That part can always be improved, so that’s what we’ve been working on. That’s always something that will be a work in progress.”

Brown agrees. The device isn’t complete. Rather, it’s constantly being upgraded and tweaked, a never-ending experiment in racing with hand controls. 

“We sort of came up with it as we went along,” Brown said. “We tackled the problems and came up with solutions, experimented with it a bit and asked whether we liked it and what we could improve.”

It is, in a word, groundbreaking.

Entry List Notebook – Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

Grand Touring Classes Headline IMSA Program at VIRginia International Raceway

August 17, 2022

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR returns to its traditional late August date on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule following last year’s race in October. The Aug. 26-28 event still serves as the penultimate weekend on the calendar and as the second GT-only race of the season.

Eighteen cars are on the pre-event entry list, five in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class and 13 in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD). The race airs live on CNBC starting at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 28. Here’s other important information you need for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR:

Fast Facts

VIRginia International Raceway – Alton, Virginia

August 28, 2022

Race Day/Time: Sunday, August 28 – 2: 10 p.m. ET

CNBC Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 2 p.m.

Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 2 p.m. (available outside the U.S. on IMSA.com/TVLive starting at 2:05 p.m.)

IMSA.com/TVLive Live Qualifying Stream: Saturday, August 27 – 3:10 p.m.

IMSA Radio: Select sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 28 (XM 207, Web/App 992)

Circuit Type: 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course

Race Length: Two hours, 40 minutes

Classes Competing: Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)

Track Social Media: 

·        Twitter: @virnow

·        Instagram: @virnow

·        Facebook: @virnow

Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #MichelinVIR

WeatherTech Championship Track Records

Qualifying:

GTD PRO: new class in 2022

GTD: Ross Gunn, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, 1:43.356 / 113.897 mph, October 2021

2021 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR Winners:

GTD PRO: new class in 2022

GTD: Zacharie Robichon/Laurens Vanthoor, No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R

Storylines

• GT Classes Take Center Stage: The Grand Touring classes of the WeatherTech Championship headline the race weekend at VIR. It’s the last of two races this season (the other came at Lime Rock Park in July) to feature only the GTD PRO and GTD classes.
• Penultimate Race: The VIR event serves as the next-to-last race on the schedule for GTD PRO and GTD. Only the Motul Petit Le Mans on Oct. 1 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta remains.
• GTD Points Battle Rages on: While the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, along with drivers Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell, has built a commanding championship lead in GTD PRO, the GTD championship remains wide open. The No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 and driver Stevan McAleer are at the head of the class, but four other teams – the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R and drivers Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen, the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and driver Roman De Angelis, the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 and drivers Robert Megennis and Jeff Westphal and the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 with drivers Robby Foley and Bill Auberlen – all lurk within 125 points of the leader. With 13 GTD cars entered at VIR, huge swings are still possible.
• Sprint Cup Finale: The IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup – a separate GTD championship comprised of the eight non-endurance races – is another matter. Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers and the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 need only to start the VIR race to secure the Sprint Cup title. It’s quite the feat for the team that had to miss the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona waiting on delivery of the new BMW and then having to learn the car’s ins and outs over the course of the season.

Who’s Hot?

• No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports: Jaminet, Campbell and the No. 9 Porsche have a string of five straight podium results (three of them wins) as they enter the race weekend. They can take another step toward locking up the GTD PRO driver, team and manufacturer crowns at VIR.
• No. 57 Winward Racing: If it weren’t for a faulty fuel pump on the final lap of the race at Lime Rock Park, the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 would be heading to VIR on the strength of back-to-back GTD wins. As it is, drivers Philip Ellis, Russell Ward and the No. 57 are coming off a victory Aug. 7 at Road America.
• No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing: Co-drivers Robert Megennis and Jeff Westphal have put together consecutive podium finishes at Lime Rock and Road America. It has moved them and the No. 39 Lamborghini into fourth in the GTD standings, just 98 points from the lead.

Who’s Good Here?

• Bill Auberlen: When you have more wins at the top level of IMSA racing than any driver in history, you tend to lead the pack at a number of tracks. That’s the case with Auberlen, who has four of his 65 career triumphs at VIR – the most recent two years ago in GTD.
• Antonio Garcia: The Spaniard has three wins since 2016 at VIR, each coming in the former GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. He and co-driver Jordan Taylor are seeking their second win of 2022 in the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C8.R GTD in the new GTD PRO class.

Previous Michelin GT Challenge Winners in 2022 Field (9)

• Bill Auberlen (4): GT – 2002, 2004, 2005; GTD – 2020
• Antonio Garcia (3): GTLM – 2016, 2017, 2020
• Andy Lally (2): GT – 2006, 2010
• Jordan Taylor (2): GT – 2011; GTLM – 2020
• Connor De Phillippi (1): GTLM – 2018
• Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2020
• Cooper MacNeil (1): GTC – 2012
• Bryan Sellers (1): GTD – 2016
• Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2016

Previous Michelin GT Challenge Pole Winners in 2022 Field (5)

• Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2021
• Jack Hawksworth (1): GTD – 2018
• Maxime Martin (1): GTD – 2013
• Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2016
• Jordan Taylor (1): GT – 2010

Previous Michelin GT Challenge Winning Teams in 2022 Field (5)

• Corvette Racing (5): GT – 2012; GTLM – 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021
• Turner Motorsport (2): GTD – 2014, 2020
• BMW M Team RLL (1): GTLM – 2018
• Paul Miller Racing (1): GTD – 2016
• Pfaff Motorsports (1): GTD – 2021

Previous Michelin GT Challenge Winning Manufacturers in 2022 Field (6)

• Chevrolet – 9
• Porsche – 8
• BMW – 6
• Lexus – 3
• Lamborghini – 2
• Mercedes-AMG – 1

No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Lamborghini Is Closing Fast in GTD

With Consecutive Podium Finishes, Jeff Westphal and Robert Megennis Have Quietly Moved into Championship Contention

August 15, 2022

By Godwin Kelly

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – You know how the side mirrors of some passenger cars come with a warning that “objects are closer than they appear?”

This same notice could apply to the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3, which competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) class.

A few races ago, following a car-destroying crash at Watkins Glen International, the team’s title hopes seemed to be hauled away on the wrecker that dragged the crumpled No. 39 back to the garage area.

Now armed with a new car (actually an older chassis with much less wear and tear), this Lambo team is within striking range of the GTD championship.

Drivers Jeff Westphal and Robert Megennis have scored back-to-back podium finishes, including a last-lap pass by Westphal at Lime Rock Park that earned a third-place finish. They finished second in their last outing at Road America.

This short flurry of success has pushed the team to fourth place in the standings – just 98 points behind the series leader – and with two races left on the schedule, they are very much in the championship hunt.

Megennis credits his co-driver’s steering-wheel skills for the comeback. Westphal has become the GTD closer.

“Our catch phrase for the last few races has been ‘in Westphal we trust,’” Megennis said. “He always finds a way to make it happen.”

Westphal defers to the team, which switched from Audi to Lamborghini this season. He says it has been a team effort all the way, stretching back to the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January.

“Literally the first wheel we turned was at the Roar Before the (Rolex) 24,” he said. “That was a complete shakedown for us, so we were behind on that, but we ended up running the car at the front of the field for a few hours.”

The team started slow, picked up some momentum, then watched its car get completely trashed at The Glen.

“Unfortunately, I was invited into a nasty wreck by two drivers who were playing bumper cars,” Westphal said of the incident.

The silver lining to this story has been the replacement car, which is much more responsive to chassis adjustments, thus increasing the speed and dropping lap times.

“At Lime Rock, we realized we had a car that acted to every click of compression we gave to it,” Westphal said. “We had a car that reacted to every half millimeter of ride height.”

“I wouldn't say the crash at Watkins Glen was a blessing in disguise, but the car we're running now seems to have an edge over the car we had at The Glen,” Megennis added.

With the trophy in sight, this team and drivers are gearing up for battle and looking for a victory. They hope to ride this wave of momentum to what was once an unlikely championship.

“The team has never changed its approach of always giving 100 percent,” Westphal said. “We have focus. Everyone is putting their heart and soul into this program. Top to bottom, front to back, everyone wants to win. That's why we're all doing this. There's a passion there.”

And that fire is being stoked with a hand-me-down Lamborghini looking more and more like the tree in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” that transformed from twig to showpiece.

“Now that we have a machine that's responding to what we're asking it to do, we're seeing a tiny bit of performance gain doing that,” Westphal said. “So that combined with a little bit of luck and strategy has given us some good results over the last few races.

“At the end of the day, the way I look at it, we need to leave nothing on the table. We need to leave everything we have out there on the racetrack for every race. You have no regrets if you drive that way. How the championship ends up is how the championship ends up. At least we did everything we could.”