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International Motor Sports Association 

 

www.imsa.com

 

About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)

International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, as well as four one-make series: Ferrari Challenge North America, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

 

After Le Mans, AWA Corvette Flies the Flag At Home

Fan Favorite Livery Heads to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park


 

July 9, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – AWA didn’t win the LMGT3 class in the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, but its Canadian maple leaf-liveried Corvette Z06 GT3.R won the hearts of the international racing community from the heart of France.


 

Now the only Canadian team to participate in this year’s 24-hour classic at the Circuit de la Sarthe is back on home soil to compete in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the sixth of 10 races on the slate for Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class competitors in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.


 

The GTD, GTD PRO, and Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) classes take the spotlight at CTMP, while the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class enjoys a mid-summer break before returning to top the bill August 1-3 at the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America.


 

Etobicoke, Ontario (town near Mississauga, Ontario near Toronto) native Orey Fidani secured Andrew Wojteczko Autosport’s invitation to Le Mans by winning IMSA’s Bob Akin Award, presented to the top Bronze-rated full-time driver in the GTD class. Fidani and his AWA co-drivers Lars Kern and Matt Bell claimed the ’24 Akin prize on consistency, then opened the 2025 IMSA campaign with a Rolex 24 At Daytona class victory.


 

Fidani and Brendan Iribe (No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3) are tied with 1590 points to lead this year’s Akin Award standings. It appears set to be a two-horse race between Fidani and Iribe for the 2025 Bob Akin Award the rest of the season. Fidani and Bell rank eighth in the overall GTD standings.


 

Fans at CTMP – located about 50 miles northeast of Toronto’s City Centre in Bowmanville and colloquially known by its original name of Mosport – are in for a treat, because AWA’s No. 13 Corvette will be wrapped in a Canadian-themed livery almost identical to the one its Europe-based twin sported on the way to its top-10 class finish at Le Mans.  

“Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is my home track, and just being there is a great feeling,” Fidani said. “I honestly couldn’t tell you how many laps I’ve done there; I feel like I could probably drive it with my eyes closed. It’s a challenging layout, and no matter how many times I drive it, it never gets old.


 

“This race means so much to the whole team,” he added. “CTMP is an extremely special place for me. It's where this whole journey began and it’s very sentimental to be able to compete at my home track in front of friends and family. 


 

Fidani has remained fiercely loyal to his co-drivers and team as they worked up the sports car ladder together as a group since 2022, and Wojteczko is extremely grateful Fidani insisted on taking on the Le Mans effort as AWA rather than just trying to find a ride on his own. 


 

Fidani also praised Bell, who had competed twice before at Le Mans in the LMP2 class and has consistently lent a veteran presence to the AWA effort.


 

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable of the title of veteran just yet,” laughed Bell, a 35-year-old Englishman. “It was definitely different to be essentially the only driver there that’s done Le Mans before. 


 

“You have to have your routine ready, and in the race, you can’t sit and watch the TV screens the whole time, because when you jump in you feel tired. Le Mans is not a track to drive around tired. It’s a pretty high commitment circuit. 


 

“I was just trying to make sure everybody was as prepped off the track as they were on it, and it seems to have gone alright.”

The AWA team notched a 10th-place class finish at Le Mans, which was a positive achievement that left everyone wanting more.


 

“We’re obviously a very competitive team,” Bell said. “We want to win; we won the Akin Award last year and we won Daytona this year. We fell a little short on pace at Le Mans. We learned some lessons; we’re pretty sure immediately that we know why, and what went wrong. But you never know that until you’ve done it wrong, and then you’re in the race. So, we weren’t quite as competitive as we hoped to be, and it really is a pace race these days for all classes. 


 

“Having Jeff Braun (respected racing engineer and father of IMSA driver Colin Braun) along with us was important, as he’s done it a couple times,” Bell added. “He’s been both keeping our team moving forward in the IMSA paddock and going to Le Mans. I think bringing Jeff in was a really big jump for the team and he’s done a great job bringing all the people together.”


 

Bell and his teammates didn’t bring home a trophy from Le Mans, but they brought home a suitcase full of memories. There’s no doubt they’ll get a huge round of applause every time AWA’s rolling homage to Canada turns a lap of CTMP.


 

“After seeing the massive amount of support we received in Le Mans, we knew we had to bring back the red livery for the Canadian crowd,” Fidani said. “I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car and we’ll be doing everything we can to put on a good show and get a great result here.”

Bell added, “The whole Fidani family and the team were proud to be, I believe, the only Canadian team to be flying the flag. It just added an extra little element to everything for everyone. 


 

“It was cool to see such a positive reception to guys proud of where the team was coming from and the national pride. Definitely a big hit and a big fan favorite – as the IMSA car has been as well this year (in the black and gold livery it ran from Daytona through the June 22 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International). We seem to have resonated on the livery front with the fans so far this year, so they are doing a great job. 


 

“The parade day (at Le Mans) was such a cool day,” Bell continued. “It’s easy to forget how crazy that all is, and to do it again and see Orey and Lars experience it. Such fun to see so much engagement from so many fans of the race. You always want to make sure the people coming to watch the event are having as much enjoyment as you are. We had some great times on that parade and that will stay with me for a while.”


 

Practice for the Chevrolet Grand Prix starts Friday, July 11, with the 2-hour, 40-minute race slated for 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 13. Domestic coverage is on USA and Peacock, while international viewers have the option of IMSA.TV or the official IMSA YouTube Channel.


 

Le Mans Photos by Chris duMond; Fidani Photo by IMSA Photo

Robert Wickens’ Advantageous Helping Hand

Josh Gibbs Plays Key Driver Assist Role in Aiding Wickens’ IMSA Progress


 

July 9, 2025

By David Phillips

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It’s safe to say Robert Wickens circled this weekend in red when he and DXDT Racing announced plans to compete in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) category of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. After all, Wickens originally hails from Guelph, Ontario – a Toronto suburb – and the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) is the WeatherTech Championship’s only visit to Canada this year.


 

“There’s lots to be excited about and I’m just trying to embrace a home race. It's been a long time since I've been in the headline event at a hometown race,” admits Wickens. “The last was IndyCar in 2018 (streets of Toronto, where he finished third). The Canadian fans are always passionate and always super loyal, and it's going to be awesome to see everybody out there.”


 

It’s also safe to say that having run countless number of laps at CTMP, Wickens knows the 10-turn, 2.459-mile circuit inside and out – witness his two IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Touring Car (TCR) class wins there for Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA). Call it advantage number one for Wickens who was injured in a crash back in 2018 and now operates the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R using hand controls including Bosch’s electronic braking system.


 

It's equally safe to say Wickens will heavily lean on another advantage this weekend, namely Josh Gibbs. After all, Gibbs plays a uniquely vital role in the Wickens + DXDT equation for he is the crew member responsible for lifting Wickens into and out of the No. 36 DXDT Corvette during driver changes with Wickens’ co-driver, Alec Udell. Efficiently executing Wickens’ ingress and egress from the cockpit during pit stops can win or lose positions on the track.


 

“It’s a cliche, but you can win and lose a race during a pit stop,” says Gibbs. “You’re literally carrying a human body around the car, around the tires and the rest of the crew doing their jobs, other cars coming in and out of the pits and constantly keeping your head on a swivel for safety sake.”


 

Prior to Wickens’ GTD debut at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach this season, he and Gibbs joined the team in spending a full day practicing pit stops at the DXDT shop in Charlotte, North Carolina under the watchful eyes (and remorseless stopwatch) of team manager Bryan Sellers. 


 

“But by the end of the day we were under six seconds for getting Robert out of the car,” Gibbs says. “So the next target was five seconds …” 

Gibbs did not come by this job by accident. A standout center on the Saginaw Valley State University football team, he didn’t hear his name called during the National Football League draft so, instead, he turned his attention to becoming a strength and conditioning coach for the Arena Football League’s Reno Express and later worked with AMA Motocross/Supercross champion Nico Izzi.


 

Subsequently, Gibbs worked in a spinal cord recovery clinic, where he met Michael Johnson who was paralyzed in a motocross accident at age 12 but who returned to racing go-karts and, later, using hand controls, race cars.  


 

When Johnson moved to race cars, Gibbs took on the added responsibilities of assisting his driver getting into and out of the cockpit, successfully as it turned out. Johnson won the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Lime Rock Park in 2018 before joining BHA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge effort in 2021. Fortuitously, when Johnson brought the curtain down on his racing career, one Robert Wickens was quick to contact Gibbs.

“When Michael took the personal family ‘out’ Robert called and said ‘Hey, I’ll take you!’” Gibbs recalls.


 

“It’s crazy how effortlessly Josh can toss me around getting in and out of the car,” says Wickens.


 

However, it turns out there’s more to the job than brute strength. As Gibbs noted, helping Wickens in and out of the DXDT Corvette amid the helter-skelter action in the pits is daunting enough. Ultimately, doing it quickly takes second place to doing it carefully. 


 

“It’s a strong and powerful grip,” says Gibbs, “but it’s actually not hurting the way I do it. There is an art to it. I guess over the years I’ve perfected the grip and the moves, such that it’s not a ripping grab. I’m looking at the head. I’m looking at the arms. I’m looking at the body. I’m looking at which path we’re taking so that we’re not hurting anything.”


 

With Wickens’ GTD program limited to the non-endurance races on the WeatherTech Championship schedule, this weekend marks just the third time this season the Wickens/Gibbs tandem will be working together in the heat of competition. Wickens concedes there is work to do. 


 

“We’re still working to find time getting me into the car,” he says. “We’re quick but not as consistent as we’d like. Getting out is relatively easy, but there’s a lot more moving parts to get connected getting into the car. 


 

“We got the pit stops down to 16 seconds at Long Beach but even then we lost some time. At Laguna Seca the whole pit stop was a disaster, beginning with our car getting hit by another car. But like anything else in racing, we keep practicing, keep working to do what we need to do to be competitive.”


 

And to continue developing their fair advantage.
 

Entry List Notebook – IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at CTMP

GTDX Title Tilt, Canadian Crew Highlight Visit to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park


 

July 8, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The presence of GT3-specification cars in the new Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) class has been a welcome addition to the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge series. Through six races, their pace has been close to the pacesetting Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class and the championship battle is the closest among any IMSA-sanctioned class heading into July as the series heads to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.


 

The GTDX battle sees Adam Adelson (No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R) and AJ Muss (No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3) tied with 1900 points apiece. Adelson holds the tiebreaker, for now, with three wins. 


 

“Right now, it’s difficult to be competitive in the dry, but the wet is a great equalizer,” Adelson said after his third win of 2025, in the rain at Wright’s home race of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.


 

Muss has been the model of consistency with six podiums in six races but is yet to win. 


 

“Six races, six podiums is good, but a lot of second places. I’m kind of tired of it!” Muss laughed. “At the end of the day, the championship is really what I’m fighting for. As long as we stay consistent, the win will come. Adelson and Jake (Walker) have been good; and I need to do a little more fine-tuning. We’re taking it race-by-race, and the points will fall how they fall.” 


 

Incidentally, both Adelson and Muss will have extra track time this weekend as they’re competing in both VP Racing Challenge races and Sunday’s Chevrolet Grand Prix for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. 


 

The other GTDX driver who’s made waves recently is Samantha Tan, the Stouffville, Ontario native (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3) who now gets to race on home soil this week. She has had a hectic last month after winning her third Bronze Cup race in the last four IMSA races, with trips to Le Mans for the Road to Le Mans races in a Team WRT-entered BMW M4 GT3, then the Nürburgring 24-hour and Spa 24-hour race weekends. She ranks third in the GTDX points ahead of Walker.


 

“So, I’m doing the podium and I’ll immediately head to the airport because I’m flying straight to Paris for the Road to Le Mans,” she said in Mid-Ohio victory lane. “Doing the ‘big three’ in three weeks, then I’m so excited to go back to CTMP for my home race. I haven’t raced there in eight years but I’m so looking forward to have my family and friends there.” 


 

Jake Walker’s Daytona troubles have left him 330 points back in fourth, but the No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 driver has three wins and has been the highest-scoring driver the last four races. Teammate Vin Barletta completes the class in the No. 95 Turner BMW.


 

As one of only two drivers who’ve started all six P3 races, Valentino Catalano’s three wins and four podiums from six races see him clearly ahead in the P3 championship in the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, nearly 200 ahead of Brian Thienes in the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320. Corey Lewis (No. 36 RAFA Racing Ligier) and Oscar Tunjo (No. 31 Gebhardt Duqueine) split the race weekend wins at Mid-Ohio. Those same four P3 cars are back at CTMP although Matthew Dicken returns to the No. 36 RAFA Ligier. Toronto native Jonathan Woolridge returns in the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320; he won Round 3 at Circuit of The Americas.


 

GSX also saw a Mid-Ohio weekend split, with BSI Racing’s Steven Clemons stopping the RAFA Racing run of wins in Saturday’s first race in the No. 76 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 with Kiko Porto back on top in Sunday’s second race in the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2. Ian Porter (Saturday, No. 68 RAFA Toyota) and Chris Walsh (Sunday, No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS) split the Bronze Cup triumphs. Porter sits second in overall GSX points behind Porto. There are nine GSX cars at CTMP, including Walsh, a former Olympian, current U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Officer, who races with Calabogie, Ontario-based TWOth Autosport. 


 

“This program came together in the middle of the year; a bunch of people rallied to make it happen,” Walsh said at Mid-Ohio victory lane. “The rear grip on the Porsche is unbelievable in the rain.” 


 

VP Racing Challenge competitors have a pair of practice sessions before qualifying on Friday, with races Saturday morning at 8:50 a.m. and Sunday morning at 11:10. Races stream on Peacock domestically and IMSA.tv and the IMSA YouTube channel internationally. 


 

Fast Facts

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

July 11-13, 2025


 

Race Days/Times: Saturday, July 12, 8:50 a.m. ET; Sunday, July 13, 11:10 a.m.

Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 8:45 a.m. Saturday and 11:05 a.m. Sunday (available outside the U.S. on IMSA.tv and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel)

Circuit Type: 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course

Classes Competing: Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3), Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX), Grand Sport X (GSX)

Race Lengths: 45 minutes


 

VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Track Records

  • P3: Steven Aghakhani, Ligier JS P320, 1:12.299 / 122.441 mph, July 2024 (Qualifying)
  • GSX: Gregory Liefooghe, Stephen Cameron Racing, 1:22.533 / 107.258 mph, July 2023 (Qualifying)


 

2024 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 1 Winners: 

  • P3: Steven Aghakhani, No. 6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320 
  • GSX: Jack Polito, No. 98 Polito Racing Ford Mustang GT4


 

2024 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 2 Winners:

  • P3: Jagger Jones, No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08
  • GSX: Josh Green, No. 78 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT GT4

 

 

 

Celebrate IMSA’s Expanded Virtual World Presence on National Video Game Day

With Host of Titles and Platforms, IMSA Virtual Racing Grows


 

July 8, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –IMSA’s presence in the virtual world has grown by leaps and bounds over several years. 


 

As today, July 8, marks National Video Game Day, it’s a great time to look at where you can find IMSA cars and content in the gaming space.

 

PC Simulator


 

A hallmark of the racing simulator space is, of course, iRacing, the subscription-based service. IMSA has enjoyed a years-long partnership with iRacing where members can sample a bevy of the same prototypes and GT cars that race in IMSA-sanctioned series. 


 

There are IMSA-based special events on iRacing including iRacing ROAR, Daytona 24, Sebring 12HR, 6 Hours of The Glen Powered by VCO, Indy 6 Hour and Petit Le Mans, open to all iRacing members. This past April iRacing also hosted the Road America 500, a throwback to the 1979 IMSA GT Championship.


 

Additionally, IMSA’s premier sim-racing championship, with open qualifiers to all iRacing members – the IMSA Esports Global Championship – will continue in 2025 with the schedule to be revealed soon. 

Reiza Studio’s Automobilista 2 is another simulator option for those looking to scratch their IMSA virtual racing itch. AMS2 for short, offers its sim racers a chance to race at Sebring, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and – this week’s real-life venue – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park via its “IMSA Track Pack” package that serves as a compendium to its “Endurance Pack” (Part 1 | Part 2) that features three IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) cars and four GT3-specification cars among its offerings.


 

PC/Console


 

Among PC/Console titles, Forza Motorsport with its 20-year history is another longtime virtual venue for IMSA content. IMSA has been featured in many titles over the years, including the most recent release in 2023. The alliance features a wide range of both current and historic IMSA vehicles alongside venues that make up the IMSA calendar. The latest version of the game’s update dropped in June for Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam. 

 

Gran Turismo 7, released for PlayStation systems (PS4 and PS5), joined the list of IMSA licensees in 2022 during IMSA’s State of the Sport address (Release | Video). The game has more than 400 cars from over 60 manufacturers in total, as well as tracks from 37 locations with 110 layouts. Michelin is also an official partner of the game. 


 

Project Cars 3 adds to the list with a range of GT3-specification cars included and outliers from the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge as well as historic IMSA vehicles. 

 

GRID is one of the more venerable games on this list with its last release in 2019, but that ensures its presence captures IMSA content from that period – including many models from the former GT Le Mans class, the bespoke GTE-specification beasts, including the Porsche 911 RSR, Corvette C7.R and Ford GT along with a handful of Daytona Prototype international (DPi) models. 


 

There’s a new addition, too. Project Motor Racing, set for a November 2025 release and available for pre-order via the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store and Steam – plus boxed and PC versions – will feature 10 car classes available from start of game, and a single player career mode with an option for an authentic and challenging motorsports economy.


 

Mobile

 

For those looking for a mobile platform, IMSA content can be found on Nitro Nation and Real Racing 3. Real Racing 3 continues to add IMSA content, with the most recent inclusion being Sebring in early 2025. The Porsche 963’s addition in 2023 was one of the vehicles users could acquire in-game depending on their performance.

 

The IMSA Esports Community


 

Beyond the titles, IMSA also has its own Esports community. The IMSA Esports Club on Grid Finder is the only IMSA-backed Esports community featuring open contests and challenges across various gaming platforms. You can view it here.


 

Suffice to say there is no shortage of options for those looking to get their virtual IMSA fix.

 

 

Entry List Notebook – Michelin Pilot Challenge Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120

Looking at the Canadians in the Field Racing on Home Soil 


 

July 7, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Most Canadians racing on home soil at this weekend’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 have had strong, steady or sneaky good seasons across the Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR) classes.


 

The Canadian contingent has particularly starred in TCR, due to both the volume of competitors and their respective successes for three different manufacturers: Honda, Hyundai and Audi.  


 

Honda has both a team and driver Canadian connection with the No. 93 Montreal Motorsports Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR of Karl Wittmer (from Saint-Lazare, Quebec) and LP Montour (from Blainville). MMG enters on a hot streak, having won the last two Motul Pole Awards with Wittmer and Montour on Honda’s home soil at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and then in the appropriately named LP Building Solutions 120 at Watkins Glen International, just five miles from the village of Montour Falls, New York.


 

Wittmer, Montour and Dai Yoshihara finished third in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio endurance race and then Wittmer and Montour won at Watkins Glen, with the victory stopping Hyundai’s six-race TCR win streak the last two races of 2024 and the first four of 2025. They enter Canadian Tire Motorsport Park third in points, 230 behind championship leader Harry Gottsacker.


 

While Hyundai lost its win streak at Watkins Glen, they’ve still been strong with Canadians at CTMP. Mark Wilkins of Mulmur is a 2022 TCR winner at the track and shared his winning No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR that day with his countryman Robert Wickens in Wickens’ first of two TCR wins at CTMP.


 

Additionally, Montreal’s Denis Dupont seeks to join the list of Herta Hyundai TCR champions in the No. 76 Herta Hyundai. Dupont and Preston Brown are second in points heading into CTMP, only 30 behind Gottsacker in the similar No. 98 Herta Hyundai. Wilkins and Gottsacker’s regular co-drivers, Bryson Morris and Mason Filippi, are back for CTMP after a runner-up finish in class for Hyundai at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring that took place on Watkins Glen weekend. 


 

At Audi, the Baker Racing entry has been one of the quiet stars of the season, even if their results haven’t fully shown it. The team ran sporadic Michelin Pilot Challenge races the last couple years with four starts but has grown into a full-season outfit in 2025. Through Round 4 at Mid-Ohio, the team was the top non-Herta Hyundai in the TCR title ranking fifth in the championship, with two top-five and four top-10 finishes in as many starts. A fuel pump issue late at Watkins Glen negated a potential second-place finish. 


 

IMSA veteran James Vance of Toronto has ascended to the team’s lead pro driver aboard the No. 52 Audi RS3 LMS TCR but has also served as a coach and mentor for Bowmanville, Ontario’s Sam Baker and his father Dean, both of whom have grown in pace and performance as the year has gone on. The team added a second car for the first time at Watkins Glen, with Dean Baker sharing the No. 56 Audi with Indy car and sports car veteran Bruno Junqueira. 


 

Another Audi that has flown under the radar but steadily improved is the No. 37 Precision Racing LA Audi RS3 LMS TCR, featuring the father-daughter lineup of Ron and Megan Tomlinson, both from Ottawa. The Tomlinsons have started the year five-for-five in terms of top-10 finishes with a best finish of seventh twice. 


 

While the TCR field features nine Canadians, the lone Grand Sport (GS) Canadian in the field is Daniel Morad in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 he shares with Bryce Ward. His passes at Mid-Ohio were highlight reel material en route to a runner-up finish there. 


 

The 34-car field for Saturday’s race is split between 20 GS and 14 TCR entries. The GS points-leading No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS of Jan Heylen and Luca Mars has a 340-point lead over Jenson Altzman, who will return to double duty action between Michelin Pilot Challenge and WeatherTech Championship races over the weekend. The Nos. 39 and 95 BMW M4 GT4 EVOs from CarBahn by Peregrine racing and Turner Motorsport have a win apiece this year and are tied for third in points, albeit 390 points back of the lead.


 

Michelin Pilot Challenge competitors have two one-hour practice sessions on Friday with qualifying first thing Saturday morning and the race Saturday at 1:25 p.m. ET, streaming live on Peacock and globally, ad-free, on YouTube courtesy of Michelin. 


 

Fast Facts

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

July 11-12, 2025


 

Race Day/Time: Saturday, July 12, 1:25 p.m. ET

Live Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 1:20 p.m. ET, Peacock in the U.S., globally on IMSA YouTube ad-free courtesy of Michelin

Circuit Type: 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course

Classes Competing: Grand Sport (GS), Touring Car (TCR)

Race Length: Two hours


 

Michelin Pilot Challenge Track Records

  • GS: Jack Hawksworth, Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO, 1:22.084 / 107.845 mph, July 2024 (Qualifying) 
  • TCR: Harry Gottsacker, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 1:23.080 / 106.552 mph, July 2024 (Qualifying) 


 

2024 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 Winners

  • GS: Stevan McAleer/Trent Hindman, No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS
  • TCR: Harry Gottsacker/Robert Wickens, No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR

 

Storylines

  • Canada’s Finest in TCR: With nine Canadian drivers in TCR, there’s a good chance a home country driver will be on the podium on Saturday, as has been the case here frequently.  
  • Can Anyone Stop RS1?: As the season starts its second half, it’s going to take a significant effort to topple RS1 in the GS championship. The first attempt to cut in comes this weekend. 


 

Who’s Hot?

  • RS1: Championship leaders Jan Heylen and Luca Mars are five-for-five in 2025 podiums, and their No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS won last year at CTMP with a different lineup. They’re hot until they’re not. 


 

Who’s Good Here?

  • Billy Johnson: Johnson has won in three different decades at CTMP, including his most recent Michelin Pilot Challenge GS win in 2023, co-driving the No. 50 Hattori Motorsports’ Toyota GR Supra GT4 with Parker Thompson. The poignancy of that win has grown following the passing of team owner Shigeaki Hattori in April. 
  • Mikey Taylor and Chris Miller: Along with Johnson, Taylor and Miller are the only active drivers in the Michelin Pilot Challenge field with both a pole and a win at the track. In 2019 and 2023, the No. 17 UniTronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports car won from pole, with Taylor (2019) and Miller (2023) qualifying fastest one time apiece. 


 

Previous Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 Winners in 2025 Field (8)

  • Billy Johnson (3): ST – 2007; GS – 2016, 2023  
  • Robin Liddell (2): GS – 2017, 2019 
  • Mikey Taylor (2): TCR – 2019, 2023 
  • Frank DePew (1): GS – 2019 
  • Harry Gottsacker (1): TCR – 2024 
  • Stevan McAleer (1): GS – 2024 
  • Chris Miller (1): TCR – 2023 
  • Mark Wilkins (1): TCR – 2022 


 

Previous Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 Pole Winners in 2025 Field (4)

  • Harry Gottsacker (1): TCR – 2024
  • Billy Johnson (1): GS – 2015 
  • Chris Miller (1): TCR – 2023 
  • Mikey Taylor (1): TCR – 2019 

 

Previous Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 Winning Teams in 2025 Field (5)

  • Bryan Herta Autosport (2): TCR – 2022, 2024
  • JDC-Miller MotorSports (2): TCR – 2019, 2023 
  • RS1 (2): ST – 2015; GS – 2024 
  • KohR Motorsports (1): GS – 2018 
  • Rebel Rock Racing (1): GS – 2019 


 

Previous Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 Winning Manufacturers in 2025 Field (7)

  • Ford – 7
  • Porsche – 6 
  • BMW – 4 
  • Audi – 3 
  • Hyundai – 2 
  • Mercedes-AMG – 1 
  • Toyota – 1 

 

 

Entry List Notebook – Chevrolet Grand Prix

LMP2 and Canadian Entries Spotlighted Ahead of Trip to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park


 

July 2, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For the second consecutive year, Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) cars run as the lead class as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship heads to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as part of a 35-car, three-class race. The 12 LMP2 cars run alongside 10 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 13 Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) cars. Half the LMP2 cars have adjusted lineups for their first two-hour, 40-minute race of the season, including several Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) driver fill-ins. 


 

There’s also a strong Canadian contingent of teams and drivers. Among teams, Pfaff Motorsports and AWA will be resplendent in their patriotic colors, with Pfaff’s plaid standing out on its No. 9 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 and AWA having run a Canadian flag-themed red-and-white livery at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Engineering powerhouse Multimatic also gets to race on home soil, not far from its Toronto base.


 

Additionally, Robert Wickens headlines nine Canadian drivers racing on home soil as he returns to the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R he shares with Alec Udell. Wickens has won two of the last three Michelin Pilot Challenge races at CTMP; in 2022 shortly after the birth of son Wesley and in 2024 taking the checkered flag for the first time in his Hyundai Elantra N TCR. 


 

Beyond Wickens, there are four additional Canadians in GTD: Parker Thompson (No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3), Orey Fidani (No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R), Roman De Angelis (No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) and Misha Goikhberg (No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2). There are also four Canadian drivers in LMP2, all in ORECA LMP2 07 cars: Phil Fayer (No. 2 United Autosports USA), John Farano (No. 8 Tower Motorsports), Travis Hill (No. 18 Era Motorsport) and Chris Cumming (No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports). Fayer and Hill are set to make their WeatherTech Championship debuts this week. 

 

Fast Facts

Chevrolet Grand Prix

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

July 11-13, 2025


 

Race Day/Time: Sunday, July 13 – 2:05 p.m. ET

USA Network Coverage: LIVE – 2-5 p.m.

Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 2 p.m. (streaming on Peacock in the U.S.; IMSA.TV, IMSA Official YouTube channel outside the U.S.)

Qualifying Stream: Saturday, July 12 at 3:55 p.m. ET (Peacock in the U.S.; IMSA.TV, IMSA Official YouTube channel globally)

IMSA Radio: Select sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Sunday, July 13 at 2 p.m. (XM 206, Web/App 996)

Circuit Type: 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course

Classes Competing: Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)

Race Length: 2 hours, 40 minutes


 

Track Social Media: 


 

Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #ChevroletGrandPrix


 

WeatherTech Championship Track Records

  • LMP2: Matt McMurry, ORECA LMP2, 1:08.197 / 129.806, July 2019 (race)
  • GTD PRO: Alexander Sims, Corvette Z06 GT3.R, 1:14.373 / 119.027 mph, July 2024 (qualifying)
  • GTD: Frankie Montecalvo, Lexus RC F GT3, 1:15.060 / 117.937 mph, July 2024 (qualifying)

 

2024 Chevrolet Grand Prix Winners

  • LMP2: Tom Dillmann/Nick Boulle, No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07
  • GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia/Alexander Sims, No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
  • GTD: Roman De Angelis/Spencer Pumpelly, No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo


 

2024 Chevrolet Grand Prix Motul Pole Award Winners

  • LMP2: PJ Hyett, No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07
  • GTD PRO: Alexander Sims, No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
  • GTD: Frankie Montecalvo, No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3


 

Storylines

  • Three Close Points Battles: Just 52 points separate the GTD PRO first and second place drivers, 60 in GTD and 94 in LMP2 heading into CTMP. With 10-plus cars in each class and a potential swing of more than 100 points from first to last, there could be some significant fluctuation race weekend.
  • LMP2 Showcase: The 12-car LMP2 showcase at CTMP gives Bronze drivers a chance to shine in qualifying at the front of the overall field before handing off to their co-drivers. Last year’s CTMP LMP2 winners, Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports, used the CTMP race as a springboard to their championship. Also of note, occasional LMP2 entrant JDC-Miller MotorSports is back in class for the first time this year with drivers Gerry Kraut and Scott Andrews. 
  • Manufacturer Win Scorecard: Aston Martin and BMW scored their first WeatherTech Championship wins of 2025 at Watkins Glen, joining Acura, Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche among the seven winning brands in the series this year. Once additional IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and one-make series manufacturers are added, a total of 14 of 18 IMSA automotive brands have won at least once this year. 


 

Who’s Hot?

  • No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R: New points leaders in GTD PRO, the No. 3 pair of Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims have four podiums from five starts in 2025, including three in a row. They seek their first win of the year this weekend at a track where they won last year. 

 

Who’s Good Here?

  • Roman De Angelis: One of only four drivers with multiple wins at CTMP racing this weekend, the Canadian has won two of the last three races in GTD at the track. De Angelis makes a one-off return to the class sharing the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with Casper Stevenson, who won his first IMSA race at Watkins Glen. 
  • Corvette Racing: It doesn’t seem to matter the class, model or series: Corvette Racing has consistently excelled at CTMP for more than 25 years. The team added its 13th CTMP win in 2024, the first in IMSA for the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
  • PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports: Among LMP2 entries, PR1/Mathiasen is the only team with multiple LMP2 wins at CTMP – both on its own in 2019 and partnered with Inter Europol in 2024 for the LMP2 overall win. Fellow LMP2 team Riley has three CTMP wins, but none in LMP2 itself. 


 

Previous Chevrolet Grand Prix Winners in 2025 Field (12)

  • Antonio Garcia (3): GTLM – 2014; GTD PRO – 2023, 2024
  • Dane Cameron (2): P/Overall – 2016, 2017 
  • Roman De Angelis (2): GTD – 2022, 2024
  • Alexander Sims (2): GTLM – 2017; GTD PRO – 2024 
  • Tom Blomqvist (1): GTP/Overall – 2023 
  • Tom Dillmann (1): LMP2/Overall – 2024 
  • Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2019 
  • Felipe Fraga (1): LMP3 – 2023 
  • Tommy Milner (1): GT – 2013 
  • Gar Robinson (1): LMP3 – 2023 
  • Madison Snow (1): GTD – 2023 
  • Renger van der Zande (1): DPi/Overall – 2022 


 

Previous Chevrolet Grand Prix Pole Winners in 2025 Field (8)

  • Tom Blomqvist (2): DPi – 2022; GTP – 2023 
  • Jack Hawksworth (2): GTD – 2018; GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Gar Robinson (2): LMP3 – 2022, 2023
  • Roman De Angelis (1): GTD – 2023 
  • Robby Foley (1): GTD – 2019 
  • Antonio Garcia (1): GTLM – 2016
  • PJ Hyett (1): LMP2 – 2024 
  • Alexander Sims (1): GTD PRO – 2024 


 

Previous Chevrolet Grand Prix Winning Teams in 2025 Field (10)

  • Corvette Racing (13): GTS – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004; GT1 – 2005, 2007, 2008; GT2 – 2009; GT – 2011, 2013; GTLM – 2014; GTD PRO – 2023, 2024 
  • Riley (3): GTD – 2014, 2018; LMP3 – 2023 
  • PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports (2): LMP2 – 2019; LMP2/Overall – 2024 (as Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen)
  • Heart of Racing Team (2): GTD – 2022, 2024 
  • Turner Motorsport (2): GTD – 2016, 2019 
  • Conquest Racing (1): P2 – 2012 
  • Inter Europol Competition (1): LMP2/Overall – 2024 (as Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen)
  • Paul Miller Racing (1): GTD – 2023 
  • Pfaff Motorsports (1): GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Wayne Taylor Racing (1): P – 2015 


 

Previous Chevrolet Grand Prix Winning Manufacturers in 2025 Field (8)

  • Porsche – 18
  • Chevrolet – 15
  • BMW – 5
  • Acura – 4
  • Ferrari – 4
  • Aston Martin – 4
  • Ford – 3
  • Mercedes-AMG – 1
 

 

 

Lamborghini and Aston Martin’s Prototypes are Making Some Noise

IMSA’s Two Newest GTP Entrants Starting to Hit Their Stride


 

July 1, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – BMW dominated qualifying for the first four races of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, then Porsche swept to victory in all four to take a commanding lead in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class point standings.


 

But Acura has rallied to win the last two races, and Cadillac was in position to finish first in both. On top of that, the two newest manufacturers participating in the GTP class – Lamborghini and Aston Martin – have run increasingly closer to the front.


 

At the recent Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International, Romain Grosjean led most of the third hour of the race (23 laps in total) and the No. 63 Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse Lamborghini SC63 matched its best result in seven IMSA starts over the last two years with seventh place. 


 

Similarly, in Aston Martin’s first season of IMSA GTP competition, Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis appeared poised for a top-five finish in Aston Martin THOR Team’s No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie but suffered bad luck when a caution right after their late stop for energy dropped them to ninth place at the checkered flag.


 

James Hails Aston Martin’s “Gradual Progress” 

Still, Aston Martin THOR team principal Ian James was encouraged by the unique-looking and sounding car’s latest showing. 


 

“As we promised at the beginning, we’ve been making gradual progress with the Valkyrie and showed increased speed at every race,” James said. “So far, that’s been true. Reliability – touch wood – seems really good, and performance is coming up to where we expected at this part of the year. Just very positive.”


 

The Aston Martin drivers came away from Watkins Glen with similar enthusiasm. The strong showing came despite struggling to find a good balance in the car throughout the race weekend. Gunn was happy that he and De Angelis were able to get some extra track time at a Michelin tire test the day after the race.


 

The most exciting aspect of the weekend for the British racer was being able to compete on pace with frontrunning cars like the Porsches and BMWs.


 

“Caddy and Acura were definitely quite a long way ahead, and then there was kind of like a pack of the rest of us,” Gunn observed. “In a way it was nice to be fighting cars and catching some cars during our stints, which hasn’t always happened this year. I definitely think there were points in the race where we were competitive. I struggled a lot at the start of the race with the rain and really struggled to get rear tire temperature. That’s an area where we’re working really hard to improve. 


 

“But once it came into the window, we started to put some good laps together,” he added. “Towards the end we got a bit unlucky with the timing of the yellow. We had already committed to doing a splash earlier than we needed to. But that’s racing. You can’t always predict what’s going to happen in the future. We were looking good for a sixth or seventh position, which is a step up on what we’ve had before.”


 

Grosjean Brings the Heat Out Front in the Lamborghini

While the Aston Martin is most noticeable for its shrieking V-12 engine, the Lamborghini stands out through its piercing, bright Italian flag livery colors of Verde Mantis (green), Nero Noctis (black), Bianco Alpi (white) and Rosso Sangue (red). That made it easier to see during the rainy portion of the race at Watkins Glen, which is when Grosjean and the SC63 were at their best.


 

Even more impressive, Grosjean was driving without the benefit of a cool suit, air conditioning, or drink bottle, none of which functioned correctly during his three-hour opening stint. Grosjean returned to the car for the final hour after Daniil Kvyat drove two hours.


 

Grosjean looked physically shattered but still managed to make light of his infamous fiery Formula 1 crash during a mid-race interview with IMSA Radio.


 

“I am absolutely cooked, and I know what I’m saying when I say cooking,” Grosjean gasped. 


 

“It’s hot in the Lambo, there’s no lying about it,” he added. “That’s an issue we have, but Riley Technologies did a fantastic job on the strategy, got me in (the pits) at the right time, we led the race, and I wasn’t too shabby behind the wheel keeping everyone behind. I’m proud of that, leading more laps in an IMSA race. I’ll take that.”


 

Grosjean was excited about the potential for the Lamborghini SC63 for the last two races of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup – the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the 27th annual Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Coming out of Watkins Glen, Kvyat was also upbeat. 


 

“It’s great to finally finish a race this year,” he said. “That was very important for us and to get P7 shows that we were competitive, and we were in the game throughout the race. There are a lot of positives to take from this race and I hope that we will be able to bring some things to the car that will help us make a step forward with the pace of the car.”


 

Development Path Continues for Both


 

As noted, Lamborghini is only seven races into its IMSA GTP stint – just three with the Riley-prepared effort this year – and the Valkyrie just completed its fifth IMSA race. 


 

It’s fair to say both manufacturers are very much in the development stage with their cars compared to the core GTP competition that has been racing since the start of 2023 and testing in the year prior to that. 


 

“We want to just have races where we progressively get closer and closer to the front, and I think we’ve seen that on the IMSA side in the past few races,” noted De Angelis. “Our goal is to keep progressing and moving forward and hopefully by the end of the year we’ll have a car that can compete at the front. I think it’s going as we expected and as we want.”


 

“We’ll keep working,” added Gunn. “I think definitely we are improving race by race. It’s pretty difficult to see when you’re fighting for seventh, eighth or ninth, but we can definitely see the progress and we just need to keep on that trajectory.”

 

Ryder’s Wave of Engineering Expertise

Under-The-Radar, Megan Ryder Has Proven Integral to No. 98 Herta Hyundai Form in 2025


 



June 30, 2025

By David Phillips

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian has certainly enjoyed its fair share of success in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. Since first entering the series in partnership with Hyundai, BHA Hyundais have captured 29 Touring Car (TCR) wins and swept the driver, team and manufacturer TCR titles in four consecutive seasons from 2020 through 2023. They have an additional driver title in 2019 and an additional manufacturer title in 2024. 


 

An “under-the-radar” story developing this year of another new name added to the litany of Herta and Hyundai success is Megan Ryder, lead engineer on the No. 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR piloted by Harry Gottsacker and Mason Filippi, winners of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio. 


 

This was not the No. 98 Hyundai’s first victory of the 2025 campaign, but it was the first on the road after a post-race penalty sent the sister No. 33 car to the rear of the field at Sebring. There was no such blemish at Mid-Ohio; Gottsacker and Filippi beat teammates Preston Brown and Denis Dupont in the No. 76 Herta Hyundai by 0.668 of a second. 


 

“Personally, I don’t count Sebring as a win,” Ryder said. “The points may show it, but it’s way more satisfying to get across the finish line first. It was much more rewarding, especially after a four-hour race when it was a tough battle the whole way through. But that relief at the end was like ‘O.K., we really did it.’”

The win at Mid-Ohio allowed Ryder, Gottsacker, Filippi and the rest of the No. 98 crew to close within 10 points of Brown, Dupont and the No. 76 for the top spot of the TCR championship points standings heading to Watkins Glen International and the LP Building Solutions 120. 


 

However, the No. 98 team attacked Watkins Glen with a slightly different lineup – with Filippi racing at the Nürburgring 24 in a Hyundai Motorsport TCR entry – as Gottsacker’s longtime friend and former BHA driver Parker Chase filled in. The revised lineup finished third, and moved the No. 98 car into the points lead leaving Watkins Glen. For good measure, the Filippi/Michael Lewis/Bryson Morris/Robert Wickens Hyundai TCR car finished second in its class at the Nürburgring.


 

“We’re just going to roll that momentum and keep going forward with the car we have,” Ryder said.


 

All in all, not too bad for someone who, far from aspiring to a career in auto racing, wanted nothing to do with the sport in her youth.


 

“Both my parents used to work for Roush Engineering through the evolution of Roush Fenway Racing,” Ryder said. “I saw how busy they were all the time and was like ‘Wow! No thank you.’” 


 

But that was before she was lured into the sport by her affinity for mathematics and engineering … and the Hyundai Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Scholarship which, in cooperation with BHA, provides female students with opportunities to learn about careers in motorsports.  


 

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do in college,” Ryder recalled. “I knew I liked math, so I just said, ‘I’ll start with engineering. Take me wherever it takes me.’ 


 

“I got admitted into the mechanical engineering program at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (now IU Indianapolis and Purdue University Indianapolis). It was the classes that could be applied to the real world that I really found interesting: vehicle dynamics, data analysis, race engineering. I just wanted to learn more, so I joined the motorsports program, took all those classes and my curiosity just took over.


 

“I needed a job to support myself. Chris Finch (now BHA’s technical director) really pushed me to take a job as an intern with BHA. ‘Just try it,’ he said. ‘It’s an internship. If you don’t like it, finish out the season and move on.’


 

“Well, it turns out I loved it; loved the racetrack; loved the engineering challenge. And a switch went off in my brain saying, ‘This is where you belong.’”

Ryder joined BHA as a system engineer intern in 2021, downloading data and reviewing engine vitals, and advanced up the proverbial ladder, thanks in equal parts to her rapidly developing expertise and the fact that BHA kept affording her opportunities. She became lead engineer on the No. 77 BHA Hyundai last year with Taylor Hagler and Morris and moved over to the No. 98 car this year. 


 

In the process, she has worked with virtually the entire cast of BHA drivers over the past five seasons. 


 

“Every year is a learning experience,” she said. “You see different driver abilities, strengths and weaknesses. The thing I love about IMSA sports car racing is you have to have multiple drivers and setting-up the car for multiple drivers is challenging.”


 

As well as honing her technical skills, working with an ever-changing driver line-up has contributed to what one might call “the other” side of race car engineering: the psychologist (although some might say psychiatrist). 


 

“Starting as a systems engineer gave me a really good baseline,” Ryder said. “I’m still communicating with our systems engineers. They come to me asking me questions - I’m still asking them questions and learning from them. There’s definitely some psychology involved! It’s working well with your team, meshing and communicating with each other. We all have bad days when we have to lift each other up. We all have great days when we can celebrate with our teammates.”


 

Keeping the race cars competitive is an ongoing dance year-to-year with largely incremental or evolutionary developments allowed. Race engineers also remain adeptly on their toes to account for any regulatory tweaks. Ryder wouldn’t have it any other way.


 

“When the BoP (Balance of Performance) changes you just have to go out and see how it affects the car,” she said. “It’s like any other changing race condition. It keeps the competition even, but it’s also a challenge. That’s what racing is: a challenge. You just react to those changes and make the car fast again.”


 

That challenge has contributed to a 180-degree turn in Ryder’s outlook on following her parents’ career choice.


 

“My ultimate goal is Le Mans and sports cars,” she said. “My dad (Jim) was an engineer at one of the Le Mans races, so I look at him as one of my biggest role models. Just hearing the stories from those days and from my mom (Nancy) as well … our last name is attached to some sort of reputation, and I’d like to exceed that. It’s very interesting to me; those GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) cars (in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship), all of them are just so cool; the high level of engineering and mechanics that go into all of them.”


 

But before she gets to Le Mans, Ryder has more immediate goals, not least of which is encouraging and supporting more young women to follow her into motorsports.


 

“I love to see this movement growing,” she said. “Even in just the past five years that I’ve been in racing, I’ve seen such growth in the paddock from PR people to engineers to mechanics. There are so many more female mechanics on the grid. That is wonderful to see. I love to see them kicking butt. Succeeding. 


 

“BHA and Hyundai have been so supportive of the diversity and STEM growth. That’s one of our initiatives with interns; we’ve got such a great group of interns come through even when I was an intern to now. We had Josefine (Eskildsen) who is now with the Acura GTP car. That growth and opportunity is wonderful to see. We’ve got Gabby (Kuebler) on our team now. She’s new to racing, but she’s picking it up right away. 


 

“Just to hear and see that is great. Knowing that getting that early exposure is what gets you interested.”


 

And on the path to success.

 

International Motor Sports Association    Lamborghini Super Trofeo series  
2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe calendar

11-13 April – Paul Ricard
30 May -1 June – Monza
27-29 June – Spa-Francorchamps
29-31 August – Nürburgring 
10-12 October – Barcelona 
6-7 November – Misano

2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia calendar

4-6 April – Sydney (Australia)
16-18 May – Shanghai (China) 
27-29 June – Fuji (Japan) 
18-20 July – Inje (South Korea)
5-7 September – Sepang (Malaysia) 
6-7 November – Misano

2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America calendar

12-14 March – Sebring (Florida)
9-11 May – Laguna Seca (California)
19-21 June – Watkins Glen (New York)
1-3 August – Road America (Wisconsin)
18-20 September – Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indiana)
6-7 November – Misano

2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals

8-9 November - Misano

 

2025 international Motor Sports Association  schedule

Event Date  
 
The Roar Before The 24
Jan 17
11:00
 
Daytona 24 Hours
Jan 25
13:40
 
Sebring 12 Hours
* Mar 15
 
 
Long Beach
* Apr 12
 
 
Laguna Seca
* May 11
 
 
Detroit
* May 31
 
 
Watkins Glen
* Jun 22
 
 
Mosport
* Jul 13
 
 
Road America
* Aug 03
 
 
Virginia
* Aug 24
 
 
Indianapolis
* Sep 21
 
 
Petit Le Mans
* Oct 11
 

 
       

 

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