Porsche team to run IMSA WeatherTech and GT3 Cup Series
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (July 31, 2020) – Porsche racing team Wright Motorsports will double up on the racing action this weekend at Road America, racing in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.
The fourth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will see Ryan Hardwick and Patrick Long race the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R in a two hour, 40-minute sprint race on Sunday afternoon. The pair has had a near-flawless run all season in the highly competitive GTD class, leading the team to sit third in the championship points. Still hungry for their first podium of the 2020 season, the Porsche team has a strong history at Road America in IMSA, most recently with Patrick Long and Christina Nielsen claiming the class victory in 2018.
“Ryan, Patrick, and our entire crew have done an excellent job executing all season,” said Team Owner John Wright. “We love Road America, and feel our Porsche will be competitive here. This season has been full of curveballs for everyone, but we’ve kept our focus on what we can control and look forward to a strong weekend.”
The coverage for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America will begin with the first practice on Friday afternoon, and continue with every session on IMSA Radio. The race will air live in the United States on NBC and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass Sunday, August 3 from 12:00PM to 3:00PM Eastern, and international audiences can watch live on imsa.tv.
After a four-month postponement, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama will finally kick off this weekend at Road America. The series arrived at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in early March, only for the seasoning opening event to be canceled amid early COVID-19 concerns. Now ready more than ever to get back to racing, driver Charlie Luck will begin his fourth year with Wright Motorsports, racing the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in this weekend’s doubleheader.
“While we understood the circumstances, it was a bummer to be at St. Petersburg and have the event canceled,” said Wright. “We’ve spent the last four months doing everything we can to prepare for the Cup Challenge restart, and we’re excited to get Charlie back on track.”
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama will begin their first practice session Friday morning, and all sessions of the weekend will also be covered by IMSA Radio. Race one will air live on imsa.tv Saturday, August 1 at 1:25PM ET, and race two on Sunday, August 2 at 10:00AM ET.
“It will be a busy weekend for our two programs, but we’re as ready as can be,” said Wright. “It’s going to be fantastic to be racing in Wisconsin, and we can’t wait.”
Ryan Hardwick
Road America is one of the greatest circuits in the world, and I think we will have a solid race car for this next IMSA race weekend as well. For me personally, I’m really starting to get the feel for pushing the rear-engine Porsche to the limits. As for the Wright Motorsports team, these guys have been on top of their game all year. They are putting in the work on developing the car, as well as executing mistake-free pit stops on the race weekends. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together this weekend in Wisconsin.
Patrick Long
Road America is personally my favorite of all the tracks on the schedule. Our 2018 run there was a big race for us as a team, and we'd like to try to repeat that. The competition is fierce as ever, and we'll go into this weekend, trying to come off the truck strong. We'll execute our strategy and pit stops, and have a consistent race and push forward. It's going to be a hot summer.
Charlie Luck
I can’t wait for the season to begin. It has been eight months or so since we’ve actually raced against each other as a group, and I’m super excited about beginning the season and getting back into the swing of things. I can’t wait.
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