“It’s the ultimate thank you for Jeff and I to thank the team
and our ownership group. We went to them two years ago
with this plan and we sold them on it. That plan was ‘Give
us two years, and we’ll win a championship.’ We went out
there to do that. To give them that is a really good feeling.”
McQuarrie and Westphal return to Sebring eager to keep
their title defense alive after a solid fourth-place finish at
Daytona in January.
“Finishing fourth at Daytona for the first round is a huge
step forward from where we were last year,” McQuarrie
said after the season opener. “Last year, we left here realizing
we couldn’t make any more mistakes, the year had to
be perfect.
“Walking away fourth overall now gives us a lot more opportunities.
We came here thinking we could be a top-five
car and were able to deliver. We’re excited to go to tracks
we dominated at like Sebring in a strong position.”
Also, at Sebring, not only will Westphal being competing in
Pilot Challenge, but as the third endurance driver for the
No. 63 Scuderia Corsa with WeatherTech Racing Ferrari
488 GT3 in the WeatherTech Championship.
Similarly, the Pilot Challenge’s visit to Sebring in 2019 was
a steppingstone for eventual TCR champions Michael Lewis
and Mark Wilkins. Driving the No. 98 Hyundai Veloster
N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport, the pair finished ninth at
the first race in Daytona, followed by a sixth-place result at
Sebring before leaping to their first win at Mid-Ohio Sports
Car Course the next round.
Lewis and Wilkins would go on to win two additional TCR
races – including the season finale at Michelin Raceway
Road Atlanta – and record two second-place finishes before
closing in on the championship in Bryan Herta Autosport’s
first season of IMSA TCR competition.
“I think this last race was a huge stamp on our championship,”
said Lewis at Michelin Raceway. “Like ‘Hey we’re
here, we’re going for the championship, but we’re going to
try to win this race too.’”
“This was a massive team effort by all, that’s why we’re
here,” Wilkins added that day. “We have a great synergy.
Bryan built a great team for us and it’s just our job to do
our component.”
The co-champions return this weekend as teammates rather
than co-drivers. Mason Filippi joins Lewis in the No. 98,
while Wilkins pairs up with Harry Gottsacker in the No. 21
Hyundai. Filippi and Gottsacker co-drove together in 2019,
scoring their first Pilot Challenge win at Road America in
what was a rookie season for both of them.
Meanwhile, coming off a victory at Daytona this past January
was the No. 35 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4.
That victory was the second for the team and its three drivers,
Dylan Murry, James Cox and Jeroen Bleekemolen, after
winning last year at Watkins Glen International.
Murry and Cox will co-drive again for the rest of the year,
including this weekend at Sebring, with Bleekemolen rejoining
them later this season to defend their victory at
Watkins Glen.
“To be able to drive at Daytona is one thing, to be able to
win here is an entirely different level, different world,” said
Murry after the win. “I can’t describe the emotions I’m going
through right now. My dad has raced here, I grew up
coming to the Rolex 24 At Daytona all my life watching
my dad race, go around, and I finally get to stand on victory
lane. It’s touching and special to me. I always said if I
could win one race it would be Daytona and it’s come true
and it’s exciting.”
In the TCR class, also earning their second career Pilot
Challenge victory were Gavin Ernstone and Jon Morley.
The emotions ran high for the duo as well in the No. 61
Road Shagger Racing Audi RS3 LMS, with Ernstone captured
on television nearly in tears in the pits as Morley
drove to the checkered flag.
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