Norman Finally Breaks into Lamborghini Super Trofeo Win Column
INDIANAPOLIS – When he finally had the opportunity to seize a first win in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Ryan Norman made sure to leave no doubt about it.
Norman jumped into the lead on the opening lap and held strong throughout Saturday’s 50-minute race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, rolling to the overall and Pro class victory by a lopsided 17.606 seconds in the No. 84 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport, Lamborghini Palm Beach Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2.
It marked the maiden win for the series rookie and 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge champion. It also ended the unbeaten run for WTRAndretti teammates Danny Formal and Kyle Marcelli in the No. 1 Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán, whose 2023 winning streak was snapped at eight races.
“It’s such a relief. We’ve been on the brink all year long and we had a couple chances (earlier this season) and it just didn’t work out,” Norman said.
Norman started second alongside polesitter Formal but took advantage of the higher grip on the outside racing line heading into Turn 1 of the 2.439-mile, 14-turn IMS road course. As Formal bobbled through the opening corners after the green flag, Norman jumped ahead and never looked back.
“I was just pressuring him and luckily he was on the inside and didn’t have the grip and kind of went wide,” Norman said. “I was willing to risk some of the tire life to get out front because it’s so hard to pass unless you have a significant pace difference. I knew track position was going to be huge. Towards the end there, it definitely felt the use that I gave it. I was nursing it home at the end.”
Norman fronted a strong day for WTRAndretti, which claimed victory in three of the four Super Trofeo classes as the series debuted at Indianapolis. Nate Stacy and Nick Persing took ProAm honors in the team’s No. 8 Lamborghini Nashville Huracán, with Graham Doyle winning in LB Cup in the No. 10 Lamborghini Nashville Huracán. It was the second win this season for the Stacy/Persing duo and for Doyle, as both dominated in their classes as well.
“The car was just on rails today, everything about it,” Stacy said. “It was settled in the rear, settled in the front. It just wanted to go fast this weekend.”
With a conflicting race schedule that’s forced him to miss two rounds this season, Persing admitted he struggled to adjust to driving the Huracán once again this weekend. Taking over the car from Stacy with a comfortable lead allowed him to relax for his stint.
“It’s easy to drive perfectly normal when you come out of the pits and you’ve got a 20-second gap already,” Persing said with a laugh. “I just did my job, fixed my driving, drove it how it was supposed to be driven. It was already such a big gap; it was just Sunday driving really.”
Doyle, the 17-year-old LB Cup driver, was elated to add his name to the list of winners at the historic Indianapolis track.
“I’m kind of hoarse right now because I was screaming because I just won at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” he said. “My first time ever here, this is incredible! I knew I had the pace based on qualifying this morning, so we knew once I got into the lead, I wasn’t going to lose it. I was able to make a move at the beginning of the race and held onto it the whole time.”
The Am class victory went to Glenn McGee and Anthony McIntosh, who guided the No. 69 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán to their fourth win in as many races despite mechanical issues that severely impacted their practice time.
“The first time we drove the car was really in qualifying really,” McIntosh said.
“We took care of the car at the start. We got shuffled back at the start and had a massive amount of oversteer. The car was very difficult to drive so I tried to scrub the front tires some more and try to bring the balance back to the car. That started to help, and I think at the end we were one of the fastest cars in the race.”
The second Super Trofeo race of the Indy weekend streams live on Peacock and IMSA.com starting at 10:40 a.m. ET Sunday.
Norman Doubles up at Indy, Marcelli and Formal Double up on Super Trofeo Titles
INDIANAPOLIS – While Ryan Norman was busy winning the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, teammates Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal were diligently taking care of wrapping up their second consecutive Pro class championship.
Norman was the overall and Pro winner in Sunday’s race to complete a weekend victory sweep. Marcelli and Formal, meanwhile, finished second for the second straight day, but it was more than enough to secure the 2023 Pro crown.
Piloting the No. 84 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport, Lamborghini Palm Beach Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2, Norman passed Marcelli in the No. 1 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán for the lead on the first green-flag lap and never surrendered it. Formal finished the 50-minute race in the No. 1 and closed within 0.709 seconds at the checkered flag.
“That was probably one of the most intense races I’ve ever had,” said Norman, who saw a sizable lead evaporate following a full-course caution and felt pressure from Formal in the closing minutes. “I knew I had a short window to try and get that gap back again, but for me to do that, I had to use a lot of my tires. At the end there, I had like no tires left and was in traffic. Danny did a fantastic job pressuring me. … This is a big weight off my shoulders getting these wins this weekend.”
With just the final doubleheader round at Vallelunga, Italy, in November remaining, Marcelli and Formal hold an insurmountable 40-point lead over Norman.
“Just an incredible feeling to become back-to-back champions in such a cool series like Lamborghini Super Trofeo,” Formal said. “The Pro class was so competitive. Congratulations to the team. Ryan was a smoke show this weekend. … We’re leaving here championship winners again, going to the World Finals, going to Rounds 11 and 12 (of Super Trofeo North America) with no pressure.”
Two other Super Trofeo class championships were decided as well on Sunday. Keawn Tandon and Luke Berkeley won the race in ProAm to sew up that class title for Tandon and the No. 42 NTE Sport, Lamborghini Broward Huracán. Mark Wilgus finished second in LB Cup, good enough to clinch that title in the No. 50 Forte Racing Powered by US RaceTronics, Lamborghini Beverly Hills Huracán.
Berkeley was the finishing driver in the No. 42 Huracán and inherited the lead following the cycle of mandatory pit stops. He won the ProAm race by 0.761 seconds ahead of Nate Stacy and Nick Persing in the No. 8 WTRAndretti, Lamborghini Nashville Huracán.
“Keawn did an awesome job in the start to just chill behind the car that was first in class and save me some tires so I could fight to the end,” said Berkeley, who missed the first two races of the season before pairing with Tandon. “We went over some stuff with the team to help with some traction issues we had in yesterday’s race, and today the car was awesome. I’m super proud of Kewan; this is big for him and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Tandon was elated to clinch the championship in his first Super Trofeo season.
“It means the world,” Tandon said. “My first time ever in the car (this year). I just really appreciate NTE giving me the opportunity, my family, my friends. I just keep chipping away at it, going for the top and hopefully start battling for the Pro wins.”
Wilgus crossed the finish line first in LB Cup but a 10-second penalty assessed for an improper race start dropped him to second in the results behind Forte Racing teammate Ofir Levy, driver of the No. 13 Lamborghini Rancho Mirage Huracán. Wilgus holds a 43-point lead over Levy after 10 races.
“It was good times, a bit of a grind,” said Levy, an LB Cup race winner for the second time this season. “I kept getting a message that I was less than 10 (seconds) behind Mark and he had a penalty, but I just said, ‘Forget it, man, I’m going to push it to the end.’ It was fantastic. I ended up speeding up toward the end. Good times, I love it.”
Unable to overcome the 10-second penalty, Wilgus was pleased with the consolation prize of the season championship.
“To win an IMSA championship in kind of my first year really racing, that’s unreal,” he said. “I can’t believe it. I feel really fortunate. I’m super excited to go to Italy and race hard.”
In the Am class, Anthony McIntosh and Glenn McGee won for the fifth time this season and second this weekend to all but clinch the class championship in the No. 69 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán. They are 30 points ahead of PPM teammate David Staab (No. 48 Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán) with a maximum of 32 points available at Vallelunga.
McGee passed teammate Wesley Slimp (No. 9 PPM, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán) working through Turns 2-3 for the class lead with just under five minutes remaining, following ProAm driver Alexandre Premat (No. 70 Forte Racing, Lamborghini San Diego Huracán) past the No. 9.
“Premat got (Slimp) a little upset going into (Turn) 1,” McGee explained. “I just softened the brake and rolled up to his bumper, and he gave me really good space. I took it to the grass on the outside and it worked.”
The final North American Super Trofeo rounds are set for Nov. 16-17 at Vallelunga, with the World Finals gathering teams from North America, Europe and Asia taking place Nov. 18-19. A recap of the Super Trofeo weekend airs at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 30 on CNBC.
Formal, Norman Head up First-Time 2024 Winners in All Super Trofeo Classes
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – It felt like it took them forever to win as a pairing, but Danny Formal and Ryan Norman reached the top of the podium Friday afternoon in the first race of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America weekend at Watkins Glen International. They led a parade of first-time 2024 winners in all four classes.
For Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti drivers Formal and Norman, the win couldn’t have come at a better time in the fifth race of the Super Trofeo season. According to Formal, the victory also makes him the winningest Pro class driver in series history with 19. With one Pro-Am class triumph as well, it gives the fifth-year driver a total of 20 wins for his Super Trofeo career.
“All my wins have come with WTRAndretti,” said Formal, the two-time reigning Pro class champion who earned those titles with former co-driver Kyle Marcelli. “I’m so grateful to get my 19th (Pro) win here with Ryan Norman.”
Formal started from the pole position and turned the No. 1 WTRAndretti, Lamborghini Palm Beach Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 over to Norman in the lead during the round of mandatory pit stops. The 50-minute race ended under a full-course caution, allowing Norman to cruise to the checkered flag and issue a huge sigh of relief.
“It’s just a big weight off our shoulders, honestly,” said Norman, who won twice as a solo WTRAndretti driver last season and finished second to the Formal/Marcelli pairing in the Pro standings. “We struggled in the first couple rounds a little bit, but big shout-out to everyone at Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti. They kept their heads down and the results are showing.”
Giano Taurino and Ernie Francis Jr. finished second in the No. 88 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami Huracán. Francis put intense pressure on Norman in the closing stint until the late yellow erased any chances of a dramatic late pass attempt.
“Ernie gave (Norman) a lot of pressure, he was out there for two laps before him with hot tires learning how the track condition was,” Formal observed. “Ryan got out there and just went for it and drove amazing.”
Shehan Chandrasoma and Nikko Reger finished third overall and claimed the Pro-Am class win in the No. 21 TPC Racing, Lamborghini Austin Huracán. They actually crossed the finish line narrowly behind the No. 14 Flying Lizard Motorsports, Lamborghini Newport Beach Huracán that was penalized 0.537 seconds after the race for being that much short of the required minimum pit stop time.
The penalty dropped the No. 14 to fourth in class and gave Chandrasoma and Reger – who had a victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca taken away last month by a late blocking call – their first win of 2024.
“Man, that was a brawl out there,” Reger said. “We saw that the (No.) 14 had a little penalty from the pit stop so we tried to be really close to them coming across the start/finish line. We ran a clean race, a good race. Little bit of contact here and there, but after that brawl I’m glad that we came out on top.”
“It’s definitely a great feeling,” added co-driver Chandrasoma. “Back to first place again, P3 overall. Yeah, a great feeling.”
Dominic Starkweather notched his first win of the season in the Am class, taking the class lead during the pit stop round in the No. 47 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán and rolling to his first victory since Road America last August.
“The first half was hard but we just stayed true and ran clean laps and avoided penalties, avoided contact,” Starkweather said. “We didn’t know we were going to win until it was over, really. The car was going away at the end, it was getting hard to drive, but we’re pretty happy with it.”
Nick Groat was elated to drive to his first-ever Super Trofeo win in the LB Cup class. As in Pro-Am, Groat benefited from a 1.578-second postrace penalty assessed Mark Brummond (No. 02 Auto Technic Racing, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán) for too short of a pit stop.
“Oh my god, this is amazing!” Groat said. “Feels absolutely incredible. First season being here, putting in all the work and having it come together. So awesome!”
Saturday’s second Super Trofeo race takes the green flag at 4:55 p.m. ET and streams live on Peacock and IMSA.tv.
WTRAndretti’s Formal, Norman Score COTA Poles
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti co-drivers Danny Formal and Ryan Norman have claimed poles for this weekend’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America races at Circuit of The Americas.
Formal in the No. 1 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2, took the top qualifying spot for Race 1, thanks to a 2:05.384 lap time.
It was 0.331 seconds quicker than second-placed Elias De La Torre after his best time, that would have put him on pole, was disallowed due to exceeding track limits.
Giano Taurino will line up third in the No. 88 TR3 Racing Lamborghini, followed by Nico Jamin’s No. 4 ANSA Motorsports entry and the Scott Huffaker-driven No. 22 World Speed entry in fifth.
Nate Stacy secured Pro-Am class honors in the No. 8 WTRAndretti Lamborghini with the sixth quickest time overall, while MLT Motorsports’ Kevin Madsen took the pole in the Am category.
Rodrigo Vales, meanwhile, picked up the LB Cup pole for Saturday’s 50-minute race for TR3.
Norman, meanwhile, ran a best lap of 2:06.006 in Q2 in the car, sporting sponsorship from rock band Journey, to edge out Pro-Am class pole-sitter Joel Miller in the No. 66 Forty7 Motorsports Lamborghini by 0.219 seconds.
Glen McGee took the Am class pole for Race 2, also for WTRAndretti, while TPC’s Mark Brummond secured the top starting position in LB Cup.
Race 1 of the weekend gets underway at 6:10 p.m. CDT, with the second round set for a 9:50 a.m. CDT start time on Sunday. Both races will be streamed live on Peacock and IMSA.tv.
Norman to test Indy car at home Mid-Ohio track
Ryan Norman has patiently stood by as Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires rivals and teammates received their shot testing a car in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Now, it’s his turn.
In his third Indy Lights season, the 21-year-old Ohio native was scheduled to step up with current team Andretti Autosport to test a Dallara IR-12 at his home track, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Tuesday.
The opportunity couldn’t come at a more ideal time for Norman, fresh off his first win of the season – and second of his Indy Lights career – Saturday at Road America.
“Definitely this is a momentum sport, so after this win I’m really eager to get into the Indy car,” said Norman, who also finished runner-up Sunday in the second race of the Indy Lights doubleheader.
“I want to thank Andretti Autosport for putting me in a car and giving me that chance. I’m going to give it my all during the test and use this momentum to move forward, and we’ll see what this test transpires into.”
While the challenge is as daunting and satisfying as they come, Norman has done his homework and taken advice from former teammates Patricio O’Ward and Colton Herta. The duo finished 1-2 in the 2018 Indy Lights championship before stepping up to the NTT IndyCar Series this season.
“I’ve been talking to them on how they transitioned into (the NTT) IndyCar (Series),” said Norman, who currently sits fourth in the Indy Lights championship. “I spent a couple of days at the Andretti shop getting my seat fit and everything, talking to engineers.”
He has also spent time on the timing stands of Andretti’s NTT IndyCar Series entries, including Sunday’s REV Group Grand Prix presented by AMR, getting a feel for how the team operates.
“I think it’s going to be a pretty good transition,” Norman added. “I’m definitely prepared for it.”
For comparison, the Indy Lights car carries a 2-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine that produces about 450 horsepower. The NTT IndyCar Series car uses a 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 with some 700 horsepower.
Herta and O’Ward alerted Norman of the biggest differences between the cars.
“They said that the power is a little bit smoother,” Norman said. “The Indy Lights turbo kicks in pretty hard. So they said, even though (the Indy car is) a more-horsepower car, it does seem a little smoother and easier to drive. The tires are bigger, the suspension is a little different.
“You’re able to ride the curbs a little bit more in (the Indy) car. I’m just really excited to get my first laps in. It’s going to be a fun first couple of laps. I’m going to have a big smile on my face.”
The private test at Mid-Ohio is also expected to include Herta testing for Harding Steinbrenner Racing as well as Chevrolet’s nine full-season cars since it had a test two weeks ago at Road America canceled by poor weather. The NTT IndyCar Series races at the Lexington, Ohio, road course on July 28 in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.
Meanwhile, three NTT IndyCar Series rookies are scheduled to test Tuesday at Iowa Speedway. Marcus Ericsson (Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports), Santino Ferrucci (Dale Coyne Racing) and Felix Rosenqvist (Chip Ganassi Racing) plan to turn their first laps on the 0.894-mile oval in advance of the Iowa Corn 300 on July 20.
Norman breaks through for first Indy Lights victory
LEXINGTON – Tuesday was a day Aurora, Ohio, native and Indy Lights driver Ryan Norman will not soon forget.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course opened its gates and hosted IndyCar testing a month ahead of the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio as teams from all over the IndyCar Series ran test laps to get an edge up on the competition.
Norman, a driver for Andretti Autosport, was given the chance to run his very first test in an IndyCar as he came one step closer to making his dreams come true.
“It is just such a great opportunity,” Norman said. “I have to thank Andretti Autosport for giving me this. The car feels great so far. We were on a lap sitting at P3 so we were running well. I just have to really learn how to drive on these new tires. The Firestones are completely different that the Coopers. With the Coopers, you are able to hustle the car a little more and can hack at the wheel on the high-speed stuff.”
Norman had completed around 18 laps before he went under the Cooper Tires Bridge and into Turn 1 when he felt something shake loose in the back end of the car, sending him into a spin and off the track. His first experience driving an IndyCar hit a snag as the car had to be towed back to the garage for repair.
“I was trying to get a feel going around Turn 1, but with these cars, when something breaks free, it is gone,” Norman said. “It is all about gaining this experience. Luckily, the car is fine. It was just a back-right A-arm so we will be back out shortly running three more sets of tires.”
He missed out on a couple hours of drive time, but the Andretti team was able to repair his car and he took to the track again after the lunch break.
The 21-year-old Norman is already an accomplished driver in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, a race circuit that is one step below the IndyCar Series.
Norman, who is in in his third season under Andretti Autosports, a team owned by legendary IndyCar driver Michael Andretti, joined Indy Lights in 2017 when he finished 11th in the overall points standings and was in the Top 10 in 14 of 16 races, with one Top 4 finish at Road of America in New York.
In 2018, Norman had a breakout year, finishing fourth in the overall points standings with 13 Top 5 finishes and earned his first career win at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Illinois.
So far this season, he sits in fourth place in the points standings after nine races. He has never finished outside of the Top 8 in any of those nine races and has one win at Road America and two runner-up finishes at Road America and Indy.
It is no wonder Andretti Autosports wants Norman behind the wheel of an IndyCar soon.
“It started a little rough in the first couple of race weekends as we just struggled with pace a bit, but then we finished second at the Freedom 100,” Norman said. “We were so close to winning that race, I was kind of disappointed. We came back and won at Road America so hopefully the momentum carries the rest of the season.”
It seems Norman is ahead of the game in the Indy Lights Series, but admits he has a lot to learn about driving an IndyCar after Tuesday’s test.
“The power is insane and the braking is probably the biggest difference between Indy Lights and IndyCar,” Norman said. “You can brake so deep in this car and I am still not even close to being on the edge of that. It is something I am going to really work on with pushing the brakes. It has been crazy so far and there is still some speed to gain.”
The biggest takeaway from Tuesday’s test was all about the tires. Indy Lights uses Cooper Tires while IndyCar uses Firestone. You wouldn’t think there would be a huge difference, but Norman can really feel it when flying around Mid-Ohio.
“It is all about getting used to the tires and the car,” Norman said. “You learn where you can and cannot push and that is the main thing I will take away. I’m not too upset about spinning out. I feel sorry that the guys have to work on the car, but it is almost necessary for me to test those limits and that is why we are here today.”
Being from Aurora, Ohio, Norman was thrilled to get his first taste of IndyCar driving in his home state, where his family could come out and enjoy the experience with him.
“It is coming back home and doing my dream today,” Norman said. “I have been working my whole life for this and it is great to do it here at home. I have my mom, dad and girlfriend here for support so this is just a big day.”
Norman will compete next in Toronto in the Indy Lights Series for two races before heading back to Mid-Ohio of the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 26-28.
Norman breaks through for first Indy Lights victory
MADISON, Illinois – Ryan Norman made sure his first victory in Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires was an absolute thriller.
Norman, pilot of the No. 48 Journey Mazda/Dallara IL-15 for Andretti Autosport, overtook Colton Herta for the lead six laps from the finish Saturday at Gateway Motorsports Park. The teammates battled the rest of the way before Norman held on for an exhilarating win by 0.2005 of a second.
“Super thrilled to be able to pull this off, finally!” Norman exclaimed. “It’s a huge weight off my shoulders.”
Pole sitter Herta (No. 98 Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing) took command early, but Norman stayed in his teammate’s shadow until making a run for the lead late in the 75-lap race that ran without a caution flag. The pair dueled side-by-side, inches apart, lap after lap in the closing stages. After Norman made the winning pass, he put up a successful defense as Herta unsuccessfully tried to regain the front position.
“This whole year has just been a huge growing experience,” said Norman, who won in his 31st Indy Lights start. “I think at Iowa (in July) is when it started to click with the oval stuff and trying to figure that out, more of the race craft side of things.
“I’ve always been good at qualifying on ovals, but I think what I struggled with last year and at the Freedom 100 (at Indianapolis in May) was just the race craft and aero wash. Coming here, I had the experience. I was just able to apply it.”
While disappointed not to win, Herta did finish ahead teammate and Indy Lights championship leader Patricio O’Ward (No. 27 Andretti Autosport), who finished the race in third place. O’Ward maintains a 25-point advantage over Herta with just two races remaining in the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 doubleheader at Portland International Raceway.
A seven-time winner this year, including four of the past six races, O’Ward isn’t ready to change his attacking approach heading toward the season finale.
“I’m looking to win, like I’ve been looking to every weekend,” he said. “I know I have a strong car. Never been to that track, but I’m sure it’s pretty straightforward. So hopefully, I can be on pace and challenge for some poles and for some wins. That would be awesome to close out the championship battle.”
Herta’s approach is even more straightforward for the championship and $1 million scholarship to advance to the Verizon IndyCar Series that accompanies it: an all-out charge at Portland.
“I don’t have much to lose,” the son of former Indy car driver and current Verizon IndyCar Series team co-owner Bryan Herta said. “I have to go in there and drive as hard as I can, and hope for bad weekend for Pato.”
Norman, Formal Win Race 2; Remaining Champions Crowned
Ryan Norman and Danny Formal closed off their Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season in winning fashion by coming out on top in Race 2 at Jerez, while champions were crowned in Pro-Am and Am.
Formal took the No. 101 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 across the line 2.810 seconds clear of the Elias de la Torre-driven No. 129 TR3 Racing machine.
The No. 101 and No. 188 cars, driven by Norman and Ernie Francis Jr. for the opening stint, lept up to second and third place behind polesitter Edoardo Liberati at the start.
While Liberati maintained the lead even through a pair of safety car interventions, his Pro-Am co-driver Alberto Clementi Pisano dropped back as he took over for the second stint.
This allowed Formal to challenge Taurino for the lead of the race, successfully completing an overtake at Turn 2 with fifteen minutes remaining on the clock.
While Formal was then able to pull a gap, Taurino was also passed by de la Torre’ out of the final corner with under five minutes to go.
Taurino and Francis Jr., who completed the podium, already clinched the title by finishing second in Race 1 on Thursday.
Nico Jamin and Kiko Porto finished fourth for ANSA Motorsports, with stablemates Loris Cabirou and Bryson Morris completing the overall top five.
Clementi Pisano and Liberati took the Pro-Am victory in sixth overall, beating the No. 141 Flying Lizard Motorsports Lamborghini of Marc Miller and Paul Nemschoff by a tenth of a second.
However, the title in class was won by the No. 166 Forty7 Motorsports entry of AJ Muss and Joel Miller, which finished fifth in class.
Anthony McIntosh and Glenn McGee, meanwhile, claimed their second consecutive Am-class title by crossing the line ninth overall and securing a class victory.
Ryan Norman and Gabby Chaves Win 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Drivers’ Championship, Hyundai Takes Manufacturers’ Title
- Hyundai wins Manufacturers’ championship
- Ryan Norman and Gabby Chaves win their first IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Drivers’ Championship
- Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) with Curb Agajanian sweep Team and Drivers’ Championships finishing first, second and third
Sebring, FL. (Nov. 16, 2020) – Ryan Norman and Gabby Chaves, drivers of the #33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) with Curb Agajanian, clinched the 2020 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Drivers’ Championship on Nov. 14 with their second place finish at the Alan Jay Automotive 120 at Sebring International Raceway. Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker won the season finale at Sebring to score Bryan Herta Autosport’s seventh victory in 10 races and the IMPC team championship, while Hyundai won the Manufacturers’ Championship in only their second season of IMSA competition.
Just four championship points separated the series leaders #33 and the #98 heading into the final race of the year at Sebring. After a string of unfortunate circumstances, the #21 driven by Harry Gottsacker and Mark Wilkins was ranked fourth, but still had a mathematical chance at the title.
Gottsacker opened the challenge on top, scoring his third pole position of the season. Gottsacker won more pole positions than any other driver did in the series. Gottsacker paced the field to the green flag, but series lap leader Ryan Norman took the lead as teammate and championship contender, Mason Filippi in the #98 Veloster N TCR suffered first lap contact for the second race in a row. Spencer Brockman, driver of the #29 Vertical Bridge Veloster N TCR was also involved but was able to continue. The #98 limped to the pitlane, having suffered damaged suspension on the right front corner. The #98 crew worked feverishly to repair the Veloster and Filippi returned to the track 14 minutes later.
First to make his final stop, Gottsacker pitted for the final time with just under an hour to go. Wilkins and the #21 crew eagerly sprung over the wall to service the Veloster, nicknamed “Blackjack,” and expedited a perfect pitstop with driver change. Soon after, the race leader, Ryan Norman, having led more laps than any other driver in the series, pitted and handed over the #33 to Gabby Chaves. With a seven second pitstop advantage, Wilkins took over the race lead. Wilkins and Chaves dueled to the end. It was a tight battle for the race win between the #33 team and the #21 team, but it was Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker who prevailed, scoring their second victory of the season. The win was significant, as it bumped the #21 team to second in the championship. Chaves finished second and secured the Championship title.
This is Chaves’ third pro title and Norman’s first. Filippi and Lewis finished the race in 11th position and took 3rd in the championship. Spencer Brockman and Parker Chase ran as high as fourth in the race, but damage to the right rear wheel of the #29 Vertical Bridge Veloster N TCR prevented a top five finish and the #29 team finished sixth in the championship.
This is the third consecutive team championship for Bryan Herta Autosport, having won a title every year since the inception of their sports car program with Hyundai in 2018. Bryan Herta, co-owner of Bryan Herta Autosport commented on his team’s success: “2020 has been a challenging year, let alone race season. The Bryan Herta Autosport drivers and crew performed incredibly well as did our Veloster N TCR cars. Winning the Manufacturers’, Team and Drivers Championships is a dream come true for us and our friends at Hyundai.”
“The stable of Hyundai Veloster N TCR cars grew in 2020 with six entries at the season finale,” said Erik Thomas, senior group manager, Experiential Marketing, Hyundai Motor North America. “Velosters led 55% of the race laps this season en-route to seven race victories and nine additional podium finishes. We could not have asked for a better result. Congratulations to our entire motorsports team.”
Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian:
Founded in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single car Indy-Lights team into a championship winning auto racing franchise. Led by IndyCar and Sports Car star Bryan Herta, Bryan Herta Autosport has won races in every discipline they have entered, including Indy Lights, Indy Car, Global Rally Cross, and championship titles in Pirelli World Challenge and IMSA. BHA rose to prominence after winning the 2011 Indianapolis 500 in what was the final race of the Centennial Era, a celebration of 100 years of racing at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with driver Dan Wheldon. Five years later, BHA partnered with Andretti Autosport, and defied the odds again, winning their second Indianapolis 500 with rookie driver Alexander Rossi. In 2018, BHA entered the Pirelli World Challenge in partnership with Hyundai and dominated the TCR class, winning seven races with drivers #98 Michael Lewis and #99 Mark Wilkins in the Hyundai i30N TCR, securing the team and manufacturers championships in the process. In 2019, BHA and Hyundai moved to the IMSA Michelin Sports Car Challenge, and the transition was flawless. BHA swept the series driver and team championships with driver Mark Wilkins and Michael Lewis finishing first in the #98 Hyundai Veloster N TCR and young guns Harry Gottsacker and Mason Filippi finishing second in the #21 Hyundai Veloster N TCR. For 2020, BHA continues its successful partnership with Andretti Autosport fielding the #98 U.S. Concrete Honda w/ Curb Agajanian in the IndyCar series for driver Marco Andretti and a four-car Hyundai Veloster N TCR campaign in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Michael Lewis and Mason Filippi (#98), Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker (#21), Gabby Chaves and Ryan Norman (#33) and Parker Chase and Spencer Brockman (#29). Bryan Herta Autosport is the U.S. sales agent and parts support representative of Hyundai TCR race cars for customer teams.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
At Hyundai Motor America, we believe everyone deserves better. From the way we design and build our cars to the way we treat the people who drive them, making things better is at the heart of everything we do. Hyundai’s technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assurance—our promise to create a better experience for customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide and nearly half of those sold in the U.S. are built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.
RYAN NORMAN STORMS TO INDY LIGHTS WIN
ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – Ryan Norman put in a stout performance Saturday to win a frantic opening race for Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires at Road America.
Piloting the No. 48 Andretti Autosport Dallara IL-15, the 21-year-old Ohio native started alongside pole sitter Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 Juncos Racing) on the front row, which came under attack after a wild start.
Toby Sowery (No. 2 Team Pelfrey) got the jump on the field from eighth, creating a chain reaction as Robert Megennis (No. 27 Andretti Autosport) started fourth and made it three wide with the leaders entering Turn 1.
VeeKay went off course and came back on track, throwing an aggressive block on Megennis in the process that resulted in a drive-through penalty that took VeeKay out of contention. Megennis led briefly ahead of Norman until Aaron Telitz (No. 4 Belardi Auto Racing) got the better of both with a thrilling pass in Turn 5 on Lap 2 of 20.
It was short-lived for Telitz, as Norman found a way back to the lead on the next lap. Norman then led the final 18 laps to collect his second career Indy Lights victory and first this season by 4.6912 over teammate Megennis, with Telitz placing third in his second start of 2019.
“We had a rough start to the beginning of the year,” said Norman. “My driving fell off a little bit and I wasn’t on it as much. Using the Freedom (100 in May) as momentum coming here, I knew I was fast here, I knew I belonged up front. It was just a little bit of soul searching, but here we are again.”
Norman To Make INDYCAR Debut with Coyne at Mid-Ohio
By INDYCAR | Published: Jun 24, 2021
Indy Lights graduate Ryan Norman will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut July 4 at The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the HPD Ridgeline, driving the No. 52 Koinu Inu/EVO entry of Dale Coyne Racing with RWR at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Norman, a native of Cleveland, tested for the Coyne with RWR team earlier this week at Mid-Ohio alongside full-time series driver Romain Grosjean. Norman, 23, will represent partners Koinu Inu, EVO and Three Chord Bourbon on his No. 52 Honda.
“My goal throughout my whole racing career has been to become an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver,” Norman said. “So many years of hard work and sacrifices have finally paid off, and I want to thank Dale Coyne for giving me a shot to show what I can do in the series.
“It’s an honor to be able to drive for DCR. They have shown over the years that they have created a great competitive program, and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together. I’m more prepared than ever before to show that I belong in INDYCAR and can fight for podiums and wins. It’s time to get to work.”
Norman started his racing career on two wheels in his native Ohio and was a successful motocross racer. He transitioned to cars in 2015 and found immediate success, winning in multiple classes and winning the SCCA Formula Atlantic Championship.
Norman then moved to the competitive Indy Lights series in 2017, driving for Andretti Autosport through 2019. He earned two victories and eight total podium finishes in three seasons, finishing fourth in the standings in 2018 and 2019.
He joined Bryan Herta Autosport in 2020 to compete full time in the No. 33 Hyundai Veloster N TCR and won the drivers’ championship with co-driver Gabby Chaves. In 2021, Norman joined Parker Chase in the No. 98 Elantra N TCR.
Practice starts at Mid-Ohio at 2:30 p.m. (ET) Friday, July 2, live on Peacock. Practice and qualifying are set for Saturday, July 3, with the 80-lap race at noon (ET) Sunday, July 4, live on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Dale Coyne Racing and RWR have partnered with THREE CHORD
BOURBON for the 2021 RACING SEASON.
Indy Lights Series graduate and Cleveland, Ohio native, Ryan Norman will be making
his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut next weekend at the Honda Indy 200 aboard the
No. 52 Koinu Inu entry of Dale Coyne Racing with RWR at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car
Course.
Norman, who will be representing partners Koinu Inu, EVO and Three Chord
Bourbon on his No. 52 Honda, had the opportunity earlier this week to test with the
team at his home track alongside Romain Grosjean ahead of his first official
appearance as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver next week.
The former Indy Lights driver will get a first chance to measure himself to the rest of
the field on Friday, July 1 from 2:30pm ET during the first practice session. The
Honda Indy 200 goes green on Sunday, July 4 at 12:05pm ET and will be broadcast
live on NBC.
“We are extremely excited to partner with such a young and talented driver! Ryan
and his team embody what we at Three Chord Bourbon are all about; precision in
preparation and execution,” said Three Chord Bourbon Founder/Chairman Neil
Giraldo.
In addition to his role as Chairman of Three Chord Bourbon, Neil is a professional
musician, producer, and film composer with a back catalog of more than 100 songs
and more than 45 million records sold.
“The entire team at Ryan Norman Racing is proud to represent the Three Chord
brand as it exemplifies respect for tradition while innovating for the future. It’s also
nice to add fellow Cleveland native, Neil Giraldo, to our team!” said Ryan Norman’s
father, John Norman.