Michelin Delivers Speed Records and Consistent Performance at Acura Sports Car Challenge

Lexington, Ohio, May 16, 2021 – The IMSA WeatherTech Championship teams relied on Michelin to deliver all around performance and consistency on the tricky and highly technical 2.228 mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Michelin delivered exceptional results on all counts.

“We had five different teams representing three different automakers (Acura, Cadillac, and Mazda) post best race laps within 0.274 seconds on a very demanding and technical circuit,” said Tony Ménard, director of motorsport, Michelin North America.

“In diverse conditions, with low track temperatures in the mornings that got warmer throughout the day, Michelin tires delivered, helping teams break track qualifying and race lap records in both the WeatherTech Championship and Saturday’s Michelin Pilot Challenge race.

“Michelin racing tires and Michelin passenger car tires both have met the expectations of demanding customers: delivering safe performance that lasts,” said Ménard.

A Podium Six Pack

Six different automotive brands and teams claimed the six podium sports in the DPi and GTD classes.

Wayne Taylor Racing, Acura 

A close race in the DPi class highlighted an exciting Acura Sports Car Challenge Presented by TLX Type S. The Wayne Taylor Racing Acura and the Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac battled in the last 50 minutes when the race went green after a full course caution.

Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque with Wayne Taylor Racing took the victory by just 0.368 of a second over the fast closing Cadillac of Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani.

Finishing third was the pole winning Mazda Motorsports entry driven by Harry Tincknell and Oliver Jarvis.

A different trio of manufacturers took the GTD class podium honors as the Turner Motorsports BMW of Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley took the win by 2.712 seconds over the Vasser Sullivan Lexus of Zach Veach and Frankie Montecalvo.

They were joined on the podium by the Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini driven by Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers.

Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga of Riley Motorsports won the LMP3 class by 3.249 seconds.

Michelin Post-Race Notes

• The NBC Sports Network Michelin Tech Minute provided a detailed view on the extreme loads faced by Michelin tires in IMSA competition. Watch here.
• The new lap records set over the ACURA Sports Car Challenge Week Included new qualifying and race lap marks in the DPi and TCR classes.
• Saturday’s IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge Mid-Ohio 120 was won by the McLaren 570S GT4 of the Canadian AWA team with drivers Kuno Wittmer and superb stand-in Chris Green. The drivers dedicated the win to their co-driver Orey Fidani, who remained home in Canada awaiting the imminent birth of a son.
• The TCR class victory went to the Bryan Herta Autosport w Hyundai Elantra N TCR driven by Parker Chase and Ryan Norman.
• The IMSA Radio Moment of the Race in GS was Chris Green’s early pass for the  lead that set up the AWA team’s winning strategy. The No. 94 Atlanta Speedworks took the honors for splitting the top Hyundai pair to claim a podium finish.
• In IMSA Protoype Challenge, Moritz Kranz of Muehlner Motorsport America flew solo to take the victory.
• The pair of Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich® Tires races were won by Selin Rollan of Hixon Motor Sports and Chris Nunes of JTR Motorsports Engineering.

Next Up: 

The 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car championship now heads to Detroit for the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on Saturday, June 12.