WET OR DRY, MICHELIN MEETS EVERY CHALLENGE AT IMSA CHARLOTTE ROVAL

Charlotte, N.C. (October 10, 2020) – Michelin met every challenge as the shortest race of the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car championship produced a wide array of conditions in the series’ first visit to the 2.32-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.

“Although this was our first race at the ROVAL, the level of technology and the quality of the teams and drivers in IMSA competition was evident throughout the range of dry, wet, and mixed conditions,” said Tony Ménard, director of motorsport, Michelin North America.

“Tires play a very important role in racing and performing safely in difficult conditions and quite well in the dry provides the opportunity for us to demonstrate our technology and to gain deeper insights to support our push for continuous learnings.”

The 100-minute GT Le Mans and GT Daytona only event saw MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport GT technology deliver stunning performance in dry conditions for Friday evening’s first practice and Saturday afternoon’s qualifying.

Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor took the GTLM class pole with a lap of 1:14.278, a staggering 6.6 seconds quicker than the 2019 NASCAR Cup pole time.

Aaron Telitz also beat the stock car reference by three seconds, as he put the AIM Vasser Sullivan’s Lexus on the GTD class pole with a time of 1:17.954.

Heavy rains arrived soon after for the race and created treacherous conditions with standing water, and limited visibility before easing a bit for the second half of the race as drivers demonstrated the consistency and grip of the their MICHELIN® Pilot® treaded wet tires.

As they did in the other GT-only round of the WeatherTech Championship season in the Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway in August, Corvette Racing and Turner Motorsport captured the class wins.

Taylor and Antonio Garcia took their fifth GTLM win of 2020 in the No. 3 Corvette C8.R, while Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley claimed their second GTD win of 2020 in their No. 96 Turner BMW M6 GT3.

Charlotte Post-Race Notes Package

• Michelin Tire Tech Tip Minute: Compared to most IMSA tracks where Michelin has extensive on-track data, the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL served as a new course in the adjusted 2020 schedule. In this Michelin Tire Tech Tip Minute, NBC pit reporter Dillon Welch explained how simulations and a one-day test last month helped for the preparation for this race.
• Podium Notes: In GT Le Mans, Corvette and BMW locked out the podium positions. Meanwhile in GTD, behind the No. 96 Turner BMW M6 GT3 and No. 16 Wright Porsche 911 GT3 R in GTD, the No. 23 The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 scored its first podium of the season. It holds a unique Charlotte tie-in to the most recent American Le Mans Series race here in 2000. Ian James was, along with Auberlen, the only driver who competed in 2000 who also competed Saturday night. James’ teammate, Roman De Angelis, was born February 15, 2001, nearly a full year after that race!

Race Winners: Motul 100% Synthetic Grand Prix

Michelin congratulates the race winners of the Motul 100% Synthetic Grand Prix at Charlotte:

WeatherTech Championship

• GTLM: Jordan Taylor, Antonio Garcia, No. 3 Corvette C8.R
• GTD: Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley, No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3

Next Up:

Next week, IMSA heads back to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, October 14-17 for Motul Petit Le Mans weekend.

The 10-hour WeatherTech Championship race is the third IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup round of the season. Live TV coverage starts Saturday, October 17, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Both the IMSA Prototype Challenge (Friday, 9:10 a.m. ET) and the IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge (Friday, 3:35 p.m. ET) are also on the weekend schedule.

All IMSA races air on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. IMSA Radio carries all qualifying and races live, flag-to-flag and commercial free.