BATAVIA, Ohio. (September 23, 2020) – Following a successful podium run at the TireRack.com Grand Prix At Road Atlanta, Wright Motorsports has little distance to travel this weekend for the next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Batavia, Ohio-based team will travel 170 miles northeast to Lexington, Ohio for the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio. In a season filled with top-five finishes, the Porsche 911 GT3 R squad finally achieved their first podium finish of the season, giving the group a surge of momentum heading into their home race weekend.
“There’s an energy that comes with racing on your home track,” said John Wright. “We know this track well and have been racing here for many years. Combine that enthusiasm with our recent success, and we’re more than eager to get this weekend started. Consistency wins championships, and we’re on the hunt for this one.”
The team’s consistency during a tumultuous year has paid off, with drivers Ryan Hardwick and Patrick Long currently tied for fourth place in the GTD driver championship battle, and Wright Motorsports sits tied for third in the team standings. Hardwick has recent previous success at the 2.258-mile circuit, finishing in third in 2019.
With the absence of the LMP2 cars, this weekend’s Sports Car Challenge will host just the DPi, GTLM, and GTD classes. Following the recent withdrawal of the Porsche’s two factory GT Le Mans class entries, the No. 16 Porsche will be the sole Porsche in the 24-car field.
The Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio will kick off on-track sessions Friday evening, followed by a secondary practice on Saturday. Sunday, September 27 will host qualifying in the morning followed by the race beginning at 2:05PM ET. The Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio will stream live on NBC Sports Gold TRACKPASS, followed by a tape-delayed broadcast on NBC Sports Network at 11:00PM ET.
Ryan Hardwick
“Mid-Ohio is one of my favorite tracks to compete at. I’ve had a lot of success racing there, including a podium finish at last year‘s IMSA WeatherTech championship event. This will also be a hometown race for our Wright Motorsports crew, so I am confident we will have a strong effort, and be pushing for a great results.”
Patrick Long
“Mid-Ohio is a tight track for overtaking, therefore track position is going to pay big dividends. There is usually a lot of tire degradation, so we should be fairly competitive in the long run. We’re going to have to work hard get right up to speed quickly, as time is of the essence and a premium this year. Building off momentum week after week, we want to keep the consistency alive and back it up with another podium. It’s great to be at a home track with Wright Motorsports and I’m excited to have some fans out for the weekend.”