Targeting TCR title defence with two-car entry
We will be returning to the infamous Nordschleife on May 18-21 for the 2023 edition of the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Our two-car TCR entry will feature some of the most successful Elantra N TCR drivers from around the world, including our 2022 winning line-up of Mikel Azcona, Marc Basseng and Manuel Lauck. Retaining their crown will be the goal for the trio.
“The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a hugely important event, not just for Hyundai Motorsport, but for Hyundai as a global manufacturer,” said our President Sean Kim. “Our history of success in the 24 Hours event further reinforces the excellent reputation of Hyundai’s high-performance designs. Last year’s 18th overall and 1-2 in class has set the bar very high for this year.”
Taking Stateside success to the Nordschleife
Our second TCR entry of Mason Filippi, Harry Gottsacker, Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis will be making their debut at the legendary endurance race, but the drivers have plenty of experience in the Elantra N TCR. Competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with the highly successful Hyundai Motor America-backed Bryan Herta Autosport team, Taylor and Michael are double champions in the TCR class, winning in both 2021 and 2022.
The team is a dominant force in the series, having swept the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles in each of the last three seasons. After two rounds of the 2023 campaign, Mason and Harry lie second and third respectively in the points’ standings. During the N24 Qualifers in April, the US crew finished runner-up in both races behind team-mates Marc and Manuel.
The i30 Fastback N returns
We will also be represented by two production-based i30 Fastback N cars in the VT2-Front class, entered under the Hyundai Driving Experience name. The car made its N24 Hours debut in 2022 and also appeared in three rounds of the NLS championship in 2023, where it played a vital role in allowing the American quartet to gain the experience needed to join the TCR class of the 24 Hours.
One i30 Fastback N will be driven by an all-German line-up of Michael Bohrer, Gerrit Holthaus, Tobias Overbeck and Marcus Willhardt. Each of them has knowledge of driving the production classes around the Nordschleife, and they have stood on the class podium at the three four-hour NLS events held there so far this year. The second car in the class will feature South Korean drivers Junesung Park and former TCR champion Byunghui Kang, American driver Jeff Ricca and German journalist-racer Jens Dralle.
“The Nürburgring 24 Hours remains one of the toughest races in the world, so it is the perfect place to show the Hyundai Elantra N TCR’s blend of performance and reliability,” said our Customer Racing Manager Andrea Cisotti. “We are in the position of defending our wins from the last two seasons, so we know the pressure will be on us. However, with the driver line-ups we have in both TCR cars we have everything in place for repeat success.”
The Nürburgring 24 Hours will take place from May 18-21.
