Bryan Herta Autosport teams start year with double podium

Elantra N TCR customers began the new IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season with a double podium at Daytona International Speedway (January 24-26). Defending champions Harry Gottsacker and Robert Wickens started on pole for the four-hour race and Gottsacker led the class on multiple occasions during the first half of the race before his #33 car was forced to retire shortly after Wickens took over the car.

Their Bryan Herta Autosport team-mates Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins were also among the lead group for the entire race, as were Preston Brown, Denis Dupont and Nick Looijmans in their first start with Hyundai Motor America-backed team. It was Dupont took the final stint in their #76 Elantra N TCR and challenged for the lead for most of the final part of the contest to finished second, with Filippi and Wilkins completing the TCR podium.

Jacob Deily and Jordan Wisely combined to take sixth place in their Deily Motorsports Elantra N TCR. Taylor Hagler and Bryson Morris finished eighth for Bryan Herta Autosport and Tyler Gonzalez and Victor Gonzalez completed the top ten for Victor Gonzalez Racing Team.

Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Andrea Cisotti said: “The beginning of a season is always an interesting time, with new drivers and teams making their debuts. In their first race together with Bryan Herta Autosport, Preston Brown, Denis Dupont and Nick Looijmans finished in second as the best of the Elantra N TCR teams in the first round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. Through the coming weeks and months more of our customers will start their season – I am sure with the same positive results.”