Canadian Tire Motorsports Park 120
Round 6 of the 2022 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge
July 1-2, 2022

Racetrack: Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
2.459-mile road course, features 10 turns
Race: Saturday, July 2, 2022, at 4:10pm EST
TV: Live on NBC’s PEACOCK: www.peacock.tv
Listen: Live radio commentary for every session at www.IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com
Live timing and scoring from each session available at www.IMSA.com. Live updates are available throughout the weekend on BHA social media and www.bryanhertaautosport.com

FAST FACTS

Team Canada: Coming off their first victory as teammates, Canadians Mark Wilkins and Robert Wickens return home to race at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (CTMP) this weekend. Wilkins hails from Hamilton and Wickens from Guelph, and both grew up racing and watching their heroes at this very track. Their win last weekend at Watkins Glen represented Wickens' first victory since he began racing with hand controls just five races ago. It was Wilkins sixth IMSA victory. The #33 Elantra N TCR has a special look to commemorate Team Canada, the rear-view mirrors are wrapped in the Canadian flag featuring the maple leaf.

Mid-Season Milestones: Harry Gottsacker set a record for the IMSA TCR category, scoring more pole positions than any other driver, with six poles won. Gottsacker and his teammate, Parker Chase rotate duties for qualifying and finishing the race. The duo, who are longtime friends and both hail from towns near San Antonio, Texas scored their first win as teammates at Mid-Ohio. It was also the first win of the 2022 season for BHA and Hyundai. AJ Muss enjoyed a career milestone last weekend at Watkins Glen, he and his new for 2022 teammate, Ryan Norman finished third and scored Muss's first IMSA podium finish.

The duo have been quick since race one at Daytona when Muss qualified on the front row. Mason Filippi and his 17-year-old teammate, Tyler Maxson have consistently been the quickest qualifiers in 2022. Maxson kicked off his relationship with BHA on a high note by winning the pole position at Daytona. Filippi followed it up with poles at Sebring and Watkins Glen. They are three for five heading into the second half of the season. Michael Johnson has also had a strong season of qualifying, having started inside the top seven in four of five events. By comparison, at this point last season, Johnson's average starting position was 10th. Johnson and his co-driver Stephen Simpson are the only BHA drivers to have finished every race inside the top-ten.

In the Points: Defending back-to-back titles in the Manufacturers championship, Hyundai currently has a 60-point lead over Alfa Romeo. 2021 TCR Champions Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis have three second place finishes this season, they are in second place in the standings, just 30 points out of the series lead with 1370 points. Harry Gottsacker, Parker Chase and the #98 Elantra N TCR team are ranked third with 1300 points.

There have been a few bumps in the road for the BHA team in the first half of the season, the TCR category is ultra-competitive, and the racing has been intense. Contact and misfortunes have struck several of the BHA entries, leaving just two of six Elantra N TCR cars inside the top-five in the series standings at the halfway point. With podiums, wins, and poles under their belts this year, the #2, #33, #54 and #77 are set for a stronger second half. Their current team rankings are 6th (#33 Wickens and Wilkins), 8th (#54 Johnson and Simpson) 9th (#2 Muss and Norman) and 13th (Filippi and Maxson).

#1 Hyundai Elantra N TCR

2021 Drivers/Team CHAMPIONS

2022: Best Start: 5th Best Finish: 2nd Ranked: 2nd 1370 pts.

Taylor Hagler: "It is my first time to CTMP and I’m looking forward to spending the week there with Hyundai Canada. I will have a lot to learn and will be leaning on Michael Lewis to help me pick up the track as quickly as possible. We didn’t get quite the result we were looking for at Watkins Glen, so we need to bounce back quickly to try and regain the points lead."

Michael Lewis: "I love this track! We raced at CTMP in 2019, and I was looking forward to competing here every year, but obviously the course of history changed. But now we're back I can't wait to take our BHA Hyundai Elantra N TCR around this fast and flowing track. The competition is great and that's what makes this series fun. See you at the track!"

#2 Elantra N TCR

2022: Best Start: 2nd Best Finish: 3rd Ranked: 10th 1110 pts.

Ryan Norman: “First time for me to drive at CTMP and it's one I've always wanted to race there. It's been a while since I've been on a new track, and I love the challenge learning a new track. I've spent many, many hours preparing, so I feel confident going into this challenge. The #2 team is on point and together, we're going for the win!"

AJ Muss: "The #2 Elantra N TCR feels really good, and the team is really vibing coming off a really strong finish at Waktins Glen. It feels great to get my first IMSA podium under my belt. The team is putting in a lot of hard work and we're really looking forward to back-to-back weekends and fighting for the top step again!"

#33 Elantra N TCR

2022: Best Start: 2nd Best Finish: 3rd Ranked: 6th 1250 pts.

Mark Wilkins: “After an incredible weekend at Watkins Glen, I’m fired up and ready for more at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park this weekend! It’s the week dreams are made of… starting with two evening events with Hyundai Canada in the Elantra N and Kona N and from there, straight into our race event! Robert and I are excited to see so many passionate and enthusiastic Canadian race fans this weekend, and we are equally as excited to welcome Hyundai Canada executives to our N lounge for an adrenaline packed Canada Day weekend! If you’re a Hyundai owner, don’t forget to swing by our tent, show your key and check out some behind the scenes action from the N Lounge. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend."

Robert Wickens: “It's always special racing in front of your hometown crowd, and this is one I've been waiting for. Coming off our win last weekend makes it even better. The last time I raced in Canada was at the Toronto Indy in 2018 and that was probably the highlight of my season that year. I have a lot of great memories at CTMP, both racing and as a kid watching my heroes. It's a personal favorite for Mark and I, we appreciate the support from the fans and it's going to be a great weekend."

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#54 Universal Coating Elantra N TCR

2022: Best Start: 3rd Best Finish: 1st Ranked: 8th 1220 pts.

Michael Johnson: "Coming back to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park is always a nice feeling because I spent so much time racing in Canada growing up. Canadian Tire Motorsports Park is a thrill of a track due to its high speed and elevation but also for a couple of slow corners that make it super unique. I'm excited to get back there and use our momentum from Watkins Glen and go for that podium or win. Everyone has been working extremely hard this season I feel ready to go!"

Stephen Simpson: "We're getting into the nitty gritty point of the season where we really need to maximize our points opportunities. Michael has done a great job all season with his qualifying and turning a solid car over. I think the race this weekend, on such a true racing drivers track is going to be an exciting one."

#77 Elantra N TCR

2022: Best Start: 1st Best Finish: 7th Ranked: 13th 1020 pts.

Mason Filippi: "Back at CTMP! Most definitely one of my very favorite tracks in North America. The Elantra N TCR should be wicked around this high-speed, flowing track. Our pole positions show Tyler and I have had the pace all year, we're ready for Lady Luck to shine on us during the race and take the checkers for the win!"

Tyler Maxson: “Disappointed with this past weekend's result but hopeful of turning that around this weekend in Canada. Canadian Tire Motorsports Park is a track that I think really suits my driving style and if that is the case, hopefully we will be able to add to our pole position total this season. With three poles in five races, we have proven to have the speed, but now it is time to win!”

#98 Elantra N TCR

2022: Best Start: 1st Best Finish: 1st Ranked: 2nd 1300 pts.

Harry Gottsacker IV: "We are looking forward to going back to Canada for the first time since my rookie season with BHA. It is a proper track with a bunch of real racing fans who come out to see us once a year. It reminds me a bit of Road America! I hope we can put on a good show for them and get back up on the podium."

Parker Chase: "We made it across the border into Canada and I ready to get rolling this weekend. Watkins Glen didn’t go as planned after getting stuck out on a full course yellow which ruined our strategy, but fortunately, we still managed to close the championship gap. Hoping for a win here to tighten the gap even further!"

Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian

Founded in 2009, Bryan Herta Autosport has grown from a single car Indy-Lights team into a multi-championship winning auto racing franchise. Led by IndyCar and Sports Car star Bryan Herta, Bryan Herta Autosport has won races in every discipline they have entered, including Indy Lights, Indy Car, Global Rallycross, and championship titles in Pirelli World Challenge and IMSA. BHA rose to prominence after winning the 2011 Indianapolis 500 in what was the final race of the Centennial Era, a celebration of 100 years of racing at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with driver Dan Wheldon. Five years later, BHA partnered with Andretti Autosport, and defied the odds again, winning their second Indianapolis 500 with rookie driver Alexander Rossi. In 2018, BHA entered the American Sports Car scene beginning its immensely successful partnership with Hyundai. Together, BHA and Hyundai have won four championships in as many seasons, including three consecutive team and driver championships, and two consecutive (2020, 2021) manufacturer's titles in IMSA's Michelin Pilot Challenge. For more information, visit: www.BryanHertaAutosport.com.

BHA/Hyundai Customer Support: Bryan Herta Autosport is the U.S. sales agent and part support representative of Hyundai TCR and TCA race cars for customer teams. The BHA/Hyundai Customer Support Team offers trackside engineering support, setup and tuning advice, and part and order fulfillments for the Hyundai Veloster N TCR and TCA teams and drivers from the BHA’s headquarters in Speedway, IN. Since its North American debut in 2019, the Hyundai Veloster N TCR has scored 27 race wins, and three TCR championship titles.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America focuses on ‘Progress for Humanity’ and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Our 820 dealers sold more than 620,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2020, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.