IMSA Action Prepares for Mid-Ohio
As teams and drivers head to Le Mans, attention shifts to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio, an integral round in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. A total of 38 cars are set to compete in this endurance race.
In the Grand Sport (GS) class, the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport, driven by Luca Mars and Jan Heylen, tops the championship standings with 170 points after securing a win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and two runner-up finishes at Daytona and Sebring. Close behind are Sean McAlister and Jeff Westphal in the No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO, recent winners at Sebring.
Conversely, the No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsports McLaren Artura GT4 team, featuring Moisey Uretsky and Michael Cooper, has struggled, dropping to sixth in the standings following a tough outing at Laguna Seca.
A poignant entry in the GS class is the No. 16 CSM Porsche, piloted by Zach Veach and Harrison Goodman, who will race in tribute to the late Shigeaki Hattori, founder of Hattori Motorsports, following his tragic passing in April.
Returning to competition is Andy Lally, resuming racing after stepping back from full-time duties in January. He will drive the No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche alongside long-time collaborator Spencer Pumpelly and Thomas Collingwood. Mikey Taylor of Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports will also return after a brief hiatus for personal reasons.
In the TCR class, Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian aims for its fourth win of the season, presenting four entries out of 15 total TCR cars. The No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N TCR, driven by Denis Dupont and Preston Brown, currently leads the class standings, followed closely by Mason Filippi and Harry Gottsacker in the No. 98, and Mark Wilkins and Bryson Morris in the No. 33.
Notably absent from the entry list is the No. 55 Team Gou Cupra Leon VZ TCR, which made its North American debut earlier this season.
Additionally, the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup will host races over the weekend, featuring LMP3 Championship leader Valentino Catalano, his teammate Oscar Tunjo, and ST Racing’s Samantha Tan in the VP Challenge’s 20-car field. In the MX-5 Cup, NASCAR Xfinity standout Jesse Love will make his series return, competing alongside Tyler Gonzalez, who has gained 40 points in pursuit of championship leader Jared Thomas.
The race at Mid-Ohio promises to be a high-stakes showdown as teams and drivers vie for crucial points and valuable championship standings.
