Samantha Tan Racing rounded out a hard-fought weekend at Sebring with four podium finishes, including a Pro/Am class win, after overcoming penalties in both races.

 

Heading into round two of this year’s GT World Challenge America at the legendary Sebring International Raceway, ST Racing was anticipating a strong weekend, given both its on-track pace at last year’s event and its performance in qualifying on the Friday. Both ST Racing BMW M4 GT3s started race one 3rd in their respective class, with Neil Verhagen securing overall pole position for race two.

 

After fighting back from a pit-stop time penalty to take Pro/Am class victory in race one, the #38 BMW was then on course to win race two overall the following afternoon only for a drive-through to drop the M4 to the tail of the field. Incredibly, from more than 30 seconds down, the Canadian team bounced back with another stunning performance to finish 3rd in-class, less than a second behind the beneficiary Pro-Am winner.

 

Ironically, despite the setbacks, ST Racing has now closed the gap in the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am class title chase to just two points.

 

Samantha Tan, co-owner / driver (#38): “Following last year’s incident, we had something to prove this weekend. After a couple test sessions and practice, we put together a great car to fight with. We were able to qualify P3 for Race 1 and P1 overall for Race 2. In Race 1, we got a 5sec penalty in the pitstop but after a strong run from both Neil and I, we were able to push forward to P1! In Race 2, after an unfortunate start infringement, we were at the back of the field. Neil and I pushed to the limit and made up a 36sec drive through penalty to bring the car home in P3. I believe we demonstrated to everyone this weekend that our pace is irrefutable. I am super proud of everyone’s effort’s this weekend — we were able to close the gap to the championship leaders and we look forward to COTA in just a couple weeks!”

 

Kenneth Tan, team principal / co-owner: “What a thrilling, roller coaster ride it was at Sebring this past weekend. On Saturday, we started mid-pack and finished first then on Sunday, we start pole but got sent to the back with a penalty that was, in my opinion, a bit harsh. But we fought back strongly all the way to the end of the race and got back close to the front two cars that P1 became a possibility. That was the best racing I’ve seen Samantha do so far and it is so exciting to see her perform at this level. She just keeps getting better every race. I have to thank her coach Nic Jonsson and co-driver Neil Verhagen for pushing her development as well as the whole crew, especially our engineer Rafael Hess, for putting together another amazing car.  We have momentum and we’ll continue to build on it in our next race in Austin, TX. Can’t wait!”

 

As in round one at Sonoma, team co-owner Samantha Tan partnered Neil Verhagen in the ‘Pro-Am’ entered #38 BMW, while BMW legend Bill Auberlen shared the #28 ‘Pro’ M4 GT3 with young up-and-comer Varun Choksey.

 

Impressive starts and consistent stints, despite the humid conditions, meant Varun and Samantha were running 3rd and 6th (2nd in Pro/Am) overall respectively heading into the mid-race mandatory pit stop, one place ahead apiece from their grid positions. Metronomic work by ST Racing’s mechanics meant the #38, now with Neil on-board, had moved up to 5th, though the #28 (Bill) was unlucky to drop to 4th overall (still 3rd in-class) when Wright Motorsport’s undercut gamble paid off.

 

Having been allowed through to 4th by team player Bill, Neil, now 2nd in Pro-Am, began scything into the Pro-Am leader by more than 2.5 second per lap. The Connecticut native eventually made the move for the lead stick at turn one with just 16 minutes left on the clock.

 

Despite being served a 4.28-second penalty for a miscue during the pit stop, Neil continued pushing for the remainder of the race, and, incredibly, the #38 eventually collected the chequered flag 16.6 seconds clear of its nearest Pro-Am rival, more than enough to offset its penalty and take a well-deserved class win. Neil also posted the overall fastest lap of the race – a 2m 00.786s – en-route to Pro/Am victory.

 

Bill Auberlen rounded out a good day’s work by claiming 3rd in the PRO class and 6th overall with the #28.

 

Fueled by the BMW’s pace the day before, Neil made a commanding start to race two from overall pole, retaining his lead into turn one and quickly opening up a three-second lead.

 

Dropped back through the field by a drive-through penalty on lap 11 (handed down for an apparent start line infringement), Neil was in scintillating form thereafter, moving back up the field from 11th to 8th overall (5th in-class), recouping a 20-plus second deficit in the process, before handing over the #38 BMW to Samantha.

 

Samantha was on similarly determined form, closing the gap from nine seconds to just a matter of car lengths, and eventually moving into 3rd after pressuring the DXDT Racing Corvette into a spin. Samantha eventually collected the #38’s second podium of the weekend less than a second behind the Pro/Am winner.

 

Across in the #28, Bill completed a typically solid stint aboard the #28 BMW in 5th overall (3rd in Pro) before handing over to Varun. Just 15 minutes into his second stint of the weekend, Varun had systematically closed down and passed the Pro/Am leaders to move up to 3rd overall. Such was his speed, and in only his second GTWC America weekend, Varun finished a mature drive 12 seconds up the road from the battling Pro/Am pair.

 

Neil Verhagen, driver (#38): “Sebring was a great weekend for the whole STR crew! The team supplied a great car which felt very strong from the moment we touched the track. Race one was very special getting our first win of the season. Although in race 2 starting from pole to finish p3 after getting a drive through penalty for a start infringement definitely stings. It was a great comeback to go from pretty much last on track back to the podium. Another 4x podium for the team, looking forward to going to COTA now!”

 

Varun Choksey, driver (#28): “Sebring is never an easy race, the bumps and heat of Florida always prove to be challenging and this week proved to be no different. Ultimately we came away with a pair of podiums and importantly we are still in the hunt for the championship two rounds in. Race one was a mixed bag. The car felt strong early in the race and a good opening lap saw us jump up two positions to P2 in class. We struggled more and more as the race continued and finished the race third in class. Some big changes before race two saw our race pace improve greatly and gave us a much more consistent car to fight with. Another third place finish didn’t represent how much we improved the car but the pace we showed was very promising for the upcoming rounds.”

 

Bill Auberlen, driver (#28): “Sebring is in the books. We are going home with podium finishes in both of the races. P3 may not be what we came for but we gained some important points for the championship. For race one we tried a completely different setup which didn’t work as great as we expected so we turned it upside down for race two on Sunday. The car felt much better and now we have a solid foundation to work with. As always, the team did an amazing job and gave us a great car! Thanks for that. Now some days to recharge batteries before heading to COTA for some testing before round 5 and 6 of GT World Challenge America in the Lone Star State.”

 

Jon Miller, team manager: “I’m proud of our team efforts and the results we’ve accomplished in the process. The redemption feels good, too. The next step is to chase overall wins - with both cars.”

 

 

Toronto, Ontario – Alana Carter becomes the first driver confirmed to the newly launched Radical Academy.

 

A rising star in international sportscar racing, Carter made the move cross-country from Alberta to Toronto in 2022 to make her dream of a full-time career in motorsports a reality. Since then, she placed first in the 2022 Formula Woman racing competition and became the first person to race a Lotus Emira GT4 alongside her teammate. Most recently, Carter participated in her first Radical race, placing fourth in class at Donington Park Circuit in the UK.

 

This year, Carter will be driving for Radical Academy, racing in the 2024 FEL Motorsports Emzone Radical Cup Canada series. Radical Academy is the first-of-its-kind female forward racing team led by Team Principal April Burgess, in partnership with Radical Canada.

 

Founder and Team Principal April Burgess comments, “Radical Canada is excited to announce the extension of an all-female racing team, Radical Academy. By having a female forward team, the intention is to raise awareness for women in motorsport.” 

 

Radical Academy seeks to support women in motorsport from the garage to the top of the podium, with the mission to see as many women on the track racing side by side as men.

 

“I'm absolutely thrilled about this upcoming season with Radical Academy. I'm so honoured to be their driver this year, and I'm confident that we have a great team that's ready to make a statement.” Said Carter “I can't wait to see what we can do together and hopefully inspire more women to try their hand at radical racing!“

 

Radical Academy Team Principal April Burgess adds, “Radical Academy is going to provide opportunities for girls and women to be involved in motorsport, whether that’s as a driver, technician, or in supporting roles. Racing historically has been a male-dominant sport, and it’s about time that changes."

 

Carter's Radical academic journey kicks off May 17th, 2024, with the first race of the season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. You can also catch her racing on the streets of Toronto as the Radical Cup makes its appearance as a support race at the 2024 Honda Indy in Toronto.

 

Alana Carter’s journey started in the driver's seat of a beat-up Honda Accord she and her dad fixed up, gradually moving to larger cars. Throughout her whole life, racing wasn't just a dream; it was the dream, even though it felt out of reach.

 

Yet here she is, carving out a space for herself in the world of racing, defying expectations and the notion of what's considered "reachable." F1 might not be on her horizon, but this path she’s on? It’s proof that with determination and passion, a girl from Alberta, Canada, can turn their racing dreams into reality, and she aims to inspire others to hold onto their dreams, no matter the odds.

 

The Radical Cup is a series April Burgess has always been passionate about, and getting more women involved has always been the goal. The newly launched Radical Academy is focused on making that dream a reality by creating more opportunities for women, with the hope that this will help inspire future generations of girls and women to get involved with racing. Burgess’s dream is to see as many women on the podium and in the paddock as men, and in 2024, she is set to make that a reality.

 

Toronto, Ontario - Sparks are scheduled to fly when The Formula 1® Exhibition Toronto presented by TSN opens its doors on Friday, May 3, just as the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX kicks off. Making its North American debut at the Lighthouse ArtSpace Toronto, The Formula 1® Exhibition will be the city's must-visit destination.  Scheduled to run until mid-summer, Formula 1® fans and followers will have unprecedented access to F1® cars, artifacts, and the stories that define the sport. 

 

Boasting a wide range of exclusive contributions from the sport’s most legendary teams and personalities, highlights will include four iconic Formula 1® race cars. This immersive and interactive experience takes visitors across six purpose-built rooms, each specially designed in collaboration with award-winning curators, and filmmakers. What’s more, visitors will be able to experience what it’s like to get behind the wheel of an F1® car in state-of-the-art racing simulators.

 

Fans are transported through some of the sport’s most iconic and defining moments through a mix of previously unseen photographs, films, artifacts and interactive audio guides. Visitors begin their 90-minute journey in Once Upon A Time In Formula 1® which will allow them to delve into the history behind three legendary race cars, including the Lancia D50 (1955), which famously took pole position in its first event with Alberto Ascari behind the wheel, Graham Hill’s first World Championship Car, the BRM P578 (1962) and the 1987 Lotus 99T driven by Aryton Senna in a year that saw him secure the first of his record six Monaco Grand Prix victories.

 

Design Lab takes visitors into the heart of a Formula 1® factory for a rare glimpse into how F1® teams design and manufacture each season’s new car. This room will feature a new addition to the Toronto exhibition: the Haas VF-20 race car driven by Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean in 2020, which in an extremely rare occurrence, will have the engine cover removed.

 

Next, visitors will experience Drivers & Duels celebrating the most iconic drivers and legendary races since Formula 1® began in 1950. Fans will have the chance to test their own reaction times in an interactive game to see if they have what it takes to be a Formula 1® driver. Visitors can also get up close to some key racing technology including capturing themselves on Lewis Hamilton’s helmet camera and discovering how an F1® steering wheel functions like never before with a brand-new interactive experience.

 

Fallen Heroes shines a light on the many drivers throughout the history of Formula 1® who tragically sacrificed their lives in pursuit of success. The following gallery, Survival, covers Romain Grosjean’s horrific 150 mph crash in Bahrain in 2020 and his extraordinary escape from the ensuing inferno. The gallery features a spine-tingling display of his Haas car from that day, alongside a new, multi-screen video installation featuring unseen interviews and footage of the crash.

 

Exclusive to Toronto is the custom-built, all-new At Shutter Speed Gallery presented by TSN, a captivating Canadian Grand Prix retrospective featuring stunning photographs shot in Montreal from 2014-2019.

 

The show reaches its high-octane finale in The Pit Wall - a show-stopping cinematic and immersive experience that allows fans to relive the greatest moments in Formula 1® history.

 

“Seeing the F1 Exhibition come to life in Toronto is an exciting day for our entire team,” said Jonathan Linden, Toronto native and Producer of The Formula 1® Exhibition. “This show will feature a unique selection of cars, and experiences that celebrates F1 and Canada’s long-standing love affair with Grand Prix racing. We are grateful to the show’s contributors and F1 Team partners for their help in making it an exciting and vibrant experience for such a broad range of fans.”

 

Collette Gangemi, Director of Licensing & Gaming, Formula 1 said: “It is always exciting to see another F1 Exhibition open its doors to the public. Toronto is our first North American location and its launch coincides with the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2024 starting. The exhibition is a fantastic way to offer fans, and those curious about our sport, a new way to engage with F1 away from the track. Following successful runs in Madrid and Vienna, we can assure visitors in Toronto that they’re in for an immersive and interactive showcase of the history of F1.” 

 

Produced in partnership with Round Room Live and Pathfinder Live, and delving far beyond what fans have ever seen before, the show uses bold, technology-led design features and large-scale interactive displays to lift the lid on the past, present and future of Formula 1®.

 

Hours of Operation: Click here for the most up to date information.

 

Tickets for The Formula 1® Exhibition Toronto presented by TSN are on sale and available at F1Exhibition.ca.

 

For the latest updates, follow us on Social:

Twitter: @F1Exhibition

Facebook: /F1Exhibition

Instagram: @F1Exhibition

 

Formula 1® racing began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1® and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World ChampionshipTM. Formula 1® is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the Formula One Group tracking stock. The F1 logo, F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1 company. All rights reserved.

 

Round Room Live is the leading producer and promoter of exhibitions and family show entertainment, specializing in transforming both new and iconic intellectual property into engaging and thrilling live events. Round Room creates unique live experiences tailored to the distinct character of each property and produces the highest quality productions for audiences around the world.

 

Round Room’s Immersive and Entertainment Experiences division is currently touring: Formula 1: The Exhibition, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Mandela: The Official Exhibition, and Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free. Their current roster of touring theatrical shows includes: Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour, Blippi The Musical (2023 Olivier Award nomination for Best Family production), Peppa Pig Live, Sesame Street Live!, Nitro Circus 20th Anniversary Tour, Shrek the Musical (2024 US Tour), and Blue’s Clues & You! Live On Stage.

 

Pathfinder Live is a full-service venture development and planning studio specialising in travelling exhibitions and location-based entertainments. It works with major rights holders and media owners.

 

Lighthouse ArtSpace Toronto, located at 1 Yonge Street, holds a significant place in the city’s history, notably as the former home of the Toronto Star. The printing press area has been transformed into an experiential entertainment multi-plex, bursting onto the world-stage with the iconic Immersive Van Gogh exhibit. Lighthouse ArtSpace Toronto has also been home to other innovative immersive exhibits, the latest being Immersive Disney Animation, and numerous other presentations, ranging from dance, theatre, private events to art exhibits.

 

TSN is Canada’s Sports Leader and provides world-class content across its industry-leading platforms including five national television feeds, TSN+, TSN.ca, TSN Radio stations, and the TSN app, featuring 5G capabilities. With a broad portfolio of multimedia sports assets, TSN delivers more championship events than any broadcaster in the country. The network’s deep and diverse roster of live sports programming includes the Grey Cup, IIHF Women’s Worlds, Men’s Worlds, and World Junior Championship, Spengler Cup, Hockey Canada events, CFL, NFL, NBA, MLS, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Season of Champions Curling, FIFA World Cup™, UEFA EURO, MLB, Golf’s Majors, Grand Slam Tennis, NASCAR, F1, IndyCar Series, CHL, and NCAA March Madness. TSN is part of Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. More information about TSN is available at TSN.ca.

 

 

Alzenau, Germany - Hyundai will bring its largest team yet to the Nürburgring Nordschleife to contest this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours (May 30-June 2). Three Hyundai Elantra N TCR cars stand ready to chase a fourth consecutive class win for the team.

 

The crews for the cars hail from three different continents and include the defending class winners, as well as champion Hyundai Motorsport customer drivers from some of the most competitive TCR series.

 

The three cars – set to carry the #830, #831 and #832 during the endurance racing weekend – will be led by Mikel Azcona, Marc Basseng and Manuel Lauck aboard the #830 car. These three drivers combined to win the TCR class in 2022 and 2023, while Basseng and Lauck also achieved victory at the 2021 Nürburgring 24 Hours in the Elantra N TCR’s debut at the legendary endurance race.

 

The Hyundai-Motor-America-supported Bryan Herta Autosport team enjoyed a superb Nürburgring 24 Hours debut performance in 2023, completing the third-consecutive Hyundai Motorsport Class 1-2 finish. The BHA team returns to the Nordschleife in 2024 with a different driver lineup: Mason Filippi and his team-mate, 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series champion, Harry Gottsacker, will make their second starts in the TCR class. They will be joined by Canadian Mark Wilkins making his 24 Hours debut. 19-year-old Bryson Morris completed the team for the Qualifiers weekend in his first Nordschleife start with a TCR car, although the final driver for the 24 Hours weekend is yet to be confirmed.

 

All new for 2024 is the #832 entry, set to be driven by four stars of the TCR China series: Hongwei Cao, Rainey He, Andy Yan and Zhang Zhen Dong. Cao emerged with the 2023 national series title in his first year driving the Elantra N TCR after a tense season finale on the streets of Macau in November. Cao will share the car for the Nürburgring 24 Hours with his 2023 Hyundai N squad team-mates, He and Yan. The team will be completed by Dong, who competed in TCR China last year with the Z Speed team, finishing eighth in the highly competitive series with a pair of podium appearances. His efforts helped the Elantra N TCR clinch the Car TCR Model of the Year honours in the national series.

 

The team and drivers all competed last weekend at the N24 Qualifiers. They finished the weekend with a perfect 1-2-3 in class in Sunday’s four-hour race of the weekend as Azcona, Basseng and Lauck took victory infront of the North American and Chinese teams. On Saturday the #830 team recovered from a puncture to win the class. Similarly, Filippi suffered a puncture early in the race aboard #831 but brought the car back to the pits with no further damage. The car would complete the podium ahead of the Chinese-crewed car in fourth. 

 

The three-car TCR team for the Nürburgring 24 Hours further advances the close connection between Hyundai N, the Nürburgring and the race. Fittingly, Hyundai's N performance division name itself is derived from the legendary German circuit, as well as Namyang, South Korea - home of Hyundai's global R&D centre. Hyundai maintains a technical centre within sight of the circuit, which it uses to conduct extensive testing of every new road car model as part of their on-going development.

 

Hyundai Motorsport has developed an equally strong and successful link with the Nürburgring 24 Hours. All three TCR designs built by the Customer Racing department have scored class podiums in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, with Elantra N TCR race cars emerging victorious the last three years.

 

The trio of Elantra N TCR teams for the 2024 race aims to add to this incredible record. However, the Nürburgring 24 Hours is widely recognised as one of the most extreme challenges in motorsport. A combination of the unforgiving 25km circuit, famously varying weather conditions, a huge range of performance within the 140+ cars on track, and the difficulty of driving through the night remains unparalleled in modern racing.

 

The official line-up of teams for the race will be completed by the Hyundai Driving Experience i30 Fastback N in the VT2 Front-Wheel-Drive class. In 2023, the team dominated the class, winning by an impressive nine laps, though their advantage was as much as double that margin before a late technical problem. The team for 2024 will include two of the winners from last year in experienced drivers Marcus Willhardt and Michael Bohrer. They will be joined by journalist-racer Jens Dralle who returns for a second year with the team at the Nürburgring 24 Hours after driving a second car in 2023. The team will be completed by Korean Junior driver Gyumin Kim, who has already proven his talent as the Hyundai N Festival winner in his home country last year before helping the team to class podium finishes in the first two NLS races of the season earlier in April.

 

Hyundai Motor Company Vice President and Head of Hyundai N Brand & Motorsport Sub-division Till Wartenberg said: “Our participation in the Nürburgring 24 Hours has always been a key date in our year. Since the beginning of Hyundai N our high-performance road cars have had a close connection with the Nürburgring, through our technical centre and Hyundai N itself. The success we have enjoyed in the TCR class at the race has only made the event more important as, with Hyundai Motorsport, we have expanded our involvement in the race to three cars, representing some of the most important markets for Hyundai Motor Company and some of the most successful race teams with the Elantra N TCR. We know that all three teams have the ability to achieve a great result, but the Nürburgring 24 Hours remains a great challenge.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport President & Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “Hyundai Motorsport is proud to be part of the long-running close connection between Hyundai N and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Since the beginning of our TCR project, the annual trip to the Nürburgring 24 Hours has been one of the most important dates on our racing calendar – and one of the most successful. Three successive class wins in the TCR class have clearly demonstrated the performance and reliability of the Elantra N TCR in one of the most challenging races in modern motorsport. Being the defending class winners brings with it extra pressure, but I am sure with our three TCR crews we will again be the team to beat on track.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport Circuit Racing Project Manager Julien Moncet said: “The Hyundai Elantra N TCR and our customer teams and drivers have a superb record in both TCR sprint racing series and at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. This year’s driver line-up for the three Elantra N TCR cars brings this together. Mikel Azcona, Marc Basseng and Manuel Lauck have won the TCR class for the last two years, so they have a clear pedigree in endurance racing. They will be joined by drivers from our leading customer teams in North America and in China, where they have already enjoyed great success. Last year, the four Bryan Herta Autosport drivers put in a great performance to finish second in class in their debut at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. I am confident both the North American team and the TCR China drivers can achieve another strong result this year.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport GmbH is responsible for Hyundai’s global motorsport activities, including the FIA World Rally Championship and Customer Racing projects. Since its inception in 2012, Hyundai Motorsport has established a strong reputation in WRC and claimed the manufacturers’ title in 2019 and 2020. The company embraced the all-new technical challenge of WRC’s hybrid era in 2022, resulting in the birth of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. Following the creation of its Customer Racing department in 2015, Hyundai Motorsport has become a trusted partner for teams and drivers looking for success on the rally stages or on racetracks around the world. From its competitive Hyundai i20 N Rally2 to the front-running Hyundai Elantra N TCR, Hyundai Motorsport-built cars have claimed crowns in several national rally championships and titles in the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) (2018, 2019, 2022) and the TCR World Tour (2023). Hyundai Motorsport has supported an important perception shift for the Hyundai brand around the world over the past ten years and continues to play an instrumental role in driving Hyundai’s global high-performance N brand.

Further information about Hyundai Motorsport is available at: https://motorsport.hyundai.com

 

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is present in over 200 countries with more than 120,000 employees dedicated to tackling real-world mobility challenges around the globe. Based on the brand vision ‘Progress for Humanity,' Hyundai Motor is accelerating its transformation into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider. The company invests in advanced technologies such as robotics and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to bring about revolutionary mobility solutions, while pursuing open innovation to introduce future mobility services. In pursuit of sustainable future for the world, Hyundai will continue its efforts to introduce zero emission vehicles equipped with industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell and EV technologies.