Daytona Beach, Florida – You won’t see Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) cars when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship visits Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend for the Chevrolet Grand Prix. But you will see several of the stars who normally drive them.

 

For a variety of reasons including track length, available pit and paddock space, and competitive balance and safety aspects, not every WeatherTech Championship event can accommodate all four of IMSA’s racing classes – GTP, Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) and GTD PRO. The LMP2 class was not on the bill for the races earlier this year at Long Beach, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Detroit, but it is the top class competing in this weekend’s two-hour, 40-minute competition.

 

The break in the GTP schedule is no vacation for four of the regular class drivers, however. Renger van der Zande, Filipe Albuquerque, Pipo Derani and Louis Deletraz – all of whom have prior LMP2 experience – have been retained to co-drive at CTMP for teams in the heat of the LMP2 championship battle. They’ll be chasing class leaders Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga and the No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07, who hold a slim six-point advantage over the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA. LMP2 entries make up 12 of the 35-car field.

 

Deletraz returns to the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA known as “Spike” that he shared with AO Racing team owner PJ Hyett and Alex Quinn at the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they earned a second-place finish in the LMP2 Pro-Am class. The 27-year-old Deletraz has a wealth of LMP2 experience, including a pair of European Le Mans Series championships and the LMP2 title in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, with three wins in seven races.

 

He also shared the winning GTP class Acura ARX-06 at this year’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac, claiming the honors in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 with Jordan Taylor and Colton Herta.

 

“I’m excited to be at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with AO Racing,” Deletraz stated. “It’s a new track for me, but everyone says good things about it. It’s high-speed and we’ll be the top class there with no GTP running. It will be nice to have the opportunity to win an overall race in LMP2. I’m really looking forward to it after Le Mans and to sharing the car with PJ and all the crew.”

 

United Autosports has fielded LMP2 cars at Le Mans and in European-based championships since 2017. This year, it has added a full-time two-car WeatherTech Championship program under the United Autosports USA banner. Albuquerque was part of United’s initial entry into LMP2 seven years ago, and while his day job now is to co-drive WTRAndretti’s No. 10 GTP class Acura in the WeatherTech Championship, he has continued to compete at Le Mans with United, claiming the LMP2 class win in 2020.

 

This year at Le Mans, United scored the LMP2 win with a car driven by Bijoy Garg, Oliver Jarvis and Nolan Siegel. Albuquerque shared another United entry with Ben Keating and Ben Hanley, who race United’s No. 2 ORECA in the WeatherTech Championship. At CTMP, Deletraz will be in the No. 22 United ORECA with Daniel Goldburg.

 

“I am really looking forward to race in Mosport with United, racing for the overall victory,” Albuquerque said. “I had the chance to meet Daniel already and we had a great feeling. On top of that, I got a nice warmup at Le Mans to get back into the LMP2. We want to fight for the win, for sure.”

 

Derani parlayed his impressive form in LMP2 machinery into a top-flight prototype driving career. He joined the team now known as Whelen Cadillac Racing in 2018 and has since won a pair of top-level IMSA championships, in Daytona Prototype international (DPi) in 2021 and GTP in ’23. He joins Richard Mille AF Corse at CTMP to share the No. 88 ORECA with Luis Perez Companc.

 

Van der Zande has maintained a presence in international LMP2 competition for the last few years to enhance his full-time GTP program in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R in the WeatherTech Championship. He’ll pair with team owner (and 2022 IMSA LMP2 champion) John Farano in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA this weekend in Canada.

Daytona Beach, Florida – Considering he’d never stepped into a prototype race car before this year and was completely out of the sport for all of 2023, Steven Aghakhani has acquitted himself exceptionally well this season in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.

 

The 21-year-old Californian heads into the second half of the season with two wins and a comfortable lead in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class. The VP Racing Challenge heads this week to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for a pair of 45-minute sprint races.

 

Aghakhani began racing GT cars at age 16 in 2019. That year, he finished second in the Am class of the IMSA-sanctioned Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series, missing out on the title by a single point. He graduated to the Pro class the following two years, where he and Jacob Eidson finished second in 2020 and third in 2021. Aghakhani notched 10 total wins in the series and made his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut in late 2021.

 

After taking the 2023 season off from racing, Aghakhani landed the opportunity this year to join MLT Motorsports to drive the No. 6 Ligier JS P320 in the VP Racing Challenge that features P3 and GT4 cars. Despite no prior prototype experience, Aghakhani swept the season-opening round at Daytona International Speedway. He’s followed that with a trio of second-place finishes in the next four races to build a 280-point lead in the P3 standings.

 

“So far, it's been a fairly good season,” Aghakhani said. “Obviously, having I think a combined drive time of all the practice and races of about maybe 15-20 hours in the car, we have a little catching up to do in terms of driving the car more and getting the overall feeling. But as of right now, seems like it's going pretty well.”

 

Aghakhani’s prime competition in P3 has come from Jagger Jones, driver of the No. 87 FastMD Racing with Remstar Duqueine D08 who’s won the last four races. But since Jones missed the Daytona round, he sits a distant fourth in points.

 

While he’s enjoyed his battles at the front with Jones, Aghakhani admits he and the MLT team are keeping the end goal in sight, which has tempered his aggressiveness.

 

“We have the championship in mind and that's what's important,” he said. “As a competitive driver it's not what you want, but also in the end – in the long run – winning the war is more important than the battle. Taking home the championship at the end of the season is way more important than sacrificing everything for one race, and that's what we keep in mind.”

 

Like many in this weekend’s 20-car field (eight in P3, 12 in GSX), Aghakhani has never raced at CTMP. He’s well aware of the track’s high-speed nature, which once again gets his competitive juices flowing.

 

“I'm looking very forward to this weekend because high-speed tracks I prefer actually over a lot of low-speed courses,” Aghakhani explained, “just because it's almost like a fun factor of just kind of throwing the car in the corner and kind of scaring yourself. You’re like, ‘I hope this holds!’ I think we're going to do great there. It's a blessed opportunity to come out and do some racing at some legendary tracks like this.”

 

Jonathan Wooldridge returns in the the #38 Performance Tech Ligier and will look to repeat his 2023 performance in the Saturday race where he qualified 2nd and lead from the start to claim his first win in the series. 

 

The GSX championship battle is much closer, with Luca Mars (No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4) and Jesse Lazare (No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4) separated by 120 points. Each of those drivers has won three times this season.

 

The VP Racing Challenge races are set for 8:50 a.m. ET Saturday and 3:55 p.m. Sunday. Both will stream live on Peacock in the U.S. and IMSA.tv elsewhere.

 

Bowmanville, Ontario – The Vasser Sullivan Lexus team makes its way to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, just an hour outside Toronto, for its seventh race of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship and the fourth sprint race of the season. Both the No. 12 and 14 Lexus RC F GT3s travel north of the border fresh off fourth-place finishes in Watkins Glen two weeks ago.

 

Lexus factory drivers, Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat, arrive at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park just 49 points back of the GTD PRO team class championship lead after their solid weekend at Watkins Glen. Lexus also currently sits second in the manufacturer standings, just 50 points behind Porsche. The No. 14 team has found recent success at Mosport, earning the GTD PRO pole and leading 46 of the 62 race laps a season ago on their way to a fourth-place result, and are eager to claim some long-awaited hardware at the circuit this weekend.

 

After the endurance race in Watkins Glen, the regular, full-time driver lineup for the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 is back with Parker Thompson and Frankie Montecalvo. Like the No. 14, the No. 12 team has also shown pace at the 10-turn, 2.459-mile Canadian road course of late, with Montecalvo sitting on pole two years ago and claiming the second-starting position in GTD last year. Heading into the weekend, Lexus sits second in the GTD class manufacturer standings behind Mercedes, and the No. 12 team is currently seventh in GTD team points standings.

 

Live flag-to-flag coverage from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park can be seen on USA Network or streaming on Peacock beginning at 11 a.m. ET. To keep up with all the racing action, follow Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok by using #LexusPerformance.   

 

Vasser Sullivan Driver Quotes  

JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3  

Are you excited to return to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park?

 

"Canadian Tire Motorsports Park is without a doubt a highlight on the schedule! The ultra-high commitment corners and incredibly fast nature of the track make it a truly unique circuit and one I always look forward to driving. Our Lexus RC F GT3 cars have historically really suited the track and we have always been competitive, however we have never managed to quite put all the puzzle pieces together to actually get a big result at this place. We’ll focus on executing a clean weekend and try to take home a big haul of points for this Vasser Sullivan team.”

 

BEN BARNICOAT, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3  

What are your thoughts going into this weekend racing at CTMP?

 

”Mosport is another circuit on the IMSA schedule that will put a smile on your face. This track really does test your skill and bravery as a driver with its extremely high-speed twists and turns, which makes it a lot of fun. The championship table is tight at the top as we start the second half of the season, so we'll be looking to try and press on and get ourselves to the top of the standings. The Vasser Sullivan Lexus Racing team always gives us a fast RC F GT3 here in Canada, but we haven't been able to convert that into hardware the past couple of seasons. We'll be looking to change that this time around.”

 

FRANKIE MONTECALVO, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3  

How are you feeling heading to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park this weekend?

 

“I couldn’t be happier, rolling off into Mosport this weekend. This is my favorite circuit we race at and couldn’t be happier to drive it in the Lexus RC F GT3 for Vasser Sullivan. The 12 car showed great pace and almost clinched the victory at Watkins Glen. We’ll take all that momentum and roll into a circuit like Mosport where we should have a great race.”

 

How does it feel to be racing back home in Canada?

 

"It’s always exciting to race north of the border. Red Deer, Alberta, might be more than 1,700 miles away from Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, but every visit feels like a homecoming. I have so many great memories at this track and have met so many wonderful people in the area. I expect my visit this year to be extra special. After pole position, and a strong race at Watkins Glen, the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 is trending up! This weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park presents an opportunity for our team to earn our best result of the season to date and I’m extra motivated to do that in front of a home crowd."

 

About Lexus  

The Lexus RC F GT3 enters its eighth season in the GTD class, and third year in the GTD PRO category, competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Over the last six seasons, Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have combined to earn 15 wins, 42 podium finishes and 21 pole positions with the RC F GT3. Lexus won its first full-season IMSA GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship on the strength of two wins and podium positions in nine of 11 races in 2023.  

 

Lexus' passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With eight models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers nine F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.  

 

 

Toronto, Ontario – Justin Di Benedetto is prepared to make his first appearance in IMSA competition as the Ontario-based driver takes on Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the Michelin Pilot Challenge championship from July 12th to 13th. Driving for TWOth Autosport alongside teammate Travis Hill, the Canadian pairing will be fielding the #22 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS in the GS class.

 

“I’m proud to be making my IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge debut this week at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park,” said Justin Di Benedetto. “This has been a goal I’ve been working towards for many years and I’m looking forward to the challenge on home soil. The GS class in the Michelin Pilot Challenge is one of the most competitive GT4 fields in North America and I’m excited to see what our all-Canadian team effort with TWOth Autosport can do. I’d like to extend a very big thank you to all my sponsors, partners and family for supporting me in this journey.”

 

Di Benedetto is currently competing in the 2024 FEL Sports Car Championship Canada season, stepping up to the GT4 class this year with Di Benedetto Racing in partnership with Syntheia AI. He has completed the opening four races in his Porsche Cayman GT4RS Clubsport and has seen early success while familiarizing himself with his new machinery.

 

The first event of the season, the Victoria Day SpeedFest, was held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, a track he holds a great deal of experience at, and saw Di Benedetto step on to the podium in both races. He claimed a second place finish in Race 1, and a third place result in Race 2.

 

“Rounds one and two were a strong start to our season at CTMP with a second and third place finish in the GT4 class,” explained Di Benedetto. “This was my first time running the Porsche in race conditions, but I feel as though we maximized the package and pace we had for that particular weekend.”

 

The team showed a great deal of promise in the following rounds for the Calabogie Spring Classic at Calabogie Motorsports Park, clinching both pole positions, but later encountered technical issues that took them out of contention for the race wins.

 

“For rounds three and four of the FEL Sports Car Championship Canada we returned to Calabogie Motorsports Park,” Di Benedetto elaborated. “The Porsche was on rails all weekend with us taking pole position for both races that weekend. Sadly, we faced a technical gremlin with the car on the formation lap, which caused us to come into the pits in order to resolve the issue. We ended the weekend with two second-place finishes and the fastest laps in both races. It was a fun recovery drive in such challenging conditions and we now look forward to Honda Indy Toronto in a few weeks time.”

 

Justin Di Benedetto and TWOth Autosport will be on track starting Friday, July 12th, with two practice sessions. Qualifying will follow first thing Saturday morning, and the green flag will wave to commence the race at 1:25 PM ET that same day. The full weekend schedule can be found here.

 

Fans can watch the race live on Peacock Premium in the United States or on IMSA TV in Canada. The Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120 will be broadcast on CNBC on July 20 at 1 PM ET.