Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Lewis, Hagler take championship lead after wild Sebring finish
march 22, 2022 - Hyundai

Lewis, Hagler take championship lead after wild Sebring finish

  • Result Marks Second Consecutive Second-Place Finish for Lewis, Hagler
  • Stellar First Stint from Wickens, Bad Luck for Wilkins
  • Filippi Scores First Career Pole

SEBRING, Fla., March 21, 2022 – The Hyundai and Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) driver pairing of #taylorhagler and #michaellewis secured a dramatic second-place finish in Thursday’s #imsamichelinpilotchallenge (IMPC) Alan Jay 120 at #sebringinternationalraceway. Hagler and Lewis led the Hyundai stable consisting of six Elantra N TCR cars from BHA and a pair of Veloster N TCR cars from Van der Steur #racing and CB Motorsports. Hagler and Lewis, BHA and Hyundai now lead the drivers, teams and manufacturers championships with 640 points apiece.

Last Lap Drama

Michael Lewis was behind the wheel of the No. 1 Hyundai Elantra N TCR when a late caution set the stage for a two-lap dash to the checkered flag. Lewis made a move for the lead on the final lap, only to get passed by the former third place car. He applied pressure in the back half of the lap, culminating in a side-by-side finish, but ultimately fell less than two tenths of a second short of the win.   

“We had a little mishap at the very start resulting in a couple drive-through penalties. Obviously, that was an unfortunate #event and it was a downer for me, but we persevered,” said #taylorhagler. “We had a really good engineer that provided the perfect strategy for us to work with. There were a lot of yellows so I didn’t get a ton of green flag #racing, but I was able to give the car to Michael in one piece. That’s what matters, and he took it from there.”

“Watching Taylor have a cool head was really impressive,” said #michaellewis. “I’ve had it happen in my past where something happens at the start and you get hot-headed and make more mistakes, but she kept it cool and did everything right. We were able to optimize strategy and cycle to the front through the pit stops. We were able to get to the front with the best tires and that was the best feeling ever. From there, I picked my way through. We could’ve gotten the win, but I made a little mistake and we got second. It was a good points day. That’s what we did all year long in 2021. Just kept getting points. We’re happy with points.”

Wickens in Peak Form

In the first half of the race, #robertwickens continued to prove how quickly he is acclimating to touring cars by taking the lead from teammate #harrygottsacker, driver of the No. 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR. Wickens’ lead was only relinquished through the pit cycle. Unfortunately, co-driver Mark Wilkins suffered a left-front tire puncture with less than 40 minutes remaining, relegating his and Wickens’ No. 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR to the back of the field.

First Pole for Filippi

Teammate #masonfilippi scored his first career IMPC pole on Wednesday, but his fortunes also took a turn for the worse in the latter half of the race. After contact was made between his No. 77 Elantra N TCR and a GS class car, both Filippi and the other driver hit the outside wall hard. Thankfully, both walked away unscathed.

Hyundai Driver Standings

Position

Drivers

Team

Car

Total Points

1

Taylor Hagler / Michael Lewis

Bryan Herta Autosport

#1 Elantra N TCR

640

5

Rory van der Steur / Tyler Gonzalez

Van der Steur Racing

#17 Veloster N TCR

510

6

Robert Wickens / Mark Wilkins

Bryan Herta Autosport

#33 Elantra N TCR

480

8

Michael Johnson / Stephen Simpson

Michael Johnson Racing

#54 Elantra N TCR

470

11

Parker Chase / Harry Gottsacker

Bryan Herta Autosport

#98 Elantra N TCR

430

13

AJ Muss / Ryan Norman

Bryan Herta Autosport

#2 Elantra N TCR

380

14

Mason Filippi / Tyler Maxson

Bryan Herta Autosport

#77 Elantra N TCR

380

 

IMSA TCR Manufacturer Standings

 

Position

Manufacturer

Total Points

1

Hyundai

640

2

Alfa Romeo

630

3

Honda

630

4

Audi

600

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 738,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2021, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.