Robert Wickens & Mark Wilkins Form All-Canadian IMSA TCR Challenge By Bryan Herta Autosport

BOTH ... Robert Wickens and Mark Wilkins are about as humble and as competitive as they come. God Bless Bryan Herta Autosport for their guts to take on this challenge. Image Credit: Hyundai via META/FB (2021)

Robert Wickens & Mark Wilkins Form All-Canadian IMSA TCR Challenge By Bryan Herta Autosport

This is the year to look for the No. 33 Elantra N TCR fielded by Hyundai through their very successful multi-year partnership with Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) racing the full season in the IMSA sanctioned Michelin Pilot Challenge season, starting at Daytona International Speedway with a January 28, 2022. 

Reason? 

It has been nearly three and a half years that the very promising career of Canadian Robert Wickens came to what appeared to be an end through a crippling INDYCAR accident at Pocono Raceway on August 19, 2018. Robert (Robbie) Wickens and fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins will be teaming up to campaign in a specially prepared Hyundai Elantra N duel-outfitted with foot and hand controls for accelerating and braking. 

Hand controls for acceleration and braking as installed on the Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Veloster N TCR as set for Michael Johnson. Image Credit: Hyundai via META/FB (2021)

For Wickens, a custom hand-control system designed by BHA technical director David Brown and development technician Jonathan Gormley refined from a system originally designed for Michael Johnson, the only hand-controlled requirement licensed driver in the INDYCAR sanctioning body. For Mark Wilkins, foot pedals.

It’s been a long, winding, and difficult road to this point and the journey is not over, but thankful we’ll be able to move down the road with a bit more speed!

I’ll be joining @BHA for the 2022 @IMSA season and piloting one of their @hyundai Elantras.

Now, let’s go win. pic.twitter.com/hoPyoorJTO

— Robert Wickens (@robertwickens) January 14, 2022

Bryan Herta Autosport has been in a working relationship for approximately eighteen months with Robert, tracking his rehabilitation progress, gave him a test track day with the specially outfitted Veloster N TCR at Mid-Ohio road course, to come to this day which announced a full season challenge for 2022. Here is the ZOOM Call announcement hosted by IMSA with about 50 motor press participants online.

This excerpted and edited from NBC Sports - 

Robert Wickens will return to racing with Bryan Herta Autosport, starting at Daytona

NBC Sports - By Nate Ryan - Jan 14, 2022

Wickens has major aspirations in joining a six-car team that has won three consecutive championships in the MPC, vowing to win the season opener despite having yet to drive the car yet.

“Aim big, right,” he said with a smile during a Zoom news conference Friday. “Let’s go for the win. It’s not every day you can jump straight in with a team that’s won multiple championships with a teammate that’s won a championship. I feel I couldn’t be in a better place. The goal is simple: to try to win the thing.

“I felt I was forced to leave in 2018 at almost the peak of my career. I felt great. Never felt fitter, never felt stronger. I felt like I was driving the best I’ve ever driven. I want to hit the ground running and continue where I left off. At least challenge for a victory and podium, if anything.”

----

Wickens made a big leap last May in his journey back to a race car, turning 62 laps with Herta’s team at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Bryan Herta Autosport's inclusive six-team/twelve-driver 2022 Hyundai IMSA challenge. Image Credit: BHA via META/FB (2022) 

It was his first exposure to hand controls mounted on the steering wheel that controlled the acceleration and braking of the No. 54 Veloster N TCR. Michael Johnson, a paralyzed driver who delivered Hyundai’s first podium with co-driver Stephen Simpson in a 2021 Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Daytona, helped guide Wickens through the use of hand controls.

Wickens also had watched Alex Zanardi race with hand controls in the DTM and sports cars series (including the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona). Zanardi was among the first to call after Wickens was paralyzed.

Wickens said Friday that he can stand with support but likely won’t walk again.

“I’m at the point where my recovery has more or less plateaued in terms of neural recovery,” he said. “I’m not regaining any more muscle function. Unfortunately, it’s looking like I’ll be in a chair for the remainder of my life as long as modern medicine and science stay what it is. But it’s a great life. I was able to regain a lot of function.”

For the past two seasons, Wickens has worked as a consultant and driver coach for Arrow McLaren SP, the team he drove for during his rookie season in the NTT IndyCar Series up until the Pocono crash.

Wickens said he will remain in the consultant role for Arrow McLaren SP during the 2022 season. Asked whether he wanted to race the Indy 500 again, Wickens said he is keeping his options open.

“The first thing for me is I want to race here in the Michelin Pilot Challenge with Hyundai in my Elantra N TCR car to just, for myself, prove I can do it again,” he said. “It’s almost like a proof of concept to understand the hand controls and compete again. I haven’t raced in three and a half years, really. Just for myself and everyone around me, I want to know I can do it again. Once we can tick that box, nothing is out of the question.

“I think it would be awesome to race the Indy 500. Also, I’m very interested in exploring new avenues. I’ve never really done any sports car driving. Racing at the highest levels of IMSA and the WeatherTech Series. Those LMDh cars just look insane. Formula E is something that’s very appealing to me as well. I’m interested in exploring other options of motorsport outside IndyCar.”

Wickens cast doubt on if he could race again in the NTT IndyCar Series because of regulations that could limit hand controls.

“Anything is possible with the right time, money and resources,” he said. “It’s a colossal ask, but I’m at a point in my life where if I never return to IndyCar, I’m very satisfied with that. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity I have here to get back behind the wheel and feel that hunger I’ve had for so many years watching from the sidelines.

“If things in the future arise, we’ll address them as they come. For the time being, I don’t see IndyCar as a feasible option in my return. The physicality to adapt my hand controls would require a lot of customization that I’m not sure the series would really sign off on. Braking, power steering. It would take like a one-off Indy car, which I don’t know if teams would agree to (allow).”

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Robert Wickens & fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins drive the No. 33 Elantra N TCR full time in the 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season, starting at Daytona International Speedway with a Jan. 28 race that will be streamed live on Peacock (along with the full season; replays also will be shown on the USA network).

(Reference Here)

Image Credit: Canadian Dad Blog (2017)

In all of the world, given the nature and accomplishment of Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) through building its team with Hyundai over the last five years, and the physiological and psychological come back of Robert Wickens (paired with Mark Wilkins), there can not be a better match up for success in this motorsports competition re-entry.

BHA will just have to order in, and keep a stock of Dare Maple Cream cookies in the paddock!

The season kicks off Jan. 21 with the Roar Before the Rolex 24, a three-day test session at Daytona that concludes with qualifying races. The BMW M Endurance Challenge streams live starting at 1:35 p.m. ET Friday, Jan. 28 on Peacock.

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: Robert Wickens, Mark Wilkins, Bryan Herta Autosport, Hyundai Elantra N, IMSA TCR Class, Daytona,  BMW M Endurance Challenge, Michelin Pilot Challenge, The EDJE 

BMW Design Goes The Path Of Trans-Humanism Or Something

The Frank Files is a series of deep dive critique on design, produced by noted Art Center College of Design graduate Frank Stephenson, primarily focused on the creations found in the world of motor culture. Image Credit: Frank Stephenson (2022)

BMW Design Goes The Path Of Trans-Humanism Or Something

In a day and age tainted by fears of a Virus pandemic response raging for almost two years, causing major auto-makers to forego displaying at places like the LA Auto Show in 2021, BMW, with the release of its latest designed SUV tabbed the XM, has adopted a confusing design language that seems to be speaking in tongues.

This impression is not just a "one-of" by a writer who follows Motorsports and Motor Culture as a main focus, but one that was recently paraphrased in a video presentation produced by famed vehicle and products designer who once contributed to this BMW design legacy (noted through the MINI rebirth & the X5), Frank Stephenson.

Another impression shared on Frank's posted META/FB timeline by a Motor Press Guild colleague, John Grafman plays out as follows: 

the bmw design is indeed confusing. 

all roads may lead to rome, but all the lines on the xm are leading nowhere. furthermore, the surfaces, which are iffy too in this illustration, will only be more muddled in the real world where the lighting is not ideal.

sadly, it's easy to see how the design could be pulled out of the trash bin, but unfortunately it's too late for that.

did bmw clinic this design before moving forward? were those that were survey inebriated? were there no designers brave enough in the studio to say that the emperor has no clothes?

i saw the initial oversized grill design on a bmw (vision) concept five or so years ago in person at a centennial celebration down at barker hanger. that car had numerous unique features that were most likely not destined for production. i thought the grill was one of those. i was wrong ... and so was bmw.

ENDS

BMW must have been impressed through some of the elements put into design lexicon by Lamborghini and soon thereafter adopted by Toyota.

Squared and angled wheel well defining element harkens to a mathematical influence found through a computer program as opposed to a natural flow. Image Credit: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (2021)

The designers of the Toyota RAV4 could not resist the addition of the black plastic defining shape around the wheel well introduced by Lamborghini earlier in the year. Image Credit Toyota Motor Corporation (2021)

Algorithms may be the cause of this confusing display of surfaces and elements. A trend is emerging out of the advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) where the Human brain of a specific Human being might be replicated/reproduced. 

This image was resourced through the postings of Joe Allen, publisher of Singularity Weekly found at joebot.xyz. He alerts all of us about the impending influences and possible transformation in Humanity of Artificial Intelligence technology and the replication of the Human brain imported into a baseless & faceless machine(s). Image Credit: The Next Web (2021)

This trend and line of study is called Trans-Humanism or Singularity. What if this was being applied through automobile design with a room full of replicated Trans-Human designers? Where every successful design language is fed into the Singularity designers and this was the best they could come up with?

Heck, first time Electric SUV (2 models) manufacturer from Vietnam, Vinfast, seems to have had a greater grasp on the definition of their language in design than BMW. They even managed to not replicate the no-grille bull-nosed front end famously used by Tesla (and others).

Vinfast VF e35 front end. A front end that looks a bit more like a grille as opposed to just a plug. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Vinfast VF e36 rear quarter view. Tail lights that enhance the nameplate of the manufacturer. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

At its base, vehicle design is art. In a two dimensional world, we have great examples of impressionistic extremes - Picasso, Dali, Pollock, Kahlo, Warhol, Bradford, and etc.. - each with their own themes. When one is confronted visually through so many themes and elements as one is with this BMW XM release is left asking, exactly, "Where is the art?" 

Upon first impressions and review of the BMW XM, we are left with a design that speaks to the observer in tongues, and not a one is left wagging.

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: BMW, XM, SUV, Frank Stephenson, The Frank Files, critique, design, Vinfast, Lamborghini, Toyota, Joe Allen, Singularity Weekly, Trans-Humanism, brain-computer interfaces, The EDJE

Busch Light Clash At The Coliseum Groundbreaking Ceremony

Shovels full of fill & aggregate base material officially begin the transformation of the floor of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to a quarter mile paved short track that will pay host to Next Gen NASCAR stock cars boasting 670 HP. Pictured with shovels from left to right: Dave Allen - Auto Club Speedway, Kevin Daly - Coliseum Assistant General Manager, Ben Kennedy - NASCAR Sr. VP of Strategy and Innovation, and Michael Waltrip - Analyst for FOX Sports and 2-time Daytona 500 winner.   Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Busch Light Clash At The Coliseum Groundbreaking Ceremony

As construction begins on the quarter-mile, asphalt track for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, NASCAR and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum executives, racing event staff from Auto Club Speedway, and FOX Sports personality/2-time Daytona 500 Winner Michael Waltrip conducted a groundbreaking ceremony and were available for one-on-one interviews. 

For the first time since 1956, when NASCAR held a race in Chicago’s Soldier Field, the famed stock car racing organization will kick off its season not only inside a major city stadium, but with a short quarter-mile track. It will also be historic for the cacophonous debut of NASCAR’s seventh generation cup cars: The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Toyota TRD Camry and Ford Mustang. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

The thought came up in the annals of NASCAR, why don't we hold the introduction of the future racing platform in an attention-getting and iconic environment and do this while capturing the essence of first races on a short track where most drivers begin to learn their craft - racing!?!?!

This thought came to life in September and the Gods of motor culture, living in Los Angeles, did not allow any real blockages in the path of these great NASCAR visionaries and creative planners.  

To Anheuser-Busch executives who run the sponsorship side of the business this back-to-back big weekend visibility on a national basis, managed out of the West Coast, is all in a big brewers portfolio. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

The folks at Budweiser, the Busch Light title sponsor of the Clash, were more than happy at the open dates of February 5th & 6th 2022 since this did not conflict with their other large sponsoring duties set to be shown in activities surrounding the NFL's final game of the 2021 season - Super Bowl LVI, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, February 13, 2022.  

Auto Club Speedway's Dave Allen is looking forward to "hosting" two races in the same month, in the same geographical basin, with the same racing series. Dave shares his thoughts in this Social Media VIDEO done live while standing on the new dirt of the floor inside the LA Coliseum. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021) 

NASCAR and Los Angeles City also began to recognize that the best folks to aid in managing the elements of a stockcar racing event - the timing, the crowds, the legalities - just might be the management of the Auto Club Speedway. It happens that after 3 races in Daytona, including the Daytona 500, the 4th season championship points paying race on February 27th, 2022 is planned to be held at Auto Club Speedway that is 2.0 miles in a very large "D" shape.  

Why of course they can handle a non-points paying race on a very small quarter-mile (micro) "D" shaped 2% banked track on the floor of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

This beginning layer protects the surface that was perfectly laid down for sporting contests on turf back in 2018 when the Coliseum went through a modernization upgrade with event suites and media facilities. Click HERE to see the NASCAR transformation in their first commercial advertising the Busch Light Clash. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Busch Light Clash By The Numbers

130,000 Sq. Ft. of plywood and visqueen field protection

9,200 Cubic Yards of packed fill & aggregate base material

3,840 Ft. temporary track walls

6,900 Sq. Yds. asphalt track & apron paving

6,800 Sq. Yds. asphalt infield paving

1,400 Ft. track catch fencing

1,400 Ft. safer barrier perimeter 

Modification To Tunnel Entry

ENDS

META/FB Photo Gallery Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021) >>>

Without any clear description (in ads or website descriptions), one is left to assume that given the formats of the qualifications heat races and the length of the Busch Light Clash race overall plus the note of "Modification To Tunnel Entry" the pits for preparing/repairing cars for racing are outside of the stadium.

Michael Waltrip gets interviewed by KCBS2/KCAL9's Jim Hill. Michael was very impressed at the plans for this track and the use of the new Next Gen racing platforms. Said Michael “If this event goes well, you could see pop-up racetracks in a lot of big cities around America and NASCAR being the center of the stage.”   Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

This day's ceremony on December 21, 2021 took place exactly 100 years to the date after the venue's original groundbreaking and further follows two Summer Olympics (1932 and 1984 ... and scheduled again in 2028), two Super Bowls, a World Series, University of Southern California Trojan home football games, Los Angeles Rams, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Dodgers, Billy Graham Crusade (record 134,254 attendance), a motocross event that utilized the steps of the Peristyle end covered with dirt while the floor was transformed into whoops or moguls, Stadium SUPER Trucks 2013 Round #3 LA Coliseum SST On NBC with similar modifications to the floor and Peristyle end, concerts by the Stones, U2, the Who, Springsteen and numerous other headliners and JFK’s acceptance speech at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.

NASCAR Images >>>

This race track is seriously becoming a reality. Image Credit: NASCAR via YouTube Commercial

Welcome NASCAR's Busch Light Clash to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, featuring the new seventh generation racing chassis and engine, which marks the first time the preseason Clash will be held outside of Daytona International Speedway since its inception in 1979. Again, it will give the sport its first competitive look at the Next Gen car on February 5 & 6 in a non-points event, embellished through a pre-race concert by Pit Bull. 

NASCAR Cup Series Clash exhibition race broadcast coverage GREEN Flag drops Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the L.A. Coliseum >>> Schedule HERE.

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: NASCAR, Busch Light Clash, Auto Club Speedway, Michael Waltrip, USC, Next Gen, 670 HP, The EDJE

DragonSpeed Stacks Driver Lineup With IndyCar Talent For 2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona

With the 2022 Rolex 24 at @daytona on the horizon, we are very pleased to welcome back @eric.lux and @devlindefran to the team and also proud to add Super Talents @coltonherta and @patriciooward to the lineup. #Oneteamonedream Thank you to all our partners. We aim to make you proud 👊🏼 @kimoa @rembrandtcharms @jonessodaco @atmofizer @cgrnenergy @simplyevusa @gainbridgelife @neftvodkaus @flexboxracing @motul @orecagroup @gibsontechnology @michelinmotorsport @control_telemetry @salas_center_montmelo >>> Image & Caption Credit: dragonspeed_official (2021)

DragonSpeed Stacks Driver Lineup With IndyCar Talent For 2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona

DragonSpeed is set to return to the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January with an all-star lineup featuring INDYCAR racers Devlin DeFrancesco, Colton Herta, and Pato O’Ward alongside Bronze-ranked Daytona veteran Eric Lux.

The US-flagged, Barcelona-based DragonSpeed team – LMP2 Pro/Am class winners at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours – has its sights set on returning to Daytona’s victory lane after taking the LMP2 laurels at the Rolex 24 in 2019 and 2020. DeFrancesco and Lux were part of the DragonSpeed squad which claimed third in the 2021 race, and are back with new teammates O'Ward and Herta in 2022.

DragonSpeed is aiming to reclaim the LMP2 Rolex after the team finished third this year as Era Motorsport won for the first time.

O’Ward took a Prototype Challenge class win at Daytona in 2017 driving for Performance Tech Motorsports, at the top of a title-winning season for the Mexcian driver.

Now racing with Arrow McLaren SP, O’Ward finished third in the NTT IndyCar Series standings this year behind Josef Newgarden and champion Alex Palou.

Herta, meanwhile, formed part of the BMW Team RLL factory crew that won the GT Le Mans class in 2019 with a BMW M8 GTE.

The 21-year-old American recently placed fifth in the IndyCar championship table and won the final two races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Long Beach.

Herta is set for his prototype racing debut, while O’Ward got behind the wheel of an Oreca twice during the 2018 IMSA season.

DeFrancesco will join the pair on next year’s IndyCar grid after signing with Andretti Autosport for his series debut. The Canadian formed part of DragonSpeed’s Daytona squad in January, sharing the LMP2 ride with Lux, Fabian Schiller and Christopher Mies.

“This gives our streak of attracting the best driving talent to DragonSpeed another massive bump,” said team principal Elton Julian.

“We already know how well Eric and Devlin can perform with us at Daytona from last year, and adding two of IndyCar’s brightest stars to our 2022 squad makes our prospects even more exciting.

“I can’t help but think it’s too bad we couldn’t secure a DPi for this race, as this line-up clearly deserves one – we certainly tried!

“Most of our LMP2 rivals are capable of delivering a fast, efficient and reliable run. We aim to do the same and give our all-stars – all with plenty of Daytona experience – the platform they need to make the difference.

“I’m super impressed by IMSA and the turnaround for LMP2 they’ve achieved going into 2022.

“The Rolex and the rest of the WeatherTech season look to be incredibly competitive, in LMP2 and across the board.”

DragonSpeed has already committed to a full season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s LMP2 class with Juan Pablo Montoya and Henrik Hedman.

Because Daytona only counts for points towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, the team was able to create a different lineup for the season-opening Florida enduro.

(ht: sportscar365 & DragonSpeed)

The 2022 season officially begins in less than two months ... on January 21 at Daytona International Speedway for the annual Roar Before the 24 with the momentous Rolex 24 at DAYTONA immediately following. Practice begins on Thursday, January 27 with the race running January 29-30.

... notes from The EDJE 

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TAGS: DragonSpeed, @eric.lux, @devlindefran, @coltonherta, @patriciooward, IMSA, Michelin Endurance Cup, LMP2, Rolex 24 at Daytona, The EDJE

Full 2022 Endurance Racing Driver Line-Up Announcement For Wayne Taylor Racing

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 as it negotiates The Hairpin - Turn 11 at the Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach. Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien - Motor Driven Images (2021)

Full 2022 Endurance Racing Driver Line-Up Announcement For Wayne Taylor Racing

Wayne Taylor Racing announces full-time drivers, Michelin Endurance Cup and Rolex 24 driver lineup for the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar DPi championship season in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05.

Drivers announced include the 2021 Michelin Endurance Cup Champions and 2021 IMSA WeatherTech DPi Vice Champions Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque returning as full-time co-pilots of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 in 2022 with hopes of back-to-back wins at the 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona. 

Keeping continuity for the Endurance Cup, the 2021 Michelin Endurance Cup Champion for WTR and standout INDYCAR pilot Alexander Rossi will once again assist the team as it looks to make history during this iconic 24-hour endurance battle of wits, stamina and strategy. Filling out the racing line-up card has veteran driver from England and Rossi’s former Formula 1 teammate, Will Stevens, joining WTR as the team’s endurance co-driver at the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, and Motul Petit Le Mans for the 2022 season.

“I’m excited to finally announce our 2022 driver lineup for the full season, the Michelin Endurance Cup and for the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA,” expressed team owner Wayne Taylor. “Each year, we speak with many drivers as we develop our driver lineup, and I feel very good to officially announce everyone. Ricky and Filipe will be back as full-time co-drivers. Continuity is always a good thing and both of them work really well together. We have Alexander Rossi joining us again. He did a great job with us last year helping us win the Rolex 24. Will Stevens will be running all Michelin Endurance Cup races for us. He’s been someone that we’ve been watching over the last year or two and gathering info on. Alex and he were teammates in Formula 1 years ago, so the drivers meshed very well at the recent two day test in Daytona where Will came up to speed very quickly. The most important thing is having everybody with the same goal which is to win. Thank you to Acura, HPD, Konica Minolta, Harrison Contracting and CIT who have all helped to make this happen and I can’t wait to get back to Daytona.”

Established in 2007, Wayne Taylor Racing has asserted itself as a perennial leading force in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The 2021 Michelin Endurance Cup Champions have won three IMSA Driver Championships and nine IMSA Manufacturer Titles since their formation. In the team’s 15 seasons, they have seized four of the last five Rolex 24 at DAYTONA titles, two 12 Hours of Sebring victories and three Petit Le Mans wins. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team will look to make history by winning four Rolex 24 at DAYTONA events in a row with their exceptional driver line-up for 2022.

Ricky Taylor returns to Wayne Taylor Racing for the second consecutive year and his fifteenth season in topflight sports car racing. The IMSA veteran won the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2017 and 2020 and brought his team within one corner of the overall title on their way to an Endurance Cup victory in 2021. Statistically one of the greatest drivers in IMSA history, Taylor boasts a record of 27 victories, 23 pole positions, and 64 podium finishes including wins at all the series’ marquee endurance events—the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Six Hours of the Glen and Petit Le Mans.

“2022 is going to be a fantastic season,” commented Ricky Taylor, the two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion. “WTR, Konica Minolta, Harrison Contracting and CIT came out of the gates so strongly with the ARX-05 in their first season running it, already fighting for a championship. Along with Filipe and Alex rejoining the team, we should have some really strong continuity moving into next season to keep building on our success with HPD and Acura. It’s also great having Will on board with us. He is a world class sportscar driver and we are lucky to have him join the team. He has already contributed greatly to the team, and I think our Rolex 24 lineup is as strong as ever. The competition will be tough with the addition of a second Ganassi Cadillac, but we will welcome it and look forward to fighting for another championship.”

Full-time pilot Filipe Albuquerque continues his tenure with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team for the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship multiple race winner, 2020 European Le Mans Champion and LMP2 WEC Champion carries a resume as diverse as it is impressive. His 2021 run with WTR produced a trio of wins, including the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, en route to the Endurance Cup title.

“The IMSA offseason break is not so long, especially this year, given that the last race was a bit later than normal,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “For someone that enjoys racing, as I do, that is great. I am looking forward to 2022 with my great teammate Ricky. Now that we have more experience with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05, maybe we can grab that one extra point that made us miss the DPi title in 2021. We came off a fantastic test with the whole team a few weeks ago with Alex and our new team member Will Stevens, I am happy to have Will onboard. He has a lot of experience; we had many fights in the past in ELMS and WEC, so I know how good he is. I hope we can achieve many victories together.”

Seven-time INDYCAR race winner and 2016 Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi rejoins Wayne Taylor Racing after a productive run across all the four endurance races with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team. Having captured a Rolex 24 victory, Baja 1000 win and the Michelin Endurance Cup title last season, he’ll look to build on 2021’s successes in 2022.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing and Acura,” said Alexander Rossi. “It was such a privilege to be able to continue driving with Ricky for what was our third year together and the addition of Filipe couldn’t have gone any better as shown by the result that we were able to achieve last year. It is great to work again with Will Stevens as we were actually teammates back in our F1 days and we were able to get straight back to business after not seeing each other for six years. I can’t wait to get back to the track and hopefully deliver Wayne his 5th 24-hour win in 6 years.”

Will Stevens is currently a Formula 1 Test & Development Driver for McLaren and a standout in the World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series. Will has held roles with various F1 teams dating back to 2008 and made his Grand Prix debut in 2014 before earning a full-time seat with Manor Marussia F1 Team for 2015. His recent career highlights include class wins in the World Endurance Championship and a runner-up campaign in the Blancpain GT Series.

“I’m super excited to join the Wayne Taylor Racing family and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Daytona, Sebring and Petit Le Mans,” said Stevens. “This team is very respected and one that I’ve always wanted to be part of. IMSA Is a huge market in motorsport that is growing massively and it’s a relationship that I want to build on for the future. I have known Ricky, Filipe and Alexander a little bit over the past few years, so it’s nice to have that relationship already with the guys. It’s an honor to be part of this exceptional No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team and to help with the success for this year.”

In 2022, Konica Minolta and Wayne Taylor Racing continue their storied history together. Michael Mathe, President, International Operation, Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, Inc. has been a driving force in the strong relationship between WTR and Konica Minolta.

“We are very excited to start another season supporting WTR!” exclaimed Michael Mathe.” We are really thrilled with the driver line-up this year and look forward to many wins and to challenge for the IMSA WeatherTech DPi Championship.”

After a historic 2021, HPD looks forward to another year of victories with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team.

“Winning both the Rolex 24 and the Michelin Endurance Cup last year were important milestones for Acura’s IMSA racing program,” said David Salters, President and Technical Director of Honda Performance Development, the North American racing arm for Acura Motorsports. “In just the first year of our association, Wayne Taylor Racing has proven to be an important partner in our IMSA effort, and the WTR driver lineup for 2022 is extraordinarily strong. It’s a great racing team, Wayne leads from the front and all our engineers just work well together and want to go racing. We look forward to seeing these very talented drivers in Victory Circle next year for Acura.”

Harrison Contracting enters their third year as an important partner with Wayne Taylor Racing, who also fields standout Ashton Harrison and the No. 25 Harrison Contracting Huracan in the North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series for the Painting and Contracting Services company.

“I’m really glad that Harrison Contracting Company (HCC) is once again partnering with WTR and Konica Minolta because of the professionalism and winning spirit they possess,” said Bill Harrison, President and Co-Founder. “Our outlook at HCC is the same as WTR when it comes to quality and the desire to be the best we can be. The efforts on both sides are endless when striving to be number one. At HCC, we provide it through the painting and maintenance services, while WTR does it through racing—and we both do it by building lasting relationships. In our world of business, image is everything, and Wayne and Travis Houge (Vice President and General Manager of WTR) see things in the same fashion that we do here at HCC. The level of what they are providing, and the level of driver development we’ve experienced with Ashton Harrison, is a major part of our desire to reunite again this year with WTR and Konica Minolta. Likewise, working with Acura and Honda is another reason why we wanted to come back this year and rejoin the team. Working alongside their proven success worldwide, and their passion for supporting all levels in racing, helps us know that this is where we want to be on the manufacturer’s side.”

(ht: WTR)

The 2022 season officially begins in less than two months ... on January 21 at Daytona International Speedway for the annual Roar Before the 24 with the momentous Rolex 24 at DAYTONA immediately following. Practice begins on Thursday, January 27 with the race running January 29-30. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 will work to win a historic four 24-hour events in a row.

... notes from The EDJE


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TAGS: Konica Minolta, Acura, Wayne Taylor Racing, IMSA, 2022, WeatherTech SportsCar DPi championship season, The EDJE

Electric-Powered Racecar Proves That Endurance Racing In A Single Car Is Possible

 

Team Entropy Racing EVSR Co-Driver Jeff "Flip" Filipkowski on the track while the other driver, John Early, waits in the pits for his upcoming stint. Image Credit: Doug Berger | DBPics via META/FB (2021)

Electric-Powered Racecar Proves That Endurance Racing In A Single Car Is Possible

As a single car entry entered by Team Entropy Racing EVSR into the 25 Hours Of Thunderhill was the only car in the field that sported 100% battery-supplied  electric-power. What made this single car totally ground-breaking was the fact that battery modules could be swapped in about a two minute (around 120 seconds) pit-stop allowing for a single vehicle to make go of an endurance race.

The mother of all invention that allows for a minimum of five EV powered pitstops - swappable battery packs that center up on each side of the No. 03 Team Entropy Racing EVSR racecar. Image Credit: Team Entropy via META/FB (2021)

For a first time race with pitstops, this No. 03 Team Entropy Racing EVSR finished ahead of seven other cars in the 36 entrant field, five of which were still competing, to the end of the Fog-Shortened (17:09:12 / 346 Laps - 1,038 Miles / Over 60.70 MPH Average) 25 Hours Of Thunderhill.

What made this feat extraordinary was the fact that this was the very first major known sanctioned race (NASA) where an EV was able to perform pitstops for a battery swap.

Caption On META/FB Posting (below)

Good Morning Race Fans!  EVSR has begun their journey back East after a KICKASS time at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill .  Hopefully we can take an easier pace back and see the sights.

We had a GREAT breakfast (one of many) at Nancy's Airport Cafe and got in the bus and went 🙂

We did something huge yesterday. HUGE!  We made it from Green to Checker in the longest North American endurance race.  In ONE car.  (suck it formulaE)

We can't even begin to thank everyone who has helped this effort, but we are going to try our darnedest to do so.

#evsr #entropyracing #EVRacing #FormulaE #kickass #kickgas #gogreen

What is most important to note is that this was not a Federal dollars focused agenda and supported activity. Racing is the environment where educated minds always find interesting ways to compete through the exploration of applied technologies. 

Trophy presented to Team Entropy Racing EVSR by the sanctioning body NASA for first place Electric Vehicle (EV) in the 25 Hours Of Thunderhill. Image Credit: Team Entropy via META/FB (2021)

Bravo to the accomplishment of a "First Of" ... bravo to Team Entropy Racing EVSR and their Green Flag To Checker Flag run at the 25 Hours Of Thunderhill - 2021.

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: #evsr, #entropyracing, #EVRacing, #FormulaE, #kickass, #kickgas, #gogreen, 25 HOURS OF THUNDERHILL, Hawk Performance, Green to Checker, The EDJE

Car and Driver Benchmarks The State Of EV Technology Through The EV 1000

EV 1000 - A 1000-mile race through Middle America reveals what it's like to drive an EV long distances in 2021. Spoiler: It's possible but not always fun. Image Credit: Car and Driver (2021)

Car and Driver Benchmarks The State Of EV Technology Through The EV 1000

There is developing a demand for real information on the actual nature of travelling by 100% electric-powered vehicles on long-distance road trips.

This demand for knowledge is real since nearly everyone who has familiarity with standard propulsion found at everyday fuel stations, has a need to know just how varied our options and choices are.

The assumptive bar is set high because gasoline delivers an experience through its ease of access and repetitive use as the primary "energy is freedom" power delivery option with a comfort level that is hard to match in an on-demand | just in time society.

The Challenge
** Study the nation's charging infrastructure by road-tripping EVs beyond the range of a single charge.

** The course will be a 1000-mile lap through four states, banning the usual hijinks: no taped-over panel gaps, no stripped interiors to shave weight, no rented U-Hauls to break the wind.

** Basically what one would do by hopping into a gasoline-powered car and drive a 1000-mile lap through four states - but with off-the-shelf electric-powered vehicles.

** Give the challenge a name to prove that what we were about to do was twice as hardcore as the Indy 500: the EV 1000.

The Set-Up
** Car and Driver had the 11 vehicles, piloted with a team of two drivers for each, from it's 2021 EV of the Year test. Vehicles used were the Audi e-tron. Tesla Models 3, Y, & S Long Range Plus, Nissan Leaf, Kia Niro EV, Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Polestar 2, Volvo XC40 Recharge, and finally the Porsche Taycan 4S.

** Starting Line: Ann Arbor, Michigan. Drivers were free to choose their own route as long as they passed through mandatory waypoints in the following order: Cincinnati; Athens, Ohio; Morgantown, West Virginia; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Ann Arbor.

** Teams were required to stop from midnight to 8:00 a.m. so as to pattern activity comparable to average drivers and have all teams on the same page.

** Most teams scouted charging locations ahead of time with A Better Routeplanner (ABRP), an EV-specific navigation website and app. Users provide info about their vehicle and intended speed so ABRP can estimate energy consumption and spit out a route with recommended stops, including the charging time needed at each one, for the fastest possible trip.

This excerpted and edited from Car & Driver magazine -

The EV 1000: 11 EVs Face Off in a Long-Distance Race

A 1000-mile race through Middle America reveals what it's like to drive an EV long distances in 2021. Spoiler: It's possible but not always fun.

BY ERIC TINGWALL - JUL 7, 2021

Here's the thing about racing EVs in the real world: It doesn't look remotely like what goes on in Monaco or in Daytona or even in the classic Cannonballs. It looks more like racewalking, the Olympic sport where athletes hobble as fast as possible without technically running. The EV 1000 is a contest of endurance and speed, but not too much speed, because to cover big distances quickly in an EV, you have to push the pace while simultaneously holding back.

Any long-distance drive in an EV starts with a question: What are you willing to forgo to maximize your range? Drivers disabled automatic headlights and ignored cruise control. Climate control was used sparingly, if at all. And get this: Speed limits were frequently heeded.

User error almost certainly played a role, but the drivers in the Nissan Leaf insist they were following the app's guidance when they made the first pit stop—charging for all of six minutes—just 23 miles into the race. That mistake came back to haunt them when they were the last of four teams to arrive at a single ChargePoint DC fast-charger at an adult-education center near Lima, Ohio. The day's lesson: Be wary of any fast-charging station with only one unit. The Leaf squeezed electrons from a nearby lower-power Level 2 plug for 96 minutes before the fast-charger became available. The Nissan team would have been waiting longer, but the duo in the Audi had given up their spot to search for another charging station, only to return a short while later. The unit they'd hoped to use was broken.

The teams in the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y had it comparatively easy. While Tesla's built-in nav can't plot a multistop journey, setting the next waypoint directed them to fast and reliable Superchargers as necessary. Three non-Tesla teams also kept the pace based on a simple but smart strategy: Because an EV's battery replenishes faster at a lower state of charge, ideally you wait until the vehicle is nearly out of juice to plug in. The Kia Niro EV and Volkswagen ID.4 made it to a Dayton suburb for their first stops, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E went 237 miles to the edge of Cincinnati before it had to charge.

VanderWerp, in the Model S, wanted to post a big number on the first leg to make a statement. Possibly that statement was "No owner would ever do this." To maximize the energy available for moving the car, he ran a radar detector off a portable battery and played music through a Bluetooth speaker. With climate control off, the cabin temperature reached 86 degrees despite a 65-degree ambient temperature. At least all the sweating meant that neither VanderWerp nor his partner needed the TravelJohn disposable urinals they'd brought. They plugged into their first Supercharger after 326 miles and were back on the road 26 minutes later.

[Reference Here]

Race route map (clockwise) for the first ever Car and Driver EV 1000. Image Credit: Torque News (2021)

This article is a great read and contains a lot of honest information, graphs, much of which was used in the introduction of this treatment. What needs to be highlighted, however, are the real problems that exist in this day with using 100% electric-power as the propulsion force as opposed to everyday gas. This then becomes the concluding focus of information found in the Car and Driver article.

The Problems

When racing, the location and type of charging station is paramount. One of the contentious focuses the teams had in common was using fast charging stations which were, in many locations on the race, few and far between. Teams would arrive only to be stuck in a line with many of their racing competitors - just not a good look. Some teams found it far better to cruise at speed limits, or slower in order to gain range. Fastest isn't necessarily first in these kind of alternative power endeavors.

Another major hurdle was the constant attention to math on squaring up the range miles, route, and charging stations - many teams found this to be the largest hurdle to conquer. One snarky observation came from a Car and Driver editor itself by pointing out another possible reason why Americans have been slow to adopt electric vehicles: "As a people, we hate math" - this is cold given all of the ease of use and understanding found in petroleum based energy sources.

The inconsistent nature found in the charging stations and their location can become very confusing - this isn't anywhere near as simple to understand as "Do I fill up at Chevron or go price and hold out for a COSTCO or an AM/PM?" ... no, not anywhere near as simple as that - compatibility given the car being driven, is the station located at a permit-only or paid-entry parking lot to access the plug or do I need to go to a hotel parking lot, or etc., were the additional issues, of many, encountered.

To quote the C&D article - "Charging units that weren't supposed to work did, and those that were supposed to didn't, adding an element of chance to an equation that didn't need any more variables."

The Winners

Given the maturity of the market in place ... complete with a charging network (that no other manufacturer's EV can use) that is consistent and defined - Tesla, Tesla, and Tesla occupied all three places on the podium.

The Model S once passed four Supercharger stations before stopping. It arrived back at the office after 16 hours and 14 minutes of driving and charging. Google Maps says this trip is just 50 minutes shorter without a single stop.

The Model Y pulled into their last charging stop after the Model 3 had hooked-up, but the the team refused to accept a third place. When the other team wasn't paying attention, they unplugged the Model Y and took off at a furious pace, beating the 3 back to the office to claim second place on the podium.

The final summation, also from the must read article went on like this: "Our drivers are split when asked whether the EV 1000 was harder or easier than expected, but most say that if they were to do the trip again, they would do one thing differently: drive a gas car. And that includes the Tesla drivers. We'll know that the charging networks and EV technology are fully baked when we're no longer saying that."

Comments at the end of the article are most informative and are, on their own, worthy of a deep dive. Plug in the coffee pot and enjoy before heading out for the holidays on a family gathering destination drive in the trusty, energy supply transporting, gas-powered vehicle - no matter the current price of fuel at the pump found along the universal access grid that has been building, and in-place, over these last 100 plus years.

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: Car and Driver, EV1000, 2021 EV of the Year, 11 Vehicles, Electrify America, Tesla, EVgo, Level 2, ChargePoint DC fast-charger, The EDJE