The Glen Part 2
Return of The Champion: Gabby Chaves, 2020 TCR co-champion with Ryan Norman returns to Bryan Herta Autosport for the Sahlen’s 120 to sub for Norman in the #98 Elantra N TCR. Norman, a veteran of the Road to Indy program and Indy Lights race winner, will make his NTT INDYCAR Series debut this weekend at his home track at Mid-Ohio, driving for Dale Coyne Racing. Norman recently won at Mid-Ohio, scoring BHA’s first victory of 2021 and the Elantra’s first victory in North American competition.
3 for 4: Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis scored their third consecutive podium of the 2021 season when they finished 3rd at The Glen last weekend. Approaching the top step, the duo has a pair of thirds and a second-place finish. Teammates Ryan Norman and Parker Chase followed up their victory at Mid-Ohio with a second-place finish last weekend after a hard-fought four-hour battle.
The Points Picture: As we approach the halfway point of the season with four of ten races complete, Hagler and Lewis are ranked second (1200), just ten points out of the championship lead, Ryan Norman and Parker Chase (1100) are 100 points behind in third, and the #54 Veloster N TCR of Michael Johnson and Stephen Simpson are fourth. Despite some bad luck early in the season, Mark Wilkins and Harry Gottsacker are within striking distance of the top five, ranked seventh with 950 points.
N: Thousands of race fans were treated to an up-close look at the newest “N” vehicles last weekend at The Glen. The Elantra N Line, Sonata N Line, Veloster N and the all-new Kona N, most of which have not been released yet in North American were on display. Hyundai’s performance line, “N” represents Namyang, the global R&D center where the “N” high-performance models are created. It’s also the first letter of Nürburgring, the epic track where they’re rigorously tested and refined. Engineered from Hyundai’s success in the World Rally Championship and Touring Car Racing series, N and N Line vehicles are built to give consumers a race-inspired rush.
#33 Elantra N TCR
Best Start: 7th Best Finish: 8th Championship Standings: 7th
The #33 finished 10th at The Glen in the 4 hour.
Mark Wilkins: “After a weekend that showed a great deal of promise, our end result was not where we should have been. I’m elated that we are back at it again this weekend with a shot at redemption tomorrow! We know our Elantra N TCR is fast, and we know how to win!”
Harry Gottsacker: “We’ve had a good car these last few races and haven’t been able to put it all together. The competition is fierce. Mark and I are still searching for our first podium, we need to do the Elantra N justice.”