FORD SHELBY GT350R-C WINS ROAD ATLANTA AND CHAMPIONSHIP!
BRASELTON, GA, October 1st, 2016 – CHAMPIONS, the Multimatic Motorsports team of Billy Johnson and Scott Maxwell clinched the 2016 Driver, Team and Manufacturers’ Championships! This dynamic duo captured the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Grand Sport class titles and sixth overall race win and pole of the 2016 season at Road Atlanta.
“Congratulations to the Multimatic Motorsports and Ford Performance team on clinching the championships and win!” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “This has been a fantastic year for the Ford Shelby Mustang team. Roush Yates Engines is honored to have partnered with Ford Performance in building the Ford Shelby GT350R-C race winning engine that brought home the championship.”
On the way to winning the championship the No. 15 raced over 1,860 miles, in nine races and winning an impressive six out of the nine, their first being the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
They would go onto accumulate wins at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Lime Rock, Road America and Circuit of The Americas.
Ford Motor Co. also clinched the Manufactures’ Championship in the Grand Sport class by the No. 15 winning the race.
Maxwell secured the pole for the No. 15 on Thursday, making it the team’s sixth for the year and an IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge record of 16 for Maxwell.
The No. 15 of Maxwell led them off the grid and Johnson finished a strong second stint, re-taking the lead in the final laps of the race and taking the Multimatic Motorsports Ford Shelby across the finish line. Johnson punctuated the Championship win with his signature drift lap.
“It was the longest 45 minutes of my life,” said Maxwell, who had to complete a minimum drive time of 45 minutes to earn his half of the drivers’ championship. “The car was fine, it was just trying to go around and not get involved in any trouble.”
Billy Johnson now holds the all-time IMSA – Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge win record with 23.
The C360R team of Paul Holton and Pierre Kleinubing also ran strong in the No. 76 to finish P4.
The 2016 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge season may have come to a close, but the 2017 Season will start up again on January 26th, 2017 at Daytona International Speedway. Please see below for the 2017 official schedule.