Honda Civic Type R TCR in victory lane with Ryan Eversley, Todd Lamb
First Michelin Pilot Challenge win for Atlanta Speedwerks
Eversley claims championship lead
WATKINS GLEN, NY (June 26, 2021) The Atlanta Speedwerks #94 Honda Civic Type R TCR scored the first victory of 2021 for Honda in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series in the hands of Ryan Eversley and team owner/driver Todd Lamb.
Though it was the sister #84 Civic Type R TCR that Robert Noaker put on pole for himself and co-driver Brian Henderson, teammates Lamb and Eversley reigned triumphant in the four-hour Tioga Downs 240 at Watkins Glen International.
Lamb qualified the #94 Civic Type R TCR second, behind their teammates and ahead of the #88 VGMC Racing Civic Type R TCR driven by Karl Wittmer and Victor Gonzales, as part of a Honda one-two-three in qualifying.
The duo of Lamb and Eversley overcame an early, unscheduled pit stop [under caution] to secure an improperly fitted boost pipe that dropped them to the back of the pack to come out on top of an event-filled endurance contest.
The victory moves Eversley into the lead of the Drivers’ Championship in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class, and marks the first IMSA win for the Atlanta Speedwerks team.
Polesitters Noaker and Henderson led for much of the race, and were in a close fight for podium contention at the finish. The duo—who between them have set the fastest qualifying time at every race this year—would come up just short in the fourth position.
A promising race for VGMC’s Victor Gonzalez and new co-driver Karl Wittmer met an early end in Watkins Glen. Though Wittmer spent the early stages of the race battling with the leaders, a pit stop issue would sideline their effort mid-race, leaving the #88 in 13th place.
Mid-Ohio 120 Race Results
1st TCR – #94 Ryan Eversley and Todd Lamb, Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic Type R TCR
4th TCR – #84 Robert Noaker and Brian Henderson, Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic Type R TCR
13th TCR – #88 Victor Gonzalez and Karl Wittmer, VGMC Racing Honda Civic Type R TCR
Quotes
Todd Lamb (#94 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic Type R TCR), driver and team owner, first win in IMSA competition for the team: “It’s funny, I wasn’t even supposed to drive this weekend. One of our other drivers [Scott Smithson] had travel and work issues, so I ended up in the car. But I mean, Ryan [Eversley] is a great teammate, and our team keeps getting better and better and better as the season has gone on. To win, not only as a driver but as a team owner, is a very special thing. We’ve been plugging away at this for three years now and to get a win – after being so close so many times – it’s just really, really special. I have to thank our crew, Honda, and everybody involved.”
Ryan Eversley (#94 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic Type R TCR), eighth career IMSA win, takes a 10-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship after four of 10 races: “We’ve had a great season so far, the Honda Civic Type R’s been pretty competitive almost everywhere. Todd [Lamb, team owner] and I have been friends for a long time, we were even on the same team a few years ago in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, in 2008 or around then. We’re both from ‘Team Atlanta’ so it’s cool to get to drive with one of ‘your brothers’ in that regard. But I was pretty excited to be able to win. The Michelin Pilot Challenge Series has some pretty big names [driving in it]. We even have a kid [Ryan Norman] who’s about to make his IndyCar debut in a couple of weeks. That just shows you the kind of talent you’re up against in this series. And to be able to race with Honda every year has been a true honor.”
Next
The MICHELIN Pilot Challenge again contest Watkins Glen International July 1-2 for the Sahlen’s 120 at The Glen. The race can be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
HPD has three ready-to-race Civic models for touring car competition. The line starts with the affordable and reliable Civic Si TCA race car, then leads to the Civic Type R TC racer that puts legendary Type R performance on track, and culminates with the no-compromise, championship-winning Civic Type R TCR race car. Our unparalleled trackside support at every level from HPD engineers is a unique benefit that no other manufacturer can offer. Find out more about these cars and our touring programs at: https://hpd.honda.com/Motorsports/Touring
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