Round 3 Racing Ready for 14 Hours at World Center of Racing
Daytona Beach, Fla. (6 June 2022)- Looking to build on a race winning outing at Road America, Round 3 Racing (R3R) heads south to Daytona Beach, Florida with some new drivers and high hopes for the fast, banked circuit that plays host to the Rolex 24 At Daytona every year. This weekend, Daytona International Speedway will play host to the World Racing League powered by Hagerty (WRL) event for the fifth time in series history for round five of the 2022 season.
The team will push to the limits at the “World Center of Racing.” Competing on a 3.56-mile circuit that comprises both a twisty but flat infield section as well as extended flat out periods on the high banks of the NASCAR oval for 14 hours of intense racing. The green flag will wave at 8 am EST on Saturday and go into the night, ending at 10 pm EST on June 11th.
No. 401 TEAM HAGERTY MOTORSPORTS BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)
After engine issues set the effort back at Road America, the No. 401 Hagerty team is ready to be back in action. The No. 401 Team Hagerty Motorsports BMW driver roster will once again feature Brad McCall, Sarah Montgomery, and Cole Loftsgard for the double-points outing. The veteran team has started on the front row for two of the three events they have competed in so far this season, bringing home a second-place finish at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as well as a huge win at Barber Motorsports Park in February. .
Familiarity could be a big asset for the trio, as Daytona was the site of McCall’s first-ever race, Loftsgard was a part of the run to victory in the No. 605 at the track last year, and Montgomery has had a total of five starts at the road course.
“Daytona is the place of so much motorsport history; it’s cool just to set foot there, let alone race there,” said Loftsgard. “Last year was a dream race weekend for me and my teammates in the No. 605 GP3 Porsche Boxster. We comfortably won the race. It would be absolutely incredible to win at Daytona again in the GTO class, but it’s probably the toughest race on the schedule to even finish. I think we can do this; I know we can.”
No. 609 TEAM SENTINEL BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)
The No. 609 Sentinel team faced unfortunate circumstances at Road America that included an early retirement following an engine issue. Now equipped with a new engine, the team is ready to get back into action. The BMW has been consistent this season in their starting position, starting each race weekend in the top five with a best result so far being a strong run to second place at NOLA Motorsports Park.
The three newcomers are well equipped with experience at Daytona. Jonathan Vasquez, Ron Hugate, and Joe Gaudette will be joining the No. 609 with team veteran Brain Ghidinelli. Vasquez was with the team at Barber Motorsports Park in March of 2022. Gaudette will endure his first endurance race of his career; he comes with a SCCA background at the track. Back at the first race of the season, Hugate was behind the wheel of the No. 609 helping lead the team to a podium finish.
“I’m excited to get back with Round 3 Racing and at Daytona,” says Hugate. “I love the track, especially the high banking. We have an extremely competitive and really good car. To top it off, we have good teammates as well. I believe we have a good chance of earning at least a podium!”
No. 701 TEAM COOPER TIRES PORSCHE CAYMAN (GP1)
Road America packed plenty of ups and downs for the No. 701 Cooper Tires team. During Saturday’s race, a wreck in the kink ended their day early; the team rebounded on Sunday to bring home a hard-fought second-place finish. There has been a change in the driver lineup in the Cayman for Daytona. Mo Dadkhah and Zack Ping welcome Shea Holbrook to the team.
Holbrook has driven with R3R in previous seasons and is set to return to the cockpit for the first time since having her second child. Holbrook is no stranger to Daytona, having been to countless events at the circuit. Despite knowing where the driver meetings take place, and where you can nurse your child in private…it will actually be her first time taking to the track in professional competition as she looks forward to her Daytona pro debut this weekend.
“I’m a Florida native, I’ve been racing for 10-11 years, but I’ve never raced professionally at Daytona. I did a lot of SCCA races there, but that was when I first started,” said Holbrook. “I know Daytona very well because our programs run at Daytona, like the Mazda MX-5 Cup. There’s a lot of banking and straightaways; there are also a lot of high horsepower cars. Just stay heads up in the mirrors and be quick in the infield. Then less drag down the front and back straights and NASCAR one, two, three, and four. I’m looking forward to it.”
No. 605 TEAM HAGERTY DRIVERS CLUB PORSCHE BOXSTER (GP3)
In its 2022 season debut at Road America, this No. 605 Boxster brought home a win during the first race of the weekend on Saturday. After facing power steering issues at the beginning of Sunday’s race, the team rebounded for a fourth-place finish. Carter Pease, Dennis Neel, and Buz McCall look to carry this momentum into the 14-hour race at Daytona. Last season the long race was very kind to the Boxster; the team brought home a win.
Joining the team this weekend will be Hannah Grisham. Grisham ran with the No. 601 GP2 team last year at the “World Center of Racing,” but unfortunately, contact towards the beginning of the race forced the car into the garage before Grisham had her chance to drive. Along with her previous WRL experience, Grisham has competed in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup series with Hixon Motorsports (which is managed by Shea Holbrook).
“I’m excited to get back with Round 3 Racing. I miss everyone; it’s been a while since I’ve seen them,” said Grisham. “I’m excited to try again at Daytona. I ran here last year with Round 3, but unfortunately, our time ran short before I could get behind the wheel. I believe we have a good car and a good chance at a podium; it did win at Daytona and then won the National Championship last year. I’m ready to get behind the wheel and see what we can do!”
The Daytona International Speedway weekend will start on Friday, June 10, with practice and qualifying before heading into the 14-hour race on Saturday. Live streaming will be available on WRL’s Youtube or follow along on our social media channels.
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