DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 9, 2014) – Scott Hargrove didn’t have to wait long to continue his fun in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin.
Hargrove, 19, from Surrey, British Columbia, swept the first two rounds of the 2014 season May 17-18 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the No. 69 OpenRoad Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. It was supposed to be a one-off appearance, but the successful sports car debut spawned the idea of a return to the series later this summer for junior open-wheel star Hargrove.
OpenRoad Racing made that happen. The team announced June 9 that Hargrove will try to maintain his points lead and winning ways at Rounds 3 and 4 of the series June 21-22 at Calabogie Motorsports Park in Calabogie, Ontario.
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“I was amazed with the amount of power the cars have and really enjoyed the challenge of adapting my driving style to suit a sports car,” Hargrove said. “I can’t wait to continue racing the OpenRoad Porsche in the Calabogie Grand Prix.”
The return by Hargrove will re-ignite a budding rivalry with fellow junior open-wheel standout Spencer Pigot and 2013 Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin runner-up Chris Green that started in May at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Hargrove beat Green’s No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports entry by .840 of a second in Round 1 and 1.442 seconds in Round 2. Pigot finished a close third in Round 2 in the No. 21 Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
Pigot, 20, also races against Hargrove this season in the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires junior open-wheel series. Pigot leads that series with 180 points, while Hargrove is second with 177.
Hargrove also is in a tight battle for the championship in the Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin. He leads Green, 40-36, after the first two rounds.
“Scott’s performance at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was fantastic, and we are very proud to have been a part of it,” said Christian Chia, president and CEO of OpenRoad Auto Group. “We believe Scott’s talent and speed are obvious and want to continue to work with him in firmly becoming one of Canada’s bright new stars.”
For more information on the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, visit www.imsa.com and @IMSA on Twitter with the hashtag #GT3CAN. Live commentary for all races is provided on Twitter at @IMSALive.
Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin: The IMSA Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in one of the world’s most successful and iconic race cars, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The series is one of Porsche’s global single-make Cup Challenge series and is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The 10-round series races in 2014 at four classic Canadian road and street courses, providing thrills for drivers and fans.
IMSA: The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) is the sanctioning body of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the road-racing series resulting from the merger of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected TUDOR United SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
From: Paul Kelly / paul@grand-solutions.net
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