Hardwick Returns in Time for Home Race Weekend

BATAVIA, Ohio, (May 11, 2021) – Wright Motorsports will enjoy the home track advantage this weekend at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course in Lexington, Ohio for the next rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge. After a three-month hiatus, driver Ryan Hardwick will return to the team, just in time to take part in the team’s home race weekend.

“We’re always glad to be racing at Mid-Ohio,” said Team Owner John Wright. “It’s great to be able to race at our home track, and to have Ryan finally back behind the wheel brings an extra boost to the weekend. We’re thrilled to have him back and look forward to both races this weekend.”

Following an injury resulting from a crash in January, driver Ryan Hardwick has undergone months of intense recovery and training to prepare for his return to the series. Two weeks ago, Hardwick got back behind the wheel of the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R for the first time since January at a private test with the team at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course. The test was deemed a success, and now the team will focus on continuing their momentum from the season to put in a strong result at their home track.

The relationship between Wright Motorsports and Hardwick has proven to be a successful one, with the team earning one of their first podiums together with the 1st Phorm athlete in 2020 at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course. With other full-season driver Patrick Long, Wright Motorsports finished second in the GTD team and driver standings, capping the year off with a victory at the Twelve Hours of Sebring. In January’s Roar Before the 24, Hardwick earned pole position for the qualifying race, which would have set the grid for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

While Hardwick recovered from his January incident, the team pressed on, earning a second consecutive fourth-place finish at the Rolex 24 with Patrick Long, Jan Heylen, Klaus Bachler, and Trent Hindman. Long, Heylen, and Hindman had a character-building race at the Twelve Hours of Sebring two months later, but the entire team pulled together to earn a second-place finish, and now lead the GTD team and driver points.

This weekend’s event will feature only three of the five WeatherTech classes: DPi, LMP3, and GTD. The first practice will take place on Friday evening, May 14, followed by two more sessions on Saturday. Race day will kick off on Sunday morning with a 20-minute warm-up session, and the Acura Sports Car Challenge Presented by TLX Type S will take the green flag at 2:40PM Eastern. As the first sprint race in the 2021 schedule, the run time will be two hours and 40 minutes, airing live starting at 2:30PM on NBCSN. Fans without a cable subscription can stream live via NBC Sports Gold TRACKPASS, and fans outside the U.S. can watch on imsa.tv.

RacingNation Crew

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