Setting Sail: Performance Tech Motorsports Heads to VIR
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 14, 2018) – Performance Tech Motorsports’ fleet is full steam ahead for VIRginia International Raceway.
Performance Tech confirmed five entries for Round 5 of IMSA Prototype Challenge Powered by Mazda. Its armada will consist of three Mazda Prototype Challenge cars and two LMP3 cars. Meaning Performance Tech represents over one-fourth of the IMSA Prototype Challenge field at VIR.
Round 5 marks the penultimate race for the series with over half of Performance Tech drivers in striking distance of a championship lead. In the MPC championship, only four points separate first through sixth. Dr. Robert Masson, Windemere and the No. 11 Masson Spine Institute MPC is one point behind leader Jon Brownson in the Eurosport No. 34.
Stephen Dawes, Sidney, New York, and his No. 22 A.I.G. Technologies MPC thus far have collected 109 points to Masson’s 111. Dawes is currently tied for fifth with the No. 28 of Tazis Ottis, but is making plans to leap ahead this weekend. Howard Jacobs, Ft. Lauderdale, has rejoined the championship hunt after his win at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in early July. He sits in seventh place behind Dawes with 105 points.
Cameron Cassels’, British Columbia, No. 75 LMP3 enters the weekend third in the LMP3 Masters championship. With first place, eight points ahead, an overall Masters championship win is within Cassels grasp. Round 5 could serve as a tiebreaker for Cassels and the others currently in a three-way tie for seventh following a series of unfortunate events at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
Leo Lamellas and his Charles Wicht Racing No. 7 LMP3 entry face a similar challenge as Cassels this weekend as they look to make up for lost championship points. Lamellas is currently in fourth overall, five points outside of third place and 10 from second. Using the consistency and speed, Lamellas has displayed all year; the team looks to see him close the points gap before entering Round 6 at Road Atlanta.
“We’re dedicating this weekend to Frankie,” O’Neill said. “We’re still raising money for Children’s Miracle Network, and I know all the guys are ready to give their all for good results. We enter this weekend with heavy hearts, but I know Frankie would want the guys focused on their race and win. This is a big weekend for a chance to go into the last race with some cushion so we will all need to be focused to have it go right.”
The Performance Tech fleet sets anchor Friday, Aug. 17, with Practice One at 10:55 a.m., followed by Practice Two at 5:45 p.m. ET. They return Saturday for a fifteen-minute qualifying at 10:45 a.m. Finally, the green flag falls for the one hour and 45-minute endurance race at 5:55 p.m. Saturday. The race will be broadcast through its entirety on imsatv.imsa.com followed by a rebroadcast Thursday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2.
Performance Tech also asks that you keep longtime crew chief Frankie Parzych in your hearts this weekend. The family is respecting Parzych wish and asking that in place of flowers guests and mourners donate to the Children’s Miracle Network. As an organ donor, Parzych looked past his own life to remember others in need of medical help. He asks that those he left behind do the same by leaving a small donation for the kids of Children’s Miracle Network.
Donate by visiting www.facebook.com/PerformanceTechMotorsports and clicking the donate button on the post pinned to the top of the page.