Performance Tech at Mid-Ohio
DEERFIELD BEACH, Florida (April 30, 2019) – Performance Tech Motorsports returns to race action with a full fleet at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course May 3-5 running in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IMSA Prototype Challenge series.
Performance Tech is fresh off a win in the LMP2 Class in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Sebring International Raceway, the team’s second class win at the historic track. Race winners Kyle Masson and Cameron Cassels resume their positions behind the wheel of the No. 38 Centinel Spine ORECA LMP2. Heading into Round 3 at the 2.4-mile, 13 turn course the duo leads the LMP2 points championship. In addition, both Cassels and Masson are competing in the Prototype Challenge series.
Masson is the surprise guest of the development series; the 2017 champion is subbing in for Dean Baker of the No. 19 Kerr Industries Ligier JS P3. Masson joins Brad Baker in the No. 19 LMP3 for Round 3; he previously served as the endurance driver with both Bakers in the opening round at Daytona International Speedway. Both Bakers sit thirteenth in the championship after an incident at Sebring cut the race short for the No. 19 LMP3, Masson and Baker will look to turn their luck around at Mid-Ohio.
Cassels swaps Masson for James French as his co-driver in the No. 75 NorCan Electric Ligier JS P3. Cassels and French sit third in the overall Prototype Challenge Championship. The duo has proved they have both the talent and pace to run out front. However, they are still looking for their first podium together as teammates. They’ve completed both rounds of racing thus far, finishing fifth and sixth at Daytona and Sebring, respectively.
Blake Mount and Max Hanratty make their second appearance together after a dominating run at Sebring where they finished fourth overall in the No. 7 Sobel At Home/ Hotels.com Ligier JS P3. Sebring was Mount and Hanratty’s first race together as co-drivers. The pairing of Mount, in his rookie season, with Hanratty, a 2018 championship contender, proved to be near perfection. At Mid-Ohio, the drivers will aim to create momentum for a championship run as Mount sits sixth in the points standings.
Team Principal Brent O’Neill has been busy at work, as usual, setting up his fleet of prototypes for success in Round 3. While this is the second year the LMP2 has run at Mid-Ohio, this is the debut appearance of the Prototype Challenge series at the race course.
Performance Tech Motorsports begins its week at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Friday, May 3 with practice for both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Prototype Challenge. Saturday, May 4 is packed with an afternoon of qualifying, Prototype Challenge is set to qualify at 11:05 a.m. EDT and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifies at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5 is race day, a one hour 45-minute Prototype Challenge race begins the day while the two hour and 40-minute Acura Sports Car Challenge provides the grand finale to the weekend. Both races can be viewed on NBCSN. The Acura Sports Car Challenge is broadcast live on NBCSN Sunday. The Prototype Challenge race airs Friday, May 10 from 3:30 p.m. o 4:30 p.m. EDT. Check http:imsa.com for a full weekend schedule.