Frontstretch Newsletter: ThorSport Announces Half of 2022 Lineup; Harry Tincknell Quickest in Petit Le Mans Practice

Published: Fri, 11/12/21

Frontstretch Newsletter: Nov. 12, 2021
Volume: XV, Edition CCVI

What to Watch: Friday

- On-track action continues at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Today, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge championship will be decided in the FOX Factory 120. The action starts there at 1:10 p.m. The race will be streamed on NBC Sports TrackPass.

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams will qualify for Saturday's Motul Petit Le Mans at 3:40 p.m. This session is available for free streaming at IMSA.com.

- After a long night of preparations due to shipping issues, Formula 1 teams have qualifying this afternoon for the Sprint Race that will set the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix of Brazil. Coverage can be seen starting at 1:55 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

FOLLOW THE FRONTSTRETCH THIS WEEKEND AT MICHELIN RACEWAY ROAD ATLANTA THROUGH OUR COLLEAGUE:

Phil Allaway (@Critic84)

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TV Schedule: Here

Around the World in Motorsports: Nov. 11-12

- Alpha Prime Racing announced Thursday that Ryan Ellis has signed to drive the No. 44 in a limited schedule in 2022. Keen Parts will also join the team as a sponsor.

- Camping World Truck Series driver Stewart Friesen is ok after a big crash Thursday night in the Short Track Super Series Cajun Swing race at The Rev in Monroe, La. Friesen was leading entering turn 1 when his right rear wheel broke off. This caused his car to dig in and roll multiple times.

- Mercedes-AMG's Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Free Practice No. 1 at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Sao Paolo with a lap at 139.569 mph. This was nearly three-eighths of a second faster than Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Sergio Perez was third, then Valtteri Bottas and Pierre Gasly.

- Things aren't all great for Hamilton, though. He has been given a five-place grid penalty for Sunday's Grand Prix of Brazil after having to go to a new internal combustion engine prior to Free Practice No. 1 Friday morning.

- IMSA president John Doonan announced Friday that IMSA programming will remain with NBC Sports going forward. Four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races (Rolex 24 at Daytona, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Petit Le Mans) will have at least partial coverage on NBC. The remainder of the season will be on USA.

In addition, WeatherTech races will also be streamed live on Peacock. Streaming will continue to be available for support series. Delayed broadcasts of support series are still being worked out, but it appears that it will still happen in 2022.

- In a press conference Friday, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta announced a contract extension that will see Motul continue as the entitlement sponsor of Petit Le Mans. No length to the deal was announced. It was simply stated as "well into the future."

Today's Top News:

Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton Staying With ThorSport in 2022

ThorSport Racing announced Thursday that the team intends to continue racing four trucks full-time in the Camping World Truck Series in 2022. 2021 champion Ben Rhodes and veteran Matt Crafton are already confirmed to return.

Harrison Burton Gains Brian Wilson as Crew Chief for Rookie Cup Season

Wood Brothers Racing announced Thursday that Brian Wilson has been hired to serve as Harrison Burton's crew chief in 2022. He replaces Jonathan Hassler, who had served in the role since July.

Tanner Gray Adds Jerry Baxter as Truck Crew Chief at David Gilliland Racing

David Gilliland Racing announced Thursday that Jerry Baxter has joined the organization and will serve as the crew chief on Tanner Gray's No. 15 truck in 2022.

Mazda’s Harry Tincknell Quickest in Road Atlanta WeatherTech Practices

An eventful day of practice saw Mazda Motorsports' Harry Tincknell go fastest with a lap at 131.842 mph. Wright Motorsports' Jan Heylen had a big crash in Practice No. 2 that will likely send the team to a backup car.

Corvette Racing Reveals Multi-Pronged 2022 Plans, 2024 Debut for Corvette GT3.R

Corvette Racing announced Thursday that they will split their team. One car will race full-time in IMSA, while the other will be full-time in the WEC. Meanwhile, they also announced that they will develop a Corvette GT3 car that will debut in 2024.

Patrick Long To Step Away From Full-Time Racing After 2021

Longtime Porsche factory driver Patrick Long announced Thursday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta that he will be stepping away from full-time competition at the end of 2021 and stepping into two different roles with Porsche.

KohR Motorsports’ Kyle Marcelli Wins FOX Factory 120 Pole

KohR Motorsports' Kyle Marcelli won the pole Thursday afternoon for Friday's FOX Factory 120 with a lap at 106.422 mph. However, there's a little more to this story.

Jan Heylen Sweeps FOX Factory 120 Practice Sessions

Wright Motorsports' Jan Heylen continued his strong form from Wednesday, topping the final Michelin Pilot Challenge practice session of the year Thursday at 106.374 mph.

Photos are courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography, IMSA and our own Phil Allaway.

Have news for Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com with a promising lead or tip.

Today at Frontstretch:

Friday Faceoff: What Were the Biggest Surprises & Disappointments of 2021?

by the Frontstretch Staff

4 Burning Questions: 2021 NASCAR Season Awards

by Michael Finley

Monday at Frontstretch.com:

We'll have full breakdowns of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge season finales from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and more.

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