Hagler, 25, of Bulverde, Texas, and Lewis 31, of Laguna Beach, Calif., only need to take the green flag in their #77 Hyundai Veloster N TCR to secure the championship title. Should they start the race, Taylor Hagler will become the first female IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Champion and the first female TCR champion in North America and the third worldwide. Michael Lewis will become IMSA’s first two-time TCR champion. He won his first title driving a Hyundai Veloster N TCR with BHA in 2019.
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Race winners Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis celebrate on the #77 Hyundai Veloster N TCR after the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Lime Rock Park 120 race in Lime Rock Park, Conn., Saturday, 17 July 2021. (Photo/Bryan Herta Autosport)
Looking to clinch their third consecutive IMSA drivers and team titles, BHA drivers hold the top four positions in the points standings. The #98 and the #33 Elantra N TCR cars are ranked second and third in their first season of competition, and the #54 Hyundai Veloster N TCR is fourth.
“To have our cars positioned first through fourth is an incredible achievement, as we know the competition has raised their game as well this year,” said Bryan Herta, president, BHA. “But there is still work to be done as we look to hold those positions and help Hyundai secure a second consecutive manufacturers’ championship. We will not let up until the checkered flag falls Friday evening.”
The 2021 IMPC season has produced wheel to wheel racing and thrilling finishes between the world’s top auto manufacturers at every race. Hyundai hopes to defend their 2020 manufacturers’ championship and holds a 40-point margin prior to the tenth and final race.
The #98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR leads the #77 Hyundai Veloster N TCR at the Hyundai IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race, the Monterey Sports Car Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif., Saturday, 13 September 2021. (Photo/Bryan Herta Autosport)
