Mid-Ohio 120 – IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – 94 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR, Scott Smithson, Ryan Eversley

LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 15, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks scored a podium finish on Saturday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR competition, where Scott Smithson and Ryan Eversley co-drove the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR to a third-place finish at the Mid-Ohio 120.

Teammates Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker, starting at the rear of field, climbed as high as eighth in the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR before ultimately finishing in 11th place.

The bronze medal was the second podium of the season for the No. 94 car after a second-place finish at Daytona in the season opener. Eversley shared the car in that race with co-drivers Todd Lamb and Greg Strelzoff, so Saturday’s finish leaves Eversley alone in second place in the season-long championship standings. The No. 94 car also sits second in the Team Championship and has boosted Honda to an early second place in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

Smithson opened the race, his first at Mid-Ohio and his first in IMSA competition, in sixth position and ran a solid opening stint before pulling to pit lane under yellow to pass the car to Eversley. Eversley took over in eighth place, was running fifth at the final full-course caution with 24 minutes to go and climbed to third with 11 minutes to go.

Henderson ran a fantastic opening stint in the No. 84 Honda Civic, moving from last on the grid all the way to eighth during his stint. Unfortunately, Henderson drove most of his 50 minutes with a delaminated splitter, changing the handling of the car. The team tried to tape it into place during the pit stop when Henderson handed the car to Noaker. The issue forced Noaker to just off the pace of the leaders in the final stint and came home in 11th. Henderson and Noaker turned the quickest lap in qualifying, but were relegated to the rear of the field for the start after technical inspection.

The next appearance for Atlanta Speedwerks and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge comes at Watkins Glen International, June 24-27, for a four-hour race.

Mid-Ohio 120 – IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – 94 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR, Scott Smithson, Ryan Eversley

Ryan Eversley, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “Any time you race for Honda at Mid-Ohio you want to bring home a result. We were the best of our class, so to speak, because I always want to be the top Honda. It was a really good result for this team. We’ve had some really good speed, but Sebring wasn’t our best race. Scott did a fantastic job. The pit stop actually went really well, that was Scott’s first time ever doing a driver change. Hats off to him. His first weekend in IMSA and he qualifies right on top of the regulars, we get a podium, he did a great job with his pit stop, and he kept it clean with no issues. Two podiums in three races, I’m really happy about that. Thanks to Honda, HPD, Valvoline and the everybody involved in the program at Atlanta Speedwerks. I’m looking forward to Watkins Glen.”

Scott Smithson, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “I’m really happy with it. I didn’t come in here with a lot of expectations because everything was thrown at me all at once. It was a new car setup, a brand-new track, IMSA, more traffic, driver changes – a lot was thrown at me. I’m thrilled. I feel like I had the pace, I just need to work on race pace. But Ryan is an animal. He’s awesome. It was a great weekend.”

Brian Henderson, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “Unfortunately that splitter was loose right from the start and flapping around. It cost us some speed, but I was still able to work my way up to eighth which I was really happy about. I would have liked to run a little better but considering the splitter and all that, I handed the car to Robert in one piece. He got in there and did what he could with it. We got a finish, we’re on the board, and I’m looking forward to Watkins Glen. The Atlanta Speedwerks guys did a great job, we just had a little issue but we’ll put it behind us for the next one.”

Todd Lamb, Owner: “It was a weekend of highs and lows for us. It was a rollercoaster. The 84 car got their third pole, so we’re really happy with that. We have some new team members this weekend that are helping to bring some consistency and structure as we move forward, so we’re very thankful for their help this weekend. We had a good run with the 94 car. We have Scott Smithson on board, and for his first weekend with us, in IMSA and at Mid-Ohio, he did phenomenal. I’m excited to see what he can do for the rest of the season. We’ve got a little bit of time to get regrouped for Watkins Glen, and we’re looking forward to great things as the season progresses.”

Mid-Ohio 120 – IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – 84 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR, Brian Henderson, Robert Noaker

Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 – IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – Sebring International Raceway – 84 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR, Brian Henderson

SEBRING, Florida (March 18, 2021) – Brian Henderson earned his first career Motul Pole Award in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition, landing the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR on the top spot Thursday at Sebring International Raceway.

Henderson completed his final flying lap around the 17-turn Sebring International Raceway after the checkered flag had flown, improving to a time of 2:14.806 (99.876 mph) to claim the point for Friday’s Alan Jay 120 by just 0.146-second. Atlanta Speedwerks is now two for two on the season. Though the pole is the first for Henderson, co-driver Robert Noaker matched the effort in the opening round at Daytona.

Henderson was actually second, less than two-tenths behind the provisional polesitting car, but on a flying lap when the checkered flag came out. He was the last of 15 TCR-class cars on the track when his lap completed.

Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 – IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – Sebring International Raceway – 84 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR, Brian Henderson, Robert Noaker

“We had high hopes coming into the race and we just checked something off the list so we’re feeling really good about that,” Henderson said. “Everything is really good, the team meshes well, the car is good, Honda has given us great support. Everything is going as good as it could be and we’re in a really good spot for this race. I know we’ll have some speed and be competitive. Now we have to pull this off and maybe have both cars on the podium.”

Noaker and Henderson led the most laps at Daytona’s four-hour season opener before contact ended their day with a disappointing finish.

The No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR will start on the inside of the eighth row after Greg Strelzoff qualified with a best time of 2:19.740 (96.350 mph). Strelzoff and co-driver Ryan Eversley finished second in the season opener at Daytona.

The two-hour Alan Jay 120 is round two of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge calendar, available to watch live through TrackPass on the NBCSN app on Friday, March 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Noteworthy: Atlanta Speedwerks is utilizing Daniel Benjamin’s Pit Crews to help vet and select crew members for the two-car program this week at Sebring. The UK-based program uses their more than 18 years of experience in motorsports to match potential crew members with team needs. More information can be found at pitcrews.co.uk.

Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 – IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – Sebring International Raceway – 94 Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR, Greg Strelzoff, Ryan Eversley

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 29, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks led a total of 60 out of 104 laps in the opening round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season on Friday at Daytona International Speedway, with Ryan Eversley, Greg Strelzoff and Todd Lamb’s No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR finishing second after being passed on a restart with less than five minutes remaining in the four-hour race.

Eversley took the lead after the final round of pit stops cycled through with 37 minutes to go in the race under full course caution. Eversley held off the field on that restart, and again after the sixth of seven caution periods for 28 total laps of the race.

The final restart, with just 4 minutes and 28 seconds to go, was one too many. Despite a great start at the green flag, the eventual winning car moved from third place to the lead on the front straight under the green flag. Eversley worked the final two laps trying to make a move, but held off the rest of the field to earn the second place finish.

Strelzoff began the race in the No. 94, qualifying in 12th and steadily working his way forward. Continually improving throughout the week after stepping away from racing for more than five years, Strelzoff worked his way up to eighth place in his one-hour, 20-minute stint.

Lamb, in preparation for yet a third Atlanta Speedwerks car that may materialize for Sebring, stepped in for a 40-minute stint and brought the car into podium contention.

For the final driver change, Lamb entered pit lane in third with 90 minutes to go and Eversley inherited the lead almost immediately from the Atlanta Speedwerks sister car during the pit stop cycle.

The No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR driven by Motul Pole Award winner Robert Noaker and Brian Henderson had an equal amount of success except for the final result. Noaker dominated the early portion of the race, leading 37 laps in the first two hours and 20 minutes of the race. Noaker had built a lead of more than seven seconds when a full course yellow came out with just over 90 minutes remaining, and he passed the car to Henderson.

Henderson was working back through the field, including temporarily running second behind Eversley, when contact in the bus stop sent three TCR cars off track and ended Henderson and Noaker’s day with an eleventh-place finish.

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season resumes at Sebring International Raceway, March 17-20, for round two. Henderson and Noaker paired together for the first time at the track last November for a sixth-place finish after starting at the rear of the field.

Greg Strelzoff, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “It’s a Cinderella story, honestly. I haven’t been in the car in five and a half years, I have my daughters here, and I have a great team around me. I had a great opening stint, the restart was amazing. I made a lot of passes and made up as many places as I could. I turned the car over clean to Todd, who turned the car over clean to Ryan. Ryan went to work and I enjoyed seeing that. He’s such a great driver to watch. I appreciate the Honda, it was so consistent. I was out there on the same Michelin tires for an hour and a half and I was doing my best lap times at the end.”

Ryan Eversley, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “Since we started at the Roar, the car has been really fast and fun to drive. It’s one of those perfect scenarios where you get in the car and it’s pretty much what you want. You fine tune it just a little and it keeps going faster and faster. Come race time, Greg did his best lap of the weekend. The fact that he was getting quicker, the car was getting more fun to drive, and it was fast, you can’t ask for more. I’m happy we got the podium. I know we did the best we did with what we have. I’m happy to come out of here with a trophy.”

Brian Henderson, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “There were a lot of positive things to take away from the weekend. Robert pretty much dominated his whole stint. He drove like a super hero. The team did a great job. We were out there and found ourselves in a spot that wasn’t good for us and it took us out of the race. That won’t happen again. I’m looking forward to the next race.”

Robert Noaker, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “It was good. I was able to lead from the start. The start of the race was a split start, so it wasn’t as chaotic. But on the restarts, everyone is trying to get what they can. I’m just trying to get the car through there in one piece. The car was so fast and handling good. I have to thank the team, Honda, Sabelt and Pagid, because they’re the people behind us that help us do it.”

Todd Lamb, Driver and Team Owner, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “As a driver, this was a pretty exciting opener to the season. As a team owner, we’ve got some fast guys and really great guys here. I’m just excited from two different perspectives. I’m really proud of everybody’s performance today, drivers and crew alike. We have a lot of new people here on our crew and everybody did a fantastic job. I’m looking forward to Sebring, hopefully with three cars, and we can see them all running up front.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 27, 2021) – Fresh off a successful test during the Roar Before the 24, the two-car Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR program is ready to get the 2021 season underway with a four-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race on Friday at Daytona International Speedway. Greg Strelzoff and Ryan Eversley will co-drive the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR, with Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker sharing duties in the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR.

Eversley and Strelzoff participated in the series-wide test less than a week ago at Daytona to help the team shake down the car and provide a refresher for Strelzoff, who stepped away from racing for nearly five years after multiple podium finishes in what was then the ST class of this same championship. The test was a success, both in getting Strelzoff up to speed quickly and for the car, which posted the quickest time in the last session. During that session, with veteran championship contender and host of the popular racing podcast and Amazon Prime television show Eversley behind the wheel, the team ran a simulated qualifying session with fresh Michelin Tires and a low fuel load, providing ideal conditions for the lap.

Noaker and Henderson proved they are a formidable pairing at last season’s finale at Sebring International Raceway. Driving together for the first time, the pair started at the rear of the field following an overnight engine swap and drove to as high as third place, before ultimately finishing sixth. Incidentally, their new teammate Eversley finished one spot ahead in that race and finished seventh in the championship point standings.

In addition to the two-car effort at Daytona, Atlanta Speedwerks continues to make plans for a three-car team beginning with the second round at Sebring.

The race event, sharing the race week with the famed Rolex 24 At Daytona, gets underway with a one-hour practice session on Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. ET. Each team gets another one-hour session on Thursday morning at 9:45 a.m. ET, followed by a 15-minute qualifying session at 2:25 p.m. A 30-minute warm-up session on Friday is the last chance to make changes to the car before the four-hour season opener at 1:35 p.m. ET. The race can be seen live on the NBCSN app via TrackPass.

Brian Henderson, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “I’m so excited to head back to Daytona and kick-off the 2021 IMSA season. Our team is stronger than ever and we have a great group of drivers lined up for this year. At the Roar, the No. 94 car showed that we have the speed to compete. I’m ready to hit the track with co-driver Robert Noaker and compete for wins. I’m feeling really good about this season!”

Robert Noaker, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “It’s nice to be racing again, the off season was a little shorter than previous years. It is going to be a neat experience racing at one of the most famous tracks in the world. My goal is to try to keep the car clean and to be in a good position at the end of the race to have a good finish. I have competed in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill twice so I’m use to longer races and have done 3-hour stints before, so this longer race will be fun. I’m Looking for to racing with Brian Henderson, he is a very smooth and clean driver and always thinking about keeping the car clean.”

Greg Strelzoff, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “I’m really happy with the progress that was made. The team has been phenomenal. I’m really surprised personally at how quickly I got up to speed. I need more, but I know where it’s at and I know how to do it. I just need to go execute. The good news is that it’s just a few bites away, it’s not huge quantum leaps. I love this track. There’s so much history here and I’ve had some great races here. This is where I had my first professional race, and I love it.”

Ryan Eversley, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “This is my fourth team racing this Honda Civic since 2018, and every time I get in one it’s like putting on an old pair of shoes. This is one of the best ones I’ve driven in a long time. Last year racing against the Atlanta Speedwerks cars, I knew they were really fast so when I got the call to come be a part of this program I knew we’d have fast race cars.”