Event Preview: Championship Title to be Determined at Indianapolis for Flying Lizard Motorsports
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (September 29, 2020) – The 2020 GT4 America championship will come to a close this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Flying Lizard Motorsports will put up a final fight for three championship titles. Michael Dinan, driver of the No. 210 Aston Martin Vantage GT4, secured the Sprint Am driver championship earlier this month at the Circuit of the Americas, leaving the Sprint Am team championship and SprintX Pro/Am driver and team championships still up for grabs. All three Flying Lizard machines will take place in the Sprint and SprintX double headers, with the No. 21 Aston Martin of Michael Dinan and Robby Foley and the No. 30 McLaren 570S GT4 of Erin Vogel and Michael Cooper racing in SprintX, joined by Dinan’s No. 210 Aston in Sprint.
“It was a proud moment when we clinched our seventh championship as a team, but we’re not done yet,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “It’s been great to see each of our drivers grow and develop as the season has progressed, and we’re looking forward to an exciting final run for those championship titles.”
The Drivers | No. 210 and No. 21 Aston Martin Vantage GT4
Despite an absence for one of the three races at Circuit of the Americas, Michael Dinan was able to secure the Sprint Am 2020 driver championship after winning the first and third rounds of the triple header weekend, netting 10 wins to date. The Sprint Am team championship remains up for grabs with Flying Lizard Motorsports leading over Reardon Racing by 39 points. With a maximum of 50 points available, the battle for top honors remains heated.
“I’m looking forward to the season finale,” said Dinan. “It’s been a great season for the team, clinching the Sprint Am Driver Championship last weekend at Circuit of the Americas. We are looking forward to fighting for the SprintX championship in Indy which has come down to the wire. I’m looking forward to getting back on the track. The team has done a great job all season, and I am confident we will keep it up in Indianapolis.”
With ten top five finishes and five class wins, Michael Dinan and Robby Foley currently sit second in the SprintX championship, just three points away from NOLASPORT’s Jason Hart and Matt Travis. If the pair can take the win in round one, they’ll assume the points lead, but with the battle this close, the championship will be determined in the final round.
“I’m looking forward to my first laps around historic IMS,” said Foley. “Michael wrapped up his Sprint championship at COTA, now we’re going be pushing for the SprintX title!”
The Drivers | No. 30 McLaren 570S GT4
Following a two-day test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in early September with the No. 30 McLaren 570S GT4, Erin Vogel and co-driver Michael Cooper stand as one of just a couple pairings to have experience on the famed road course. While technical gremlins prevented the duo from utilizing the entire two-day test, they were still able to get familiar with the course and get valuable information for the team’s engineers heading into this weekend.
“I’m so grateful to Flying Lizard that we are going into this final weekend of the series at Indianapolis with confidence,” said Vogel. “We were fortunate to be able to test there earlier in September, and it was a great opportunity to get a first look at the track and the facility, which is truly world-class. The ambiance is incredible, and I’m very excited that we’ll have loyal fans there to welcome us into this home stretch of 2020.”
While the pair of Dinan and Foley have been frontrunners in their respective championships in their sophomore season, Erin Vogel, co-driver Michael Cooper, and the No. 30 McLaren in their rookie season together have also contributed to Flying Lizard’s SprintX team championship battle for the title. With three top-five finishes amid a challenging first season, the pair have added valuable points to the 17 point lead Flying Lizard holds over NOLASPORT in the SprintX team standings.
“SRO has done a great job the last few years picking new exciting venues for the season finales,” said Cooper. “I’m looking forward at racing at Indianapolis. We were able to get some laps around the course a few weeks ago which should give us a head start on a lot of the other GT4 cars in SprintX.”
The Format
The Pirelli GT4 America Sprint championship consists of one driver completing two 50 minute races where no pit stops are required. The driver will have a 15 minute qualifying session for race one, and their starting position for race two is determined by each competitor’s fastest lap in race two. Michael Dinan will race the No. 210 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in the Sprint championship.
The Pirelli GT4 America SprintX championship expands to consist of two drivers together completing two sixty minute races, with one pit stop required during a mandatory 10-minute window. Each driver will participate in a 15 minute qualifying session to determine their starting position for one of the two races. The first driver of the pairing will start race one, and the second driver will take over during a mid-race pit stop to complete the event. The order will swap for race two, with the second driver taking the opening stint, and the first driver finishing the race.
The Track
Located in Speedway, Indiana, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a world-class facility dubbed the “Racing Capital of the World.” Home to the Indianapolis 500, the iconic circuit has just undergone vast renovations under the new ownership of Roger Penske and will use this weekend’s events to host race 10,000 fans for the first time this season. All series competing on the track this weekend will run the 13-turn, 2.439-mile road course which is built by combining parts of the famed oval and infield sections of track. Flying Lizard last competed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014 with the then IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
Weekend Schedule
Wednesday, September 30
3:00PM – 4:00PM GT4 Practice 1
5:30PM – 6:30PM GT4 Practice 2
Thursday, October 1
8:00AM – 8:15AM Sprint Race 1 Qualifying
10:20AM – 10:35AM SprintX Driver #1 Qualifying
10:40AM – 10:55AM SprintX Driver #2 Qualifying
1:15PM – 2:05PM Sprint Race 1
5:05PM – 6:05PM SprintX Race 1
Friday, October 2
8:00AM – 9:00AM SprintX Race 2
12:35PM – 1:25PM Sprint Race 2
Tune-In
Live streams of qualifying and both races will be held on GT4-America.com and the GT World Challenge YouTube Channel. Fans can listen to the race live on SiriusXM Radio on channel 383, or on the app at 984. Live Timing will be available here. Tape delay broadcasts of the Sprint events will air on CBS Sports Network October 15th at 9:00PM ET.
About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Based out of Sonoma, California, Flying Lizard Motorsports is one of the most iconic sports car teams in motorsports, having celebrated six driver and team championships, as well as competed internationally at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times. The team currently races in Pirelli World Challenge, Porsche Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA, and Porsche Club of America.
The Lizards burst on the American Le Mans Series scene in 2004, competing in the GT class until 2012. In 2013, the team moved to the GTC class, still competing in legendary events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2014, the team expanded its program to include running two Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR Championship, and in 2015, again expanded the program to include two Porsches in Porsche Club racing. Flying Lizard closed out the season with a dominating win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with Toyo Tires, a win they repeated in 2016, 2017, and 2018. For more information, visit lizardms.com. Flying Lizard Motorsports has proven to be a championship contender no matter the race series or race car.
