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Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Teams Secure Podium Spots And First Race Win At Road America
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams had a successful weekend at Road America, with Regulator Racing, CRP Racing, and Esses Racing all securing podium finishes. The teams competed in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America and GT America series, achieving notable results on the 4-mile course north of Milwaukee.
Jason Daskalos and the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 team secured a second-place finish in Saturday's GT America race despite rainy conditions. Daskalos closely followed the leader while keeping his main championship rival at bay. With two doubleheader race weekends left in the 2024 GT America schedule, Daskalos remains second in the points standings.
Later on Saturday, Esses Racing achieved their first series win in the GT World Challenge America with drivers Will Hardeman and Alan Metni co-driving the No. 19 Mercedes-AMG GT3 to victory in the Am-class. Competing for the first time in this division at Road America, they frequently battled within the top five against Pro-Am and Pro class competitors during the 90-minute race.
On Sunday, Regulator Racing continued Mercedes-AMG's success by securing a third-place finish in the Pro-Am category. Co-drivers Jeff Burton and Philip Ellis drove the No. 91 Mercedes-AMG GT3 to their fourth podium of the season. This marked their first consecutive podium finishes following their recent win at VIRgina International Raceway (VIR).
Regulator Racing employs a unique reverse driver strategy where professional driver Ellis starts each weekend's first race and closes out the second race. This approach has helped Burton improve his skills by competing against professional drivers during his stints. Burton led Saturday’s race until a late caution flag shuffled positions, but he rebounded strongly on Sunday.
In Sunday's final race, Ellis took over from Burton at the 50-minute mark and climbed through the field with a series of fastest laps. He moved into fourth place with eight minutes remaining and secured third place with a pass in Turn 1 just five minutes before the end.
Championship Standings
The No. 91 Regulator team now stands third in the GT World Challenge Pro-Am championship with two race weekends remaining, including a season-ending event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that offers double points. Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams is another all-series weekend at Barber Motorsports Park from September 6-8.
"If I can just keep my lap times up, it's obvious what Philip is always going to do," said Jeff Burton, driver of No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. "He is always going to run to the front if I can give him a smaller gap to make up."
"It was a fun race," said Philip Ellis, driver of No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. "Especially after yesterday when we got robbed from a podium with the late caution."
"I was right on the leader the whole time," said Jason Daskalos, driver of No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. "He would gap me on the straights, but I would close back up in the corners while also keeping an eye on our main championship competitor just behind me."
"We finally feel like we are getting everything out of our car now," said Will Hardeman, driver of No. 19 Esses Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. "The team gave us a great car with a great setup today."
"It was a lot of fun," said Alan Metni, driver of No. 19 Esses Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. "Road America is a great place with really technical bits and high-commitment sections."
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