Team TGM will campaign a pair of new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsports in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2022.
Team owner/driver Ted Giovanis:
“Although Porsche has only just announced the new Cayman, we expect to take possession of the cars in mid-December. We’ll have a lot to do before making our debut in the Clubsport at the Rolex event at the end of January.”
Giovanis went on to say, “The decision to acquire the newest Porsche Caymans was made to bring all our racing efforts under one manufacturer. I race a Porsche in International GT and just ran one at the HSR Classic 24. Last year we competed in the Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD category at the Rolex 24 and plan to do the same in 2022. It just makes good racing and business sense to bring all our efforts under the same manufacturer.
“Porsche has been a part of my racing and personal life for as long as I can remember and it just seems like the right time and fit to bring all our racing efforts under the Porsche brand. We are very enthusiastic about this opportunity and believe it’s the way back to an IMSA Championship in 2022.”
Return For Rebel Rock Racing Camaro
After a strong finish to the 2021 season, Rebel Rock Racing will return for the fourth consecutive season with the #71 Urban Grid Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R and both of its lead drivers, Frank DePew and Robin Liddell.
Rebel Rock won early in the campaign at Sebring and placed fourth in the penultimate round at Virginia International Raceway, the high points of an interrupted 2021 campaign.
“We ended the season on a good note, knowing we had the potential to have a good result,” Liddell said. “We decided not to go to [WeatherTech Raceway] Laguna Seca to focus on finishing on a bit of a high, knowing it would give us momentum over the winter. More importantly, it also demonstrates to each of us how to be successful.”
The team struggled in practice at Road America late in the season with its repaired backup car, and decided to withdraw from that event along with Round 8 at Laguna Seca. The work paid off when DePew led the first laps of his professional career near the midway point at VIR.
“That was a cool moment and I feel like it was a good demonstration of not only the progress I’ve made as a driver, but also really of how the team took some punches during the year but still showed up ready to execute every weekend, and that makes me pretty excited about 2022,” said DePew.
The run out front at the home VIR round didn’t play out as promised after a late caution hurt Liddell’s chances of a podium finish, but was still a welcome weekend after the mid-season setbacks.
“We didn’t believe we had a car to win with at VIR, but we finished fourth,” Liddell said. “Really, it was not a bad result. That’s what I impressed on Frank and the team: when we have a chance to win, obviously, we want to win. But when we don’t have a chance to win, we just do the best we can and score as many points as we can. I see no reason at all why if we do that kind of job consistently, next year we can challenge for the championship. The performance was there at the end, so I see no reason why we can’t do that next year. That is the goal.”
Making the starting grid was a major challenge for the season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. DePew caught a stomach virus during the race weekend, but felt good enough to start the race near the back of the grid. He managed to gain a few positions during the opening lap before being forced off the track and into a gravel trap, costing the team two laps. Liddell took over at the midway point and came home 15th.
“We’re looking forward to next year, committed to next year,” Liddell said. “Frank has turned a corner this year in his race craft, as we saw at VIR, so that’s proof of what he can do. We’ll be ready for 2022.
“The plan is to come back next year and do a better job.”
