Taylor Hagler Heads to VIR With Championship Lead
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Alton, Va. (22 August 2022) – With just two races remaining in the 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) season, Taylor Hagler will travel to Virginia International Raceway looking to continue her championship momentum with a big result in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 120 on August 27 (4:40pm ET, Peacock).
The weekend marks the ninth round of the 10-race championship, as Hagler and co-driver, fellow 2021 IMPC champion Michael Lewis, will once again pair on board the No. 1 Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) Hyundai Elantra N TCR. Having scored third in the four-hour enduro at Road America, the duo have a 30-point advantage heading into the 2-hour outing at VIR.
The circuit, which has a history that stretches back to the halcyon days of IMSA racing, features high speed blind corners, some slow technical sections, and some long straights that should allow the racers to fully stretch the legs on the TCR machines. The track is tricky, but Hagler has shown pace at the circuit in short order.
At the first of two outings at VIR for Hagler in 2021, the SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge America Rookie of the Year charged her way to a third place podium finish for the Pro Am class to finish out the SRO weekend on a strong note in the GT3 standings.
She followed that up with a run to fifth on the 3.27-mile road course during her IMSA showing. Hagler made steady moves with consistent pace during her drive time to gain position from eleventh to eighth before passing the wheel to Lewis who powered to a top five finish.
As the Texas-native looks ahead to the compact weekend with two practices and qualifying on Friday, she has her eyes set for success at the two-hour event on Saturday.
“Michael (Lewis) and I are heading in with the lead, but we really need the win,” said Hagler, who scored her first IMSA victory at Lime Rock Park in 2021. “Every weekend, the BHA team builds on the last time out and I keep gaining confidence with the Elantra, which is an amazing platform. I’m confident we’ll be in contention for the podium and am just looking forward to getting everything going.”
The Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 120 will be streamed August 27 on Peacock as the flag waves green at 4:40pm ET.
