Rebel Rock Racing optimistic heading into home race at VIR

DANVILLE, VA (26 August 2022) – Rebel Rock Racing will be looking to bounce back when it returns to its home track – Virginia International Raceway – for Saturday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season.

After Frank DePew and Robin Liddell scored a victory at Lime Rock Park in the No. 71 Urban Grid Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R in July, the team was looking to keep that momentum going at Road America earlier this month. Unfortunately, a promising qualifying effort didn’t translate into another run to victory at the Wisconsin circuit for the team, as a cut tire on the parade lap and off-track excursion early in the race resulted in a 25th-place finish.

“That race was three weeks ago, and after the craziness of June and July, for me personally that felt like an off season,” Liddell said. “But from the team point of view, a lot of work has gone on since the Camaro after the incident at Road America. It went to Irish Mike’s for repairs. They got the car back last Monday, and it was ready to go after a week of hard work.”

The victory at Lime Rock followed fourth-place finishes at Watkins Glen International and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, with the team currently fifth in the Grand Sport standings.

“I’m enthusiastic about our chances at VIR,” Liddell said. “We had a hiccup at Road America, but I think in some respects, that will get the team more focused for the last two races. I think we’ve got a reasonable shot. I think the car will be strong – we finished fourth there last year.

The goal is to get everything back on track and finish on the podium.”

VIR was the site for the team’s first outing with the Camaro GT4.R back in 2018.  A year ago, DePew led the first laps of his career at VIR, with the team finishing a competitive fourth. Liddell took the checkered flag only 4.661-seconds behind the winner.

“I’m very excited and looking forward to getting back to VIR,” DePew said. “Obviously, it’s one of my favorite tracks, and hopefully, we can have a mistake-free race and do well. Hopefully, I’ll be a little quicker than last year. VIR is super-fun to drive and it’s exciting – that’s why I love going there.”

“We enjoy going to VIR,” said Liddell, a two-time Rolex Series GT winner at VIR, in 2008 and 2009. “It’s Frank’s home track, and he will have family and friends there. It’s a lot of fun to drive that track, and the Camaro works well around much of it, especially the uphill esses, the fast sections, and whenever you’re running close to the curbs. Overall, I think it will be competitive.”

Following Saturday’s two-hour race, the lone event on the 2022 schedule will be the Fox Factory 120, a two-hour race on Sept. 30 during the Motul Petit Le Mans weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.