Successful weekend on and off track for Racing to End Alzheimer’s

The pair of Racing to End Alzheimer’s cars bring home top 11 finishes in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on an emotional weekend

MONTEREY, Calif. (May 12, 2025) – It was an emotional return to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series for the Racing to End Alzheimer’s team, bringing a pair of cars to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and honoring the life of Mimi Frengs – wife of founder Phil Frengs – who passed two weeks ago after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s.

Frengs began Racing to End Alzheimer’s in 2017 to “fund the care and find the cure” for Alzheimer’s, following Mimi’s 2013 diagnosis. Last weekend, still grieving her passing, Frengs came back to WeatherTech Raceway to celebrate both her legacy and the anniversary of the iconic “names” livery, which debuted at the track that first year.

Racing to End Alzheimer’s main effort, the Grand Sport (GS) class No. 19 Ford Mustang GT4 with Stephen Cameron Racing and drivers Sean Quinlan and Greg Liefooghe, was joined this weekend by longtime team driver (and Monterey resident) Nick Galante, driving the No. 31 Audi RS3 LMS in the TCR class alongside Luke Rumburg.

Throughout the weekend, the two cars – each under their own awning but side by side in the paddock – were the focus of attention in the garage. Frengs manned his usual post at the Racing to End Alzheimer’s tent situated between the two teams, talking to fans and members of other teams as well, all of them with a story to tell about their loved one who suffered from dementia or Alzheimer’s – with many of them planning to join the effort, putting their own loved one’s name on the car.

Honor a loved one and join the team: https://r2endalz.org/donate/

“This is a bittersweet weekend,” said Frengs. “Mimi passed away two weeks ago so I’m still grieving and will be for a long time, but this has been my mission and my purpose, so we’re back doing it – and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

“But it’s good to be back in the Michelin Pilot paddock, which was our home for many years,” continued Frengs. “We have known Steve Cameron for years, and know the quality of his team, so to have been invited to join the program was quite an honor. Every Stephen Cameron Racing team member kept asking how they could help, and they were terrific to us. The other part of the story here this weekend is the fact that our friends at Speed Syndicate and RVA graphics and wraps asked if I would like to help put Nick in the car, and with this being the first place we put names on the car with Nick as our driver, and with the opportunity here at his home track – and my favorite track to have Nick in the car – it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.

“I also want to give a shoutout to our old friend Justin Bellinzoni,” added Frengs, who ran with Bellinzoni’s RS1 for several years. “He wanted to know if he could put one of Mimi’s dedication decals on his car – and so Mimi was onboard the race winning car. That makes me feel very good.”

Both teams took advantage of two practice sessions on Thursday to get up to speed on WeatherTech Raceway’s tricky 11-turn, 2.238- mile road course ahead of qualifying. Fighting late afternoon heat and a slippery track, Quinlan put the No. 19 Ford Mustang P16 on the GS starting grid while Galante set his starting position at P10 in the TCR class.

At the drop of the green for Saturday’s two-hour race, both Quinlan and Galante maneuvered cautiously, looking to hold position and avoid incidents in the typically hard-fought 40-car field. Both drivers ducked into pit lane for four Michelin tires and driver changes 40 minutes into the race.

With just over an hour remaining, the race’s first caution flew, with Liefooghe and the No. 19 Ford Mustang running P18 and Rumburg in the No. 31 Audi in P13. Rumburg came to pit lane for a splash of fuel under yellow, while Liefooghe waited until the race returned to green – but holding his position (and with enough fuel to make it to race’s end).

That job became easier as two subsequent yellows dramatically reduced fuel consumption. The race began in earnest through the final half hour, as Liefooghe and Rumburg each made strategic passes to move up through the field. At the checkered flag, both Racing to End Alzheimer’s entries had scored solid finishes – Liefooghe coming home P10 (the top Ford Mustang) and Rumburg at P11 in the Audi.

Galante was proud to be back in the car – back with Frengs, racing at his home track, and honoring his own aunt and grandmother who passed from Alzheimer’s.

“The big story is just being out here where it all started here at Laguna Seca with Phil and Racing to End Alzheimer’s,” said Galante. “To see all the names on the car, to be back here, racing again, fighting the good fight and doing what I love, it’s just a dream come true. We had a rough ride on the first lap, I got tapped a couple of times. Then there was a big vibration in the car late in the stint, due to track debris on the tires. It was tough trying to find a groove with all the GS traffic, but Luke did a great job at the end.”

Next up for the Racing to End Alzheimer’s with Stephen Cameron Racing team and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will be the O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio, June 6-8. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Peacock TV, and internationally on IMSA.tv and on IMSA’s YouTube channel – ad-free courtesy of Michelin.