A championship-clinching victory by Mercedes- AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing in Saturday’s Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 Hour was the highlight of a successful weekend of competition for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport teams at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Craft-Bamboo’s victory in the third round of the global Intercontinental GT Challenge series was backed up by two more race wins and three additional podium finishes by Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the season-ending weekend of SRO America competition at the “Racing Capital of the World.” The crowning moments of the successful weekend and season were the formal presentations of three championship awards and other honors to Mercedes-AMG and its customer racing teams in Sunday evening’s 2022 SRO America Awards Celebration in downtown Indianapolis.
The victory by the No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 by co-drivers Raffaele Marciello, Daniel Juncadella and Daniel Morad was the third win in as many races for Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams in this year’s worldwide Intercontinental GT Challenge season. Closing driver Marciello out-dueled the second-place finisher in the race’s final stages to seal the first IGTC manufacturer championship for Mercedes-AMG one race before the end of the season.
The winners set a new Indianapolis 8 Hour distance record of 799.95 miles in the fast-paced race that was slowed only twice for full course caution periods.
This year’s undefeated season to date also ensures that a Mercedes-AMG driver will win the driver championship at the conclusion of December’s season-ending race in Abu Dhabi. Juncadella now leads the standings with 68 points, three ahead of second-place Jules Gounon and 18 points clear of Marciello in third.
Co-driving with Russell Ward and Philip Ellis in the No. 33 Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, Gounon came to Indy with the IGTC championship lead after victories in the year’s opening rounds at Bathurst in Australia and Spa in Belgium. Gounon carried that momentum straight to the pole for Saturday’s Indy 8 Hour – setting a new track record in Friday’s Pole Shootout – but Winward was effectively eliminated from winning contention due to a safety car procedural issue following a pit stop during the second caution with two hours to go.
Gounon ended up trapped behind the safety car, nearly a lap down to Marciello and the other race leaders, and the field was not given a “wave by” before the race returned to green. The No. 33 crossed the finish line a disappointing fourth, but Gounon remains very much alive in the IGTC driver title race heading to Abu Dhabi.
Another early IGTC title was clinched by the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing by AKKODIS ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3 team of Kenny Habul, Dominik Baumann and Martin Konrad. The team endured a safety car setback of its own while leading its class, but a second-place finish and solid seventh overall wrapped up SunEnergy1’s second-straight IGTC Pro-Am championship for Habul and Konrad ahead of the Abu Dhabi finale.
Mirroring the podium and championship success of their international counterparts in the Indy 8 Hour, North American-based Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams celebrated race wins, podium showings and championships of their own in the season-ending race
weekend at “The Brickyard.”
Having wrapped up the driver, team and manufacturer championships two weeks ago at Sebring International Raceway, George Kurtz and the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing with Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 team put a double exclamation point on a dominating GT America powered by AWS season at Indy.
Kurtz won both of the Indy weekend’s 40-minute GT America sprints for his fourth doubleheader sweep this season, concluding the year with 10 victories in 16 races. Kurtz, CrowdStrike Racing with Riley Motorsports and Mercedes-AMG proudly accepted their championship awards in Sunday night’s 2022 SRO America Awards Celebration at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis.
In Pirelli GT4 America competition at Indy, Conquest Racing stepped up to secure three podium showings and wrapped up Silver-class championship runner-up honors with the team’s No. 34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4.
Improving on the No. 34 team’s third place Silver championship finish last year, Michai Stephens and his first-year teammate Gavin Sanders won two races and kept the pressure on the eventual class champions straight into the Indy finale. Stephens and Sanders closed out the year with a pair of Silver-class podiums, including a close second overall and in class in Sunday morning’s final 60-minute race of the season.
The team’s sister No. 35 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 came on strong in the final two race weekend of the season with team co-drivers Custodio Toledo and Paulo Carcasci. Competing in the Pirelli GT4 Am- class, the No. 35 teammates scored their first podium finish with a second place showing two weeks ago at Sebring. On Saturday at Indy, the No. 35 team came within two corners of their first victory.
Toledo and Carcasci both led Saturday’s race but a slight mistake by Carcasci on the last lap opened the door for a competitor to edge by for the win. The back-to-back runner-up showings to close the year still left Toledo and Carcasci pleased and with an early eye on next year.
George Kurtz, Driver – No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a tremendous year. The CrowdStrike Riley guys gave me a great car. We just clicked with the team this year. We had a consistent car which allowed me to go out and run clean, fast laps. If you can do that, you can get good results. Ten wins is a great accomplishment for the entire team and I’m super-proud of everyone involved. We’re looking forward to next year. We’ve had a great relationship with Mercedes-AMG for many years, both off track and on in various racing formats. When you want to be the best, you have to have the best car and be associated with the best team. That’s what we’ve done. So, we look forward to another season with Mercedes-AMG in GT racing as well as in Formula One. We’re already looking forward to 2023.”
Raffaele Marciello, Driver – No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft- Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was really exciting at the end. We knew it was us against them, but it was a really good fight. I have known him for a long time, so it was quite nice to battle with him. We have known each other for 10 years actually. He passed me but then I was able to pass him back and defend. Daniel did an amazing job at the start and Dani was really solid so we cannot complain, for sure.”
Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft- Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a nice race. We did start at the back, but from there we showed a strong performance. Daniel Morad had an outstanding drive during his first stint, going from P15 to P2. The pace during my double stint was good as well and we jumped into the lead. Raffaele did a great job battling and took the lead for good with a very nice move and we won the race. A perfect result after P2 last year. I am very happy.”
Daniel Morad, Driver – No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “The race went perfectly smooth. We had to fight through adversity after a qualifying red-flag mishap, but we came through the field, kept it calm and knew we had a great car for the race.
All three drivers performed for the team, executed perfectly, and couldn’t be happier to stand on the top step of the podium.”
Kenny Habul, Driver – No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing by AKKODIS ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Thanks to Mercedes-AMG and AKKODIS ASP for their support in this race. Last year, we won here, this year, we missed out by only half a second. Therefore, we are slightly disappointed, but we havescored valuable points for the IGTC and that is what matters.”
Martin Konrad, Driver – No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing by AKKODIS ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We were in a really good position in the race with the No. 75. Even though we lost the lead due to an unlucky safety car, it was a good performance. We have won the Pro-Am championship and now we can celebrate!”
Jules Gounon, Driver – No. 33 Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I am really proud of the team but today our race was ruined. What happened to us in the pits before our last stint, I just can’t believe it, it ruined the effort of the team for a week here. We had 10 mechanics, engineers and all of the drivers focused. We could have fought with our competitors for another one-two finish for Mercedes-AMG. It’s so disappointing because Winward really did a fantastic job, my two teammates Russell and Philip also, I was really proud to have been with Winward and I would like to thank them. Our Mercedes-AMG GT3 was very good, which is why I am so disappointed.”
Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 33 Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a slightly frustrating race. Actually, we wanted to fight for victory with the No. 77 in the end, but race control got in our way with the safety car. It is annoying that we were so close. But the team has done an impeccable job as ever. The positive thing is that our teammate Jules is still in contention for the championship.”
Michai Stephens, Driver – No. 34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “First, I have to start off with a tremendous amount of thanks and gratitude to everyone that supports the opportunity. That starts with Mr. John Farrow and is followed by the Conquest Racing program. Of course, without the Mercedes-AMG brand and the Pirelli tires underneath us, there is no opportunity to get out there. Sunday afternoon we came within inches of making something happen, making something magical, and all it does is further motivate for the next time around. Last year, P3 in the championship. This year, P2, and if the skies, so to speak, want it, we will have a championship next year.”
Gavin Sanders, Driver – No. 34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I feel like this season was a good start. This is a fantastic group to learn and grow with, and we kind of evolved to where we are now. We kept the champions very honest, did the best we could and even collected some race wins along the way. It was a good example of what a great team can do. I just want to keep at it, keep pushing, and I think I have learned so much with this Mercedes-AMG GT4 platform all year. It is such a fantastic car to drive and to race with.”
Custodio Toledo, Driver – No. 35 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Just seeing that we can battle for the win, and getting our second- consecutive podium, is very, very encouraging for us. This was the last weekend of the season, we want to come back next year, and we feel that we can contend. Conquest Racing has been great for us, and it is good to give the team a podium at home here at Indianapolis.”
Paulo Carcasci, Driver – No. 35 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4:
“I’m very proud to race at Indianapolis. I came here in 1996 for the Indy 500. I didn’t race, and I haven’t raced ever since, so in my return to racing this year, ending the season at Indianapolis is a great, great honor. I never planned or expected to go back to racing, but now to come back and to end the season fighting for a win in just our fifth race is another great honor.”
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