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Raphael Lessard dominates the early part of the race at Daytona before being pushed against the wall four laps from the finish, dropping him to 23rd at the end
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Raphael Lessard dominates the early part of the race at Daytona before being pushed against the wall four laps from the finish, dropping him to 23rd at the end

Daytona (Florida, United States) – February 13, 2021. Raphael Lessard and GMS Racing showed how competitive the #24 Silverado Canac is at the Daytona International Speedway (Florida, United States), when the young driver won the first stage and finished second in the second stage of the race on Friday night, and gained 19 important bonus points towards the Championship. An incident while he was running 6th with four laps to go pushed him into the wall, dropping the damaged #24 Canac truck to 23rd at the finish.

 

The Race From the Driver’s Point of View

The race was a typical super oval event, with trucks running in two tight files that made it difficult to pass. Drivers needed to work as a team to gain ground, which the GMS Racing drivers did well throughout the event.

“After a good start, I kept my position for a few laps and then moved into first place on lap 13. We won the first 20-lap stage with the help of Sheldon Creed, my teammate and the reigning series champion. We worked well in the outside lane. The bonus points for such wins are important, and this is my first stage win ever,” explained Raphael Lessard.

“We almost won the second stage by being aggressive and with the help of my new observer, Tyler Monn, who is very good, as he helped me move up to second place at the end of the 20-lap stint. Everything was looking good for the rest of the race,” added Raphael Lessard.

“The last 60-lap stage forced everyone to make important decisions on when to make the one fuel stop that was needed to get to the finish. The team decided on a common strategy for all the GMS Racing drivers to ensure that we would continue to work effectively as a team as we made our way through the pack. We all made an early stop and were all together on the track for a final comeback. However, multiple caution periods late in the race allowed the other drivers to save fuel and make it to the end without stopping for fuel. We were now stuck behind the leaders and had to work very hard to get back to the front, even trying to start a third row on the outside with the help of my teammates, but that did not work. We did make up to the leaders with a handful of laps left in the race, but it was impossible to avoid the accident I was involved in. We all deserved better than that! “concluded a driver who was nevertheless very satisfied with his performance and that of the team.

Two in a row! ST Racing takes TG division win at the Hankook 6H Abu Dhabi
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Two in a row! ST Racing takes TG division win at the Hankook 6H Abu Dhabi

ST Racing Release:

Abu Dhabi (UAE), January 24, 2021 – Following on from a successful start to its season at the Hankook 24H DUBAI, Canada’s ST Racing has gone two-for-two in as many weekends by securing TG division victory at the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI.

Last weekend, Samantha Tan, Chandler Hull, Jon Miller, and Nick Wittmer took a sensational GT4 class win at the Hankook 24H DUBAI hosted by CREVENTIC at the Dubai Autodrome. One week on, ST Racing is once again on the top step of the podium following a commanding TG division win for Samantha Tan and Jon Miller aboard the #438 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4 at the non-championship Hankook 6H ABU DHABI. An impressive feat, considering this is the first time the Ontario-based team has competed at the vaunted Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Jon Miller got the team’s weekend off to the best possible start with the fastest TG lap of all in qualifying – a 2m 23.473s – and in his opening 90-minute stint, Jon further demonstrated the tremendous pace of the BMW M4 GT4 by pulling almost a full minute clear of the chasing pack. Poor luck during the first stop for fuel meant Samantha, now at the wheel, had it all to do during her first time run of the event, but the Ontario-native impressed with a charging drive to retake the TG division lead shorty thereafter. Always quick to adapt to any situation, ST Racing’s engineers worked furiously to revise its strategy and reduce time spent on pit road as much as possible.

In the end, and with some added good fortune, ST Racing completed 130 laps of the 5.554km Yas Marina Circuit to take a commanding second win of the 24H SERIES season, securing the fastest lap of any TG runner – a 2m 22.787s – in the process.

Team principal, Kenneth Tan: “It was another nail-biter of a race. I thought this was going to be a cakewalk, but five hours into the six-hour race, I was pacing in the paddock wondering whether we were going to make it or not. With 40 minutes to go, we were two laps down from the class leader. They still had to do another pit stop but they didn’t need much gas, so it was always going to be very close. Unfortunately their car broke down and we secured 1stplace. I took a deep sigh of relief and felt so proud of our team. We did it again! And then, when they played the Canadian anthem while Samantha was on the podium receiving a trophy, I was overwhelmed with emotion and got teary-eyed. I just felt so proud. It has been a lot of work but it has all been worth it! I am looking forward to our next race in Mugello.”

Driver, Samantha Tan: “What a great way to start 2021, with two back-to-back wins! It was an incredible experience getting to drive the famed Yas Marina Circuit. I steadily dropped my lap times over the course of the three practice sessions, which set me up perfectly for the race. The team gave us an amazing car once again, so Jon put the car on pole during qualifying. The race went relatively smoothly, however the refueling took an extensive amount of time, which caused us to change our strategy throughout the race. But we pushed hard for the last hour and brought the car home 1st in-class. Altogether it was a stellar run by Jon and I, and I’m so proud to bring home another win with my team. It was so special to have the Canadian anthem played at the podium. Definitely a weekend to remember.”

Driver, Jon Miller: ““It’s a dream result to win the Hankook 24H DUBAI and then follow it up with a win in Abu Dhabi one week later. ST Racing came here prepared to fight for wins, and the results are validation of our effort to show up with all of the right pieces in place. There was some pre-race drama when the crew was thrashing to fix a mechanical issue discovered minutes before the green flag. I was the last car to the grid, but the issue was resolved and our BMW M4 GT4 proved to be fast and reliable. Samantha drove two killer stints and was behind the wheel atthe chequered flag, which I know was a special moment for her. When the Canadian national anthem played during the podium ceremony, I could see the pride beaming from my teammates’ faces. We’re proud of our early season results, and more motivated than ever to keep pushing for more.”

With two wins already under its belt in 2021, attention for ST Racing now turns to round three of the 24H SERIES – the Hankook 12H MUGELLO – set to take place at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello on 26-27 March. One month later, Samantha Tan will strike a long-held item from her bucket list when she competes for the first time at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps as part of the Hankook 12H SPA on 23-24-25 April.

2021 Calendar

ST Racing will take part in all events of the 2021 24H SERIES season.

  1. Hankook 24H Dubai: January 14-15-16 2021 – WIN
  2. Hankook 6H Abu Dhabi (non-championship), Jan 22-23 2021 – WIN
  3. Hankook 12H Mugello: March 26-27 2021
  4. Hankook 12H Spa-Francorchamps: April 23-24-25 2021
  5. Hankook 12H Hockenheimring: May 22-23 2021
  6. Hankook 24H Portimao: July 16-17-18 2021
  7. Hankook 24H Barcelona: September 03-04-05 2021
  8. Coppa Florio Hankook 12H Sicily: October 01-02-03 2021
  9. Hankook 24H Sebring: November 12-13-14 2021

 

Qualifying results: https://bit.ly/2LVWokF

Race results: https://bit.ly/3c78hPy

ST Racing Wins The Hankook 24H DUBAI.
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ST Racing Wins The Hankook 24H DUBAI.

ST Racing Release:

Dubai (UAE), January 17, 2021 – ST Racing took the GT4-class win during the highly competitive Creventic Series Hankook 24H of Dubai, taking place at the Dubai Autodrome this past weekend. Samantha Tan, Chandler Hull, Jon Miller, and Nick Wittmer co-drove the #438 BMW M4 GT4 to a win, claiming their first trophies of the season.

The Canadian outfit traveled to the United Arab Emirates to take part in their second Dubai 24H. The team could have claimed the win in 2020, but last year’s race was cut short due to a heavy rainstorm. This time around, the weather was ideal and the team came prepared to this event knowing they could repeat their feat very well.

On Thursday prior to the race, Nick Wittmer set an impressive time of 2:08.824 during qualifying, putting the #438 at the front of the GT4 field. As per the series rules, the car qualifies, not the driver. Therefore, 23 years-old Samantha Tan was set to start the 24-hour race on Friday afternoon. After a hectic first few laps where Tan lost valuable time fighting with cars around her, there was a Code 60 caused by a fellow competitor. The team decided to bring Tan down pit lane right away for fuel. Back on track, her focus was on taking the lead back again. Thanks to several stellar stints between her and Chandler Hull, they were able to regain the lead and keep it…until the very end!

“We won the Dubai 24H!!!” said with enthusiasm Samantha Tan, driver of the #438 car. “It honestly felt like a flawless race. We spent the majority of it first in class! My co-drivers all did an incredible job. I started the race, trying to be aggressive but also having to remind myself that it’s a long race ahead and keep the car clean. There was a Code 60 right at the start, so the team decided to bring me in to top up on fuel so I could run for almost 2 hours. I did back to back stints with Chandler until it got dark, while Nick and Jon drove through the night.”

She continued saying: “I had a stellar night stint, passing many cars and putting our BMW M4 back into 1st in class. It got close with 2nd place after the halfway mark in the race, but during the last 6 hours, we all put in our best effort and gave ourselves a 3-lap lead. The car was amazing the entire race; I can’t thank my team enough for their hard work on giving us the best car and for the perfectly executed pit stops. This is my first pro win, and I’m so happy to share it with my ST Racing family. This win is for all of us, and we’re looking forward to the rest of the season!”

Nick Wittmer, who took the checkered flag, echoed Samantha’s thoughts on the flawless execution: “it was my first 24-hour race, and we won it! There were no issues at all; ST Racing did an amazing job preparing the car to run a full day.”

Jon Miller couldn’t help but reminisce on the Dubai 24H 2020: “Last year’s Dubai 24 was red-flagged for torrential rain after 7 hours, and after qualifying on pole and running up front, we came away disappointed with unfinished business. Showing up this year and replicating our pole position and strong pace, it’s incredibly satisfying for the whole team to finish the job and WIN the Dubai 24!”

For Jon, it was a team win: “the story of our race comes down to the crew executing fast pit stops for 24 hours and running a winning strategy with a BMW that was fast and easy to drive. Samantha and Chandler drove an awesome five stints, going back to back for the first 6 hours before Nick and I took over at night – and they handed us the car in P1. It takes everything and then some, with a little luck sprinkled in, to win a race like this. We’ll use it as motivation to keep pushing hard all season.”

“There’s no better way to start a new race season than winning, let alone winning a 24-hour race,” said Chandler Hull, more motivated than ever. “I am beyond grateful for the ST Racing group to have let me come along, and a huge thanks to the crew that worked their magic behind the scenes to give us a car that could fight for 24 hours. I’m looking forward to next weekend at Yas Marina for another 6 hours and can’t wait to keep this momentum up for the rest of the season.”

Kenneth Tan, Samantha Tan’s father, and Team Principal, only had good things to say about the event “I am so proud of our team! It was a team effort that won us the race. The drivers worked together to ensure efficient lap times and to take good care of the car: no curbs! The person responsible for data calculated and effectively carried out a dynamic pit stop strategy together with the drivers and our crew chief and head mechanic who, I think, ultimately won us the race. I am so proud of the team and so proud of Sam. She drove amazingly fast, especially during the night! This was by far the most exhilarating win yet for our young team, and the best part is that we had a lot of fun achieving it together. Go STR!”

The team’s next race will be as soon as this coming weekend at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi. This will be a 6-hour race which is not part of the official calendar of the 24H Series. After Abu Dhabi, the team will have two months’ break until the next race in Mugello (Italy), where they will be looking at keeping their momentum going.

 

2021 Calendar

 

ST Racing will take part in all 8 events of the 2021 24H Series season.

 

Hankook 24H Dubai: January 14-15-16 2021 – WIN

Extra – 6H Abu Dhabi, Jan 22-23

Hankook 12H Mugello: March 26-27 2021

Hankook 12H Spa-Francorchamps: April 23-24-25 2021

Hankook 12H Hockenheimring: May 22-23 2021

Hankook 24H Portimao: July 16-17-18 2021

Hankook 24H Barcelona: September 03-04-05 2021

Coppa Florio Hankook 12H Sicily: October 01-02-03 2021

Hankook 24H Sebring: November 12-13-14 2021

Full Truck Season For Raphael Lessard With GMS Racing
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Full Truck Season For Raphael Lessard With GMS Racing

Raphael Lessard Racing Press release:

St-Joseph-de-Beauce (Quebec, Canada) – January 7, 2021 – Raphael Lessard had a wide smile on his face when he boarded a flight from Montreal on January 5, on his way back to the United States to complete preparations for a full 22-race season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). While continuing the search for full race season financing, Raphael Lessard Racing announces today the return of Richelieu Hardware as an associate partner for five races in the 2021 season. Raphael Lessard’s #24 Silverado, prepared by GMS Racing, will proudly display the Richelieu Hardware colours, among others on the deck lid. This prominent Quebec corporation is a leading North American distributor, importer and manufacturer of specialty hardware and complementary products.

 Richelieu Hardware

The Richelieu Hardware commitment to this project is the logical development of their previous collaboration with the Raphael Lessard Racing team in support of the young driver’s professional development program. “Richelieu Hardware is proud to renew its support for Raphael and his team. We all want him to continue his development and achieve his personal and professional goals in 2021,” according to Richard Lord, President and CEO of Richelieu Hardware.

Raphael Lessard is most grateful in welcoming Richelieu Hardware as a partner for his second season in the NCWTS series. “We are really happy with the return of Richelieu Hardware to our program for the 2021 season. The favourable results of our first cooperation in 2020 now place both parties in an excellent position to build a stronger win-win partnership throughout the 2021 season,” said Raphael Lessard.

NCWTS Full Season

GMS Racing is pleased to welcome Raphael Lessard on a full-time basis for the 2021 season. “We are excited to have Raphael join us for the 2021 season,” said Mike Beam, President of GMS Racing. “Raphael is a talented young man, and we are excited to see what he can do with a full season with this team.”

After making the most of the difficult health situation over 2020 that greatly complicated Raphael Lessard’s learning season in NCWTS, securing a second full season was a hoped-for development, and assuredly a dream come true for the young driver. “I’m really excited to have a second full season in the Truck Series and will certainly aim for victories and even the championship at the wheel of the #24 Chevrolet prepared by GMS Racing. This team finished 1-2-3 in the NCWTS series in 2020, and I know that with everything I learned last season, we will be in a winning position at the end of every race,” added the determined young driver.