Heinricher Racing, the only female-owned team in IMSA competition, is ready to kick off the 2020 season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship alongside 2019 championship winner Meyer Shank Racing (MSR). Heinricher Racing will again field the No. 57 Acura NSX GT3, this year with full-season drivers Misha Goikhberg and Alvaro Parente. Trent Hindman will serve as endurance driver for the No. 57 Acura while AJ Allmendinger will return for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
In 2019, Jackie Heinricher created and raced the first full season, all-female entry in IMSA history. For 2020, she is focused on raising performance, race pace and consistency while continuing to pursue her vision of developing young driver talent in the motorsports ranks.
“I was very proud of founding the first all-female driving team to compete for a full season in 2019, proving there is a competitive place for professional women drivers in this sport,” Heinricher said. “Due to unforeseen sponsor circumstances, that team has moved to another manufacturer, but I’m so glad they are able to maintain their driver lineup for a second season. At Heinricher Racing, we’re excited to develop a new team of young drivers, which is a pillar of our commitment to IMSA.”
“It’s great to have Jackie and Heinricher Racing back with us this year,” said Mike Shank. “Jackie put an impressive program together last year and has worked hard to bring this program together for 2020. Jackie is one of the few female leaders in motorsports with a clear, long term vision of what she wants to accomplish in the sport. This year we are focusing on getting results, podiums and wins for our sponsors Heinricher Racing and with this lineup we can make that happen.”
Misha Goikhberg will make his GT debut with Heinricher Racing in 2020 after racing in the IMSA Prototype category for the past five seasons.
Goikhberg claimed the 2014 Prototype Lites championship with nine total victories. In 2016, he earned victories at both Daytona International Speedway and Long Beach, closing out the season with a podium finish at the Motul Petit Le Mans and third place overall in the Prototype Challenge championship. In 2018, he claimed victory at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
In total, Goikhberg has three IMSA victories and seven podium finishes. He also is a two-time winner of the Jim Trueman award, which is earned by the top Pro-Am driver in the Prototype field and awarded with an automatic invite to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“I am very happy to join Heinricher Racing with Meyer Shank Racing in the Acura NSX GT3,” said Goikhberg. “I am hoping this is the start of a long-term relationship which will result in wins and championships. 2020’s GTD category is shaping up to be an extremely competitive championship and I am very eager to work with such a talented group of co-drivers. I am grateful to Jackie Heinricher, Michael Shank, Jim Meyer, Acura and HPD for putting together this exciting entry.”
Alvaro Parente will also join Heinricher Racing for the 2020 season after completing a full season in 2018 with MSR in the No. 86 Acura NSX GT3. That year’s effort saw him claim a victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a podium finish at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and three additional podiums at Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta.
“2018 with MSR was my first experience racing in IMSA and also with the team, and I learned a few tracks that I didn’t know before, so all was quite new,” Parente said. “It was an extremely successful year right from the start, and I really enjoyed working with everyone on the team. They all have a lot of talent and big ambitions. We were second in 2018 in the Rolex 24, so this year I’m looking forward to finishing one step higher. The MSR team is coming off a championship title and that really motivates me.”
After claiming the 2019 GTD championship in his third year with MSR, Trent Hindman will join the Heinricher Racing No. 57 Acura in 2020, taking on endurance duties for the four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events alongside Parente and Goikhberg. The 2019 season saw Hindman earn a victory at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen and reach the podium four additional times on the way to winning the championship.
“There’s certainly a sense of relief knowing that I’ll be back with the MSR team I’ve grown so close to over the last two years,” Hindman said. “Fun fact: Misha and I were teammates back in the F1600 days, so it will be awesome to work with him again, as well as Alvaro and AJ. I have a ton of confidence in the Acura NSX GT3 considering the development and lessons learned with the car over the last 12 months. A big thank you to Jackie Heinricher, Mike Shank, Acura and Honda HPD for having me. I’m excited to get back to work for 2020.”
AJ Allmendinger will join the Heinricher Racing No. 57 squad for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in hopes of claiming his second victory in 13 appearances at the 24 hour classic.
“It is always an honor to race for the championship-winning MSR team. Mike Shank is one of my closest friends and like a brother to me,” said Allmendinger. “I always want to be at my best for him and the team. We were so close to getting Honda HPD and Acura into victory lane last year at Daytona, so I can’t wait to get back there with Heinricher Racing and battle for victory again.”
Source. Sunday Group
Comments
