Marco Polo Motorsports and the No. 71 KTM X-Bow will be returning to Alton, Virginia to compete at VIRginia International Speedway this weekend for rounds five and six of the GT4 America championship. With four races in the 2021 season complete, drivers Nicolai Elghanayan and Mads Siljehaug are tied for third in GT4 America Silver Cup standings with CCR Racing/Team TFB, eager to break away and close in on the points leaders on what is looking to be another wet weekend.
“I am really looking forward to VIR,” said Elghanayan. “This is such a great track, and it’s the perfect location for our first race back with fans! I have not had a successful weekend here yet and am eager to change that. Mads and I have been doing a lot of racing overseas in the 24H series and will be taking advantage of all the seat time we’ve had this season to carry it into the GT4 Series here in the US.”
The 2020 outing at VIRginia International Raceway marked the debut for the team’s new KTM X-Bow GT4 Evo. The team entered the event with minimal time to test but made the most of the event and improved over the course of the triple-header by earning a top-five finish in sweltering conditions.
Elghanayan and Siljehaug first partnered up as co-drivers in GT4 America in 2020, taking all the challenges of the year in stride and finding their flow as a strong racer pairing. The two clicked instantly, allowing Siljehaug to get up to speed quickly at each new track he visited. After concluding the season with four wins and six podiums, the pair joined the Creventic 24H Series with Reiter Engineering. The pair just earned a podium finish at the 12H Hockenheimring and will bring that momentum into the doubleheader this weekend at VIR.
Following their success together racing in Europe, the team has expanded their partnership with Reiter Engineering to include race event support. Longtime partner Mullerized… will continue to provide their expert preparation and service on the KTM X-Bow before and after each race weekend at their California location.
“Coming back to race at VIR with more experience and knowledge feels great,” said Siljehaug. “Now with having Reiter Engineering crew on track with Marco Polo Motorsports, we are really going in for top performance to improve our results from last year! I hope the fans will brave the weather to come out, and that we can put on a good show for them in the KTM X-Bow.”
This year, the conditions will vary greatly from last year, with rain predicted for all three days of on-track activity. The KTM-X Bow and its drivers preferred the rain at the previous race rounds at Circuit of the Americas, and will also welcome the wet conditions this weekend, in what is usually a scorching weekend. This race will mark the first GT4 America race since March 2020 that fans will be able to have access to the paddock. In honor of Memorial Day, the track will also offer free tickets for all active duty service members and 40% off for veterans.
Twenty-nine cars from six manufacturers will race this weekend in GT4 America on the 3.27 mile, 17-turn road course. With sweeping corners and a long straight, and beautiful green pastures that race fans can easily navigate, VIR never fails to deliver exciting action for motorsports lovers. Race fans will get to enjoy another double-header race weekend, with Saturday and Sunday each hosting a 60-minute sprint. Elghanayan and Siljehaug will split the drive time in each of the races, trading out the driving duties during a mandatory pit stop in the middle of each race.
Source. KBru Communications
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