Just over ten quick months after TeamTGM made its race debut with the all new Mercedes-AMG GT4 platform at Daytona International Speedway, the team heads to the final race of the season this weekend at Road Atlanta in contention for the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar GS Championship.
Strength, hard word and focus have all been integral factors that have brought TeamTGM to its current position in the IMSA championship as it looks forward to Friday’s Fox Factory 120. The team leads the GS field by an impressive 31-points as the it looks to add to an already remarkable season of “firsts” with a first-ever championship for the organization.
The team enters the event with a two-car effort once again as IMSA stages the final event just around the corner from the TeamTGM base at Road Atlanta.
Points leaders Hugh Plumb and Owen Trinkler are aiming for a straightforward two hours of racing in their No. 46 Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation (JKTG) / Camp Boggy Creek Mercedes-AMG GT4 to bring home a championship victory.
The powerful pairing have added several accomplishments to the TeamTGM board this season, including a four race podium streak which included three overall victories.
Underscoring the difference that teamwork makes when it comes to preparation and execution, No. 46 team entry is the only full-season car in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge GS field that has completed every lap of every race thus far this season – totaling 703 laps with 77 laps led.
Last season at Road Atlanta, Plumb joined Guy Cosmo with TeamTGM to bring home a fifth place finish. This year, Plumb is hoping for even more as he looks to lock in a championship title.
“Going into Road Atlanta, I’m confident that TeamTGM will give us a great race car,” said Plumb. “The Mercedes-AMG GT4 does a lot of things really well and has been one of the most consistent race car platforms I have ever driven. Ted (Giovanis) has put a talented group of individuals together, and with the guidance that Kristina (Giovanis), Ted’s daughter, provides the whole group, it has become an outstanding team. Four podiums and three wins speaks for itself, and I’m hoping to add to this car’s success this weekend.”
Known to keep a level head prior to each race weekend, IMSA veteran Trinkler knows there is a lot on the line, but has been in this position before.
“I am approaching this race as if it was just another race,” said Trinkler. “I treat this event no different than if it were the first race of the season or the 10th. There isn’t anything that I am changing heading into the weekend, we are just going to keep doing what we have been doing week in and week out. Our guys have had great pit stops all year and I will just try to hand over a good car to Hugh.”
The Road Atlanta weekend will also see the sister No. 4 JKTG Foundation / Camp Boggy Creek Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Ted Giovanis and Guy Cosmo in action for the two-hour race.
The pairing has shown significant growth throughout the 10-race season where they nabbed a top ten finish at Sebring International Raceway earlier this year. Heading into the final event of the season, Giovanis has a race of his own to focus on while also concentrating on his team’s championship possibilities.
“TGM is very positive about Road Atlanta but cautious at the same time,” said Giovanis. “We know and understand the track but there are always the unknowns. The team is always motivated but in this particular instance, even more so. The team members have worked hard all year, even through some difficult times, and we are gratified to be where we are in the Championship. The Mercedes-AMG seems to be best on the longer runs and we strive for that in our set ups. Thus, we sub optimize attaining absolute fast times in favor of longer runs. We are targeting doing the same for Road Atlanta in that we want a stable enduring platform for this race particularly with so much on the line.”
Cosmo, who joins Giovanis behind the wheel, is looking forward to the Road Atlanta weekend. The veteran driver has competed on board several different machines around the 2.54-mile track and is eager to see what the No. 4 Mercedes-AMG GT4 has to offer.
“Our development of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 has obviously gone well,” said Cosmo. “It started out as a fantastic car and has only improved throughout the season. Heading into this final round we hope to exploit its strengths on the demands of Road Atlanta and give it yet another win. Our main objective of course is to help clinch the championship with the 46 car by contributing to the setup of the cars as best we can and hoping for Ted (Giovanis) and I to have our strongest result of the season.”
Source. Sunday Group
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