P5 x 2 to Start the 2024 IMSA Season

1/26/24

Race 1 kicked off with Patrick Wilmot launching from the 6th position, and let me tell you, it was a thrill ride from there! In just a handful of laps, he sliced through the competition, clawing his way up to a respectable 3rd place. The excitement was off the charts!

But hold onto your seats, because just when victory was within our grasp, a full course yellow shook things up. Picture this: a restart with just a few heart-pounding laps left. However, fate threw us a curveball during the caution – a DSC Failure hit our car, knocking out the traction control system. It was like trying to dance on ice without skates! Patrick Wilmot valiantly fought on, but the lack of traction control sent us slipping back to 5th place. Oh, the agony!

Fast forward to race 2, and déjà vu struck with the pestering DSC Failure rearing its head on the pace lap. No traction control for the entire race? Challenge accepted! As the green flag waved, we found ourselves in an epic battle with a fierce competitor, giving the top four drivers a head start. Yet, Patrick Wilmot, the maestro of the track, managed to pull off a comeback.

Reeling in the leaders, we secured a solid 4th position, leaving 5th place in the dust. Victory was within our grasp, but wait – a late race caution tightened the race back up. With only two laps remaining, Patrick Wilmot pushed the limits, fought hard, but alas, 4th place slipped through our fingers. The checkered flag waved as we crossed the line, marking our second 5th place finish on the weekend. The drama, the intensity – that's racing at its absolute best!

Good Points Weekend in Canada

7/10/23

Canada eh?!

The Split Decision team trekked north beyond the border this weekend to take on the ever famous Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. This track is similar to Road Atlanta in the sense that consequences for your mistakes are very very high. With a ton of elevation change and an extremely high average speed per lap, CTMP has just about everything a driver could want.

Patrick qualified the SDR BMW in the 9th spot for Race 1 on the weekend, not ideal but could definitely be worse. It just seems like the team always needs that qualifying run to really get the last bit of setup out of the car. Fortunately the car has almost always been spot on for the races.

Both races on the weekend were pretty uneventful, for better or for worse. Patrick was able to move up into P5 during Race 1 but a small mistake saw him drop back to P7 where he would cross the finish line.

Race 2 Patrick started from the 9th spot again and once again was able to make it up into P5. This time however, no mistakes were made and he would finish right there in the top 5.

Patrick Wilmot and SDR Get Their First Podium

3/13/23

The Split Decision Racing team took to the middle of nowhere Florida for rounds 3 and 4 of the VP Challenge Series this weekend at Sebring Raceway. After not getting to keep their 3rd place trophy at Daytona, Patrick Wilmot and the team was hungry for some revenge and to stand on the box once again.

Qualifying on Saturday didn’t quite go to plan as the team was only able to manage a P12 starting spot for race 1. But with a little bit of setup work that evening, the team covered the car for the night feeling more confident in the weapon they had brought to the fight.

Race 1 saw Patrick move up front 12th to 6th, gaining some good points in the championship fight. His lap time from Race 1 would also move him up to a 9th place starting spot for Race 2 later that same day. Still not exactly where they planned to be, but yet again, this team races much better than they qualify.

Race 2 went even better for Patrick and the team as they charged from 9th to 3rd in the 45 minute battle. Moisey Uretsky in his Aston Martin gave Patrick a good run for his money for the last 15 minutes of the race, just feet off the rear bumper of the #88 BMW. But in the end, it was the SDR team who came away with the last step on the podium and even better points in the championship race.

Wilmot and Split Decision Racing at Daytona

2/1/23

The story of how Split Decision Racing came to be and the story behind them racing at Daytona in IMSA is one full of tragedy, determination, and promise. Nearly 10 years ago now, the SDR crew lost two of their best friends and fellow racers, Rob Farley and Davis Gregor in a tragic car accident. The anniversary of their passing always falls during the Daytona race weeks at the end of January and a promise was made that this team would race in IMSA at Daytona in their honor. This year, that promise came to fruition.

Team owner, Jimmy Scott purchased a lightly used F82 BMW M4 GT4 at the end of last year and took delivery just 30 days prior to the Roar Before the 24 event at Daytona in January. The car, although well sorted, came from a team in Germany and needed quite a bit of work to make it IMSA legal. This task of turning the car around in time was given to long time SDR driver and engineer, Adam Thomas. After coming home from his regular job, Adam worked tirelessly every night to get the car done in time and with just two days before load in day at Daytona, the BMW was in the trailer and ready to head south for the VP Challenge.

At Daytona, Friday’s practices went about as well as you could expect from a team that just took delivery of a new to them race car. Both sessions the team chased some setup issues but ultimately landed mid pack in FP2. Then it was on to qualifying on Saturday morning.

A small miscue in setup for Saturday’s qualifying would find the SDR team starting 11th out of 15 cars for race one that afternoon. Fortunately, that setup miscue was found and the car really came to life for Patrick in the race. And over the course of the 45 minute sprint, he would take the SDR BMW from 11th to 3rd where the team would find their first pro podium in their debut race in IMSA!

Saturday evening a bit of bad luck hit the team when IMSA tech officials determined the springs that were on the M4 were not homologated to GT4 standards. This meant that their podium finish along with the points they accumulated in the race, would be taken away from them.

The springs that were on the car were only 20lbs lighter than the legal springs, hardly enough for a competitive advantage, especially at a place like Daytona where you want more spring rate, not less.

For Sunday’s race, the team would start from 10th based on their second fastest lap in qualifying the previous morning. Once again, the SDR BMW was a rocket ship and Patrick was able to take the car all the way up to 2nd. With 14 minutes to go and pressuring the leader going into the International Horseshoe, the third place driver behind made a mistake under braking and ended up hitting the M4 GT4 in the right rear. This contact would bend the right rear toe link and ultimately end the teams charge to the front of the pack.

Overall, the team gained a ton recognition from the live broadcasts and showed they deserve to be in the IMSA paddock racing against the best. SDR will be back at Sebring to do it all again in March and the team has high hopes in bringing home some hardware.

WRL at VIR: A Pole, A Podium, and Another ‘Big One’

9/9/22

The World Racing League event last weekend at Virginia International Raceway brought Patrick a new and interesting challenge: The challenge of racing for three different teams in the same race. Continuing his journey with the Split Decision team in the M2CSR, Patrick would also join The Chandler School in their Childress built stock car, and Open Throttle Racing in their Playboy MX5 Cup Car.

The weekend started off on the right foot with Patrick being able to qualify the Chandler School stock car in third for race 1. The M2 had a couple of issues and would have to start in 18th, being driven by Rob Eskew. And the little MX5 would roll off in fifth with international racing superstar, Gino Manley behind the wheel.

On the start Saturday morning, Patrick dropped back to fifth but by the time lap one was over, he would emerge in first and hold onto that lead until the first pit stop about forty minutes in. The Chandler School team didn’t plan on finishing the race and eventually would park the car so they could run it in Sunday’s race. In his first stint, Wilmot was able to snag fast lap of the race which would start the stock car from pole position on Sunday.

The poor little M2 would have some electrical issues and eventually would be retired by the team so they could try and get it fixed and focus on Sunday’s 8 hour.

All went well with the Open Throttle MX5 though. Patrick got in with about an hour to go in Saturday’s 8 hour race and brought the car home in third, the team’s first podium in WRL competition.

After a great day on Saturday, Sunday’s race would end rather early for Patrick and the Chandler School stock car. Patrick started on pole for race 2 and would grow a 15 second lead over the field in the first 30 minutes. Unfortunately, coming off the fastest straight away around 40 minutes into the race, The Chandler School stock car would suffer a brake failure which ended with Patrick hitting a tire wall at around 150mph.

They say lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but this is the second brake failure Patrick has had, in the same corner, just one year and a few months apart. The car was heavily damaged on the outside, but fortunately the chassis held up nicely allowing Wilmot to escape with minor injuries. The injuries sustained in this crash would leave Patrick on the sidelines for the rest of Sunday’s race.

Sunday’s event wouldn’t fair much better for the M2 or the MX5, both cars would be retired before taking the checkered flag. Unfortunately, this may have been the last race for the M2 but there are some exciting plans for the future with the Split Decision Racing team.

Stay tuned….

Wilmot Headed to Petit Le Mans with AOA Racing

10/11/21

After having an incredible showing at Daytona in January, AOA Racing, Gino Manley, and Patrick Wilmot are taking on Petit Le Mans at their home track, Road Atlanta. Patrick and the team started talking about running Petit shortly after the checkered flag in Florida and trying to put the funding together to do so. With the help of some great sponsors and friends of the team, that post-race conversation will become a reality on November 12th.

With a volunteer crew, a 28 foot enclosed trailer, and 1/4 of a true racing budget, this grassroots effort is one of a dying breed in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge paddock these days. But being the underdog has its advantages in certain situations, such as having a great story to tell, or not having the outside pressures and expectations of being a front running car.

Regardless of the uphill battle the team faces, AOA Racing will have some notable companies supporting their efforts in the Fox Factory 120. Hagerty Insurance, Crabapple Roofing, and Jzilla Track Days will return to the #85 Audi continuing their support from Daytona while MECO Inc. and Cornerstone Data Systems will come on board for their maiden voyage in the IMSA paddock.

Rough Weekend for Split Decision at VIR

9/23/21

This World Racing League (WRL) season has been anything but generous to the Split Decision Racing (SDR) team. With unforced contact in four races and multiple mechanical failures, the team has struggled to come home with adequate championship points at any event. This past weekend at Virginia International Raceway was more of the same.

On Friday the team struggled with car setup for most of the practice and qualifying sessions, fortunately finding a little bit of speed towards the end of the day. Patrick Wilmot was able to qualify the BMW M2CSR in 4th position out of 37 cars in the top GTO class which gave the team some hope going into the race on Saturday.

Patrick started the eight hour race on Saturday morning, slated to double stint the first few hours and try to keep the car up front. Within thirty minutes Patrick had the little M2 out front leading the whole field. But as fate would have it, that lead would disappear at the 1 hour mark.

As Patrick went to make a pass on a slower car in turn 1, another out of class car had made a mistake in the braking zone behind him. Right as Patrick hit the apex he was slammed in the passenger door by the out of control car. That then sent him into the other car on his left and made a M2 sandwich out of the SDR car. That accident not only ended the day for the BMW but also for the other two cars involved as well.

Unfortunately due to the contact and the costly bill attached, Split Decision Racing will not be running any more of the WRL events this season. The teams looks to regroup over the winter and come back stronger for 2022.

Wilmot Joins Split Decision for WRL at Barber

3/1/21

Patrick first joined Split Decision Racing back in 2017 for the World Racing League Peachtree Grand Prix at Road Atlanta. The team crossed the line 2nd in the GTO class and over the following years team owner, Jimmy Scott, would give Patrick a few more opportunities to join them for more races.

In October, Split Decision acquired a brand new BMW M2CSR from BMW Motorsport to campaign again in the World Racing League GTO class. This weekend at Barber Motorsports Park was the first time the car had seen the track and Jimmy gave Patrick the honors of taking the first laps.

Patrick Wilmot, Jimmy Scott, Andrew Diller, Adam Thomas, and Eric Hedberg would all spend the next two days shaking down the M2 and getting comfortable with the new car. Patrick spent the two days coaching the drivers and offering feedback on setup changes. Everyone dropped their lap times from day one to day two and feel good going into the coming race weekend.

The car will take its first green flag on March 6 at Barber for the 9 hour World Racing League Enduro. To see a couple of laps from the test days follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8uoNJQw65Q

Wilmot plans to join Split Decision for a few of the WRL races this season, those races will be determined at a later date.

AOA Racing Takes on the IMSA BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona

1/30/21

A last minute call just two weeks before the opening round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge would see Patrick Wilmot join friends Gino Manley and Andrew Pinkerton in the #85 AOA Racing Audi RS3 LMS at Daytona International Speedway. Patrick got the call on Monday, January 18th and immediately went to work trying to secure funding, complete all of the requirements to renew his IMSA license, and figure out if any friends wanted to volunteer to be on the pit crew.

On Monday the 25th, just two days before they were supposed to be on track for the first practice session, the team’s registration had still not been accepted by IMSA. Rightfully so, this started to cause a bit of concern among the drivers since now it seemed very unlikely that they would be allowed late entry into the event. But low and behold at 6pm that evening, AOA team owner, John DeBarros sent a text to the sweaty palmed drivers saying IMSA had given them the all clear and they would be on track in two days!

Showing up to an IMSA race without any proper testing is one thing. But showing up to an IMSA race without proper testing, two drivers that had never driven the car before, and a pit crew made up of volunteers is something completely different. This rag tag bunch showed up with the smallest trailer in the paddock and an entire race budget that would only match most teams tire budget for the weekend. Everyone knew this was going to be an uphill battle which prompted low expectations come race day on Friday.

The team struggled to find pace in practice on Wednesday and then fought some vibration issues in the second practice on Thursday. For qualifying Thursday afternoon, they took a big swing on trimming out the rear wing for straight line speed around the banking at Daytona. While this found them the missing few seconds of pace they were looking for, the newly relocated timing transponder in the car wouldn’t register any times for the team. And since a pit crew isn’t allowed to work on the car during qualifying, this would cause the team to have to start from the very back of the field for the 4 hour race Friday afternoon. While this at first seemed gloomy for the small team, it actually turned into a positive as they would have a better chance of dodging any crashes that may pop in the opening laps of the race.

Friday, race day. The plan was for Gino to start the race, Patrick to do the middle stint, and Andrew to finish it off to the end. Gino took the green and for the first 20 minutes just hung out at the back of the field. An early caution came out and driver/strategist/engineer, Andrew Pinkerton, made the call for Gino to pit for fuel. The volunteer crew killed their first pit stop, topping the #85 Audi off with VP Racing Fuel and sending Gino back out to see what he could do.

Gino went from 16th to 4th during his stint in the car, which gave life and hope to the rest of the team that they might actually have a shot at a good finish. When Gino handed the car over to Patrick, the team was sitting in 6th place and would have a good shot at reaching the top 3. Not too long after Wilmot got in the car, a fuel pump issue popped up and would ultimately kill the team’s chances of landing on the podium. Patrick stayed in the car for 2 hours, running lap times consistent with what the top 3 drivers were running. The pace was there but the fuel issue kept getting worse causing the team’s lap times to drop more and more. Andrew got in the car with about an hour left in the race and he just had to limp her home. By this point the car wasn’t capable of running in the top 5 and the AOA team slipped back to 7th where they would eventually finish.

While the result doesn’t reflect the effort and great drive the whole team had, a top 10 in the largest and arguably the most competitive IMSA TCR field there has ever been is nothing to overlook. This team showed up on a shoe string budget with a volunteer pit crew and proved they should be up there racing for podiums. An amazing effort and a story for the record books, AOA Racing and the little Audi that “almost” could.

Peachtree Grand Prix at Road Atlanta

7/19/20

This weekend Patrick Wilmot joined Tons of Gas Motorsports in their BMW M4 GT4 to compete for the overall win in the World Racing League - Peachtree Grand Prix. The team had a great roster of drivers for the event including Mark Brummond (Team Owner), Johan Schwartz, Angus Rogers, and Patrick Wilmot. Mark has been running professional events for the past few years, Johan is an extremely accomplished BMW driver, Angus has been racing in amateur and pro events for some years now, and Patrick was brought on to help bring the team another podium finish.

The team used Friday qualifying for more of a practice day, going out on the tires that were used in the previous 14 hour race at Daytona. Johan qualified the car in 7th position for the start of Saturday’s 9 hour race but with a fresh set of rubber the team was sure to be in the hunt for a top 3 finish.

Schwartz started the car for Saturday’s race and quickly put the team in 2nd position within the first few laps. Unfortunately less than 2 hours into the 9 hour event, the car suffered a brake issue that took the team out of contention to fight for a win or even a podium. Patrick hopped in the car for a brutal 2 hour stint from noon to 2pm, arguably the hottest part of the day. Just 25 minutes into his stint his ChillOut system had run out of coolant so it started pumping hot water, which resulted in Wilmot having to shut it off and run the final 90 minutes in a car pushing 120 degrees in the interior. Wilmot gained a few laps back on the leaders during his stint but they just wouldn’t have enough time in the race to get back near the front.

For the 7 hour event on Sunday Mark gave the reigns over to Patrick to take the start for the team. Johan had laid down a lap time on Saturday that would give the team a 3rd place starting position for Sunday and Patrick took advantage right of the bat. On the green he would go from 3rd to 1st and eventually settle into 2nd position for the remainder of his 2 hour opening stint. The team did a great job throughout the day never putting a wheel wrong and found themselves in 1st with a 2 lap lead. But again bad luck hit with 2 hours to go when the BMW would lose a boost hose and then have a faulty battery. This again would drop the team out of contention for the win and saw them finish just inside the top 10.

There are no plans for Patrick to join the Tons of Gas team again this season as of right now but he is hopeful to have another shot at some point in the future.

Wilmot Becomes JZilla Pro Coach

7/15/20

JZilla Track Days and Patrick Wilmot have teamed up for 2020 to bring affordable professional coaching to a track near you in the southeast. Patrick will be on hand at the remaining JZilla events for any driver that might want some extra help out on track.

Drivers have the option of hiring Patrick on a per session basis, for a half day, or for a full day of coaching depending on availability. Coaching from Wilmot will include anything from right seat instruction, video/data review, or car setup help depending on the drivers needs.

Coaching will be available at the following events in 2020:

August 15 - Under the Lights at CMS Powered by Gran Turismo East

September 12-13 - Preheat the Petit Powered by AOA Motorsports

October 18 - Exofest at Atlanta Motorsports Park Powered by Exomotive

7th Place Qualification for Cov-Aid Event

5/4/20

After two knockout qualifying sessions and two qualifying races, Patrick Wilmot has found himself in a 7th place starting position for the Cov-Aid iRacing Invitational Charity Event Benefiting Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Americares. Wilmot will admit it wasn’t his best performance during the qualifying races but is looking forward to being a small part of this big event.

Patrick kept his nose clean in the first of two qualifying races on Friday night, but was not so lucky for the second. He narrowly missed a spinning car in turn one and figure he was in the clear. Unfortunately the car in front of Patrick ended up hitting the guardrail on the exit of turn one and bounced back into the racing line. With no where to go, the 69 of Wilmot tagged the rear end of the spinning car causing some pretty significant damage to both vehicles.

Wilmot would limp home in 10th place for that second race but his top 10 finish from the race prior gave him enough points to grab the 7th place starting position for the main event Tuesday evening. The race will take place at 6:15 pm Tuesday May 5 and you can find the live stream on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Mixer, or Facebook, just search Cov-Aid.

Wilmot Invited to Compete in Cov-Aid Charity Race

4/29/20

With the shut down of racing all over the world the online simulator, iRacing, has become the outlet for most drivers to get their adrenaline fix. Popular race series like NASCAR and Indy Car have started hosting races on iRacing that fans can sit at home and watch on tv just like it was the real deal happening on a Sunday at a race track in real life. For Patrick Wilmot, the itch to stay behind the wheel of a race car is no different than all of the other professionals out of work right now as well.

Patrick competes in two iRacing Leagues currently; the Atlanta Motorsports Park eSeries Presented by Discovery Parts and OMP Racing and the ACI Motorsports GT3 Cup Challenge. Both of these series are live streamed by Apex Racing TV where fans and friends can watch the race live with professional commentary. While competing in these racing series is a lot fun, the next best thing is having fun and being able to help people at the same time.

The Cov-Aid Racing International is a gaming event that will be hosting a race featuring drivers from all over the world. The drivers will be competing virtually against each other at the famous Watkins Glen race track in GT3 spec race cars like you would see racing in the current IMSA WeatherTech race series. The drivers will compete May 1st to determine who will make it to the main event on May 5th. Below is the official press release from Cov-Aid:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2020 

COV-AIDTM LAUNCHES 10+ HOUR STREAMING CHARITY EVENT 

All Proceeds to Support Americares and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Initiatives Related to Covid-19 Relief 

Featured Talent to Include Lil Jon and Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski 

Partners Include United in Gaming, Skillshot Media, Uspech Marketing, Film Quality Services, Subnation Media, Visual Weaponry, Softgiving and KontrolFreek 

ATLANTA –– COV-AID is proud to present a massive, multi-platform, one-day online charity event on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at 1pm EDT / 10am PDT. The event will feature more than 10 hours of content showcasing popular gamers, athletes, artists and other personalities streamed across top social game-streaming platforms including Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, Twitter and Facebook. All proceeds will be donated to Americares and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help the fight against COVID-19, and to support front-line medical professionals, first responders, and families most directly affected by COVID-19. 

The event will feature a mix of interactive, live-streamed competitions and performances, plus pre-recorded content from entertainers, athletes, and other personalities. Talent will include Grammy Award-winning artist Lil Jon, Super Bowl champion Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski, and many others. Additional talent will be announced. 

COV-AID is an egoless alliance of talent, distribution and nonprofit partners coming together to fight COVID-19. Event organizers and logistical partners will earn no revenue from COV-AID. All proceeds will support the event’s nonprofit beneficiaries and their work. 

“This is such an extraordinarily challenging time for people all over the world,” said United in Gaming Co-Founder Andrew Smoltz. “I am grateful to my partners for coming together for this event so we can help make a difference for Americares and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the essential workers and families they support.” 

Skillshot CEO Todd Harris added: "Everyone is at home. Everyone. Some people are feeling isolated and we figured this was a great moment for digital-native talent to step up and take the lead in bringing people together, albeit remotely, to enjoy each other's company while also addressing the urgent challenges we all face.” 

“We're especially thankful for our amazing talent, all of whom are all donating their time to participate in this event,” added Uspech Marketing Consultants Founder Jennifer Erdman. “No one involved in COV-AID is taking any fee or percentage, which allows us to ensure every penny raised goes directly to these two essential organizations at this critical time." 

Americares is providing desperately-needed personal protective equipment (PPE), training and emotional support to ensure health workers on the front lines of the pandemic can continue their lifesaving and life-changing work. 

“Americares is heartened to see such an outpouring of support to help health workers on the front lines of the pandemic,” said Americares President and CEO Christine Squires. “With support from COV-AID, we can provide even more masks, gloves, gowns and essential training to protect our health care heroes.” 

Boys & Girls Clubs of America is committed to remaining open to support the children and families of front-line medical professionals and essential workers while also providing meals and virtual learning at thousands of Clubs around the country. 

“For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs have navigated times of tragedy and crisis to provide safe places for kids and teens. Today, we are committed more than ever, to ensure Club staff, members, families and communities have the resources and support they need to navigate these uncertain times,” said Boys & Girls Clubs of America President and CEO Jim Clark. “Thank you to COV-AID and its partners for helping support our work during this critical time.” 

For more information, or to make a donation, please visit cov-aid.org. 

COV-AID was created, and is being produced by, a consortium of media and technology firms with close ties to the gaming and esports community, including: United in Gaming, Skillshot Media, Uspech Marketing, Film Quality Services, Subnation Media, Visual Weaponry, Softgiving and KontrolFreek. 

COV-AID media contact: Melissa Sanders, Tadpole Communications 404.909.6726 | melissa@tadpolecomm.net 

Patrick Wilmot + JZilla Track Days + Racing for Children’s

3/16/20

On Sunday, March 15 Patrick was given a unique opportunity to give rides at a track day event while raising money for a charity of his choice. Last year James Marcellana, owner of JZilla Track Days concocted a great idea to allow professional race car drivers to give $25 rides to spectators in his reasonably priced Mini Cooper. All of the money raised would then be donated to the charity of the driver’s choice. And if you’ve been following along with Patrick’s career at all in the past two years, obviously it was a no brainer that all of his rides would be benefiting Racing for Children’s.

With the weather looking pretty dismal in the morning and the threat of the Corona Virus outbreak, Patrick was a little worried about how many people would actually show up for the event. Another unknown was whether or not participants and spectators who didn’t know him would want to ride and donate. A few friends and family had verbally committed to being there so Patrick knew he would raise a few dollars for the charity but he set his expectations low for his first ever event with JZilla.

Much to Wilmot’s surprise and probably to James as well, people started asking for rides as soon as the track went green for the first session. And with a wet track, Patrick’s passengers were coming back to the pits grinning ear to ear. Anyone that has known Patrick for a while knows that he is no stranger to driving and racing in the rain and that he actually really enjoys the unpredictability that rain brings to a race track. So when the entire morning sessions stayed wet, he arguably gave those riders the most exciting laps of the day.

In the afternoon, a second car was brought into the mix to add a little more excitement to the day. Along with the Mini Cooper, James also owns a Mazda 3 race car that he let Patrick continue to give hot lap rides in. A full roll cage, 5 point racing harnesses, and no sound deadening immersed the passengers a little more into what it feels like to be a race car driver.

When the day was all said and done, Patrick had given 16 rides and raised $400 for the Racing for Children’s charity which far exceeded what he thought he would raise. These events will continue throughout the year with JZilla and other professional drivers giving rides and donating to their own charities of choice but there are already plans in the works to get Patrick back in the Mini Cooper to do it all again soon!

Kingpin Racing Takes Home 2 Podiums & 2nd Overall for AER Weekend

2/25/20

A last minute call on February 12th put Patrick Wilmot behind the wheel of the Kingpin Racing Mazda Miata sponsored by Gran Turismo East for the American Endurance Racing weekend at Road Atlanta. The team consisted of Patrick, Mark Cash, Jack Stanford, Kieran O’Brien, and Cody Puckett driving and Don Coble filling the role as crew chief. With an 8 hour endurance race on Saturday and a 7 hour endurance race on Sunday, the team needed to stay mistake free and take care of the little Miata to bring home some hardware.

Saturday’s race stayed mostly uneventful for the team thankfully. Everyone drove a clean race and they found themselves in the lead when the checkers flew. The feel good story for the day was crew chief Don Coble had crewed and owned this car in the past and had been waiting 8 years to see it finally take a victory.

Sunday’s race saw a little more drama when Kieren got in for his stint. He noticed the car having a strange vibration and lacking grip through the right hand corners. A lap later coming through turn 3 he watched the left front wheel detach itself from the Miata and make a hard left toward the wall while he was trying to turn right. Obviously this left Kieren and the car stranded and waiting for a tow back to pit lane. The crew assessed the situation and got the Mazda back on track but it was going to take some work to get back towards the pointy end of the field.

Wilmot got in the car for the wet restart after the mandatory two hour black flag Road Atlanta has had in place on Sunday’s for decades. Being no stranger to driving in the rain, Patrick felt at home and was clicking off times between 4 to 5 seconds a lap faster than anyone else in their class. The team decided to leave him in the car for a 2.5 hour stint which saw them leap from 3 laps down to half a lap ahead of the 4th place car, putting them right back in the hunt for a podium.

The Kingpin Racing team would finish off the day in 3rd but without any doubt they would have been hunting for another win if not for the left front wheel mishap. With their win on Saturday and a 3rd on Sunday the team would claim the 2nd place points trophy for the weekend in Class 1. Not too bad for a team’s first outing together.

Kingpin Racing plans on running most of the World Racing League and American Endurance Racing races for the 2020 season and they have seats available for rent. For drivers interested in joining a winning team, contact Patrick via email for more details.

Racing for Children’s Kart Team 2020 Test Weekend

1/6/20

The Racing for Children’s Karting team had a very busy holiday break in preparations for the upcoming SimCraft 24 Hours of Orlando. The team visited the Orlando Kart Center on December 21st and 22nd for 2 full days of track time to try and dial in their 2019 Tony Kart, prepared by DCT SpeedSport. All five drivers (Michael Gay, Nick Lefferdo, Patrick Wilmot, Andrew Pinkerton, and Erik Evans) were in attendance as well as the DCT mechanics. The team was fortunate enough to have two karts at their disposal in an effort to work on/test multiple theories and objectives while also getting drivers as much seat time as possible.

This year’s race will see a few major changes from the 2019 event. The first being a change in tire brand and compound. For the 2020 event, USAC has mandated that all teams run the Hoosier R80 compound tire as opposed to the Bridgestone tire that was used last year. The second major change that USAC has implemented on this year’s event is a removal of a minimum number of stops required by each team. With these changes, the team’s primary objectives for the test were: 1. Dial in a set-up for the race kart on the proper tire in weather conditions similar to what is to be expected during the race 2. Calculate fuel burn for all drivers.

For the first day of testing, both the team’s 2019 Tony Kart and the spare kart were equipped with the Hoosier tire for the duration of the test. The secondary kart was mainly used for getting the drivers seat time on the new tire as well as calculating fuel burn. The race kart focused solely on race and qualifying set-up. The DCT mechanics and driver Nick Lefferdo took the lead on set-up. Nick has an expansive background in kart set-up/development. With his wealth of knowledge, the team was able to dial in a set-up that is easy to drive and is expected to turn competitive times when the team returns to Orlando for race weekend.

The secondary kart allowed drivers to get acquainted with the feel of the new tire compound as well as provide a baseline for the amount of fuel burned per lap. With the removal of a minimum number of stops required by each team (a total of 18 for the 2019 race), it is possible that the 2020 event could come down to teams searching for a balance between fuel economy and performance. In addition to each team making 18 for the 2019 race, each stop had to be a minimum of 4 minutes. While USAC is removing the minimum number of pit stops rule, the minimum pit stop time will remain at 4 minutes. With lap times in the 1:05.000 to 1:10.000 range, sitting on pit lane for 4 minutes would result in a loss of 3+ laps of track position. Driver Andrew Pinkerton took the lead on measuring and calculating fuel burn rates for each driver. The team discussed the results at length during the evening of the first day and have already begun developing a fuel strategy for the race. The team will be aiming to strike a balance of running a competitive race pace while also conserving fuel. If the team can achieve this balance and eliminate a pit stop, it could be a major competitive advantage.

The second day of testing saw rain, rain, and more rain. While most may shy away from the less than ideal weather conditions, the team took the opportunity to work on set-up for rainy conditions. Endurance races run rain or shine. With 24 hours of continuous running in South Florida, chances for a rain shower at some point during the race are high. With an entire day of driving and testing devoted to rain set-up as well as getting drivers comfortable with driving in the wet, a rain shower could play into the hands of Racing for Children’s goal of winning the race.

In addition to fine tuning a baseline set-up for the race kart, calculating fuel consumption, practicing driving in wet conditions, and getting comfortable with the new compound of tire, it was also a great opportunity for the drivers to push one another on pace and lap times. With lap times recorded from every driver for every session, the delta between the fastest and slowest driver is very, very close. With less than a second separating the team’s fastest and slowest driver, this is expected to be one of Racing for Children’s strongsuits. This was evident from last year’s event as the team’s lap times were on pace for a podium result. DCT SpeedSport has done a fantastic job of diagnosing and solving the mechanical issues from a year ago. Needless to say, everyone on the Racing for Children’s team is very excited to return to Orlando and chase some hardware.

We’re just under 4 weeks away from the green flag for the second annual SimCraft 24 Hours of Orlando! The next team update will provide detailed information for the on-track schedule for race weekend, links to app that will have live timing and scoring as well as live stream broadcasting the race, and our social media handles so you can stay up to date with the team during the race weekend. Racing for Children’s will have at least one on-board camera (possibly two) that will be broadcasting the race live in its entirety. So be sure to stay tuned for those exciting details coming soon!

Lastly, a big THANK YOU to all of our donors and partners. We couldn’t do this event without your support and willingness to donate to our cause: the fight to end childhood cancer. For more information on Racing for Children’s and how to donate, be sure to check out our website: https://racingforchildrens.org/ There are multiple ways for you to make a donation of any amount straight to our website. All donations are 100% tax deductible. Thank you again and we look forward to sending you more updates soon!

Official Team Press Release

12/29/19

As of August 1st, 2019, the Racing for Children’s Karting Team has officially registered for the 2nd Annual Simcraft 24 Hours of Orlando! Racing for Children’s will be competing in the Pro Category again this year and will be fighting for the overall win. The 2019 race was a bitter/sweet experience for the team. After analyzing the lap time data, the team was on pace to fight for a podium result. A broken frame and a snapped throttle cable resulted in the team spending a little over 2 hours behind the wall to make repairs, resulting in an 11th overall finishing position. Despite the disappointing on-track result, the real win came from the team’s fundraising efforts. In just its first year of the karting program, Racing for Children’s raised over $3,000 for the Children’s of Alabama Hospital. With the 2019 event in the rear view mirror and the 2020 race just 2 months away, the team is aiming to raise more money than was raised in 2019 while also returning home with some hardware!

Racing for Children’s will be returning to the 2nd Annual Simcraft 24 Hours of Orlando with the same driver lineup from 2019 plus one additional driver. This year’s driver lineup will include Michael Gay, Nick Lefferdo, Patrick Wilmot, Andrew Pinkerton, and Erik Evans. Erik is the newest, and a very welcomed addition to the team. With five drivers instead of four, the drivers will be able to get more rest in between driving stints. More well rested drivers will result in better performance behind the wheel.

Along with the drivers, Racing for Children’s will also be returning with its technical partner, DCT SpeedSport. In addition to providing a brand new piece of equipment for the race, DCT will be bringing additional mechanics and tuners to assist with set-up changes and pit stops. DCT did a fantastic job last year providing a competitive piece of equipment last year and the team is excited to be partnered with them again this year. Lastly, Racing for Children’s will be joined by social media guru, Ren Henry. Ren did an amazing job last year running the team’s live stream link throughout the event as well as capturing and posting content on social media. Ren will be working on the team’s live stream again this year so all of the team’s fans and donors can tune into the race. In addition to race coverage and social media interaction, Ren will be assisting with on-site operations throughout the race weekend. Racing for Children’s is headed to the Orlando Kart Center December 21-22 for a full weekend of testing. The team will work on dialing in a good set-up for the race, getting drivers plenty of seat time and practice, as well as walking through a race strategy. Be sure to stay tuned for updates from the pre-Holiday test! Thank you again to all of our partners and donors! We could not compete in this event without your support and we’re so very thankful for your willingness to contribute to our mission: raising money and awareness for pediatric cancer.

Wilmot Joins Racing for Children’s for 2nd SimCraft 24 Hours of Orlando

12/3/19

For the second year in a row, Patrick Wilmot will share a kart with the Racing for Children’s team in the SimCraft 24 Hours of Orlando. The team lineup will see a change for 2020 as Erik Evans will now join Patrick Wilmot, Nick Lefferdo, Michael Gay, and Andrew Pinkerton on the roster. The addition of the young Erik Evans will undoubtedly enhance the teams chances of a win given his extensive karting background in the L0206 and TaG classes.

Just like in the 2019 race, the Racing for Children’s team will have a live race feed from on-board their kart so you can ride along with the drivers at any point during the 24 hour event. Last year saw the team take the lead just a few hours into the race and with some unfortunate mechanical failures end up in 11th place at the finish after fighting back up from deep in the field.

The team will again be driving under the banner of Racing for Children’s and raising donations and awareness for Children’s Healthcare of Alabama. Children’s is a not for profit hospital specializing in pediatric medical care and is also the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders; treating 90% of all Alabama children diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders. In 2019 the team raised $3,380 for the charity and they look to surpass that number for the 2020 race.

Here are a few different ways for you to donate, but keep in mind any amount is acceptable:

1. Purchase of a child's hand print to be displayed on our kart for the race -- $100 donation

2. Purchase of a dinner ticket to our auction dinner held at Barber Motorsports Park on Friday, April 3rd, 2020. -- $125 (Note* The kart that our team will race for the duration of the 24 hour event will be on display at this dinner!)

3. Purchase of a race team table at our auction dinner held at Barber Motorsports Park on Friday, April 3rd, 2020. -- $2,000

All of these options can be found on the Racing for Children’s website: https://racingforchildrens.org/

When you send a donation don’t forget to contact Patrick and let him know. You can send him an email at: wilmotracing@gmail.com

Wilmot Wins at AMP for Second Month in a Row

9/27/19

Former Nascar and IncyCar driver Anthony Lazzaro joins the field but isn’t enough to stop Patrick Wilmot

For the second consecutive month, the Downforce class started in reverse order of their qualifying times which, along with the inclusion of former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Anthony Lazzaro, made for some very exciting racing Sunday afternoon at Atlanta Motorsports Park.

August race day winner Patrick Wilmot captured the fastest qualifying time for both races followed by Lazzaro in each instance. In Race 1, Wilmot came from the back of the pack to win with Lazzaro right behind him to finish in the runner-up position.

Race 2 went a little off script when Wilmot spun Paul Parker in Turn 6 on Lap 3. This stalled Parker’s car resulting in three caution laps as the AMP crew needed to tow his SR1 Radical off the track.

This incident was preceded by a lot of movement on the track starting with John Pearson making a move on the inside of Turn 1 to go from third to first just seconds after the green flag waved to start the race.

The biggest mover of the opening lap was Wilmot starting from dead last in seventh place and making his way all the way up to second after just one lap following a bold move on the back half of the track.

Two make the race fun and interesting, Wilmot dropped back to the back of the field on lap 2 to try and work back up to first. By the time the caution came out on Lap 3, Wilmot had made his way back up to fourth place to conclude a very eventful three laps for the driver.

Other track action saw Michael Gatto make some textbook passes on various sections of the track. After starting fourth, Gatto made his way up to third before sizing up John Intile in the carousel on Lap 2, using the draft to get around and into second place. On Lap 3, shortly before the caution, Gatto dove on the inside of race-leader Pearson down into Turn 11 for a picture-perfect clean pass into first place.

The running order following the caution was Gatto, Pearson, Intile, Wilmot, Kevin Clifford and Lazzaro. Gatto got off to a fantastic restart to continue a great day of racing for the driver. Pearson, perhaps trying to keep up with Gatto, took his car too deep into Turn 1 and into the dirt forcing him to reluctantly watch the entire field pass him.

With the caution shortening the race, there were only two laps remaining after the restart on Lap 7 causing the drivers to frantically fight for positions. No one was able to catch Gatto, however, as he hit all his marks keeping the field behind him to take the win in Race 2. Wilmot made a strong push in the final laps to finish in second place followed by Intile with Lazzaro passing Clifford at the line to finish fourth. Pearson was never able to recover from his mistake on the restart and finished sixth.

After a win and runner-up finish, Wilmot captured his second-straight race day win. After having to retire early in Race 1, Gatto’s impressive win in Race 2 was enough to place him on the second step of the podium followed by Lazzaro, whose accomplishments also include a start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in third place.

Patrick Wilmot to Join Split Decision Racing

5/2/19

Patrick Wilmot will be returning to the driver seat of the Split Decision Racing BMW M3 at Daytona International Speedway on May 11. The last time this team raced together at Daytona, the M3 developed an engine issue while running second overall. This time the team is looking for revenge and an overall victory in the World Racing League 14 hour race.

In 2017 Patrick joined Split Decision at Road Atlanta where they finished second overall in the grueling 2 day endurance event. This car has always been a front runner and the team should have a good chance at a victory in the WRL Concorso Daytona race.

Make sure you are following Patrick on all social media outlets and look for updates throughout the weekend.

Patrick Wilmot to Coach Friends at The Mitty

4/23/19

It’s been four years since Patrick’s dominating outing at the largest vintage festival in the South and he’s looking forward to returning for 2019. This time though, he won’t be behind the wheel but behind the computer screen helping good friends Noel Fournier and Chris Sloan find their first win at the famed vintage event.

Noel and Chris both found success with Patrick’s mentoring back in 2016 during the Savannah Speed Classic at Hutchinson Island bringing home podium finishes in their class. The boys will be back behind the wheel of the #122 MGB fighting against stiff competition in Group 2.

Wrenching for the team this time around will be long time mechanic and friend Neil Estes, who owns and operates Neil’s Restorations out of Decatur, Ga. Neil’s shop specializes in MG products so the team will be in good hands if any troubles should arise.

“Although I’m not driving, I still can’t wait to be back at The Mitty once again. This race is one of the coolest events every year and I’m looking forward to helping Noel and Chris find success again.” - Wilmot

Children’s Healthcare of Alabama Karting Team Pre-Race Test

2/27/19

On Monday February 18th, the Racing for Children’s karting team had its very first on-track test in preparation for the upcoming SimCraft 24 Hours of Orlando sanctioned by USAC.

The venue of choice for the first team test was the Lamar County Speedway in Barnesville, GA. The track is the home of the Georgia Sprint Kart Association (GSKA) and was a great venue for the team’s first outing. The track is short in length, bumpy, and technical. The short track length allowed our drivers to turn several laps in a short period of time. The repetitive nature of turning lap after lap is great for building muscle memory for the drivers, similar to the golfer who spends hours on the range hitting hundreds of balls in an effort for his swing to become second nature. The bumpy track surfaces provided a great opportunity to test the reliability of the kart as well as the endurance of the driver. With 24 straight hours of racing, both man and machine will be pushed to the limits. Finally, the technicality of the circuit provided the perfect proving ground for honing in our drivers abilities and skill sets. The OTK chassis that we are running (an FA Kart) requires a very specific driving style in order to extract the maximum performance from the kart. With a technical circuit to navigate, our drivers have the opportunity to practice those subtle, yet crucial inputs on both the steering wheel and the pedals.

The team arrived at the speedway at 10am local time and began unloading for the day. With the rain soaking weather that has been plaguing the south all winter long, the track was damp and very, very green. In racing, when a track’s condition is referred to as ‘green’ that simply means that the track has very little grip. This is typically the case after periods of rain. When it rains, the rubber that has been embedded into the track surface from karts circulating gets washed away. The lack of rubber reduces grip levels.

With an open track for the entire day, the team had plenty to work on to get prepared for the upcoming race. The main objectives for the day included:

1. Seat Time for Drivers – Driver Assessment

2. Fuel runs

3. Driver coaching

4. Reliability testing – Man and Machine

5. Brainstorming race strategy

Below is a detailed description of what the team did to complete those objectives:

-Seat Time-

This was arguably the most crucial part of our first test. While all of our drivers have karting backgrounds, not everyone on the team regularly races in karts. And despite everyone on the team having plenty of behind the wheel talent, it still takes some time to get re-adjusted and reacquainted with a different driving style. The track was open all day and our team was the only team in attendance. In addition to the DCT prepped kart that the team will be racing for the 24, we also had access to another kart for driver training purposes. The availability of a 2nd kart turned out to be a fantastic asset as 2 of our 4 drivers were able to be on track circulating at any given time. As a result, all 4 drivers were able to log over 100 laps each! Quite a long day of driving for all.

After a full day of testing and recording lap times, one thing became very clear at the end of our test. There is no shortage of pace in our driver lineup. With only 2-3 tenths of a second separating our fastest and slowest driver, we’re sure to have one of the strongest all around driver lineups in the race.

-Fuel Runs-

Determining fuel burn is a vital part to developing strategy for any endurance race. As a result, another crucial objective of this test was to try and determine just how long the team could go on a tank of fuel. While having pace on track is always a good thing, a team that can best manage fuel consumption can often times make up for a lack of pace. While there certainly won’t be a lack of pace from any of our drivers, optimizing our fuel strategy is a key component to winning this race. Just a few seconds here and there or a simple calculation could be the difference between winning the race and running out of fuel resulting in a DNF (Did Not Finish).

To better paint the picture of the importance of understanding fuel burn, let’s think of it this way. Over the course of 24 hours, if a team were to get just one more lap out of every tank of fuel, it could eliminate one pit stop for that team. Per the rules set by USAC, the minimum pit stop length for this race is 4 minutes. On the track that we will be racing, the Orlando Kart Center, a kart can turn somewhere between 3-4 laps in the course of 4 minutes. At a track length of 0.8 tenths of a mile, 3 laps is 2.4 miles. So if a team can figure out a way to run a competitive pace while also eliminating a pit stop, this could provide a 3-4 lap advantage, literally putting them 2.4 miles further down the road. Our data from yesterday has provided us a good starting point for calculating our fuel strategy. We still have a few questions to be answered by the race organizers but we’re working hard at finding that solution.

-Driver Coaching-

One of the most exciting parts of our first team test was the opportunity for our drivers to work together and share information in an effort for everyone to become faster. In motorsport, drivers often times do not share information with other drivers. The reason? If a driver finds a speed secret during testing or racing, then keeping that information from other drivers could provide them with a competitive advantage. In endurance racing with multiple drivers, open communication between drivers is essential for success. By sharing information and working together on ways to fine-tune the driving style, everyone becomes better.

For our first track outing, it was great to see the level of cooperation and willingness to help and learn among our driver lineup. While one or two drivers were out on track, the team members not on track were watching from various vantage points critiquing every aspect of their performance. While it might seem harsh, this type of environment allows all of our drivers to learn something new and apply it immediately. With an open track, drivers would run a session, come and receive feedback from teammates, and take their newfound knowledge and go back out for another session. It was the perfect environment for learning and improvement. As a result, our drivers were able to quickly and easily adapt to the driving style required by the OTK chassis and do so in a consistent manner.

-Reliability Testing-

The Lamar County Speedway while great for its open track availability, does not have the newest of racing surfaces. This old storied kart track has a bumpy, character filled surface, providing the perfect proving ground for man and machine. With this in mind, it is the perfect place to test the reliability of both the equipment and the driver.

With 24 hours of continuous running, I’m sure you can imagine the stresses and strains a race kart must endure. With no suspension on these machines to help soften the ride, they tend to be vibration monsters. On tracks that have rough curbing or driving surfaces (like Lamar County Speedway), running a kart for hours on end can literally shake them to pieces. To make it to the finish, it’s crucial to prepare a piece of equipment that is fast but can also handle the punishment of running for 24 straight hours. Thanks to our technical partner, DCT Speedsport, they have provided just that! Our drivers completed a combined 500 laps during our first test and the kart had zero issues.  Not only did we leave the track impressed with the speed of our equipment, but we also left very impressed with the reliability.

While a 24 hour race is certainly a huge test for the machine, it’s equally demanding for the drivers as well. Over the course of the SimCraft 24 we’re anticipating running around 1,000 laps. With 4 drivers on our team, each driver will have to complete around 250 race laps. The repetitive g-load that these karts produce from running that many laps takes a massive physical toll on the body. It puts an incredible amount of stress on the neck, shoulders, forearms, legs, back muscles, and hands.

In addition to the driving, our drivers will be responsible for calling race strategy on the fly, communicating to the driver on track, conducting pit stops, and maybe sneaking a ‘z’ or two in here and there. When exhaustion sets in, little mistakes are easy to make. It will certainly be a challenge for us all to continue preparing both mentally and physically for the race.

-Brainstorming Race Strategy-

With hundreds of laps turned and lots of data gathered, the team had an opportunity to begin discussing race strategy. Race strategy for an endurance race is crucial and our team is already dissecting details on how to develop the best strategy. Variables that we will trying to calculate include things like: anticipated lap time based off of track conditions, anticipated strategy of competitors, fuel burn, driver order, and oil change stops These are just a few of the variables that we will be taking into consideration when developing the best possible strategy to get to the finish line first!

-Upcoming Events-

The team will be conducting our final pre-race test on Sunday March 24th at Atlanta Motorsports Park. With the majority of the driver training behind us, the team is now focusing our efforts on practicing pit stops, fine tuning the kart set-up, finalizing strategy, and finalizing travel and lodging plans for the race. If you’re in the Atlanta area on March 24th we’d love for you to come out to the track and say hello! Thanks for reading our post-test report. We look forward to providing more test and race reports in the coming weeks!

Patrick Wilmot to Make IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge Debut at Petit Le Mans

9/13/2018

Wilmot signs on with Rumcastle Racing to race VW GTI TCR

Atlanta, Ga. (11 September 2018) – A life long goal has finally come true as Patrick Wilmot will make his professional racing debut in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge driving for Rumcastle Racing as he contests in the highly competitive TCR class during the annual Motul Petit Le Mans race weekend.

Wilmot will compete alongside long-time friend and current World Challenge competitor, Mark “Brummonator” Brummond on board a VW GTI TCR.

A goal for seven years has finally come to fruition as Wilmot will make his debut at IMSA’s Petit Le Mans race weekend for the two hour Fox Factory 120. An Atlanta, Georgia native, Wilmot’s dreams of competing at the famed Road Atlanta event was something that he has worked towards since leaving college in 2011. Finding success throughout SCCA and Global Mazda MX-5 Cup competition, Wilmot has been eager to take his career to the next level.

Working several years to gather funding for the Petit Le Mans event weekend was a challenge, but with the support of his family and friends, Wilmot will now see his dream come true. Wilmot will partner with Gran Turismo East, Racer Ink, and Discovery Parts for the race weekend and is hoping to lock in other partners in the coming weeks.

“Growing up in the Atlanta area I was attending races at Road Atlanta since I was an infant,” said Wilmot. “I first went to Petit in 2008 as a spectator and I immediately knew that it was a race that I had to compete in myself.”

It was a multi-year process to get the deal together, but the homecoming event will bring several Atlanta based sponsors and teams together for an exciting debut event.

“It’s exciting to get to drive with Mark (Brummond), who has been a friend of mine for some time,” said Wilmot. “The weekend will be a big one for not only me but for my family. They have supported me since the start. My dad and Uncle Don have worked with me since I started racing in SCCA and my mom has always been supportive of this career path. To be able to finally get out on track for my first pro start in IMSA, it will be a great weekend.”

With just under a month until the race weekend, Wilmot plans to continue the final preparations and hopes to lock in additional partners to race alongside him in the VW GTI machine.

“I’ve known Kieran O’Brien, the owner of Gran Turismo East since I was a baby, so to have his support during the race weekend is awesome,” mentioned Wilmot. “I am still open to finding some additional sponsors for the race weekend, so there are still opportunities for that to happen. I can’t wait to get out there and get to compete and hopefully have a solid result.”

The Motul Petit Le Mans race weekend will get underway on October 10th-13th with live race coverage of the Fox Factory 120 on Friday, October 12th on IMSA.tv.

Patrick Wilmot & Menace Motorsports 

2/25/2018

New for the 2018 season, Patrick will join a new race team based out of Charlotte, NC called Menace Motorsports. The team is operated and managed by Mark Brummond who has brought Patrick on board to offer professional coaching for his team's clients. The team will offer seats for rent at many of the World Racing League (WRL) and American Endurance Racing (AER) races all over the country this season and the professional coaching will come as an addition to the seat rental.

Now drivers can not only drive a beautiful 996 Porsche race car at some of the best tracks in the country but they can also learn how to drive it properly at these tracks. Patrick will be available at all WRL and AER races Menace Motorsports will go to giving feedback via video and data sessions. 

Here is the schedule of races Menace Motorsports will offer seats for in 2018. Contact Patrick for details on renting a seat this season.

April 20-22: AER @ Watkins Glen

May 5-6: WRL @ Road America

June 9: WRL @ Daytona

July 6-8: AER @ NCM

July 14-15: WRL @ Road Atlanta

August 18-19: WRL @ Barber

2017 Mazda Move of the Year Award

Every season the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup awards one driver for the best over taking maneuver of the year. Multiple drivers sent in their on-boards videos of what they thought was their best move of the season. The race director and stewards sit down and watch all the submitted videos and eventually determine the final three they believe are the best. Then it's up to the fans. 

Mazda posted the final three videos on social media and let the fans decide who had the best move of the year. After 30,000 views the fans chose Patrick Wilmot's move from Indianapolis when he passed 3 cars at once in the rain into turn 1. 

Mechanical Failures Snatch Away Podium Finish at Indy

"The Mazda Global MX-5 Cup Series was at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for rounds three and four over the weekend, so I was there coaching Racing Analytics drivers Ashton Harrison and Pat Wilmot.

The event started with a two-session test day, allowing the Global MX-5 Cup drivers to get some seat time on the famous circuit. Although Ashton and Pat were excited to be on that iconic track, we certainly had potential left for getting the cars dialed in to be more competitive. We sorted out the setup, and we continued to make progress into the official practice sessions. Pat and Ashton got dialed in, too, as they learned where there were opportunities to improve their driving around the circuit. We found ourselves moving up the field in every session to get both cars inside the top 15 during qualifying. 

The first race had plenty of excitement. The two lead cars pulled a gap from the field, while the rest of the front pack was racing hard for the entire 45 minutes, which was green from flag to flag. Pat was mixing it up with that lead pack inside the top ten, and he had a great run. Ashton was off to a great start, improving her position by several spots, but she got in an unlucky situation and was shuffled back, outside the top 20. She persevered, stayed focused, and came back to finish 16th.

Unfortunately, in the closing minutes, Pat had an engine problem that sidelined him and kept him from getting a top-ten finish. Neither driver was pleased with the results, but their driving performance was certainly commendable. Luckily, there was a second race the next day. With a fresh engine in Pat’s car thanks to the handiwork of the Racing Analytics crew, he was ready for race two.

Just 30 minutes prior to the race, a rainstorm came through and soaked the track. There were a lot of puddles and standing water, which deemed it a rain race even though it wasn’t actually raining at the start.

As the green flag flew, both drivers again made steady progress forward. They had another exciting race, using great racecraft skills to move up through the field. With 10 minutes left, Pat was third and Ashton was 12th. I think I’d rather have been driving because of the anxiety I was feeling just being on the radio, looking forward to their best finishes in the series! I don’t even get that nervous when I’m the one in the car!

With just minutes remaining, though, Pat had an electrical gremlin from the earlier engine problem, and he had to retire. With two laps left, Ashton was drafting down the front straight, and minor contact with another car into turn one caused suspension damage, which sidelined her while running 11th. It’s the first series race she hasn’t finished, including all of last season.

Although the results were very disappointing after having such strong efforts, the good news is that the team doesn’t have to wait too long to try again, since rounds five and six of the Battery Tender Mazda Global MX-5 Cup Series is at Road America this coming weekend with IndyCar. We’re hoping to take all of that momentum and incredible racecraft and turn it into the deserving results that they should have had at Indy." - GB Racing/Racing Analytics Coach, Tom Long

Patrick Wilmot & TracksUnlimited Private Coaching Opportunity

On March 10-11, TracksUnlimited will be hosting a two day HPDE at Barber Motorsports Park and for the first time, Patrick Wilmot will be joining forces with them to offer private coaching opportunities to all participants! Along with coaching at BMP for the Porsche Sport Driving School and Mercedes-Benz AMG since 2014, this track is also where Patrick made his debut in the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup; scoring the Battery Tender Hard Charger Award for his drive from 22nd on the grid to 8th.

Almost every race series in the U.S. visits this track at some point during 2018 so along with coaching, Patrick is also offering data laps in your race car. Take these laps and overlay them with your own to see where you can improve on track and hopefully bring home some hardware later in the season. But wait, there's more! For $200 TracksUnlimited is offering an extra hour of track time to those with race, TT, and advanced DE cars. To ensure that these sessions run smoothly and allow for setup testing and data gathering, spots are limited and participants and their cars must be approved by TracksUnlimited. 

Contact me via email (wilmotracing@gmail.com) or phone (404-731-8895) for details on receiving private coaching and/or data laps and visit www.tracksunlimited.net for HPDE pricing and details.

More Woes in Toronto

"MX-5 Cup was the first session on track Friday morning, so those cars acted like street sweepers. Even though the track was clean, there was road car oil and the typical conditions city roads present. By comparison, after racecars had been on the circuit for a few hours, the surface got scrubbed clean and then the tires laid down a layer of rubber.

Ashton and Pat embraced and enjoyed the opportunity to race on a street circuit, but they also realized there was a lot to learn, including getting used to the car moving around so much because of the surface transitions from concrete to asphalt, painted lines, and other factors that change grip levels. In addition, getting comfortable utilizing every inch of the road is difficult when it’s not exit curbing but a concrete wall that greets you!

Through a busy first day of two practice sessions and qualifying, coming up to speed was the name of the game. Obviously, having the proper setup is really critical, but it was hard to focus on the car handling while also adapting to the track. By the end of the weekend, both Pat and Ashton found the subtleties needed in the setup as they got more comfortable with the circuit.

During the first race Pat had a great run going, just outside the top five, but an unfortunate brush with the wall messed up the alignment and ended his day. Meanwhile, Ashton was able to hold on for a close finish that saw her just outside the top 10.

For race two, there was a lot of excitement with cars going every which way at the start. Ashton and Pat were able to avoid all of the mayhem. They met their goals of finishing inside the top ten, but the results didn’t really showcase their potential." - GB Racing/Racing Analytics Coach, Tom Long

Patrick Wilmot Shows Strong Pace in Barber Debut

The opening rounds of the 2017 Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich kicked off this weekend at the scenic Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. 30 drivers qualified for race 1 on Friday morning, setting the grid for Saturday's races. Wilmot and teammate, Ashton Harrison, had trouble in qualifying which led to them starting 18th and 22nd for both races. 

In Race 1 Patrick managed to work up from 22nd to an 8th place finish picking off 14 cars in 13 green flag laps earning himself the Hard Charger award. Ashton Harrison charged ahead from 18th to a 14th place finish for her highest finishing position in the series. 

Both drivers started in the same positions for Race 2 and after 23 laps of racing they finished 12th and 13th just outside the top 10. With these two finishes Ashton sits 10th in points and Patrick is 7th. 

After a month and a half break, the GB Racing team will head to Indianapolis for rounds 3 and 4 in mid-June. 

GB Racing Drivers Run in the Top 10 at Official Barber Test

"Birmingham, AL (5 March 2017) - The 2017 Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires season got off to a productive start as the INDYCAR-sanctioned series staged two days of Spring Training testing at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend. 

Over 50 car and driver combinations took to the 2.38-mile circuit behind the wheel of the Global MX-5 Cup machine to make the most of the significant running time on offer, which generated over 3,300 completed laps of testing through the two-day test. 

The drivers will hope to apply the lessons learned into quick lap times when the Global MX-5 Cup returns to the picturesque Alabama circuit on April 21-23 to stage a double-header race weekend as part of the Verizon IndyCar event.

Every driver competing in the series utilizes the same Global MX-5 Cup machine that was built to a homologated spec by Long Road Racing.  With a uniformly-sourced car, the drivers’ efforts are the difference maker and the time sheets once again reflected that, with a different driver ending up atop the session in each of the five practice sessions. 

Justin Piscitell, Tim Barber, Nikko Reger,  Patrick Wilmot, Nathan Sparks and Mark Drennan each closed out a session atop the timesheet, with Reger’s 1:40.0932-seconds flyer setting the benchmark for the weekend." - Global Mazda MX-5 Series News

Patrick Wilmot Joins GB Racing for 2017 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup

"GB Racing and Racing Analytics are proud to announce our 2017 driver lineup. Continuing to build on her momentum from 2016, Ashton Harrison will be returning in the 03 Mazda MX-5 Cup car. Joining us for his first season with the series is Patrick Wilmot, piloting the 06 Mazda MX-5 Cup Car.

2017 is going to be a big year for the team as both drivers have logged hundreds of laps as well as spent many hours in the virtual simulators. Working as a team and building on each others strengths, you can expect to see both drivers at the front of the field in April at Barber Motorsports Park, and continually throughout the rest of the season." - GB Racing/Racing Analytics PR, Justin Hunt