Canadian Based Infinity Autosport to Join IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grid in 2022
FIELDING A TOYOTA SUPRA GT-4 FOR SHEENA MONK AND CANADIAN KYLE MARCELLI
With the 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season set to begin later this month, Infinity Autosport announced today its intention to join the Grand Sport (GS) class for the full 10-race schedule.
Infinity Autosport’s campaign will be led by Team Principal Carl Hermez and other familiar faces carrying over the successes from years past. Adjacent to his IMSA program, Hermez remains managing director of Motorsports In Action which will take 2022 to center efforts on the continued development of various in-house projects and special OEM programs.
The newly branded, Canadian-based team will field a Toyota Supra GT4 – a racecar that made its own debut last season in the series – with JG Wentworth as the primary sponsor and Pilot Challenge stars Sheena Monk and Kyle Marcelli as the full-season drivers. The pair connected last season in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America paddock, as Monk and Marcelli previously ran with Wayne Taylor Racing albeit in different years.
Monk’s impressive stint in Super Trofeo catapulted her into Pilot Challenge two years ago. She scored her first series victory at Road America in 2020 – being the first female to win overall since 2015 – and finished sixth in the 2021 championship standings after earning top-10 finishes in eight races.
“I’m incredibly excited to return to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for 2022 with the continued support of JG Wentworth,” said Monk. “The rate at which I have been able to learn and develop in the previous two seasons is a testament to the series’s performance level, and I’m enthusiastic about continuing my progress.
“It takes so many factors to win, especially with such a large field, and I often view being a championship contender as a reflection of putting together the best puzzle pieces. Even then, there are no guarantees, but this season’s “pieces” are shaping up to be the strongest I’ve ever been privileged to work with.”
“I’m grateful to be returning to the newly rebranded Infinity Autosport. Their hunger for success means they’re constantly improving, and it’s hard not to be inspired by that. Staying with the same people who have helped me grow in recent years is just the right amount of consistency to complete our championship-contending puzzle.”
Marcelli’s own GT résumé is a standout as the 2020 Pilot Challenge GS class champion and the 2019 GT World Challenge America Pro-Am class champion. Additionally, the Canadian has scored multiple victories in the top-tier IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship while competing in another Toyota Racing Development program featuring the Lexus RC F GT3.
“The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is arguably the best and most competitive GT4 championship in the world,” Marcelli added. “I love the door-to-door, bumper-to-bumper racing in this series. It’s not easy to win races and on any given race day, there are 10 plus cars that are capable of winning. More than ever, race-to-race consistency in results is the key to winning this championship.”
“Sheena has not only gained the utmost respect of everyone on the team, but also the respect of her peers on track and for good reason,” said Hermez, who has worked with Monk since her debut season in Pilot Challenge. “We are very happy to welcome fellow Canadian Kyle Marcelli to the team, his reputation precedes him and needs no introduction. His attention to detail, work ethic and professionalism were evident during our first engineering meeting. I’m convinced he will fit perfectly in our data-driven program and will immediately be an asset.”
Hermez also credited Toyota Gazoo Racing North America, calling the Supra GT4 “impressive.”
“It was immediately evident that this is a very smart and well thought out package. The welcome and support we’ve received from everyone at Toyota has been exemplary and I look forward to working with them and the Supra this season and in the future.”
“Our new JG Wentworth Toyota Gazoo Racing Supra GT4 is a game-changing factor for the success of this program,” Monk added. “The Supra’s agility and stopping power are tools that will prove to be invaluable, and I’m eager to spend time behind the wheel of this incredibly fine-tuned machine.”
The 2022 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season begins on Friday, January 28, with the BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. The green flag is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET and the four-hour race can be streamed live in its entirety on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
Infinity Autosport Press Release
Main Image: Infinity Autosport
