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Monterey CTSC Weekend Notebook

Sportscar365’s Continental Tire Challenge notebook from Monterey…

Photo: Action Sports Photography

Photo: Action Sports Photography

***The debut of JDC-Miller Motorsports’ BMW 228i in today’s Continental Monterey Grand Prix is still up in the air, as the car has not turned a single lap this weekend due to electrical issues. The ST class machine has been at Dinan Engineering in Morgan Hill, Calif. since Thursday undergoing diagnostic work and was due to arrive at the track this morning.

***Both Stephen Simpson and Michael Johnson — the paralyzed open-wheel driver making his sports car racing debut — have been cleared to race, despite not getting any laps this weekend in the series. Per IMSA rules, the car would need to clear tech and its safety inspections in order to take part in this afternoon’s two-hour and 30-minute race.

***Cameron Lawrence is making his second consecutive start with the HART squad, this time filling in for Michael Valiante in the No. 93 Honda Civic Si. The Canadian ace is still recovering from a concussion sustained in last-lap accident in last month’s round at Sebring. It will mark Lawrence’s first start at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

***Danny Burkett’s pole for CJ Wilson Racing was the team’s sixth in series competition, after five previous top qualifying runs for the team in the ST class.

***CJ Wilson is attending today’s race, his first since the season-opener at Daytona in January. The L.A. Angels pitcher has been on the disabled list since the start of the MLB season due to an injury but is hopeful of returning to the mound in mid-June.

***Justin Piscitell is filling in for Brent Mosing in the No. 65 Murillo Racing BMW 328i this weekend, due to an injury for Mosing, which also sidelined him from Mazda MX-5 Cup action. Cavan O’Keefe has replaced Piscitell in his regular ride at Alara Racing as a result.

***One year after his emotional ST class win, retired USMC Staff Sergeant Liam Dwyer will have the support of Mike Marmolejo, Dwyer’s physical therapist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, who is attending today’s race. Marmolejo helped Dwyer recover after he was told he would never walk – or drive a stick-shift – again.

***GS championship leader Billy Johnson returns to Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge competition after making his FIA World Endurance Championship debut with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing at Silverstone. Johnson is due to also take part in next weekend’s Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the No. 66 Ford GT.

***CJ Wilson Racing has announced a Cayman Cup for Forza Motorsport 6. The ten-race virtual series for the 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS is presented by Logitech G and runs in partnership with The Online Racing Association (TORA).

***Spencer Pumpelly, Robin Liddell and Stephen Simpson are scheduled to race in both the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races this weekend, with Corey Lewis set to pull triple-duty by also adding in the two Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America races.

***Today’s Continental Tire Challenge will be streamed on IMSA.tv with IMSA Radio providing commentary, beginning at 4:25 p.m. ET. The race will be televised May 8 at 8 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

Josh Farmer contributed to this report

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John

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