Thompson Not Counting WRT Out of LMGT3 Title Race

Photo: Andrea Lorenzina/DPPI

Parker Thompson says he’s not counted himself, Anthony McIntosh and Dan Harper out of the LMGT3 title race following their “bounce back” in the most recent FIA World Endurance Championship round in Sao Paulo.

The trio in the No. 69 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, who scored class victory in the season-opening 6 Hours of Imola, failed to score points in both Spa and the double points-paying 24 Hours of Le Mans, the latter due to gearbox failure, although finished runner-up at Interlagos.

It has kept their title hopes alive entering this weekend’s Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of The Americas, where they trail championship leader Jonny Edgar by 33 points.

With a maximum of 104 points still up for grabs, when factoring in the final two rounds of the season, which are now six-hour contests at Barcelona and Monza, Thompson said he hasn’t conceded to the No. 33 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R crew just yet.

“It’s funny,” Thompson told Sportscar365. “I think if you asked everybody on the No. 69 crew after Le Mans, we’d all say we were out of the championship.

“But it’s pretty crazy how things can bounce back.

“Honestly, a second place in Sao Paulo and a couple of bad finishes for the main championship rivals… We’re in third and we’re really not that far away.

“I’ve got high hopes. No matter what, we’re just going to go and try and win the last couple of races and have the points speak for themselves when it’s all finished up.”

The Lone Star Le Mans event will mark both Thompson and FIA Bronze-rated driver McIntosh’s home race, even if Thompson, a former Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion, hails from Canada.

“No. 1 it’s nice to basically be in the same timezone,” he said. “I’ve called North Carolina, and now Florida, home for the last part of four/five years.

“I’ve lived in Indianapolis when I did my Road to Indy career and then sports car career was mostly in North Carolina, and now Florida.

“I’ve loved my time in the U.S. and it’s pretty cool to cap it off with our home race.

“COTA is always incredible. They do an awesome job of bringing in everything.

“Tony is full American; we’ve got one American flag on the car; that’s got to be a couple of tenths. Beyond that, it’s just nice to be in a country I love, speaking some English and get to enjoy some good BBQ.”

Thompson: “Some of the Best Liveries Still to Come”

One of the most unique elements of McIntosh’s first full WEC season has been the Wisconsin native’s decision to have a different livery on the No. 69 entry in each race, with most honoring BMW’s history in motorsport.

This weekend, the car pays homage to Levi’s BMW E9 3.0 CSL that was made famous in the 1970s in Europe.

“It’s been incredible having the different liveries every race,” said Thompson. “I don’t think anybody else has done that.

“The amount of suits I have to hang up after this year, literally I have a whole wall!

“I’m biased, but my favorite was the Tic-Tac livery at the start of the year for Imola. That was incredible.

“It set the bar high, not just on the historic front but also on a very good looking livery.

“I’m excited for the rest of the year. I think some of the best liveries are still to come.”

John Dagys

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