BHA Expands to IMSA With New Hyundai Veloster N TCR

Photo: Brian Cleary/BCPix.com

Bryan Herta Autosport will make the move to IMSA competition next year, confirming Friday a two-car program in Michelin Pilot Challenge with the new Hyundai Veloster N TCR.

Both the team and Korean manufacturer will make its IMSA debuts after securing the TCR team and manufacturer championships in Pirelli World Challenge this year.

While the PWC titles came with the i30 N TCR, BHA will campaign Hyundai Motorsport’s new-for-2019 Veloster N model, which largely retains the core components of the previous car, including the 350-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.

Both cars will be fully homologated for TCR competition worldwide, including Michelin Pilot Challenge and SRO’s TC America series.

Drivers for BHA’s IMSA program have yet to be announced.

“Chapter Two is going to be exciting,” Bryan Herta said. “We learned so much by racing and winning with the i30 N TCR last season.

“We know just how excellent the platform is in hard competition.

“The Veloster N TCR retains everything great about the i30 N and gives us a world-class race car with a direct road-car counterpart that our fans can purchase and drive every day.”

In addition to running cars of its own, BHA will also be responsible for North American sales and technical support for the cars.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have Bryan Herta Autosport back with us, racing the new Veloster N TCR at America’s most fabled racing circuits in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge,” said Dean Evans, Hyundai Motor America’s Chief Marketing Officer.

“After their championship run in 2018, we can’t wait to see the show they put on for our fans and customers in the Veloster N TCR race cars.”

Initial Veloster N TCR deliveries will go to customer teams in markets where the road car is offered, which includes North America.

It will go on sale for €135,000 plus shipping, with deliveries set to begin in March.

Additionally, Hyundai Motor America will provide a contingency award program to customer teams competing in Pilot Challenge and TC America, which encompasses TCR with the Veloster N TCR and i30 N TCR and the TC division with the Veloster N.

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