IMSA News & Notes, 2.17

***Chad McCumbee and Stevan McAleer, co-drivers of the No. 5 ModSpace-backed CJ Wilson Racing Mazda MX-5 in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge ST class, are going into business together. The pair will head up a new team in the Mazda MX-5 Cup, based out of Supply, N.C., named McCumbee McAleer Racing and known in the MX-5 Cup as ModSpace Motorsports.

***Several teams are testing in Sebring International Raceway this week in preparation for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Falken Tire and Paul Miller Racing among them.

***Corvette Racing’s new C7.R and the iconic 1968 Owens-Corning Corvette L88 will go head-to-head at Sebring International Raceway on tonight’s episode of Velocity’s “AmeriCarna,” hosted by former NASCAR championship winning crew chief Ray Evernham. The episode will air at 10:30 p.m. ET and features Rolex 24 at Daytona winner Jan Magnussen in the C7.R, and Evernham’s former boss, Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick, in the L88.

***Shell has joined BMW Motorsport as its new Premium Technology Partner. BMW Team RLL’s two BMW Z4 GTLMs will line up on the grid bearing the name Pennzoil Platinum – a further Shell engine oil made from PurePlus Technology.

***GB Autosport team principal Michael Avenatti put in the high bid on fan Michael Goodwin’s Rolex 24 at Daytona autographed sign, auctioned off last week by Tequila Patron ESM’s Ryan Dalziel. The top bid was $3,010 for the “Open 24 Hours” sign.

***In other good charitable news, several drivers participated in last week’s Cupid’s Undie Run, which seeks to raise money to #EndNF for the Children’s Tumor Foundation while participants run in their underwear. Former CTSC ST full-time driver Ryan Eversley, now an Acura factory driver in Pirelli World Challenge, was the top individual fundraiser overall. Eversley, along with Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly and Melissa Eickhoff together raised more than $23,000 between them.