Wittmer Joins Ian Lacy Racing for Remainder of SprintX East

Pirelli GT4 America SprintX East points leader Karl Wittmer is set to rejoin Ian Lacy Racing for the remainder of the season after contesting the first two rounds for Precision Driving Tech.

Wittmer first raced with the team at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in May when co-driver Marko Radisic was unexpectedly unable to attend, forcing Wittmer to find a last minute seat with Ian Lacy Racing to keep his championship bid alive.

It is understood that Radisic has opted not to continue his SprintX program after missing the races at CTMP, leaving Wittmer available to rejoin the team, where he will again pair with Frank Gannett in a Ford Mustang GT4.

Team owner Ian Lacy says that having Wittmer on board is an asset to the team, and having additional seat time for Gannett will help boost his full-season Pirelli GT4 America Sprint effort as well.

“We had a great opportunity to have Karl join the team for the SprintX race at CTMP, and the he and Frank came out with some pretty strong finishes up there,” Lacy told Sportscar365.

“After Karl became a free agent, he and Frank were able to work on a deal for the remainder of the season and so we’re looking forward to having him join us for the remaining races.

“He seems to be very talented. He had a lot of experience at [CTMP] with it being his home race track, so we kind of expected him to be right up to pace within a couple of laps there. He adapted well to the Mustang.

“He said it was a pretty easy car to drive and he enjoyed himself.

“Frank is usually pretty well up to speed in the second or third session at these race tracks that he’s had some experience with, and obviously the more the merrier.

“To do a couple of extra races on the weekend is always going to be beneficial for him in the Sprint races.”

Wittmer currently holds a two-point lead in the SprintX East Pro-Am standings over Classic BMW’s Stevan McAleer and Justin Raphael heading into the next round of the championship at Watkins Glen next week.

2020 Plans Coming Into Focus

Lacy indicated that the team is working on its plans for the upcoming season with a return to Pirelli GT4 America and some additional involvement in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge series as the main goal.

2019 full-season drivers Frank Gannett and Drew Staveley are scheduled to return.

“Tentatively right now we have some more involvement in IMSA on the radar,” he said.

“We are planning on Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Road Atlanta, schedule permitting, in addition to a full season in GT4 America.

“Depending on how scheduling works out, we have yet to decide whether we’ll be doing Sprint or SprintX next year.”