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Thompson and Hanley Primed and Ready for Pirelli GT4 America at NOLA

Apr 26, 2023

Thompson and Hanley Primed and Ready for Pirelli GT4 America at NOLA

New Orleans, LA

Hanley Motorsports is prepared for a strong performance in Rounds 3 & 4 of the 2023 Pirelli GT4 America season at NOLA Motorsports Park, April 28-30. Parker Thompson and Daniel Hanley will share duties behind the wheel of the No. 999 GR Supra GT4 EVO in the Silver category. After pushing through challenges in their first weekend of racing last month at Sonoma Raceway, Hanley Motorsports is eager to showcase its full potential at this weekend’s event.

With two races in the season-opener under their belts and two days of testing completed at NOLA Motorsports Park last week, Hanley Motorsports is primed for action. “We’re excited to be heading to NOLA Motorsports Park and are ready for what awaits us there,” said team owner Robert Hanley. “At Sonoma, we dove in headfirst and still felt like we were on the cusp of success. Now that we’ve had a chance to start developing our team and our car, we’re excited to see what we can accomplish.”

Parker Thompson emphasized the benefits of testing at the unique, 16-turn New Orleans road course. “Neither Daniel nor I have much experience at NOLA Motorsports Park, so we both appreciated the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the course in advance of race weekend. On top of that, we are excited to have recently taken delivery of a brand-new GR Supra GT4 EVO. Having two cars on hand helped Daniel, myself, and, notably, our engineer Geoff Fickling make the most of our time. I’m enjoying the balance of the GR Supra. As I get more comfortable with the car, my expectations continue to rise,” said Thompson. “We have a great team. Now it’s time to show it.”

Event Information

Rounds 3 & 4 Pirelli GT4 America at NOLA Motorsports Park

Friday, April 28, 2023
12:05 PM – Practice 1
4:30 PM –  Practice 2

Saturday, April 29, 2023
10:20 AM – Qualifying Driver 1
10:40 AM – Qualifying Driver 2
5:00 PM – Race 1

Sunday, April 30, 2023
11:30 AM – Race 2

**All times CDT

Follow along at parkerthompsonracing.com/live

Promise for Hanley Motorsports and Parker Thompson After Opening Weekend in Pirelli GT4 America

Apr 4, 2023

Promise for Hanley Motorsports and Parker Thompson After Opening Weekend in Pirelli GT4 America

SONOMA RACEWAY, CA

 

Hanley Motorsports performed admirably in their Pirelli GT4 America debut at Sonoma Raceway. Entering the weekend, the newly assembled team and No. 999 GR Supra GT4 EVO of Parker Thompson and Daniel Hanley expected to challenge the front of the field. The pair showed great pace throughout the season-opening weekend despite challenges that ultimately prevented them from having a major impact on the results sheet.

In just his second career race weekend, rookie driver Daniel Hanley showed good progression. The nineteen-year-old trimmed lap time in every session as he learned the Sonoma Raceway road course and GT4 race car. In Race 1 Qualifying, Hanley finished 28th out of forty-three entries.

With extensive experience and a record of winning in multiple series, expectations were high for Hanley’s codriver and coach, Parker Thompson. In Friday’s second practice session, the Canadian was 3rd fastest among all competitors. In Qualifying on Saturday afternoon, he earned a tenth-place grid position for Race 2.

In races on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, the Hanley Motorsports team faced significant adversity. In the first contest, Daniel Hanley experienced a collision while making a routine-looking overtake early in the race. Damage to the driver’s front corner on the white, red, orange, and yellow Hanley Motorsports GR Supra forced the team to retire.

Thompson had a strong performance early in Race 2. By the halfway point, he had worked his way forward to 6th overall (2nd in the Silver category). When the pit window opened for the series-mandated driver changes, the team immediately called Thompson into pit lane to hand the No. 999 off to Hanley.

Critically, the call to make that pit stop came with a full-course-yellow (FCY) imminent, and if the team did not enter the pits before that FCY, the pit stop and driver change would not meet Pirelli GT4 America regulations. When Hanley took over and resumed action on course, the team believed they had completed a good stop. Hanley advanced through the field and into the lead position, holding that position through to the checkered flag.

Following the contest, series officials demonstrated that the team did not enter the pits prior to the full-course-yellow. In turn, Hanley Motorsports accepted a 50-second penalty for the violation. The final result will show them in the 30th position.

Parker Thompson

“Three weeks ago, we didn’t have a car, and we didn’t have a crew. I’ve been incredibly proud to work with Rob Hanley and Toyota Gazoo Racing North America to start Hanley Motorsports and launch this Pirelli GT4 America campaign. Ryan, Geoff, Neil, John, Dan – Everyone on our team has been absolutely amazing!

In Race 2 at Sonoma, we saw an opportunity to get the No. 999 to the front and earn a win. We made our mandatory driver change as soon as the pit window opened following the restart. We made that stop knowing a FCY was imminent, but we thought we could get in before the window closed. That aggressive, split-second decision-making is what it takes to win races. I love that we put our day on the line and went for a win on our opening weekend. From our perspective, it almost paid off. It was close, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Reviewing after the race, our team accepts the assessed penalty. We’ll carry on and bring our best effort to NOLA later this month.”

Parker Thompson Joins Pirelli GT4 America with Hanley Motorsports

Mar 27, 2023

Parker Thompson Joins Pirelli GT4 America with Hanley Motorsports

SONOMA, CA

Hanley Motorsports is excited to launch a new team effort in 2023 as it joins the Pirelli GT4 America championship with the #999 Toyota Supra GT4 Evo. Parker Thompson and Daniel Hanley will pilot the retro-inspired white, red, orange, and yellow Supra in the Silver category.

Thompson has experience in multiple tiers of sportscar racing, including a championship win in the 2022 Carrera Cup North America and recent top-five finishes at Daytona and Sebring with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing USA. He will lead 19-year-old Hanley as he tackles his first season of racing.

Hanley Motorsports team founder, and father to Daniel, is Robert Hanley. A race-winning driver himself, Robert will look for his next success in motorsports as a team owner.

“Parker and I got to know each other last year as Carrera Cup teammates. When he approached me this spring with the opportunity to launch a Toyota entry in Pirelli GT4 America, the idea was too enticing to pass up. We’re a last-minute addition to this 2023 championship. Despite that, we have the highest expectations. Parker is a proven race winner, and Daniel will quickly find his legs. Behind the pit wall, Ryan Heller will lead our effort. Ryan has been crew chief for very successful campaigns in other series, and after watching him prepare our team for Sonoma, I understand why.”

Although 2023 will mark his first season behind the wheel, Daniel Hanley is not new to motorsports. Last year, he served on the crew for Thompson’s championship-winning effort. He has been closely involved with his father’s endeavors as well.

“Working in the garage and the pits has taught me a lot about the work ethic required to perform at the top of racing. It takes a full team effort, extreme attention to detail, and when things don’t go as planned, you have to put your head down and find a way forward. This year, I’m keen to take that mindset and apply it behind the wheel. With Parker to learn from and the group we’ve assembled supporting us, I’m positioned to have a great rookie season.”

Parker Thompson joins SRO, hoping to continue the championship success he had last season in Carrera Cup North America. From junior formulas to GT3, the twenty-five-year-old Canadian has podiumed in half his more than 170 career races. Recalling his experiences with both well-established teams and small start-up teams, he has embraced a lead role in Hanley Motorsports’ new campaign. 

“I’m ecstatic to be involved here with Daniel, Robert, Ryan, and also with Toyota. Toyota Racing Development and Toyota Gazoo Racing have been instrumental in bringing our SRO campaign together, and I’m proud to strengthen my connection to the Toyota family. It’s been a lot of work to build this team from the ground up over the last couple of months and that has given me a very personal interest in our success. No doubt there is a lot more work ahead of us, but I expect it won’t be long before we are up to speed. Competition in the GT4 category is intense. There are a lot of great drivers in this series, some with whom I already have great rivalries. I can’t wait to meet them on track at Sonoma and throughout 2023 in Pirelli GT4 America.”

More info:

https://hanleymotorsports.com
https://www.gt4-america.com

2023 Pirelli GT4 America Championship Schedule

Sonoma Raceway
March 30 – April 2, 2023

NOLA Motorsports Park
April 28 – 30, 2023

Circuit of The Americas
May 19 – 21, 2023

VIRginia International Raceway
June 16 – 18, 2023

Road America
August 18 – 20, 2023 

Sebring International Raceway
September 22 – 24, 2023

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
October 5 – 8, 2023

Follow along at https://parkerthompsonracing.com/live