0 Items

Thompson and SCM Earn Second Place Finish with Late Race Charge at CTMP

Jul 4, 2022

Thompson and SCM Earn Second Place Finish with Late Race Charge at CTMP

CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK, ONTARIO, CANADA

Alberta native Parker Thompson had a prominent performance, driving the No. 14 SCM Exelixis/Focal One/Alta Equipment Ligier JS P320 in Prototype Challenge as IMSA crossed the border into Canada for the first time since 2019. Sporting a livery featuring American stars and stripes and the Canadian maple leaf, Thompson and co-driver Lance Willsey were keen to make a mark on the holiday weekend festivities at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). Last month, fueling issues spoiled an impressive performance by the pair in their debut together in Round 2 at Mid-Ohio. A strong result at CTMP would bring redemption and elevate the team’s position in the season’s points standings. Through a ninety-minute race on the historic Ontario road course, Thompson and Willsey accomplished precisely that, piloting their white, red, and blue SCM machine to a second-place finish.

The high-speed, undulating Canadian Tire Motorsport Park circuit presented a daunting challenge for much of the field after nearly a three-year absence from the IMSA schedule. Thompson however, entered the weekend with a stellar record on the track, showing eight career podiums and a total of four wins. On his first laps in Saturday’s Practice 1, he immediately appeared comfortable, setting a benchmark time for the Prototype Challenge field. Less familiar with the 3.957-kilometer, 10-turn road course, teammate Lance Willsey showed quick progress through practice sessions. When Qualifying launched on Sunday morning, Willsey earned an eighth position start.

Thompson, Willsey, and Sean Creech Motorsport shined when racing action began. From P8, Willsey made steady progress early in the race. When he entered the pits at the halfway mark, he had moved his way into fifth place. After the driver change and refueling, the team suffered a setback. Race officials deemed that Thompson had been released from the stop a half-second short of the minimum requirement. He was immediately called back into the pits for a stop-and-go penalty.
The No. 14 had dropped back to seventh place when Thompson re-entered the track. From there, he showed the dominant pace we had seen in May during Round 2 at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. Navigating through the field, Thompson put together a series of laps that saw him set and reset the fastest racing lap multiple times, advancing his position to fourth. When a full-course-yellow was required late in the race, Thompson capitalized on the subsequent restart, capturing two spots to claim second place. Having already made significant advancements throughout his stint, Thompson had limited capacity to challenge the race lead. He held second through to the checkered flag.

 

Parker Thompson
“From start to finish, I’m so proud of our effort this weekend in Prototype Challenge. When Lance and I got together earlier this year, we felt we could challenge the front of the field. That didn’t quite pan out in our first event at Mid-Ohio, but I’m delighted that both of us put it together here at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. For me, it’s incredible to do it in Canada, where I haven’t had an opportunity to race in almost three years. I feel like the sum of my experiences showed in my performance here today – from the races earlier in my career here at this track to the frequent race restarts I’ve seen in Carrera Cup recently. Thank you to Sean Creech and Lance Willsey for allowing me this opportunity. With our finish this weekend, we can only do one better! In the future, I’d be honored to do exactly that.”

 

For the present, Thompson has his sights set on another significant Canadian event. He will reunite with JDX Racing when Carrera Cup North America visits the Honda Indy Toronto, July 15 – 17. Marking Carrera Cup’s first and only stop in Canada, the event is particularly significant to Thompson and JDX Racing team principal Jeremy Dale. Each has strong connections to the region. Currently sitting second in that season’s championship, the pair will look to advance their position in the standings by winning on the Streets of Toronto.

Images credit Bob Chapman / Autosport Image

Event Results

2022 IMSA Prototype Challenge
Round 3 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Qualifying – Official (PDF)
Race – Provisional (PDF)
Fastest Lap by Driver (PDF)
Championship Standings – Provisional (PDF)

Complete results are available at results.imsa.com

Thompson Rejoins SCM as the IMSA Prototype Challenge Visits Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Jun 29, 2022

Thompson Rejoins SCM as the IMSA Prototype Challenge Visits Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

For the first time since 2019, Canadian Parker Thompson will come home to race, joining Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) for Round 3 of the 2022 IMSA Prototype Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). Thompson rejoins SCM after a strong performance with the team at Mid-Ohio last month in a race effort that was ultimately compromised by mechanical issues. At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Thompson and teammate Lance Willsey will look for a strong result to improve the team’s sixth-place position in the current IPC standings. The green flag will drop on Sunday, July 2nd, at 11:35 AM EST for a 90-minute race.

Thompson is no stranger to the historic Ontario road course. Through nine career races at CTMP in multiple series, Thompson has stood on the podium in all but one, earning four wins in the process. Driving the No. 14 SCM Exelixis/Focal One/Alta Equipment Ligier JS P320, Thompson is likely to clock a faster lap around the 3.957-kilometer, 10-turn circuit than he has in any other series to date. Still, after earning the quickest race lap and a new track record in his debut with SCM at Mid-Ohio, Thompson has proven he is more than up to the challenges that the IPC car and series present.

Parker Thompson
“I want to thank Sean Creech and Lance Willsey for inviting me to join them again for Round 3 of the IMSA Prototype Challenge. In my first race with the team, we performed well on track but didn’t get the result we deserved. I’m ecstatic that Lance and I have another opportunity together. The fact that this opportunity comes at a track like Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and puts me back in front of Canadian fans for the first time in two years, makes this weekend even more special.”

 

About SCM

Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1990 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2022 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

Event Information

IMSA Prototype Challenge at Chevrolet Grand Prix
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Saturday, July 2nd, 2022
10:15 AM EST – IPC Practice 1
02:05 PM EST – IPC Practice 2

Sunday, July 3rd, 2022
08:15 AM EST – IPC Qualifying
11:35 AM EST – IMSA Prototype Challenge at CTMP

Flag-to-flag coverage of the race is available to USA viewers on PeacockTV. International viewers can watch via IMSA.tv, with IMSA Radio also available at IMSA.com.Follow Parker throughout the weekend at https://parkerthompsonracing.com/live

Thompson Holds Second in 2022 CCNA Standings at Season Midway Point

Jun 28, 2022

Thompson Holds Second in 2022 CCNA Standings at Season Midway Point

WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK

Intent on making a mark on the 2022 Carrera Cup North America presented by Cayman Islands, Parker Thompson and JDX Racing arrived at Watkin’s Glen International this weekend just twenty-two points back from the championship lead. After back-to-back wins in the last two rounds, Thompson and JDX Racing expected to challenge for wins in two races scheduled on the iconic New York road course. Instead, the duo struggled to find a rhythm and were further hampered by race incidents that countered team strategies. On the weekend, Thompson and the No. 9 JDX Racing / Shell Tap-Up / Surgere / Byers Porsche / Renier Construction / Jersey Mike’s Subs Porsche earned third and fourth-place finishes. The result allows Thompson to maintain second place in the overall points standings as the 2022 season reaches its halfway mark.

The white, red, and yellow No. 9 machine showed a robust pace in two test sessions on Thursday morning, clocking the third-best time in both sessions. When qualifying launched on Friday morning however, Thompson could not improve his placement in the field. He earned third and fourth place starting spots for Race 1 and 2, respectively. 

While Thompson and JDX Racing have yet to earn a pole position in the series, they have repeatedly shown an ability to advance their position during racing action. When Race 1 began on Friday afternoon, they looked to do precisely that. Equipping the No. 9 with their final available set of Michelin slicks, Thompson was poised to utilize the performance bonus of new tires to gain places early in the race. Unfortunately, a major opening-lap incident elsewhere in the field led to a lengthy clean-up and full-course caution. When green flag action resumed more than 20 minutes later, Thompson’s tire advantage had been wasted. He was unable to mount a meaningful attack on the race leaders, driving the No. 9 to the checkered flag in third place.

In Race 2 on Saturday morning, Thompson started in fourth and put up a good fight for the final podium position. His best opportunity came on lap eight following a race restart when he got a great run out of turn four, passing MDK Motorsports driver Trenton Estep under braking as the pair entered the Bus Stop. Unfortunately, Thompson would give the position up shortly after and carry fourth through to the end of the race.

Race 2’s result marks only the second time in eight races this season where Thompson has failed to finish on the podium. In both cases, he missed the podium by just one position. Consistency has allowed the young Canadian to stay within striking distance of the overall championship lead despite winning fewer races than the overall leader. With eight races now complete and eight yet remaining in the season schedule, Thompson and JDX Racing prepare to make a run for the top spot. Next up, the series heads north of the border to Thompson’s home country and the Honda Indy Toronto, July 15-17, 2022.

Parker Thompson
“Rounds 7 & 8 of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Championship at Watkins Glen were not what the No.9 JDX Racing crew had hoped for, with a lack of pace bringing us a P3 and P4 finish. In simple terms, we got our butts kicked. But this only adds fuel to the fire for this Championship, and the war is only halfway through. We’re sitting in a comfortable 2nd place, ready to put the pressure on as the series heads to my homeland in mid-July!”

Images credit Bob Chapman / Autosport Image

Event Results

CARRERA CUP NORTH AMERICA PRESENTED BY CAYMAN ISLANDS
ROUNDS 7 & 8 – WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

Qualifying – Official (PDF)
Race 1 – Official (PDF)
Race 2 – Official (PDF)
Championship Standings – Provisional (PDF)

Complete results are available at results.imsa.com

Thompson Shows Dominant Pace in IMSA Prototype Challenge Debut with Sean Creech Motorsport

May 16, 2022

Thompson Shows Dominant Pace in IMSA Prototype Challenge Debut with Sean Creech Motorsport

MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE, LEXINGTON, OHIO

Parker Thompson seems capable of first-class performance in any race car or series. With his primary campaign in Carrera Cup North America on a scheduled intermission until late June, Thompson filled the hole in his calendar by joining the IMSA Prototype Challenge (IPC) at this weekend’s Lexus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. Driving with Lance Willsey and Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) for Sunday’s contest, Thompson produced an exciting mid-race charge that took the #14 SCM/Exelixis/Focal One/Alta Equipment entry from P10 to P3, setting a new IPC race lap record in the process. His charge was ultimately cut short by a fueling issue. After multiple pit stops, the team reached the checkered flag and a ninth-place finish.

Thompson’s dominant pace during the race was a welcome reward for the twenty-four-year-old Canadian who had uncertain expectations in his first opportunity behind the wheel with Sean Creech Motorsport in IPC. After only a handful of laps in practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, Thompson launched into a blistering pace when his stint began, about halfway through the 90-minute race. His best race lap, 1:17.583, marked a new record for the class at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and bested the next best driver at the event by more than six-tenths of a second. With that pace, he worked the white, red, and blue #14 from P10 to P3, unleashing a flurry of action throughout the field as he advanced.

With a podium finish on the horizon, an unfortunate fueling issue forced Thompson into the pits and dropped the #14 back down the order. Yet another pit stop came just minutes later. Back on track, Thompson continued his attack through to the finish, but after two unplanned stops, a podium was out of reach. He took the checkered flag in the ninth position, two laps down.

 

Parker Thompson
“A gigantic thank you to Sean Creech Motorsport and Lance Willsey for a fantastic opportunity this weekend. Getting here was a bit of a whirlwind! We finalized our plans only a few days before the event and poured a seat for me just ahead of practice on Friday morning. Having already worked with the team in other roles, I knew it wouldn’t be any trouble getting comfortable and up to speed here at Mid-Ohio.

It’s not often enough that I get a chance to go wheel-to-wheel in a new series, and the IMSA Prototype Challenge is a series that I respect particularly. Some of the drivers here are drivers who inspired me to launch a racing career. LMP3 cars blend some of the aero characteristics of open-wheel cars that I raced early in my career, with the power and weight of sportscars that I’ve driven more recently. Being dropped in and performing the way I did with minimal preparation lends me massive confidence. It’s a shame that we couldn’t convert our performance on track into a better overall result, but the success that I experienced during the race more than matched my expectations. I hope to do this again sometime in the future and earn a result that the whole team can celebrate.”

As followers of Thompson watch him pilot new race cars, they will be reminded of his 2019 season: a season that in many ways marks the beginning of this chapter in his racing career. That year a younger Thompson remarkably took on three full campaigns; winning the Canadian Touring Car Championship, placing second in IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada, and third in the Road to Indy, Indy Pro 2000 Championship. Earning success in such different machinery, even on the same weekend, revealed Thompson’s adaptability as a driver and his natural feel for racing.

While Thompson’s experiences in 2019 opened the door to the opportunities in Porsche where he is currently focused, that year also marks the last time that he earned an overall championship win. For 2022, another championship title is Thompson’s key objective. That is something that he is closely contesting in Carrera Cup North America, where after six of sixteen rounds, he and team JDX Racing are currently 2nd in the overall standings. Thompson will look to improve that position when Carrera Cup North America resumes on June 24th at Watkins Glen International.

 

Images credit Bob Chapman / Autosport Image

Event Results

IMSA Prototype Challenge at Lexus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio

Qualifying – Official (PDF)
Race – Provisional (PDF)
Fastest Lap by Driver (PDF)
Championship Standings – Provisional (PDF)

Complete results are available at results.imsa.com

Thompson Joins Sean Creech Motorsport for IMSA Prototype Challenge at Mid-Ohio

May 11, 2022

Thompson Joins Sean Creech Motorsport for IMSA Prototype Challenge at Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, OHIO

2022 Carrera Cup North America contender Parker Thompson will make a guest appearance in the IMSA Prototype Challenge (IPC) at this weekend’s Lexus Grand Prix At Mid-Ohio. Held in conjunction with the WeatherTech SportsCar Challenge, IPC features single-seat closed cockpit racecars and 1hr 45-minute races split between two-driver teams. Thompson will pilot the #14 Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) Exelixis/Focal One/Alta Equipment Ligier JS P320 alongside co-driver Lance Willsey. 

Thompson joins SCM for a single race at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, a circuit where he has won races both on the Road to Indy and in Porsche GT3 Cup. Co-driver Lance Willsey is coming off an LMP3 class win at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March. When the two drivers take to the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio road course on Sunday morning, they will look for a solid performance to advance SCM’s current 6th place position in the IPC championship standings.

Having earned thirty-four race wins in multiple series throughout North America, twenty-four-year-old Thompson is an established driver, but he takes the wheel with SCM from a unique position. For the past two years, Thompson has worked with the team as a race spotter for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Having developed a strong relationship with Willsey and SCM in that capacity, the IPC event at Mid-Ohio offers a natural opportunity to put Thompson in the driver’s seat. SCM is running double duty at the event, contending both IPC and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where they lead the LMP3 class. Thompson is coming off of a weekend sweep of Carrera Cup North America at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca earlier this month and is amid a long intermission in that series before it heads to Watkins Glen International in late June.

Parker Thompson
“I can’t thank Sean Creech and Lance Willsey enough for this opportunity. When I worked with them last year at Sebring, they needed a spotter at the last minute, and I told them that I was stepping away from spotting because I don’t want people to get the wrong idea – I’m in this sport to make a career as a driver. At the time, they said they’d give me a test. Now that it’s turned into a race opportunity, I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’m looking forward to working with the team again. They’ve heard me talking on the radio for 24 hours over the past two years, but it will be good to work with them on a new level, to get to know Sean and Lance better, and help the team get more track time. They’re leading the LMP3 WeatherTech Championship and want to stay there, so that’s the bigger picture. I want to have a strong weekend and bring the car home in a good spot.”

 

About SCM

Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1990 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2022 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

Event Information

IMSA Prototype Challenge at Lexus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio

Friday, May 13, 2022
02:05 PM EST – IPC Practice 1

Saturday, May 14, 2022
11:05 AM EST – IPC Practice 2
02:40 PM EST – IPC Qualifying 

Sunday, May 15 2022
09:20 AM EST – IMSA Prototype Challenge at Mid-Ohio

Flag-to-flag coverage of the race is available to USA viewers on PeacockTV. International viewers can watch via IMSA.tv, with IMSA Radio also available at IMSA.com. A race replay will air on USA Network Saturday, May 21 at 2:00 PM EST. Follow Parker throughout the weekend at https://parkerthompsonracing.com/live