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Wright Motorsports Seeks to Defend
Its IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Titles
As It Heads into Round 3 and 4 at Laguna Seca

BATAVIA, Ohio, April 28 - Powerhouse Wright Motorsports will field Porsches for five different drivers this week in Monterey, Calif., as the Batavia, Ohio-based team defends the team and driver championships it won last year in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama series. Twin 45-minute races will be held tomorrow and Saturday as part of the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Four drivers are carrying Wright Motorsports' colors this year in the top class, Platinum Cup. 

Two of the four, Andrew Longe of Naples, Fla. and Fred Poordad of San Antonio, Texas, are beginning their second full year in the series. 

Longe drives a 2016 Porsche GT3 Cup car, #47, which is sponsored by Trianon. The 21-year-old driver placed fourth in the championship last year with two podium finishes, and he's definitely viewed as a title contender this season. Longe has been racing on a national level since 2008. In addition to racing, he is a student at Penn State University and he works at the REVS Institute for Automotive Research.

Poordad's #20 is a 2015 model that represents AXA Financial Advisors. He steps up from the Gold Cup division, where he finished fourth overall in 2014 and third in its Masters class. A distinguished surgeon, Poordad is a world leader in liver disease and liver transplants. He is vying for the Platinum class's Masters

championship for drivers 45 and over, which was won by Wright Motorsports' Kasey Kuhlman in 2014 and 2015.

The team's other two Platinum drivers are rookies. McKay Snow, 17, of Lehi, Utah, is one of the youngest drivers in the field if not the youngest. He drives the #63, a 2015 Porsche GT3 Cup car sponsored by UIS. He competed in the L1 class in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites series last year, placing 12th.

Snow follows in the footsteps of his older brother, Madison, who won the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Platinum championship in 2013 driving for Wright Motorsports. The brothers' parents, Martin and Melanie, are both former drivers. They were class winners at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1999 and ALMS GTC class champions in 2009. Melanie was also an IMSA GT3 Cup champion in 1999.

Another Platinum-class rookie for Wright Motorsports is Antony Imperato of Brooklyn, N.Y. Imperato's brand-new 2016 Porsche GT3 Cup car is #91 and it advertises Henry Repeating Rifles. The Imperato family has been in the gun business since 1911, the year the first Indianapolis 500 was held.

Philip Bloom, 34, of New York, N.Y., represents the team in the Gold Cup division. Another rookie, he drives a 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup car sponsored by Tradewind Aviation and the Philip Bloom Gallery. He's #11. Bloom raced in selected events in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series last year.

The Monterey Grand Prix doubleheader is the second stop of the eight-event, 16-race schedule on famous road courses in the United States as well as an appearance at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve supporting the Canadian Grand Prix F1 race. The complete schedule can be found on imsa.com.

Tomorrow's race is slated to get the green flag at 6:40 p.m. Eastern time, while Saturday's race is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Live coverage will be available on imsa.com.

Wright Motorsports won the team championship in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge's top class in three of the last four seasons, including last year when it fielded a car for the series' champion, Elliott Skeer. For more information on Wright Motorsports see WrightMotorsports.com and follow it on Facebook and Twitter. 

Driver quotes, in alphabetical order, follow:

Philip Bloom, New York, N.Y.: "This is my inaugural season racing in the IMSA GT3 Challenge. I raced three races in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge last year with DeMan Motorsport in the ST class in a Porsche Cayman. This is an exciting and challenging step up the racing ladder for me.  [He raced at Watkins Glen, Lime Rock and VIR.]

"I'm really looking forward to competing in the Gold class this season with Wright Motorsports. We are coming off a successful race at Sebring a few weeks ago. IMSA has done an excellent job to attract a highly competitive grid. I'm excited to compete door to door with some of the best talent the United States has to offer in single-make GT racing. The Porsche 911 is an iconic platform and a perfect tool for me to advance my racing career.

"Going forward, I am really looking forward to racing at the newly repaved Watkins Glen. It is my home track, as my hometown is New York City."

Anthony Imperato, Brooklyn, N.Y.: "I couldn't be more excited for this season of IMSA GT3 Cup.  Ever since I started racing two years ago it was my goal to drive in the GT3 Cup.  I've always been a huge fan of Porsche, and to be driving a Cup car is awesome. 

"I knew going into this series that it was going to be super competitive, but that is exactly what I was looking for — being surrounded by talented and experienced drivers to push me to become a better driver. 

"Being a part of Wright Motorsports is such a great place to be.  With the driver development, the car prep and set-up, hospitality, and pro coaching from Jan Heylen and James Gue that this team puts together, it's no wonder why they are held in such high regard. Also a BIG thank you to Henry repeating arms and my family for making this all happen. I can't thank them enough. 

"My personal goals for the season are to work my way to top-five finishes and maybe even fight for a spot on the podium at some point. Of course we all want to say we want to win every race, but in this series you have to set realistic goals.  There's a lot of talent throughout the field and to progress it is going to take a lot of work, but I am ready for it. I have all the tools with Wright Motorsports. I know that when I show up to the track I will have a great car from the start of the weekend. My only focus is on my driving — being consistent, hitting my marks and pushing as much as I can.  I have some fast teammates, and being able to share data during our debriefs is very helpful. 

"The events I'm most looking forward to are racing in Montreal before F1 and Watkins Glen. I had a chance to drive in Montreal last year and it's incredible.  It's super tight and technical with not much room for error, which always makes for exciting racing. Watkins Glen is my favorite track and one I'd consider a home track. In reality I'm excited for every event."

Andrew Longe, Naples, Fla.:  "It was a long off-season that ended up seeing me switch teams to Wright Motorsports for the 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup USA season, and I could not be more excited to be working with John and the entire Wright Motorsports team. The team and I have put in a tremendous

amount of work this off-season to make sure we are the most prepared we can be, and I have never felt more ready.

"After a fourth-place finish in the championship last year, the team and I have our sights set high. This year's schedule packs an amazing list of venues we will get the chance to compete at, although I am most looking forward to the streets of Le Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. To race on the same track and on the same weekend as Formula 1 will realize a childhood dream of mine, and it will be a very special event."

Fred Poordad, San Antonio, Texas: "I am excited to be running with Wright Motorsports for the 2016 campaign. I hope to carry on the team's heritage of strong performances. 

"Laguna Seca is a great track and I am happy to be back in IMSA in the Platinum series. I want to thank my sponsor, AXA, for their support. I hope to put on a good show for them this season."

About Wright Motorsports:  

Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio near Cincinnati, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning nine driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015. In 2014 it had four podium finishes in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. For more information see WrightMotorsports.com and follow it on Facebook and Twitter.