Six manufacturers’ titles in a row is a run most racing programs would be happy to retire on. Hyundai is chasing a seventh.
Bryan Herta Autosport’s four-car Elantra N TCR effort heads to the Fox Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 2 with a 140-point lead over Honda in the TCR Manufacturers’ standings and both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships within reach. A year ago, Hyundai won its sixth consecutive manufacturers’ crown. Another one Friday would push the streak to seven straight, dating back to 2020.
The Drivers’ Championship case is even more straightforward. Mason Filippi and Bryson Morris have accumulated 2,730 points in the No. 33 Elantra N TCR through eight rounds, including wins at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Their margin over teammates Preston Brown and Denis Dupont, who sit second with 2,530 points, is 200 points. Hyundai occupies first and second in the standings, which means even a competitive Honda charge at Road Atlanta can’t change who wins the Drivers’ title without a catastrophic result for both Hyundai entries.
Brown and Dupont arrive at Road Atlanta with recent momentum. The No. 76 entry finished second at Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks ago, with all four Hyundai cars placing in the top 10. That result pushed the manufacturers’ lead from 120 points to the current 140. Honda sits at 2,860, with Cupra third at 2,750 and Audi fourth at 2,640.
The No. 18 of Maddie Aust and Mark Wilkins and the No. 98 of Harry Gottsacker and Lance Bergstein complete Hyundai’s lineup at Road Atlanta. Both are outside the top four in Drivers’ points but contribute to the manufacturers’ and teams’ totals, and four cars scoring simultaneously has been Hyundai’s structural advantage all season. As recently as the Watkins Glen round, that lead had shrunk to 20 points after a difficult Mid-Ohio. The subsequent rebuild to 140 points is a product of exactly that depth.
Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile, 12-turn layout with its pronounced elevation changes has historically produced varied TCR results. Four different manufacturers have won there in the last five years, including Honda and Cupra, which means Hyundai’s closest rivals both know the circuit well.
Away from the competitive picture, Hyundai Hope on Wheels continues its $100-per-lap-led charity structure through the finale, with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as the beneficiary. The program has raised $77,800 for pediatric cancer research across the first eight rounds of the season.
One hundred forty points and one race left. Hyundai has been in tighter spots and held on. The streak has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Source: Hyundai. Images courtesy of Hyundai.
