Ashton Harrison and Mario Farnbacher will campaign an Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 with Racers Edge Motorsports in the 2022 Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS season.
Ashton Harrison joins the GT3 ranks full-time as a 2021 HPD Driver Academy graduate after a successful season in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series. Harrison finished second in the North American AM championship and third in Worlds, earning three wins, one pole and multiple podium finishes during the year. Harrison has already proven her talent in the NSX at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last fall in her GT3 debut, becoming the first woman to win overall in SRO GT World Challenge America in the three-hour season finale. Within the same event, she also won the Silver Cup class in the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli Indianapolis 8 Hour with co-drivers Matt McMurry and Mario Farnbacher.
“I’m thrilled to be back with my Racers Edge family for a full season and alongside my buddy Mario. I feel confident going into the season after having such great success with the HPD Driver Academy last year and at the Indy 8 Hour,” says Harrison. “None of this would’ve been possible without my sponsor Harrison Contracting Company (HCC) and Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR)’s guidance. I’m so appreciative to have their support going into 2022.”
“Ashton’s growth over the last year has been exponential,” said Wayne’s Taylor Racing’s Vice President and General Manager, Travis Houge. “WTR’s Driver Development Program is designed to continue that momentum. The program we have developed with HCC, Racers Edge and Acura Motorsports will take her to that next level. We are excited to have this partnership with Racers Edge and to continue to build on it in 2022.”
Harrison Contracting Company will sponsor the team this season, bringing its trademark Rely on Red to the Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 livery, which will run as #93 again in homage to Acura Motorsports and HPD.
Mario Farnbacher has compiled an extensive resume as an elite championship driver, including winning back-to-back IMSA GTD Championships during his five years behind the wheel of the Acura NSX GT3.
“I can’t wait until the 2022 season and to get back into the Acura NSX GT3 Evo22. This year will bring a new challenge for me with SRO GT World Challenge America. I’d never really driven in this series before, but I have some experience with IGTC and the Indy 8hr, which has given me some insight into this race format. I’m more used to the endurance type races, so I’m looking forward to this opportunity.”
The team will again work with Acura Motorsports and Honda Performance Development (HPD), who will provide technical and trackside support for the Acura NSX GT3 Evo22.
After accumulating multiple championships with the Acura NSX GT3 Evo, Racers Edge Motorsports, who also operates the Honda Performance Development (HPD) Driver Academy, has continued its goals of professional development of the Academy students. Harrison and Farnbacher have a unique relationship in this aspect: as coach and student, and now co-drivers.
“It’s pretty cool to work with Ashton, who I coached last year, and now to race with her,” says Farnbacher. “It’s definitely cool to share the car with one of my students and to see how much she’s developed as a driver. I’ve enjoyed being a part of the HPD Driver Academy and this is definitely one of the things that makes it special. I’m looking forward to working with Racers Edge this season on track and ready to get started.”
Harrison has echoed this sentiment about her former-coach-now-teammate in the HPD paddock with the success the two have already achieved together, and has set her sights high for the new year. “I’m also thankful to Acura and HPD for their support going into this year and so excited to be named their first Female Junior Factory Driver. I have high standards for myself and the team and feel confident we can all be successful. It’s time to get to work!”
The 2022 Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS begins April 16-17, 2022, at Sonoma Raceway with the same race format as last season: two 90-minute races in each of the seven weekend events, with two drivers sharing designated time in the car. The season will culminate once again at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the Indy 8 Hour race.
About Racers Edge Motorsports:
Founded in 1990, Racers Edge Motorsports is a world-class auto racing organization specializing in road course racing and currently competing with the Acura NSX GT3 Evo in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS series. The team won the 2019 GT3 Pro/Am Drivers Championship, the 2020 GT3 Team, Drivers and Manufacturers championships. In 2021, three of the inaugural HPD Driver Academy grads tallied three wins and nine podiums en route to second place in the Pro/Am Drivers Championship. The team also operates and manages the HPD GT3 Driver Academy, led by team owner Jon Mirachi and lead engineer Jim Pattin.
About Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR)
Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) was founded in 2007 by world renowned sports car champion Wayne Taylor. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the motorsports capital of the world, WTR has built a proven track record of success and ingenuity in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Prototype class and the North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo series. Known for their prowess in endurance racing, WTR has won the coveted Rolex 24 at Daytona four times in the last five years and were named Vice Champions of the IMSA WeatherTech DPi Championship and Champions of the Michelin Endurance Cup in both 2020 and 2021. WTR has also won seven North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Champions and fielded the only woman to win a Lamborghini World Finals race twice. Wayne Taylor has been inducted into both the South Africa Hall of Fame and the Sebring International Raceway Hall.
About Harrison Contracting
Harrison Contracting Company, Inc. (HCC) is a commercial painting and facility maintenance contracting company headquartered in Villa Rica, GA with divisional offices in Florida and Texas. HCC provides repainting/reimaging and facility maintenance services nationwide, and new construction painting across the southeastern US. At HCC, red is more than the company color, its culture. RED stands for Reliable, Experienced, and Diligent, and is the cornerstone for all we do. We are more than just your painter; we are your partner.
About the HPD Driver Academy Program:
The Honda Performance Development (HPD) Driver Academy Program was developed to enable qualified racers to accelerate their racing career via ‘on-track’ and ‘off-track’ training from experienced Acura/Honda professional drivers, HPD-supported teams, and HPD personnel. The program includes on-track coaching sessions in the championship winning Acura NSX GT3 Evo, or Honda Civic Type R TCR, teaching the special knowledge and various skills required for professional sports car racing. It also includes extensive off-track instruction relating to the numerous disciplines required, along with effective communication with team personnel and engineers, driver marketing insights and sponsor searches. The program is available by application-only and is limited to eight students per year.
About Honda Performance Development:
Honda Performance Development, Inc., (HPD) has a rich heritage creating, manufacturing, and supporting Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports customers since 1993. From pinnacle racing in INDYCAR and IMSA to commercial racing programs, HPD powers the dreams of professional and amateur racers from age 4 to 40+. HPD is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and leads all of Honda and Acura’s high-performance racing programs in North America. HPD specializes in the design and development of race engines, chassis and performance parts, as well as technical and race support. HPD offers parts and race support to Honda and Acura amateur and professional motorsports racers, and is continually expanding its palette of racing programs that make Honda racing products available to all racing styles.