I've really enjoyed watching them progress through motorsports from grassroots up to the pros. Very cool.
Parts Superstore FCP Euro may have already found success in the TC America series running the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR—where the team secured both the team and driver’s championships in 2019—but now the racing team has set its sights on something new: the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. The team’s Mercedes AMG-GT4, piloted by Michael Hurczyn and Nate Vincent, will have its racing debut at Round 3 of the Michelin Pilot Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course May 14-16.
Based on the road-going AMG GT-R, the GT4 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 that's rated for 510 horsepower. It can reach 60 mph from a standstill in 4 seconds—and keep accelerating to a top speed of 165 mph—all in a package that weighs 3058 pounds. FCP Euro's entry will also be competing against cars like the BMW M4, Chevrolet Camaro, Toyota Supra and McLaren 570S.
Also of note is that most FCP Euro racing team members also serve as full-time employees at FCP Euro’s headquarters in Milford, Connecticut, such as Michael Hurczyn and Nate Vincent, who serve as FCP Euro’s Brand Director and Motorsport Director, respectively.
We also have a a live walk-around planned with the team later this month. Watch this space for more info.
As well, we previously had the opportunity to see inside the trailers that support the factory-backed AMG entries during the 24 Hours of Daytona, and how they manage to keep cars on track:
For more information about FCP Euro and its Mercedes AMG-GT4, visit their website, blog or read the full press release below:
MILFORD, CT (February 4, 2021) – FCP Euro is moving its championship-winning motorsports program to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
FCP Euro will contest the championship in the No. 11 FCP Euro Mercedes AMG-GT4, which will be driven by Michael Hurczyn and Nate Vincent. The program’s first race will be the series’ third round of the season at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on May 14-16.
In addition to operating a professional motorsports program, FCP Euro offers quality replacement car parts catering to European automotive enthusiasts with a focus on DIY. FCP Euro offers parts kits that provide owners all the parts necessary to complete maintenance and repairs on their cars, a large catalog of instructional videos, and a Lifetime Replacement Guarantee on all parts including consumables. The FCP Euro parts catalog features over 150,000 Genuine, OE, and OEM replacement parts. In 2020, FCP Euro appeared on Inc. Magazine’s annual Inc. 5000 list for the seventh time, exceeding $100M in annual revenue for the first time.
“FCP Euro has always had big aspirations as a business, on the track, and as part of the automotive community,” said Kyle Bento, Director of Marketing, FCP Euro. “Our new program with IMSA is no exception. We are excited to see the FCP Euro colors on a Mercedes AMG-GT4. It’s an incredibly capable platform for GT4, and we’re excited to continue to grow our expertise and Mercedes-Benz product catalog.”
FCP Euro’s racing team is almost exclusively staffed by employees from the company’s Milford, Connecticut headquarters, who have roles within the company in addition to their work on the race programs. This includes the two race-winning drivers, Michael Hurczyn, FCP Euro’s Brand Director and Nate Vincent, FCP Euro’s Motorsport Director.
The FCP Euro motorsports program began in 2016 with a BMW that was raced in American Endurance Racing (AER) by Hurczyn and Vincent. FCP Euro then built a Mercedes C300 to compete in AER, which was the lone Mercedes-Benz model in the season championship. The team then stepped into professional racing with a pair of Volkswagen GTI TCRs competing in SRO Motorsports TC America championship, then known as Pirelli World Challenge. The effort culminated with capturing the 2019 SRO America TCR team and driver’s championships, with Hurczyn taking the title and Vincent finishing second. FCP Euro’s efforts also enabled Volkswagen to capture the manufacturer championship that season.
“After following IMSA for most of my life, it is a dream come true to be able to compete against some of the best race car drivers in the world,” said Hurczyn. “As we have been working through the planning, it has become clear that everyone on the team will be expected to compete at a much higher level than we have ever done in the past. We have a remarkable team that has built an incredible business, with proven success on and off the track. We know 2021 will be a year for learning, but people who know FCP Euro should expect nothing less than a highly competitive and organized program that intends on running up front.”
“I’ve been hooked on sports car racing since I was a young kid attending the Vintage Historic Festival at Lime Rock Park with my family,” said Vincent. “It’s a big step for our FCP Euro team to jump into a series with so much potential, and to a class that is as closely contested as the GS class. I have found that often the defining factors in a race car’s performance is determined by all the little things, and I think that the Mercedes AMG-GT4 is one of the best GT4 cars in the world. On a personal level, I’ve come a long way with FCP Euro – in the early 2000s, I was buying parts from their eBay store and now, we are building an IMSA program.”
FCP Euro will enjoy the continued support of several companies for their IMSA program. LIQUI MOLY enters its third year as title sponsor and will be prominently featured on the No. 11 FCP Euro Mercedes AMG-GT4, as will TRW Ultra, Corteco, Zimmermann, Nissens, and Sparco. In addition to being partners in the program, they are all companies whose products are featured and sold in the FCP Euro catalog. Also included in the program is Hoonigan, the popular automotive media company and network of YouTube channels.
FCP Euro’s first race will be the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio, May 14-16, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge races are streamed live on NBC Sports Gold with Trackpass, and tape-delayed on NBC Sports.
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I've really enjoyed watching them progress through motorsports from grassroots up to the pros. Very cool.
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