| – Preliminary Plans Call for 43rd Running of HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta to Shift to April 2021 – 2020 HSR Atlanta Fall Historics to be Moved to New Autumn Date in Support of Recently Announced IMSA Motul Petit Le Mans Date Change BRASELTON, Georgia (April 2, 2020) – Officials from Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta announced today that the 43rd HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta has been cancelled for 2020. One of HSR’s blockbuster events, this year’s Mitty was scheduled to take place April 23 – 26 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Preliminary plans call for a shift of the 43rd running of the HSR Mitty to the same weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in April, 2021. “We held out hope as long as we could, but this week’s national expansion of social distancing through the end of April, and the overriding need to join our colleague motorsports organizations around the world in the fight against the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, made cancellation the only real choice,” said HSR President David Hinton. “We want to thank Geoff Lee, his team at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and, of course, our HSR competitors and fans for their incredible cooperation and patience the last few weeks. These are unprecedented and trying times we are going through, but together we will indeed make it through it.” HSR returns to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta later this year for the annual HSR Fall Historics. Originally on the calendar for September 23 – 26, the HSR event is now moving to a to-be-determined date in the fall in support of a recent IMSA schedule change that moved Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta’s Motul Petit Le Mans back one week to a later October date. All of the schedule changes have been a result of across-the-board cooperation by motorsports governing bodies around the world in response to the novel coronavirus. “The HSR Mitty has been a staple at Michelin Raceway for almost as long as the race track has been in existence, so the decision to cancel The Mitty this year was not taken lightly, said Lee, President of Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. “However, with the current fight against the global pandemic that has left almost nothing, including the world of motorsports, untouched, there was no real choice but to prioritize the health and safety of all fans and competitors and cancel the event for 2020. We look forward to picking back up with The Mitty – an absolute fan favorite and enduring spring tradition – in 2021.” Alternative 2020 dates were discussed at length for the 43rd HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, but part of the event’s strong following for more than 40 years has been its traditional Spring date in April. “The HSR Mitty has practically become a motorsports rite of Spring,” Hinton said. “Holding the race any other time but in April just wouldn’t feel like the Mitty. We will be back stronger than ever in April, 2021.” All purchased tickets for the 2020 HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta will automatically be valid for admission to the 2021 running of the event. Ticket holders requesting refunds for their 2020 HSR Mitty tickets can send an email to Info@HSRRace.com. Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta joins Sebring International Raceway as the only two classic American road courses that typically host a pair of HSR events each year. The planned season-opening HSR Spring Fling at Sebring was scheduled to be run this past weekend. That event was also cancelled due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, but HSR returns to the legendary Sebring circuit, December 3 – 6, for the HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour, Pistons and Props, presented by the Alan Jay Automotive Network. Next up on the 2020 HSR calendar is the Barber Historics at Barber Motorsports Park, May 15 – 17. Updates on the status of that event weekend with HMSA will be made as needed in the coming weeks. About HSR: Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook a www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA classic-24 hour race at Daytona International Speedway is available at www.Classic24hour.com. |
