A First-Year Driver of Prototypes, He’s Won Four Times and Leads the LMP3 Standings Heading to VIRginia International Raceway This WeekAugust 22, 2023By Mark RobinsonIMSA Wire Service Entry List (Click Here) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Considering he hadn’t raced a prototype until this year, it’s been a pretty amazing IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season for Bijoy Garg.Heading to this weekend’s doubleheader round at VIRginia International Raceway, the 21-year-old from Stanford, California, leads the new multiclass development series with four overall and Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class wins. He’s also dominated qualifying, collecting seven of a possible eight pole positions thus far.The fact that Garg has had limited testing in the No. 3 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320 makes the accomplishments all the more impressive.“Honestly, it’s not been the easiest thing, especially with no testing,” the quiet but determined Garg said after sweeping the weekend last month at Lime Rock Park. “Sebring was the only track we tested at before (a race weekend). It’s just been show up, you get 40 minutes to learn the track and go send it into qualifying. I couldn’t have done it without such a great team behind me.”Garg advanced from karting to race cars in 2020, starting in an American open-wheel junior series. His first time in the LMP3 car was for the opening weekend of the VP Racing Challenge season at Daytona International Speedway in January. He sat on the pole for both races but his prototype racing inexperience showed. He finished third and fifth in those races. Since then, Garg has won four times and finished second twice. He gives full credit to the Jr III team and his driver coaches, Charles Crews and Garett Grist.“Jr III really brings great cars,” he said. “They’ve always been to my liking. Definitely big thanks to Charles and Garett for coaching me and making me the driver I am today.”The team thought so much of Garg that Jr III put him in an LMP3 earlier this month to make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at Road America. Garg qualified a very impressive second and was still running there when he exited the car after his opening stint.While he’s performed at peak level thus far in the VP Racing Challenge, Garg holds only a 10-point lead over Dan Goldburg (No. 73 JDC MotorSports Duqueine D08) in the class standings. Goldburg has three wins this season and boasts past LMP3 experience at VIR. As has been the case most of the season, Garg has not been in a prototype at VIR but isn’t deterred.“It’ll be very interesting,” Garg said. “We’re back in the points lead and I’m really excited to go chase the championship.”The GSX class for GT4-spec cars remains “very interesting” as well. Three drivers have each won twice but all are part-time competitors and only one is entered this weekend: Gregory Liefooghe in the No. 19 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M4 GT4 (G82).With two rounds and four races remaining, the GSX championship will likely be settled among the top four in the standings, each driver still seeking a first win. Francis Selldorff (No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW) leads Sebastian Carazo (No. 27 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport) by 90 points and Patrick Wilmot (No. 88 Split Decision Motorsports BMW) and Vin Barletta (No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW) each by 350 points.Following two practices on Friday at VIR, qualifying is scheduled for 8 a.m. ET Saturday. The first 45-minute race starts at 12:25 p.m. Saturday and the second at 8:55 a.m. Sunday. Both races stream live on Peacock and IMSA.com/TVLive. |
