COMPASS RACING ANNOUNCES INDIANAPOLIS 8-HOUR DRIVERS

Ashton Harrison, Matt McMurry and Mario Farnbacher to helm the No. 77 Richard Mille Acura NSX GT3 Evo entry 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The final round of SRO’s GT World Challenge America takes place at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 14th to 17th, comprising the first three hours of the eight-hour International GT World Championship that sees rounds run across the globe. 

 

Compass Racing’s lead GTWCA driver, Matt McMurry, will be joined by HPD Academy driver Ashton Harrison in the team’s No. 77 Acura NSX GT3 Evo, with the duo pairing for a final push to the American-series year-end podium for McMurry. Once the GTWCA “race within a race” is completed at the conclusion of hour number three, the duo will be joined by Mario Farnbacher, who’s helmed Compass Racing’s other NSX in IMSA’s WeatherTech Sprint Cup.

“We’re truly excited to have Ashton, Matt and Mario together in our Richard Mille NSX for the eight-hour race at Indianapolis,” remarked Team Owner Jill Beck. “All are at various stages of their driving careers with HPD, and it highlights Honda’s commitment to creating a ladder that can be climbed to the top level of sportscar racing here in North America.”

In addition to being one of HPD’s Academy drivers this season, Harrison has competed in Lamborghini Super Trofeo for the past two years, whilst McMurry and Farnbacher won IMSA’s GTD championship together last year in an NSX. McMurry has two wins and three podiums in this season’s GT World Challenge America, and sits third in the points heading into the final round.

“We have two races we’re running concurrently in Indianapolis,” explained Team Principal Karl Thomson. “Firstly, we have to do well in the first three hours to score points for the American championship, to have Matt finish as high as he can there and hopefully wrap up our first World Challenge GT3 season with a place on the year-end podium. And then we have five more hours to try and beat the best teams in the world on an international stage.”

McMurry is excited for the opportunity. “We didn’t have a great start to our World Challenge season, but the Compass team has continued to deliver each weekend and we find ourselves in the top three of the American championship,” he said. “Maximizing that is job one, and then we’ll focus on delivering a result for Acura and HPD in IGTC. Having Ashton and Mario together with me gives us the best chance to do that.”

Harrison, meanwhile, is keen to apply what she’s learned at the HPD Driver Academy to a race. “The HPD Academy has given me a great foundation with the NSX, and I can’t wait to be in the car in race conditions,” she noted. “The whole experience has been so positive thus far, and has definitely helped me move to the next level with GT3. I can’t thank my sponsor Harrison Contracting and my team Wayne Taylor Racing enough for supporting me to partake in such a great event with Compass.”

“The Indy 8-hour is a big event for us, for HPD, for SRO and for our drivers,” stated Beck. “Although Compass Racing has been competing at the pro level for 18 years, this will be the longest race we’ve ever competed in, and it’s incredibly competitive. With this driver line-up, we’re doing all we can to finish at the front.”About Compass Racing
Compass Racing is a professional motorsports operation that competes in top-level sportscar series in North America. Based in San Diego, California, the multiple championship-winning team has fielded cars in IMSA's WeatherTech Championship, the Michelin Pilot Challenge, SRO GT World Challenge America, GT Celebration and Canadian Touring Car. The squad is one of the continent’s longest-running teams, having competed at the pro level continually since January 2004.

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 the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and IMSA Sports Cars to commercial racing programs, HPD powers the dreams of professional and amateur racers. 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/race support across a wide palette of racing programs that make Honda racing products available to amateur and professional racers alike, from karting and Quarter Midgets to the highest levels of sportscar and open-wheel racing.

About Richard Mille
The first watch to carry Richard Mille’s name, the RM 001 Tourbillon, launched the millennium: the year was 2001, and the model marked the beginning of a new era in watchmaking. Today, the collection points resolutely towards the future, while holding steadfast to the time-honored traditions of fine watchmaking. Richard Mille endeavored to apply the techniques and materials found in the most innovative sectors such as in the domains of F1 racing car development and the aerospace industry to watchmaking, with the goal of creating an extreme timepiece, without compromise, without gimmicks.

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 CMR Construction and Roofing
CMR is the 10th largest roofing company in the U.S. and specializes in emergency response, as well as high-end, specialty, historic restoration, and new-build roofing projects for commercial and residential properties across the U.S. For the Indianapolis 8-Hour event, the company is promoting the November 7th Ragin' Country Crawl, a benefit concert for Hurricane Ida victims featuring Colt Ford, Randy Houser and Lee Brice. Learn more at https://cmrconstruction.com/

About Ebullition Brew Works
Ebullition Brew Works is at the crest of Southern California’s craft brewery wave. With more breweries on tap than any other county, rising to the top requires the blending of quality ingredients, expertise and experience. Voted Best North County Brewery by San Diego Magazine in 2018, Ebullition opened its Gastro-lounge in Bressi Ranch to rave reviews earlier this year, joining its industrial-chic brewery in Vista as one of the “must-visit” locations in San Diego.

About AERO™ Sustainable Material Technology
AERO Sustainable Material Technology™ is an environmentally sustainable paint applique that eliminates the need for harmful sprayers. AERO was initially designed for The Boeing Company as a lightweight paint film technology for the 787 Dreamliner. As such, the technology provides significant performance gains in weight reduction while enabling the finish to be a fully strippable system. AERO has proven to be successful in the motorsports industry due to the ease of install, significant weight savings, and enhanced durability.

About The Race Day Foundation 
The Race Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) for-good foundation, offering children and families living with life-threatening illness a "day away" from their daily challenges. By harnessing the power of the racing and automotive communities, we are able to provide a uniquely empowering, hope-filled Race Day - a positive experience shared by patients, parents and siblings alike.