Local Team Fields Fellow Austin-Resident Will Hardeman and Debuting IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Driver Lloyd ReadAustin-based Moorespeed is doubling up on its IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama program for the team’s home race this week at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), September 14 – 16, where full-season Platinum Cup competitor Will Hardeman will be joined by debuting Gold Cup driver Lloyd Read.Moorespeed team owner, David Moore, is a lifelong resident of Austin and always makes the most out of any chance to race on his home track at COTA.In addition to Moorespeed preparing a pair of Porsches for the on-track action, Moore is also hosting his annual Lone Star Le Mans Welcome Party Wednesday night at his race shop. “I grew up in Austin and graduated down the road at the University of Texas,” Moore said. “My old shop was only a few miles from the old engineering school. When they built COTA, we moved to our current location. Turn left out of Moorespeed’s driveway, go five miles, and you turn right into the front gate of COTA.” Along with frequently testing at the track, Moorespeed and Hardeman already have one professional race weekend under their belt at COTA this year. They scored a pair of third-place finishes in the GT3 Cup class in the Pirelli World Challenge doubleheader at COTA this past March.“We are super excited to race at COTA this week,” Hardeman said. “We are more prepared than most, so it should be our strongest showing to date. We will certainly have our friends, family, and company employees out in full force this week!”With young talent Read joining Moorespeed this week, the team has built on its chances for more podium success in the IMSA GT3 Cup doubleheader races on Thursday and Friday.Competing in the top-tier Platinum Cup class, Austin-resident Hardeman drives the No. 19 WPD/Moorespeed Porsche GT3 Cup while Read runs his first race in IMSA in the No. 41 Moorespeed Porsche GT3 Cup in the Gold division.

“Both of our guys have real opportunities if they focus and use their skills to their fullest,” Moore said. “Both have the talent and equipment to get the job done. Both guys have highly experienced crew that have their back and will do their best to help them peak at the right time. There are some other really good drivers and teams we are competing against too, but I know we all relish the challenge in front of us.”A native of Wales, Read has lived in California for most of his 24 years, first moving to the United States in 1999. He is looking to Moorespeed and IMSA GT3 Cup to jumpstart his motorsports career.“When I saw the trailer leave for Texas last week, it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” Read said. “This whole idea of competing in the GT3 Cup series started about nine months ago. Since then, I have been working three jobs and saving every last penny I could. Having paid for everything on this car and all of the costs associated with this coming week myself has given me more motivation to put my best foot forward and leave nothing on the table, so to speak. It’s my one chance this year to put my name in the game and also have some fun too!”Moore will direct the overall operations for both cars this weekend, but Moorespeed General Manager Price Cobb will focus on Read and the No. 41 team. Like Read, Cobb began his career in open-wheel, single-seat racing before reaching the top levels of sports car racing, where he won the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans.Read prepared for COTA testing in California in his recently rebuilt GT3 Cup Porsche.“In August, I got about seven days in the car, the majority at Sonoma Raceway, but one really hot summer’s day at Buttonwillow Raceway,” Read said. “It was great to finally get behind the wheel again.” Hardeman and Moorespeed put in their final preparations in a successful two-day test Moore organized at COTA last Thursday and Friday.

“Testing went great last week,” Hardeman said. “We know this sport is the pursuit of perfection, and we are always looking for more lap time at COTA. Last week was no different when David and I played around with some line changes, which had a positive effect.” The test included over a dozen different GT3 Cup and Lamborghini Super Trofeo teams as well as some FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) regulars that familiarized themselves with the COTA circuit driving a Radical sports protoype race car.“We always preach to both drivers and crew to do your homework,” Moore said. “Everyone on the team understands that racing is 85% preparation and 15% execution. Hosting the two day test last week at COTA for the Porsche GT3 Cup and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo teams was a lot of extra work, but it gave us one more opportunity to really nail our final preparation and see where we were in respect to others. This past Thursday we worked on some areas of the track that may give us a competitive advantage, and then we worked on qualifying and race simulations on Friday morning. We feel we are prepared to compete with anyone in any condition encountered and anxiously await getting the week started.”The IMSA GT3 Cup schedule gets underway Wednesday with a pair of practice sessions.Qualifying Thursday morning at 8 a.m. CDT sets the stage for that afternoon’s first 45-minute race at 12:30 p.m. CDT.Friday’s only scheduled on-track activity is the week’s second and final 45-minute sprint at 7:15 p.m. CDT.Noteworthy- As both car owner and driver, Read has paid close attention to the finer preparation details on his Porsche. “I believe that failing to prepare is preparing for failure, so over the last nine months I’ve slowly replaced the fuel cell, control arms, fire bottle, seat belts and other components," Read said. "The car ran great after I purchased it from the previous owner, but a lot of the safety items were timed out, or the time on them was unknown.”

- A celebration being held for the third-annual time tomorrow night, the Moorespeed Welcome Party has become a must-attend event in its own right. “We are very proud to be competing here at home in front of fans, friends and family at COTA," Moore said. "Our annual Welcome Party for the Lone Star Le Mans is a way for us to give back to and continue to help cultivate a motorsport community in Austin. We will have lots of drivers and teams attending where Austinites can meet and greet and get to know them, so when they go to the track they can identify with them, become fans and help grow the sport.”- Moore has made sure the Welcome Party has plenty of local Austin flavor. Live music by Austin’s own Drew Fish Band will keep things moving while the featured cuisine will be tapas from the Lockhart Bistro by nationally acclaimed Austin Chef Parind Vora. Beverages will be from Austin’s Pepe Zevada and his Z Tequila, Paula’s Texas Orange, Republic Spirit Blends of Texas and Uncle Billy’s Brewery.- Although he wants to see motorsports gain popularity in Austin, Moore is still among the legions of local Longhorns followers. “There is room for motorsports too in Austin, which has historically only viewed UT football as its most important sport,” Moore said. “Don’t get me wrong! I was in the stands when UT beat Notre Dame. Man can’t live by racing alone!”