TechSport racing demonstrated a remarkable level of success in their SRO season opener at Sonoma Raceway this past weekend. TechSport’s drivers visited the podium with five of its six entries, some making multiple trips to collect hardware. TechSport Racing is no stranger to winning. They have won four Team Championships, three Driver Championships, Team of the Year and a Manufacturers Championship (Subaru) since their inception in 2015. Yet, the demands of running six cars in three separate classes would challenge the best team. TechSport took it in stride at Sonoma.
Formerly known only as a TC America team, TechSport debuted two stunning Nissan Z GT4s in the GT4 America class. As a new platform still in development, expectations were realistic for the new Nissan Z GT4. However, the team was optimistic that they could dial it in.
Team Owner Deborah Popolizio proudly states “This is an incredible platform and we have been working diligently to make it perfect. I am confident that the driver feedback, incredible engineering knowledge possessed by my partner Kevin Anderson, and the hard work of my crew, we can get it right for race two”.
Her prediction was spot on as the Nissan Z GT4 seemed to improve markedly throughout the weekend. By race two, the car was running on pace with the leaders. In an excellent call, the team’s engineer, David Caldwell, chose his pit strategy wisely leading to the #22 car driven by Eric Powell and Colin Harrison to finish third place in class, fourth overall. Their teammates, Bryan Heitkotter and Tyler Stone, in the #23 Nissan Z GT4, finished seventh in class and thirteenth overall. In a forty-car heavy field, that is an excellent first showing.
TechSport Racing also debuted a pair of GR Cup Toyota 86s. The team has run some iteration of this platform since 2016, so they felt confident that their 2023 entry into the GR Cup North America series would be a successful one. 2022 TCA Driver Champion Gresham Wagner piloting the #5 car qualified on pole on Sunday and finished third in race two. His teammate Spike Kohlbecker in the #55 car demonstrated excellence and consistency by finishing second place in both races of the weekend. Team Manager Devin Anderson adds “Gresham and Spike are an incredible lineup. They are both talented, serious drivers who are capable of dominating the field this year”.
Devin Anderson and Shaoyi Che returned for a second season of TCA this year in their #22 and #23 cars respectively. Anderson and Che began their professional careers together running their first full season in 2022. Devin Anderson successfully battled Spencer Bucknum in both races to collect two first place trophies. In race two, Shaoyi Che demonstrated a marked growth in his race craft in his epic battle with veteran PJ Groenke. Che finished with third place trophies in both races. They will be the drivers to watch in this series for the remainder of the season.
When reflecting on the weekend, TechSport’s Team Principle Kevin Anderson stated “It is extremely difficult to stand on the podium in one class, we podiumed in all three classes that we entered. To see the drivers of 5 out of the 6 cars that we brought to Sonoma on the podium, sometimes 2 at a time, was incredible.”
TechSport Racing is a professional race team operating out of Alton Virginia. Since its inception in 2015, TechSport has amassed four Team Championships, three Driver Championships, one Crew of the Year and one Manufacturers Championship (Subaru). TechSport is a family-owned business operated by Kevin Anderson, Deborah Popolizio and managed by Devin Anderson.
