GT3 / 11 April 2022

NSX GT3 Evo 22 scores first global podium on Long Beach streets

The NSX GT3 Evo 22 scored a landmark result last weekend as Gradient Racing gave the JAS Motorsport-built car its first podium finish anywhere in the world.

In what was only the third race for the latest evolution of the NSX GT3, Gradient duo Marc Miller and Mario Farnbacher scored the superb result - which was also the team’s best in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship - on the streets of Long Beach.

Following a last-minute decision to add the ‘Sprint Cup’ event on the legendary California street circuit to their ‘Endurance Cup’ schedule, the team were right on the pace from the word go with top-six speed shown in practice.

After qualifying sixth, Miller ran strongly to reach fifth spot in GTD by the mid-race driver changes.

Farnbacher simply continued his co-driver’s good work, picking his way through the mistakes of others to snatch second with less than 30 of the 100 minutes remaining.

The result exceeded Gradient’s previous best in IMSA - third - scored at Detroit last year by Miller and Till Bechtolsheimer, and means they leave California second in the Sprint Cup points.

Rick Ware Racing were in Long Beach running an NSX GT3 Evo 22 for the first time and enlisted the experienced Ryan Eversley and Aidan Read as their driver line-up.

Read made it two Acuras in the top 10 by qualifying his car ninth and a combination of good race pace, strategy and error-free driving brought the purple machine up to fourth spot with five minutes remaining.

But contact with a Turn 8 tyre barrier by Eversley dropped the car to eighth at the chequered flag; still a valiant effort by the team, which was supported by Eurasia Motorsport in California.

Both cars were competing as part of the NSX GT3 Customer Racing Programme; a global collaborative project with JAS Motorsport responsible for assembly of all cars.
 
Honda Performance Development (HPD) and M-TEC handle sales and technical support in North America and Japan respectively, with JAS responsible for these areas across the rest of the world.