Murillo Racing Returns with Multiple Mercedes-AMG GT4 Entries 10.01.2023: ....for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Series - Returning Murillo Racing Duos of Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss and Christian Syzmczak and Kenny Murillo Renew GS Title Bids after Championship-Contending 2022 Pilot C

....for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Series



- Returning Murillo Racing Duos of Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss and Christian Syzmczak and Kenny Murillo Renew GS Title Bids after Championship-Contending 2022 Pilot Challenge Season



- Brent Mosing Shifts to Car Owner/Reserve Driver Role as Longtime Murillo Racing Teammate Tim Probert Enters No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 in Debut IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Series; Murillo Actively Seeking Second VP Racing Challenge Entry

 




Murillo Racing returns to 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) competition with a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries fresh off of a race-wining and championship-contending season last year.



In the California-based team's sixth-consecutive year with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing, Murillo is back with the duos of Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss in the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 and Christian Szymczak and Kenny Murillo in the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4.




The No. 56 and No. 72 teams will be joined in a returning three-car Mercedes-AMG GT4 program in IMSA by longtime teammate Tim Probert in the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 that competes for the first time without veteran team driver Brent Mosing. Probert races in 2023 in the new IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge series for which Murillo Racing is actively seeking a second entry in the debuting sprint-race series to run alongside Probert.



After 11 seasons of racing exclusively with Murillo Racing, Mosing - the older brother of Jeff Mosing - shifts to a car owner and reserve driver role in 2023.



"I am stepping back from driving, but I am still going to help the Murillo Racing team anyway that I can," Brent Mosing said. "Jeff, my brother, is still racing on the team and we are all one big family. I definitely want to keep making it to races and support Murillo Racing and - for sure - help Tim Probert all that I can. I have told Tim and the team to not worry about the ownership of the car, they are good through the season to use it, and if they need a driver in a race here of there, I am in. Schedule wise, I just can't commit to full seasons any longer but will answer the call for some races if needed."

 


A victory in October's season-ending Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta came in what turned out to be the last planned race together for Brent Mosing and Probert. The No. 65 duo's 2022 race wins played a key role in helping Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams go a perfect 10-for 10 in a dominating performance in the inaugural GS Bronze Cup championship.



“I was delighted to see that the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge would become a fixture in IMSA’s 2023 schedule," Probert said. "As much as I have thoroughly enjoyed the many complex elements of successful endurance racing, and my long time co-driving partnership with Brent Mosing, the new series takes me back to my sprint race roots of 10 seasons in the cut and thrust of the Global MX-5 Cup.



I’m confident that the Mercedes-AMG GT4 will be a super competitive platform for us in the VP Challenge as it has proven to be in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. I’m so fortunate to again have the talented team of Murillo Racing working with me in this new endeavor. Of course, Brent will be cheering us all on with helpful tips, but from the sidelines this year.”

 




"The expansion of Murillo Racing into IMSA's new VP Racing SportsCar Challenge series is going to be a lot of fun and we can't wait to see what comes from it," said Kenny Murillo, son of team founder and owner Ken Murillo.



"After a character building 2022 in GS, I'm very excited about what's to come in 2023. Christian and I have high expectations heading into this year in our No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 and we want to put everything we learned to the test.




The competition is has grown exponentially in GS and that only motivates us more to do the best we can. It was also fantastic last year to share the podium with our GS teammates in the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. We're all coming out swinging and going to give it our all."



Foss and the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 team won a GS class-leading three races in 2022. With Kenton Koch and Marc Miller stepping in for the injured Jeff Mosing - who missed this year’s summer races recovering from a rib injury - Foss and the No. 56 team secured the victories with Koch at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America and Miller co-driving to the win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).



The Murillo Racing No. 56 Mercedes-AMG GT4 team and drivers battled for the overall GS driver and team championships all season, leading the 2022 standings in the second half of the year before ultimately finishing a close second in both Pilot Challenge title races.

 




The No. 56’s sister No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Kenny Murillo and Szymczak secured a pair of podium finishes at Watkins Glen (3rd) and CTMP (2nd) in the team's first year of GS competition in 2022. Kenny Murillo also secured the year-end Motul Pole Award for winning the most GS-class pole positions in the 2022 season.



The on-track success with Murillo's No. 56 and No. 72 entries also helped Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing secure the second IMSA GS manufacturer championship for Mercedes-AMG in the last four years. Both Murillo Racing teams combined to earn the manufacturer championship points for AMG in seven of the year's 10 GS races. In addition to the No. 56's three race wins, Foss and Mosing earned the points for Mercedes-AMG in the year’s opening races at Daytona and Sebring while their No. 72 teammates were the top Silver Star finishers at The Glen and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.




Murillo Racing's 2023 season gets underway this month in back-to-back race weekends at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). Probert makes his GSX-class debut in the premiere VP Racing SportsCar Challenge doubleheader at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona January 20 - 22. That same weekend, the No. 56 and No. 72 Pilot Challenge teams will test for the following week's season-opening race at DIS, January 25 - 27. The four-hour Endurance Challenge Michelin Pilot Challenge opener starts at 1:45 p.m. on Friday, January 27.





Noteworthy: Probert and Brent Mosing put together their best career season of IMSA competition in 2022 with four race wins in the debuting GS Bronze Cup class, which is home to sportsman or "Am" drivers with a Bronze driver rating. The No. 65 teammates won at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Lime Rock Park and swept the final two races of the year at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) and Michelin Raceway.



"I crossed the 100 race milestone at Daytona this year and every one of those pro races was with Murillo Racing or Ken Murillo," Brent Mosing said. "When I started in Mazda MX-5, Ken was leading my crew and engineering my car. Every single race has been with Ken, and Tim Probert was there with us in MX-5 too and straight into running as co-drivers in IMSA. That makes a statement right there as to why this is absolutely about family, about friends and having fun, and that is what Tim and I are in it for. You just don't walk away from that overnight."




Murillo Racing- also photos and IMSA